6 New Milwaukee Packout Attachments Designed To Boost Your Storage System

Milwaukee sits at the top of SlashGear's list of every major portable toolbox brand ranked worst to best, and one of the reasons it does is because of its modular Packout system. This system of interchangeable and interlocking storage solutions makes it easy to customize, organize, and store your tools and equipment. A stationary, wall-mounted rack is available, as are rolling tool boxes that allow you to stack additional units on top of them. This Milwaukee Packout "stack" can then be rolled around for easier transportation. You can stack both additional tool boxes, as well as other useful accessories, such as coolers, radios, and wet/dry vacuums.

Milwaukee is constantly adding new Packout accessories so you can further customize and get more use out of your stack. Recently, Milwaukee announced several new attachments — several of which are already available, with others coming soon — that can be mounted to the side of your stack. By using these attachments on the side of your Packout stack rather than the top, you can increase the surface area of storage space in your stack, as well as place certain items — like hand tools and power tool batteries — within arm's reach for easy access.

Here are six new Milwaukee Packout attachments designed to boost your storage system. More information on why these products were selected can be found at the end of this list.

Most Packout tool boxes and storage accessories are geared toward hand tools, since power tools are larger and bulkier, and it's tougher to carry around several at once. However, that doesn't mean you won't be using multiple power tools during a given task, or one particular piece of equipment for an extended period of time. If that's the case, Milwaukee's new Packout Tool Box M12 Battery Rack Attachment can be used to mount up to three M12 batteries to the side of your Packout stack. With this accessory on hand, you'll be able to quickly swap out drained batteries for fresh ones and continue to operate Milwaukee M12 power tools — like cordless drills, saws, and ratchets — without interrupting your workflow.

This can be particularly useful, as the 12V tools included in Milwaukee's M12 line are designed with portability in mind. If you're using your Packout stack on-the-go, as well as one or more of Milwaukee's top-rated M12 power tools, having a designated spot for the battery packs will make transportation a lot easier.

The Packout Tool Box M12 Battery Rack Attachment comes with two mounts that allow you to connect it to the metal-reinforced corners of Packout tool boxes with a simple hex key. Like Milwaukee's Packout tool boxes and the tools themselves, this attachment is durably built to be impact resistant and better handle rough and tumble job sites and work situations.

Home Depot sells the Packout Tool Box M12 Battery Rack Attachment for $29.99.

Another useful storage accessory for your Milwaukee Packout stack is the brand's Packout Tool Box 3-Hook Attachment. While it's a very simple attachment — literally just three hooks — the versatility it affords greatly improves the convenience and utility of your Packout stack, allowing you to store additional items while also giving you very easy access to them. Rather than having to open the top tool box of your stack or fish through trays to find what you need, you can hang three of your most-used items for a given task so that they're within an arm's reach at any point while you work.

This is possible because the hooks have a 30-pound load capacity, so you can hang heavier hand tools like mallets or even power tools. The hooks are also adjustable, which saves space by twisting the hooks when you don't need them. Like some other Packout accessories, the 3-Hook attachment can be securely fastened to the metal-reinforced corners of your Packout Tool Box using the two included mounts. If you end up working on an extended task that would better use a different attachment, such as the Packout Tool Box M12 Battery Rack Attachment, it won't be much trouble to swap out the two accessories. The attachment weighs less than 1.5 pounds, so it doesn't make your stack any less portable by adding too much weight — and you don't have to worry about bringing it to job sites, as it's constructed with an impact-resistant body.

The Milwaukee Packout Tool Box 3-Hook Attachment is available from Acme Tools for $32.99.

While the portability and modular design of Milwaukee's Packout system does make it a very convenient way to store and transport your equipment, if you're working with a variety of different tools, you may find it cumbersome to unstack your Packout boxes to access a particular item in the moment. With the Packout Tool Box Tray Attachment, however, you can keep some of your most-used items on the outside of your stack, allowing you to quickly access them whenever you need to without messing up your workflow.

Unlike using a hook attachment, the tray allows you to store things you can't hang, and is particularly useful for smaller items like loose screws or nails. If you prefer a more organized setup while you work, you can also use the tray to contain bit cases or small Packout bins. The tray doesn't need to just hold work-related items; it's also a good place to keep your smartphone, for example.

Designed specifically to attach to standard Packout tool boxes, the tray is 16.8 inches long and 6.9 inches wide, with a depth of 4.8 inches — so you can store quite a few small items with it. It's built with durable, impact-resistant plastic and connects to the metal-reinforced corners of a Packout tool box with the included mounts.

Acme Tools sells the Packout Tool Box Tray Attachment for $29.99.

Like the Packout Tool Box Tray Attachment, the Milwaukee Packout Tool Box Caddy Attachment gives you extra storage space and easy accessibility to more items on the outside of your stack. Unlike the tray, however, the Tool Box Caddy offers a more structured way to hold your tools, so you can bring a little order to your accessories and know exactly where everything is when you need a particular item. The caddy comes with adjustable dividers that allow you to organize smaller sections for your various-sized gear. If you want to use the attachment for something that takes up more space, you can easily remove the dividers and keep them on the back of the accessory until you need them again.

The six-inch deep design is especially useful for holding taller hand tools like screwdrivers. Plus, the caddy comes with a very convenient metal belt clip rack that allows you to store even more things on its outside, such as tape measures or other accessories with belt clips. The reinforced rack is strong enough to maintain its shape even when loaded, so you don't need to worry about warping the caddy. Similarly, the caddy is built with an impact-resistant body. The attachment weighs a little under two pounds, and by mounting it to the metal-reinforced corners of your Packout stack, you can add customizable extra storage space to an already highly-modular storage solution to really personalize your tool setup exactly the way you need it.

The Packout Tool Box Caddy Attachment retails for $34.99.

Milwaukee's line of 18-volt cordless power tools includes everything from rotary hammers to lawn equipment to compact routers, so there's a good chance you can use at least M18 tool while working on a given task. One of the strongest features of the best-rated Milwaukee M18 tools is their high performance, as well as their extended battery life — however, these 18V batteries can be fairly bulky. By using the Packout Tool Box M18 Battery Rack Attachment, you can have a designated spot for these batteries and keep them both out of the way as well as easy to access when it's time to swap out a drained power pack for a fresh one.

The attachment — made from durable and impact-resistant red and black plastic to match the rest of your Packout stack and Milwaukee gear — is just 3.3 inches wide and lays flat against the side of your stack. The clip-in battery storage solution allows you to easily mount up to three M18 batteries, as well as quickly remove and grab one when you need it. Everything you need to attach the battery rack to your Packout stack comes with the product, including mounts, washers, screws, and a hex key. It's not terribly complicated to fasten the accessory to the metal–reinforced corners of your Packout tool box, and, when necessary, you can remove it and place a different attachment without much trouble.

Home Depot sells the Packout Tool Box M18 Battery Rack Attachment for $29.99.

Many of the new Milwaukee Packout attachments designed to boost its storage capabilities are meant to hold relatively small items, such as bit cases and M18 batteries, but the Packout Tool Box Long Tool Holder Attachment allows you to securely fasten larger items to your stack. Not only is this helpful in terms of storage, but long tools such as conduit benders and two-foot levels can be cumbersome to carry and transport with the rest of your gear because of their awkward shape — so the ability to attach them along the side of your Packout stack is a very convenient bonus.

The attachment has a 25-pound weight capacity and can hold up to three long tools. It uses spring-loaded gates that allow you to securely fasten them while also still being able to quickly remove and access them. While there are third-party attachments for the Milwaukee Packout's side rails that are also useful for longer tools, such as the Bpopo Magnetic Bar Mount, there are a few upsides to using a first-party accessory from Milwaukee. It easily attaches to your Packout stack, and has the same durable, impact-resistant construction you can expect from the brand's products. 

Unlike many other new Milwaukee Packout attachments, the Packout Tool Box Long Tool Holder Attachment isn't available in stores yet — Milwaukee says it's "coming soon." It already has a product page on retail websites such as Home Depot and is priced at $44.99 — so keep an eye out for when Milwaukee finally starts selling it, as it can make a great addition to your Packout stack.

Five of the six products included on this list of new Milwaukee Packout attachments designed to boost your storage system are currently available in stores and online. However, since they are very new to the market, there hasn't been much in the way of customer feedback or professional reviews to check just how useful they actually are. But, given the well-regarded feedback other similar Packout accessories have, it's probably safe to say that if you enjoy using the Milwaukee Packout system and accessories such as the Packout Tool Station, you may find use out of the items on this list.

These products were included on this list if they met certain criteria, such as being made by Milwaukee, compatible with its Packout system, and are relatively "new," as well as other factors such as how likely they are to be useful. While they may be relatively expensive compared to other similar items such as adhesive hooks or trays, all of these products are also not exorbitantly priced. They're also in stock and easy to obtain, with the exception of the Packout Tool Box Long Tool Holder Attachment, which Milwaukee promises is "coming soon" at the time of this writing. When it is available, you will be able to find it at Home Depot, among other retailers.