What Is The Hook In Front Of A Milwaukee Packout Toolbox For?

Milwaukee has made a name for itself in the tool game, offering high-quality hand and power tools at competitive prices. However, there's more to the brand than the tools themselves. The company has also developed a handy line of storage containers for said tools called Milwaukee Packout. These containers come in red, but with a little searching, you can find Packout containers in black, and they're designed as a cohesive modular system to save as much space as possible. As for the Milwaukee Packout rolling toolbox, it even comes equipped with a steel hook on the front.

This hook has caused some confusion among Milwaukee Packout owners and those to be, as it doesn't seem to have an obvious use. Not to mention, as of publication, no other Packout offerings have such a hook, further deepening the mystery. According to its item description on the Milwaukee website, this is supposedly a carrying handle to "ensure the Rolling Tool Box is easily transportable wherever you need it." Thus, if you unstack your Milwaukee Packout boxes, you can easily carry this toolbox by itself.

Meanwhile, others have used this easy-to-overlook handle for other purposes, making their rolling toolbox all the more versatile.

Since it's not one of the main selling points of the Milwaukee Packout rolling toolbox, it's understandable that many aren't aware of the steel carry handle's advertised use. With it having no real impact on the box's storage or its ability to roll around, it's more of an afterthought to most owners. While some have used it as a carry handle in some form or fashion, others have found use for it in other situations. In a thread on Reddit by u/JohnAnderson83, folks chimed in to share how they've utilized the handle in their day-to-day lives.

"I use it as a place for my foot to keep it in place while i slide out the box that i stacked on top of it. Vice versa, use it to put my foot on to keep in place while sliding the next box back on," explained a now-deleted Redditor. u/32Beers added that they've found it perfect for attaching straps to hoist it onto rooftops. As for u/unkn0wn1, they even theorized that one could use it to secure tools to the Packout that aren't compatible with the system. u/sentorien commented, "My apprentice and I use it to lift the stack up stairs. One on the handle, one on the bar."

Milwaukee Packout ranks among the best portable toolbox brands for a reason. The line is durable, comes in a variety of sizes, and, based on this steel hook alone, is packed with features that can help out in more scenarios than you might think.