Tool Tracker (Excel)

Does anyone use one?  I’m not talking about a locator such as the Tick, but rather a spreadsheet or other method of tracking tool inventories, serial numbers, and status.  I started one today out of sheer boredom, and currently have an Excel workbook with worksheets for each of my cordless tool systems by manufacturer (DeWalt, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Hitachi, and Kobalt).  On it I’ve listed Model, Description, Voltage, Quantity, Serial Number, Date/Place Purchased, and Comments (any suggestions for other info?).  This allows me to filter by any of those parameters and should allow me to keep a tally of what I have in case of loss or theft.  After having my house burglarized a few years ago, I don’t think it will hurt to keep this information handy, and building it provided a nice break from statistics earlier in the day. 

While I am currently a hobbyist/DIY’er at best for now–unless you count various projects that pop up at work–I could see where such a tracker would come in handy for a business that has multiple cordless platforms or a large number of tools.  Anyway, I’ve attached a screenshot.  Any suggestions?

Great idea ? 

I have one for Knipex. I made it a game to see how much I can save from retail so I track that and it’s easier to see what I have, I’ve almost ordered doubles a couple times.

I use quick base at work to track equipment and different Motorola radios and what not. I have a few Excel spreadsheets of the 12k in shit I got stolen a while ago, better to do that before rather than after your stuff gets stolen. Keep it with digital copies of your receipts.

I haven’t even touched this tracker since last Sunday, but I think I’ll add a couple of columns: price paid and date code.  The date code may prove useful for stuff like batteries that lack serial numbers, while the price paid will allow me to use a formula to track the total amount I have invested. 

I keep my tools organised in the Milwaukee app, been inputting my tools on here for over a year now. 

But I think yours is even more in-depth with how you can list by certain parameters ?

Because I’m not that tech-savvy, I just use what’s available…. 

I still have a few tools to input yet that I’ve forgotten about over the last 6 months probably

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haha more Milwaukee than everything else combined. Looks great.

@KnarlyCarl ever thought about doing a tutorial of your inventory system?

I finally started adding to my Sears/Kmart excel spreadsheet. Made it through 51 orders on the “extra” account, still have to do “my” account. After doing that I can just copy and paste the layout and do one for Amazon/ebay and then expand that to misc retailers. Then copy and paste into a single inventory.

I like excel because you can get it to do math for you, auto fill in from previous entries and it can sort items.

I really need to do one for my cigars, I had to make one using Word because my Excel was corrupted. Then by the time I found my Office install flashdrive I had a ton of cigars…so I put it off, then it doubled…then tripled. Now I have almost 11 pages, 55 lines on each page that I need to transfer FML.

I use the milwaukee app as well, however, I don’t do it as religiously as I should. I should probably just set something up on excel so I can keep a better track of costs, purche date, etc. 

Okay, I’m finally getting around to working on this some more.  In the end, it will be a monstrosity, as I’m including my various Ridgid and ToughSystem boxes and their contents as well.  Ultimately, though, it should help me track where everything is and what I have.

I’m thinking of filling my bottom boxes as follows:

DS450: Electrical bags (2x), hammer drill, reciprocating saw, other tools that would be useful for electrical work

DS400 (with cart): Various cordless tools and such that would be useful for general construction/remodeling work

Ridgid #1: Drywall screwguns, cutout tool, and various drywall tools for any drywall projects

Ridgid #2: Various tools for home projects/kind of an extension of the second DeWalt box

The small boxes will be filled with specialty tools, batteries/chargers, and other stuff.  I’m thinking about using one for low voltage electrical (though I may just keep that stuff in a bag instead), and while I found the DS130 perfect for batteries a few months ago, I now need at least two of them, plus additional boxes for Milwaukee (and maybe soon Ridgid) batteries and chargers.

The medium boxes will be dedicated to hand tools, with at least one of each devoted to plumbing, electrical, drywall, and general projects. 

The other boxes like the Ridgid crates, ToughSystem organizer, and the ToughSystem radios will be outfitted and/or added as needed.

It’s a work in progress, juggled at the moment with my Finance school work (maybe by the end of the class I’ll realize I’m broke all the time due to power tool purchases), but in the end, this will work out nicely when I take on a lot more projects next year.  As a Drill Sergeant living in an apartment, my tools are sadly more decorative 95% of the time than they are workhorses.  Next year will find me with a lot more time off and located only a couple of hours from my in-laws’ run-down house.  Windows, HVAC, doors, cabinets, flooring, yard work, gutters, you name it needs to be done before I retire and move 1000 miles away back to my home.  Of course, once I get there, I have big plans, and as it looks like I’ll be living there alone, the entire house might become a workshop.

Have u a template for this or is it handy to do myself. Im brutal with computers

Turner85 wrote:

4 hours ago, Turner85 said:

Have u a template for this or is it handy to do myself. Im brutal with computers

Youtube man. Excel is a very valuable tool, its not that difficult. With one decent youtube tutorial you should be able to get how to use it better than most. It wouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to be able to learn all you need to know.

Turner85 wrote:

On 10/1/2017 at 12:42 PM, Turner85 said:

Have u a template for this or is it handy to do myself. Im brutal with computers

I have one I can send you.  PM me if you want it.