Bosch L-Boxx Review

Okay, here is the deal.  When I first heard about the new L-Boxx by Bosch, we were at the Bosch event.  At the time I really didn’t see anything cool about the idea.  However the concept was cool and worked great with the Sortimo vehicle system.  For this use I could see a huge advantage, but for me spending extra money on this system, well not really.  For me, carrying my tools in the nylon bags or hard cases the tools came with was sufficient.  Sure it was a mess and I would always have a hard time staying organized, but that was what I was used to.  Well Bosch took that as a challenge and sent a bunch of L-Boxxes for us to take a look through.  I have to say it was nice because we received a bunch of L-Boxxes which meant I could organize my tools and also pass some out to see what other people thought and how they would use them.

My typical day starts out with loading up the back of my truck with all my tools.  Which means I have to make about 6 or 7 trips from my garage to my truck.  See I live in an old neighborhood where the driveway is too small for me to back my truck down to my garage and make this process easier.  If it’s raining outside or snowing, I would then have to organize my tools so the tools in nylon bags would be put in my back seat and the other tools in plastic cases would be shoved in the bed of the truck.  After the swearing, honking and sitting in Chicago traffic, I would finally reach my job.  Again, then I would make about 6 or 7 trips from my truck to the location where I was going to park my tools.  If I was lucky, I could leave some of my tools overnight at the job site, but that never seemed often enough.  I tried other ways to make this easier, but it never really seemed like there was a very good way.  Well that was until we tried the Bosch L-Boxxes.

What is so special about the L-Boxxes?   Well a couple of things.  First, they allow the user to organize their tool collection in any style they want.  There is no inserts or other things that stop you from creating your own tool box.  As a user you can organize these boxes to meet your needs.  The only thing that stops you is your imagination.  In fact, we gave some boxes away to other people and some of the ideas we saw were very cool.  One guy cut some old caulk tubes up and inserted them into the Box number 3.  He used it for drill bit, zip tie storage and more.  Second, these boxes all lock together, Bosch calls them Click n’ Go since you just put one box on top of another box, they click and lock.  This is a cool concept because once you have your tools organized the way you want, you can grab the boxes you need for that job, stack them on top of each other and be on your way.  Before we move on I guess now is a great time to mention Bosch has two options to help transport these boxes.  One is an L-cart and the other is basically a floor dolly.  If you will be moving your boxes from site to site, the cart is the way to go.  The dolly is nice for smooth places such as factory floors, etc. Another thing that makes these boxes great is how you can carry them.  They have side and top handles, which is a nice feature.  Box 1 and Box 2 also have a front handle which allows you to carry the box like a brief case.

Currently Bosch has 5 styles of L-Boxxes:

• L-Boxx 1
• L-Boxx 1A
• L-Boxx 2
• L-Boxx 3
• L-Boxx 4

The main difference between the boxes are sizes.  You can check out Bosch to learn more about the boxes.  The L-Boxx 1 is the smallest and the L-Boxx 4 is the largest.  One thing to note is the foam insert that allows the user to customize the foam to the shape of their tool.  I use this for my lasers to help protect them.  The L-Boxx 1A is a little different because it has a 13 piece insert which is great for screws, bits, blades or whatever you want.  Again, what is nice about this whole system is you can design it the way you want and then the system makes transporting the tools very easy.

Bosch isn’t the first or last company to come out with these type of boxes.  In fact, Dewalt just released their version not too long ago.  We receive a lot of emails and comments about the two different styles between Bosch and Dewalt.  I have to say the opinions are just as strong as they are between Ford and GM trucks.  The question we get a lot is which one is really better.  Well I hate to break the news, but in my opinion, one really isn’t better than the other.  It really depends upon what you will be using these for.  For me, I like the Bosch boxes much better for a couple different reasons.

First, the L-Boxxes are not as wide, so getting them in and out of doorways is much easier.  I would rather have something more narrow for my use.  Second, the actual boxes are lighter.  I am getting older and would rather not have to carry around as much weight.  Third, the Bosch L-boxxes are a little smaller, so I can’t fit as many tools in each box which means again the boxes are lighter.  Not that there is a huge difference in size, but I don’t need to shove every tool I own in one box.  However the Dewalt boxes are supposed to be waterproof while the Bosch L-Boxxes are water resistant.  I really don’t need waterproof boxes.  As long as the boxes keep rain or snow out, that’s all I need.  Again,  when it comes down to it as to which is better, it really is up to you.  I think the Bosch L-Boxx system is the way to go as it does everything I need it to do, without the extra weight.

The Click n’ Go system makes it easy to design your own layout and use.  The boxes lock together very easily and stay locked until you want to separate them.  The boxes are also water resistant, which makes it perfect to protect your tools.  If you are looking for a way to stay organized and be able to protect your tools while making transporting them easier, you have to check out the Bosch L-boxxes.

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