# Veto & Klein Tool Bags-Specific Questions About Tool Pockets



## Satch (Mar 3, 2011)

Hello gents. I know the topic comes up a lot but I have some specific questions about the tool pockets in each of these bags. First up, I have not seen a definitive question/answer about the ability of the tools to hold long handled drivers such as my Klein 6" nut drivers or the 7 or 8 inch philips and cabinet tip screwdrivers without them flopping over the top of the pockets. Or even if they will fit inside the smaller LC model. It may be too short overall to fit the longer drivers. 

I have studied the Veto line pretty thoroughly and watched about every YouTube video on them I can find. There is no real evidence one way or the other about the long drivers. The closest I can come is a video about modding his bag with some rivet headed type "Chicago" screws to make some of the pockets smaller so as to avoid the problems I mentioned. 

I know nothing of the newer line of Klein Ultimate/Professional line of bags. Finding photos of them opened up is near impossible. Klein has a pretty good video of the Tradesman Pro Extreme bag but it is the same video linked to in every description of the other bags. Also, I have seen mention in this forum that the newer Veto XL bags have shorter pockets than in older models. If so this makes buying them a bigger question. I have only a very few dealers within 50 miles that actually have one I can look at in person or try with the longer shank tools. So here we go. A; will the longer shank tools fit in bags like the Veto LC? B; Will the pockets in either the Veto or Kleins hold the drivers upright? What about the mods with the Chicago screws? It seems wrong to mod a $150 tool bag. Thanks for the help. 

Video of Veto Mods


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## Satch (Mar 3, 2011)

Sorry guys. The video didn't link in the OP. Hope this works.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I kind of found the veto to be a bit restraining. My ideal system would be a 24" cantilever toolbox thats tough enough to last.


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## Wpgshocker (Jan 25, 2013)

Satch said:


> Hello gents. I know the topic comes up a lot but I have some specific questions about the tool pockets in each of these bags. First up, I have not seen a definitive question/answer about the ability of the tools to hold long handled drivers such as my Klein 6" nut drivers or the 7 or 8 inch philips and cabinet tip screwdrivers without them flopping over the top of the pockets. Or even if they will fit inside the smaller LC model. It may be too short overall to fit the longer drivers. I have studied the Veto line pretty thoroughly and watched about every YouTube video on them I can find. There is no real evidence one way or the other about the long drivers. The closest I can come is a video about modding his bag with some rivet headed type "Chicago" screws to make some of the pockets smaller so as to avoid the problems I mentioned. I know nothing of the newer line of Klein Ultimate/Professional line of bags. Finding photos of them opened up is near impossible. Klein has a pretty good video of the Tradesman Pro Extreme bag but it is the same video linked to in every description of the other bags. Also, I have seen mention in this forum that the newer Veto XL bags have shorter pockets than in older models. If so this makes buying them a bigger question. I have only a very few dealers within 50 miles that actually have one I can look at in person or try with the longer shank tools. So here we go. A; will the longer shank tools fit in bags like the Veto LC? B; Will the pockets in either the Veto or Kleins hold the drivers upright? What about the mods with the Chicago screws? It seems wrong to mod a $150 tool bag. Thanks for the help. Video of Veto Mods <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1edgamPGj68&feature=player_detailpage">YouTube Link</a>


The Veto will not hold longer drivers without flopping around. There are no loops etc for longer tools. The pockets themselves are short and while the tool will not fall out, it will not be held firmly. I do carry longer drivers and you can fit them into the smaller bags as well. I use a Veto Tech LC which is a smaller bag.


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## Satch (Mar 3, 2011)

Wpgshocker said:


> The Veto will not hold longer drivers without flopping around. There are no loops etc for longer tools. The pockets themselves are short and while the tool will not fall out, it will not be held firmly. I do carry longer drivers and you can fit them into the smaller bags as well. I use a Veto Tech LC which is a smaller bag.


Thanks man. I sort of suspected this was the case from looking at photos and videos but you never know til you ask...

I am trying to make a good decision because of the work we do. Industrial/commercial maintenance and a good bit of construction work in between running conduit for remodels and some new construction. Variable is the word. This bag is for organising the tools and carrying them to the job from the truck as needed. I carry a Klein leather tool pouch for the day to day stuff. I need the bag to organise my long nut drivers, longer shaft screwdrivers, etc. If the weight of the bag could be kept manageable I could make it every day carry in a pinch. 

What I would love to see in a Veto style bag is pockets in the back that were made like a straight sided funnel that keeps about 2/3 of a Klein/Wera/Felo/Wiha driver handle exposed. Then taper immediately so the shaft would be long enough to accommodate up to 8" drivers with a width enough to hold up to say, 1/2" nutdrivers. The nice thing about this setup is if you put a shorter length driver in there it would not disappear down the hole since the "funnel" handle shape would keep this from happening. Then slightly shorter, slightly wider pockets in front of that row for for linesman, long nose, crimper type pliers. Then another row in front of those made like the upper funnel pockets for shorter ~4" screw and nut drivers. In front of those would be either pockets for precision screwdrivers and pliers or probably even better, straps or wide horizontal pockets that would hold small bit boxes(PB Swiss makes superb versions of these that will also snap to your belt) or boxes/small bags with your precision pliers which can get EXPENSIVE for their size. The last thing you want is those things knocking around your adjustable pliers!

The opposite side of the bag would be identical and would hold a selection of insulated tools for hot work. Possibly some datacom tools as well. Maybe the precision stuff there as well rather than the other side. I will NOT compromise those types of tools in any way by exposing them to grease or other contaminants in a general tool bag or box. I cringe when I see the way some guys carry and treat their insulated tools. I wouldn't want to use them that's for sure. Sorry to be so long guys. I just want to make a good choice for the money. Likely there is no soft sided bag out there that currently fills the bill but maybe I can come close. If I could find someone to custom make a bag like that I would pay them. As long as they don't want my firstborn in payment! A couple of hundred dollars is not out of line though.


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## Techne (Feb 9, 2013)

Satch said:


> What I would love to see in a Veto style bag is pockets in the back that were made like a straight sided funnel that keeps about 2/3 of a Klein/Wera/Felo/Wiha driver handle exposed. Then taper immediately so the shaft would be long enough to accommodate up to 8" drivers with a width enough to hold up to say, 1/2" nutdrivers. The nice thing about this setup is if you put a shorter length driver in there it would not disappear down the hole since the "funnel" handle shape would keep this from happening. Then slightly shorter, slightly wider pockets in front of that row for for linesman, long nose, crimper type pliers. Then another row in front of those made like the upper funnel pockets for shorter ~4" screw and nut drivers.


The back row I find deep enough and snug enough if I double up two longer (8") drivers in each pocket. Dividing these deeper pockets in the center with a rivet or chicago screw isn't worth it, in my mind, as the tension at the top of the pocket causes the material to fray rather quickly. I did this on my first XL bag (after watching that same youtube video), and haven't since.

I would also like to add that the Klein Ultimate bags will always start falling over sideways, especially if the larger side pockets are weighted down with bits, carbide cutters and the like. I like elements of the design more than the vetos - more storage options in the "lids" being a main one - but they do start crumpling under load. You can fit a heck of a load in those Klein bags with the more open center compartment.


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## Satch (Mar 3, 2011)

Thank you therearenoroadshere. This great information. I was a bit suspicious of the Chicago bolt mod. The pvc pipe trick is kind of neat. If you go to instructables.com and search for "first order retrieveability" you will find an instructable or two where chaps have used the same formula for proper vertical storage in their tool bags. I agree the schedule 20 would be much easier to work with, lighter, and take up less area side by side. I wonder if some sort of pex tubing would work or whether you could keep it straight enough to use after unrolling it? I wonder about adhesives to glue it together? 

I have even considered making a bag myself or at least an insert. Sort of like those tool pallets you see in hard shell 'technician' cases. You can buy 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick ABS plastic in small sheets like 2x4 feet. Cut this to fit the middle of the bag of your choice and then have some of that heavy denier cloth sewn to it in the shapes you like. I have not the first clue whether you could actually do this or not. Holes would have to be punched in the plastic to let any thread material through. Probably a fun hobby project but real world use may be different. We'll see. I am trying to line up a vendor who will get a XL or LC Veto for me to examine.


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## Chase13 (Jan 14, 2014)

I have the klein ultimate electricians bag and the side that has the driver wall on the flap has pockets on the bag deep enough to hold 8" drivers I'll post pictures later


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## Wpgshocker (Jan 25, 2013)

A coworker of mine has a very simple mod. He cut and shaped blocks of pine to fit the pocket perfectly. He drilled holes to fit his drivers. No loose tools but a little added weight.


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

For me, about the only thing that holds longer drivers and the like properly are the ideal tough totes. Only problem is they dont zip up keeping tools out of sight.


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

Double post


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## Satch (Mar 3, 2011)

Gents, a bit of an update. I had the day off and started looking for dealers that had the Veto brand. Now mind, you can usually find a lot of so called dealers listed on nearly any company's web site. Whether they actually stock anything is another matter. Most just tell you they can order for you. So expecting some supply house to actually have a working stock of Veto bags was a bit of a dream. But it became reality. I found a company called WSM industries in Lenexa Ks that has nearly the whole line...in stock, on their show floor. Score. Now I was able to handle these things up close and personal. 

I will say up front the Vetos are not for me. Before anyone lets me have it I should also add I have no issue with the quality of the bags or the ideas behind them. They simply are not made for what I want to do with them. They are geared much more toward what I would call general maintenance. The pockets are all wide and deep(front to back, not necessarily top to bottom) which only adds to the tool tipping issues I don't like. You could and actually would need to have two to four drivers or pliers in each pocket to keep things tidy. This is not a problem or design flaw in my opinion. If you have several tin snips, ratchets, rough duty drivers, pliers that can live together, you're good to go. When it comes to my tools I like them a little more segregated from each other. Not to the point you see on a tool pallet in a hard shell case but there is no way in thunder I am taking several hundred dollars worth of insulated tools and loading them in those caverns and have them jostling around beating up against each other with every bump or turn. No way. I don't even like my everyday tools banging around too much but they do it and it is not an issue. I am just really cautious with $40 pliers and $40-100 sets of screwdrivers. Don't worry, I am no tool queen. Mine get used daily in real work. I just don't like the way the Veto pockets force you to jam them all together.

Here's what I found with the models I could inspect and that interested me. First up was the LC. It was sized exactly how I was hoping it would be. About the size of an old school bowling ball bag. Absolutely perfect for carrying and small enough to tuck away in side box on a utility bed truck. Small enough that when zipped up it would not scream "Hey, look at me. Biggest tool bag around. Come steal me and all my expensive contents." My hopes fell when I opened the side compartments. As I feared from the videos and photos, the pockets are not deep enough top to bottom to hold long handled or long shank tools mostly vertical. And the pockets are layered on top of each other in such a way as to preclude the Chicago bolt trick. Doing that on the back row makes two very narrow pockets out of the one and while long screwdrivers would fit, bigger nut drivers like 7/16 or 1/2 wouldn't make it. And the pockets in front of them are small enough and aligned close enough to the ones behind to preclude actually snapping the Chicago bolts in such a way as to not block access to the handles of the drivers behind whatever was in the pouches. And they would not have been wide enough then to hold pliers. It sounds convoluted but it is not if you take the pockets hold them against the back wall of the bag or the pockets just behind each succeeding row. And the biggest killer, 8" handled drivers will NOT fit inside the LC and allow it to zip up. I tried. I grabbed a large straight slot Klein cushion grip from the display wall and popped in the back pockets. It was about half inch or more too long to allow the sides to zip up without a lot of pressure on the zippers and canvas. The driver was listed as a 7" model but had a handle about an inch longer than a regular driver since it was the kind you can beat on with a metallic tip on the handle end. A regular Klein cushion grip with 8" shaft would be about the same exact length. Other than the need for my long shank tool storage I think the LC is easily the best of the bunch. If you use typical 4-6 inch drivers and have no issue with them or pliers living directly up against each other I would give this a bag a SERIOUS look. Very impressive. 

I also looked at an XL and Tech Backpack. Neither suits me. The XL would lends itself MUCH more toward the mods you see on the web. It is rather large and I fully understand why a lot of guys complain about the weight. You could overload this one in about ten seconds. It's cavernous. I think with its large pockets which are taller than the LC this could be a plumber or tinner's bag extraordinaire. Great for medium length pipe wrenches(make them aluminium though for weight's sake) or the tonnes of snips tin knockers use. 

Least useful to me was the backpack. For the love of sanity why this thing is priced at $225 is beyond me. I wouldn't give you fifty dollars for it. Not that it is bad quality. It's not. It is VERY well made. But for something over 20 inches tall you cannot fit a single long-ish tool vertically in it! I tried the long handled Klein and it flopped around with over half the length of it dangling out of any pocket I tried. And all the areas at the top of the back wall were these little tiny pockets a bit over an inch deep and about a half inch wide. I don't really know who this pack is aimed at but general electrical or technicians that need a tool kit on hand are not going to be happy with it in my opinion. Now for those who use them and like them I say more power to you. Remember, I was handling these in a showroom and not in the field. I may have easily missed something or a feature I should have seen. Feel free to clue me in. 

Lastly I also looked at the Klein 55418-19 Tradesman Pro Ultimate Electrician's Bag. Not for me either. Nicely made but the pockets are all on the outside of the bag and covered by those flaps you see in the pictures. The center is a huge open section about four or five inches wide and the full length and depth of the case. Likely geared toward a laptop or other paperwork or prints. So back to the search for me. Sorry, should have snapped a photo of the Klein in the pockets of the LC but spaced it out. Thanks for the nice replies. Any suggestions are welcome.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

That's why I got an OT-XL.


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## viperr13 (Sep 6, 2010)

you should try looking at the Klein 55417-18 
Tradesman Pro Organizer Extreme Electrician's Bag.


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## Chase13 (Jan 14, 2014)

You would probably like the klein pro ultimate organizer bag. This is how mine is set up and the last pic is of a 6" flathead in the deep pouch on the side with the drivers


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