Tool Bucket Organizers for Construction Workers

Tool bucket organizers may all look the same, but they’re not all built the same. In fact, even though they’re all similarly priced, they are extremely different in terms of quality, durability, functionality and even looks. The good thing is the best tool bucket organizer is the exact same price as the worst one. However, this also makes it easy to get burnt if you don’t know what to look for.

Table of Contents

Qualities to Look for in Tool Bucket Organizers

Although the general idea of most bucket organizers is the same, there are a few key differences to look out for. Even the best bucket organizer will have many similarities to the worst, but there may be a difference in one of these key factors that can change the game completely. For instance, you may have the same number or pockets, same level of durability, same design, but one may carry a one-year warranty while one is only good for 30 days.

Things to look for when buying the best tool bucket organizer:

  • Durability: The type of material can make a big difference in one tool bucket organizer versus another. Generally, the best tool bucket organizers are made from durable denier fabric and rip-stop polyester.
  • Pockets: The number of pockets is important depending on how many tools you own. Generally, most tool bucket organizers come with around 20-50 pockets, with the average being somewhere around the 30 range. There is no “best” number of pockets, it just depends on your need.
  • Design: The design can really separate the best tool bucket organizer from the worst. You can have the same number of pockets in two different bucket organizers, but one may have a nice variety of pocket sizes and are laid out in a thoughtful manner, while another may have no thought put into the layout at all. This can make a world of difference in the functionality of the organizer. The whole point is to organize your tools in a way that makes sense and the best tool bucket organizer will do that.
  • Warranty: Most warranties on bucket organizers tend to be one to three years. Some companies offer a “money back guarantee” regardless of how long you’ve owned the product (whether they’ll honor that or not may be a different story). Many companies list no warranty at all. In general, the best tool bucket organizer will have a reasonable length warranty, which we conclude is at least one year.

This list of qualities is by no means all-inclusive. It’s meant merely to point you in the right direction on the “biggies” when looking for the best tool bucket organizer. Odds are, if the bucket organizer hits these four points well, you’re going to be happy with your purchase. If it doesn’t, odds are you won’t be. Overall, it’s meant to limit your risk when looking for the best bucket caddy for your tools.

Now, let’s get to the best tool bucket organizers for this year…

9 Best Tool Bucket Organizers

Overall Best Tool Bucket Organizer

1. Bucket Boss 56 Tool Bucket Organizer

best tool bucket organizer
Pros
  • 56 pockets or loops
  • Special holders for drills, bits, hammers and other items
  • Sturdy canvas construction
  • Extra stitching at stress points
  • Fits virtually any 3 or 5 gallon bucket
Cons
  • None

Best Feature: 56 Pockets

The original Bucket Boss was actually invented in 1987 on a jobsite in Duluth, Minnesota. Two guys, just like you, were hauling around all their tools in 5-gallon buckets unorganized. That’s when they found a way to make organization easy and they came up with the Bucket Boss. Since then, the rest is history, as they say.

It’s this 30-year history that makes Bucket Boss the absolute best tool bucket organizer. Not only do they have the history behind them, the Bucket Boss was designed by people who were actually doing the job. Since then, they’ve been field testing their products by American workers and refining them to make life easier for American workers. This is what makes the design of the Bucket Boss tool bucket organizer so much more superior than other brands on the market.

There’s a great reason that the Bucket Boss 56 has the 56 as a suffix. There are 56 pockets in all. Some are specialized, like pockets for drills and drill bits, screwdrivers, a tape measure, a cell phone – gotta have that – and so on. Then there are general pockets whose purpose is totally up to you. Levels, digital measuring devices, wrenches, pliers and that Bob Vila signature dog bone wrench that you use all the time – can find a home in the Bucket Boss.

You literally nestle the Bucket Boss into a five-gallon bucket (not included), so make sure it’s a good bucket, because all the quality in the world won’t help if your bucket handle rips in two. The Bucket Boss is likely tougher than the bucket it rides in. With 600 dernier poly ripstop fabric and double stitching at the top and at other critical points it’s going to be around for a long time.


2. Klein Tools Bucket Bag

Pros
  • Good value for the price
  • Intuitive organization of pockets
  • Heavy duty polyester canvas
  • Lightweight
  • Versatile, adaptable
Cons
  • Occasional “lemon” slips through with poor stitching
  • Some pockets are too deep

Best Feature: Heavy Duty

This is built of the same strong canvas as our number one best lunch box, and if a material can be trusted with your toasted pimento cheese sandwich, it can certainly be trusted with your digital stud finder and wire snips. It’s made with a double layer of high-dernier polyester with double stitched binding where it’s needed most.

Now maybe the Bucket Boss (see No. 1) has more pockets, but the Klein Bucket Bag has 45 pockets, and honestly, 45 should be plenty for virtually any carpenter or construction worker. There’s a holster for a drill and a pouch for your cellphone, and well-organized pockets of various depths, widths and orientations for all your odd-shaped tools or hardware bits.

The drill (or power tool of your choice) pocket is part of a group of interior pockets that includes three tool sleeves and six universal pockets. The power tool pocket is big enough to wind the cord around the handle and put the whole works in.

Then on the outside, you’ll find nine nut driver pockets, 11 pliers pockets, 11 utility (read: anything goes) pockets, two wire stripper pockets and two pockets with Velcro closures. This model is marketed for electricians, but the versatility of this bucket bag makes it a handy addition to anyone’s workshop or truck bed.

Specifications

  • Length: 23 inches
  • Height: 23 inches
  • Width: 19 inches
  • Material: Polyester
  • Diameter: 19 inches
  • Interior Pockets 10
  • Exterior Pockets: 35
  • Weight (not including bucket): 2.0 pounds

3. Readywares Waxed Canvas Tool Bucket Organizer

best canvas tool bucket organizer
Pros
  • Durable construction
  • Quality workmanship
  • 60 pockets
  • Room for bulk storage in center
  • Numerous specialty pockets
Cons
  • Price

Best Feature: Waxed Cotton Canvas for Extreme Durability

If Grandma’s lace doilies can be considered an heirloom, so can Grampa’s waxed canvas bucket bag tool organizer. It’s likely to be passed down through two or more generations, given its penchant for durability.

The folks at Readywares mean business with this bucket tool organizer, making it out of 20-ounce waxed cotton canvas. It’s the only bucket bag organizer made of a material other than polyester.

So what is cotton canvas? Cotton canvas is a plain weave of cotton and linen fibers with a very high thread count. Synthetic fibers add more strength, and when you give the whole business a coating of wax, you add even more strength, plus water resistance. If cotton canvas fails, it’s often due to a cut or abrasion rather than the fibers losing their grip on one another and separating into a tear. Therefore, the wax serves a great two-fold purpose here.

Canvas was originally woven with hemp instead of cotton, and I’ll bet you know where this conversation is going. Yeah, the term canvas is derived from cannabis.

The Readywares bucket tool organizer looks like a scene from Honey I Shrunk the Shar-Pei, with its wrinkled tan canvas fabric, brown piping and loops, holsters and pockets everywhere. And when we say pockets, we mean pockets – 60 of them in just about every width, depth and orientation you can think of.

If you have a cordless drill – and who doesn’t – you can easily fit a drill with a battery attached plus a back-up battery in adjacent pockets. Some pockets have extra reinforcement where needed, so top-heavy items like hammers, crowbars and large wrenches are held securely and less likely to become oopsies.

Inside the bucket portion, there are three cocentric circles of pockets, but the innermost portion is open for bulky items.

The craftsmanship on this bucket tool organizer is particularly noteworthy. Clean stitching, no hanging threads or frayed corners and reinforcement where it’s needed most. Customer satisfaction on this is very high.

It’s a bit of an investment, but product reviews are packed with high praise for this item. We think you will be pleased with one of these quality bucket tool organizers.

Specifications

  • Manufacturer: Readywares
  • 11.7 inches x 6.8 inches x 4 inches
  • Color: Tan
  • Other color choices: None

4. Husky Bucket Jockey Tool Bucket Organizer

Pros
  • Great value for the price
  • Lightweight
  • Durable
  • Versatile and adaptable
  • Cleans easily
Cons
  • Exterior pockets run a little small

Best Feature: Versatility

You’re going to be the one-man band with this handy organizer, and it won’t bust the budget. For carpenters, electricians, gardeners, trim specialists, framers, floorers and handymen in general, this is all you need to get you through your work shift without having to make multiple trips back to the tool shed or work truck to fetch a tool.

With 30 pockets, inside and out, you can carry and organize all sorts of tools, fasteners, hardware parts and hand held accessories with ease. The pockets run a tad small, on the outside at least, but that can be an advantage in that the tools will be held a little more firmly in the smaller space. More of the contents are exposed, due to the smaller pockets, but that can also be an advantage to users – they don’t have to remember which pocket they put this or that in, because it will be clearly visible.

Super-tough high-denier polyester makes this a longtime work buddy, and the handsome black and red fabric cleans easily.

Specifications:

  • Manufacturer: LF Products PTE, LTD
  • Weight: 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions: 18 x 12.5 x 1 inches
  • Construction: Polyester
why get a tool bucket organizer
Don’t carry tools, nails, screws and hardware in your pockets. Get a tool bucket organizer.

5. CLC In & Out Tool Bucket Organizer

Pros
  • 61 pockets and/or loops
  • High-denier count polyester construction
  • Special pocket for drill
  • Economical
  • Double stitching on pocket edges
Cons
  • Pockets tend to be shallow
  • Bunches up when set in a bucket (slightly too tall)

Best Feature: Durable Construction

You won’t be saying (or at least you shouldn’t be saying), “Now where is my bucket organizer?” with the CLC In & Out Bucket organizer. Its bright yellow trim against the black canvas stands out like a beacon, or at least like a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey that fits in a five-gallon paint bucket.

For sheer number of pockets among our list of bucket organizers, this one takes the Kewpie doll. Somehow, they’ve managed to fit 61 pockets on this bad boy. They’re not haphazard or illogical, either. It all makes sense, and you can organize to your OCD heart’s content with this extremely handy bucket tool organizer.

There are 36 triple row outside pockets, great for drill bits, screwdrivers, small wrenches, chalk lines, box cutters and the like. Inside, you’ll find 25 more pockets with room – if you pack it with forethought – for things like hand-held power tools, pipe wrenches, hammers, heavy duty extension cord and anything too big for the other pockets.

The drill holster includes a side release safety strap to keep your cordless drill from becoming a hammer drill when it hits the floor. With your ingenuity, you could also use the drill holster for other items as well. The rim is reinforced with an extra layer of high-dernier polyester, as are the tops of all pockets.

The reinforced pocket tops and the double stitching help keep items in their place. The pockets are not all that deep, and top-heavy items – a like a hammer – would tend to make the pocket sag without the extra fabric and stitching. No one wants a saggy pocket and certainly no one wants to feel an empty pocket where something dropped out of.

Most of the pockets are anything goes, but some are specialized, like the drill holster, which includes a pressure-release clip. It keeps you ready for a fast draw for fence-mending at the OK Corral. One of the pockets has a fold-over flap with a Velcro closure, perfect for a cell phone or sensitive electronic device.

Specifications:

  • Manufacturer: Custom Leathercraft
  • 4 inches x 8 inches x 13 inches
  • Color: Black & yellow
  • Other color options: None
  • Material: Polyester

6. AWP HP Hanging Bucket Tool Organizer

awp bucket tool organizer
Pros
  • Inner bucket area completely available for storage
  • Extra stitching running horizontally and vertically at pockets
  • Magnetic strip for quick release
  • Tape clip
  • Durable construction
Cons
  • None

Best Feature: Everything Stores on the Outside

All the tool organizers suffering from pocket count envy might want to rethink their design. For sheer number of pockets, the AWP HD tool organizer falls behind the pack with only (“only” – Hah!) 51 pockets. But here’s the essential difference, and why we think you should consider this model: All of the pockets are on the outside, leaving five gallons – literally – of mass storage space inside the bucket.

That way, if you wanted to carry your work tools and a jobsite radio all in one organized bucket, you could put the tools in the pockets and the radio in the bucket.

*Radio not included, but maybe you could find one here

Or you could put any bulk tool or material in the bucket, because the inside is completely available. So if it fits, it sits.

The pockets are all neat and nifty with their handsome, reinforced, double-stitched pocket tops. The reinforcement doesn’t stop there. Between each pocket is heavy-duty stitching running vertically to provide support no matter which way the fabric is pulled.

There are a couple of features common to several of the other organizers on the list, like a tape clip. When they say “measure twice, cut once,” it’s not such a hassle when the tape measure is right there on a clip. Narrow pockets can hold screwdrivers, punches, drill bits, Allen wrenches and the like, and bigger pockets are perfect for pliers, drills, hammers and wrenches.

One feature that sets this apart is that is has a magnetic strip just below the logo. When you are quickly changing from drill to screwdriver, or from finger tightening to wrench tightening, having your main tool right there in plain view is almost as good as having an assistant handing you things. Just be careful to place the tool back in its designated pocket before toting the bucket to a new location.

The construction is tent-tough high-denier polyester that can hold a lot of weight and take a lot of abuse.

So if you have that one bulky item that won’t fit in any other tool organizer, consider getting one of these bucket bags. It’s not quite like cramming 10 gallons of, um, stuff into a five-gallon bucket, but it’s still pretty darn good.

Specifications:

  • Hi Performance AWP HP
  • 11.3 inches x 9.5 inches x 2.3 inches
  • Color: black
  • Other color options: none
  • Material: Polyester

7. Ironland Bucket Tool Bag Organizer

best tool bag organizer
Pros
  • Fits multiple size buckets
  • Pockets are intuitively arranged for convenience
  • Extremely durable fabric
  • Low cost
  • External clip for tape measure
Cons
  • Small

Best Feature: Fits 5-gallon and Smaller Buckets

Don’t have a five-gallon bucket? How about a four-gallon? Three and a half? The Ironland bucket tool bag organizer fits all of those. Now, on a five-gallon bucket, you’re going to see that this isn’t as large as some of the other bucket tool organizers on the list. The bag doesn’t reach all the way to the ground. But if you don’t have half a zillion tools to haul around, perhaps you don’t need a bucket tool organizer all that big.

It may be small, but it’s tough. Made of 600D polyester, it is going to hold up for years, and it’s going to hold up to rough treatment, like when you slam your bucket down in the bed of the pickup truck at 5:54 p.m. on a Friday and you were supposed to get off at 5:00.

What is 600D?

The D stands for denier, which is a unit of measure for fibers. The higher the denier, the more fibers. The more fibers, the stronger the material. 

Backpacks, canvas tents and many sails are 600D in density. It makes a heavy, rugged fabric that isn't very pliable. Its strength is the main attribute, but it's also waterproof. Some items are made with a combination of fabrics, running from 300D to 1200D and greater.

The trade-off between higher and lower denier counts is the weight of the fabric. Heavier is not necessarily better if the fabric is unwieldy, stiff and difficult to attach. Lighter D-counts produce a more flexible fabric that is more susceptible to tearing and fraying and less waterproof.

For more information about canvas, polyester, thread count and more, click here.

All of the pockets – and there are 51 of them – are on the outside, leaving the inside available for large items, like saws, hammer, sanders, large rolls of cable, etc. They run in several sizes for the different sizes and shapes of the tools you carry, and they’re intuitively organized into groupings, so all of your punch tools are in a row and all of your screwdrivers are in a row. (You could say this bucket tool organizer helps you get your ducks in a row!)

For a tiny investment – wow! We think you’ll love this tool bag organizer.

Specifications:

  • Manufacturer: Ironland
  • 12.01 inches x 0.41 inches x 8.31 inches
  • Color: Gray
  • Other color options: None

8. Horusdy Bucket Tool Organizer

best bucket tool organizer

Best Feature: Simple Design

Pros
  • Simple design, uncomplicated look
  • Very durable
  • Inner storage for bulky items
  • Velcro closure for cell phone pocket
  • Very budget friendly
Cons
  • Not as many pockets as some models
  • Some users found wide mouth 5-gallon buckets don’t work well with this

You wouldn’t exactly call the Horusdy bucket tool organizer minimalistic, but compared to the other pockets-for-miles bucket tool organizers it is a much simpler, dare we say less stressful choice for a bucket tool organizer. Thirty pockets. Now if we hadn’t already been talking about tool bucket organizers with 40, 50, even 60 pockets, you’d think that was a lot.

It is. Thirty pockets will be plenty for a lot of construction workers or weekend warriors. The way they’re stitched into the 1680D polyester fiber base material, it looks like only a handful of pockets. The black fabric and orange piping create an eye-pleasing symmetry that oozes calm in an environment that very often is chaotic.

A closer look reveals that the orange piping has loops in it, loops that form pockets of various widths. There are two rows of pockets. Some are suitable for small, straight tools like screwdrivers, nut drivers, crescent wrenches, awls, pencils, etc. and some are just right for larger tools and devices like cell phones, volt/ohm meters, drill bit cases and others. Your imagination, and a little trial-and-error can find homes for nearly everything you would want to take with you on job.

Electricians may find the Horusdy bucket tool organizer just the ticket for their needs. You can fit soldering guns and tips in the small and medium pockets and dump a whole grab-bag of switches, receptacles, switch plates, receptacle plates, wire spools and whatnot in the center portion.

This model is very popular with gardeners as well, with plenty of pockets for spades, seed packets, cultivator tools, work gloves, hose attachments and bottles of pesticides and fertilizer.

Some pockets are located inside, but most of the inner storage area is open for bulky items. The tool bag organizer is waterproof and washable. Grease and grim release from the dense polyester very easily and water simply beads up on the surface and dries quickly.

Does it seem as if you can never find your tape measure when you need it, or say, “Five tape measures!? How did I end up with five tape measures?” You’re not alone. A lot of guys go through the same drama. Here’s a fun thread where guys were asked to name their most-often lost tool.

The durability of this tool bag organizer should be expressed in decades rather than years. For the money, this is the best tool bag organizer you can find, and yeah, you can make 30 pockets work for you.

Specifications:

  • Manufacturer: Horusdy
  • 11.4 inches x 10 inches x 1.5 inches
  • Color: Black with orange piping
  • Other color options: None
  • Material: Polyester

9. IRWIN Tools Bucket Tool Organizer

best 5-gallon tool bucket organizer
Pros
  • Many small pockets
  • Pockets inside and out
  • Many different pocket varieties
  • Slides easily onto bucket
  • Good looking
Cons
  • Not ideal if you have a lot of larger tools

Best Feature: Many small pockets

This bucket organizer is a simple and effective 5-gallon bucket organizer for a wide assortment of tools. This tool bucket organizer excels where others don’t in the fact that it has a lot of smaller pockets. Not every guy carries large tools, that’s just a fact.

Like the most popular tool bucket organizer on our list, the Bucket Boss, this tool bucket organizer is also equipped with 56 pockets. It has a wide array of sizes and can even handle a can of WD-40 (or can of equivalent diameter) in one of the pockets. It also has a handy key clip for storing keys and other items that you can hang with a clip. It has pockets on both the inside and the outside as well.

It’s built tough and made of durable canvas, like many of the other tool bucket organizers on the list. It folds flat for easy storage and also comes in an attractive blue color, making it a bit more stylish compared to some of the other bucket organizers.

No major bells and whistles, but a quality bucket organizer at a price that’s a bit more reasonable compared to several of the top-of-the-line organizers with a similar level of durability.


Bucket Boss 10030 vs Bucket Boss 10056

Two of the most popular tool bucket organizers in all of tooldom are the Bucket Boss Bucketeer (10030) or the Bucket Boss 56 (10056). Since Bucket Boss is the company that started the trend in the first place, it’s understandable that it would be the top-selling company in the biz.

Let’s take a look at these two tool bucket organizer all-stars and perhaps uncover a nugget that will settle the question of which one is best for you.

Overall Size and Construction Quality – Winner: It’s a Draw

These two tool bucket organizers begin life on even terms. The basic “footprint” for these – if you want to call it that – is a section of high quality polyester fabric that roughly measures 11 inches wide x 11 inches long. (The measurement should really be expressed at 11 inches in diameter, because these are meant to lay out on the round rim of a five-gallon bucket.)

The only other measurement is the depth, and there is a slight difference. The Bucket Boss 56 reaches one inch deeper into the bucket. Not that you’d notice.

The quality of the fabric – probably the fabric itself – is exactly the same – 600 deniers. The color is the same as well – medium brown. 

Number of Pockets – Winner: Bucket Boss 56

bucket boss 10056

Here we encounter the main difference between the Bucket Boss 56 and the Bucketeer. The Bucket Boss has 56 pockets while the Bucketeer has 30.

With the Bucket Boss 56, you have an embarrassment of riches: 56 pockets, loops, clips, hangers, pouches and the like. Calling some of these devices “pockets” is a bit of a stretch, but they serve a purpose, and some of you out there have a need for every one of them.

The Bucketeer’s 30 pockets is still plenty, and more of them could legitimately be called “pockets.” They’re also spaced farther apart and may be more useful because storing and retrieving tools is easier.

Price – Winner: Bucketeer

bucket boss 10030 - bucketeer

The low price tag for the Bucketeer is one of the best bargains you’ll find in the realm of tool bucket organizers. The Bucket Boss 56 is a little more than twice the price, but if you need the pockets and the versatility of the Bucket Boss 56, it’s still money well spent.

Let’s face it: neither of these tool bucket organizers are expensive; not in the least. You could spend upwards of 100 bucks and not get the quality and usefulness of these great products.


How to Install a Tool Bucket Organizer

When you unbox a tool bucket organizer and brush away all the Styrofoam flakes, you’re left with an odd-shaped bag of pockets that looks more like an octopus than something you’d store your cherished tools in. But there’s a method to getting this all unfolded, tucked in and ready for the jobsite.

While each brand of tool bucket organizer has its own features and installation techniques, there are a few universal steps that should make the project simple.

Installing a Tool Bucket Organizer: Step-by-Step

  1. Lift the handle of the bucket and slide the bucket bag underneath, until the bag hangs equally over the sides.
  2. Rotate the bucket so that the bucket handle lines up with a notch on the top of the bag.
  3. Attach the buckle or Velcro (some models may have both) around the handle and pull tightly – very tightly. Consider this your once-in-a-lifetime chance to get the closure tight enough. Once you fill the bag with tools, it becomes very difficult to take up slack, and the chances of you dumping out everything in your organizer and starting over is very slim.
  4. If the bucket bag has a second notch, do it as you did the first one.
  5. With the bag now securely attached, you can now begin loading tools and devices, finding places for the heaviest tools first. Make sure the tools go all the way down in the pockets and lightly stretch the fabric as you go. 
  6. Some tool bucket organizers have additional rows of pockets on the interior portion of the bucket. That really shouldn’t pose any problems as long as you make sure flaps and closures aren’t folded over onto themselves and that none of the pockets are inside out. 
  7. Some models don’t fit odd size five-gallon buckets. And no, five-gallon buckets are not all the same size at the top. They don’t make the buckets to fit the bags. They make the bags to fit the buckets (hopefully). If the organizer is stretched too far, it’s going to tear prematurely. If the organizer drags the ground on the outside, it’s going to get roughed up as well.  If your arrangement doesn’t work, get a different bucket. (Come on, they’re cheap.)
  8. Lid or no lid. Some tool bucket organizers fit snugly around the brim of the bucket so that you can close the lid, if so desired. Some have interior rows of pockets that make it impossible to put the lid on. If it’s important to you to be able to close everything up in tidy fashion with a lid, shop for an outside pocket-only tool bucket organizer.

How to Organize a Tool Bucket Organizer

So you treated yourself to a nifty tool bucket organizer after schlepping around a backpack thingey or a crate with stuff all jammed in there anyway you could. And when it came time for you to actually use one of the those many things, you couldn’t remember which pocket, box, pouch or Ziplock bag you stowed it in.

A lot of organizing your tool bucket organizer depends on what you carry with you, of course, but take it a step further. What do you use the most often? Which size screwdriver? Which drill bit? Which measuring device? So our first tip is:

  1. Make the most needed items the easiest to access – Think of your silverware drawer in the kitchen. You’re not going to put the weird little salad forks and pickle pluckers in the first tray. No, that first tray should be teaspoons or regular forks. Apply the same principle to your tool bucket organizer.

So with your tool bucket organizer, what section is the easiest to reach?

It will probably be a top row, either on the exterior or interior of the bucket. Don’t fill those pockets or loops up with rarely-used tools. This is where your best Philips head screw driver should go, your 1/2-inch drill bit, your 3/4-inch crescent wrench, your ViseGrip pliers or even that handy dog bone wrench that you forget the name of half the time – whatever you need most often. Put the top two or three tools adjacent to each other, and go from there.

  1. Place similar tools in consecutive pockets or loops – Loops are great for screwdrivers or nut drivers, mainly because you have a narrow business end and a thicker handle, which helps it fit in the loops and stay in place. You can load these loops with tools in descending or ascending size order, if you desire.

    Keep similar items in the same section if you can. The orientation and size of the pockets is going to dictate some decisions, but the more you can group like items in the same section, the more you’re going to thank yourself later.
  1. Recognize the pockets that are specially designed for certain tools. Most tool bucket organizers have a clip for a measuring tape, so that you’re not constantly digging into a pocket or fiddling with a closure when you need to use your tape measure.

    Big loops with heavier straps are for hammers, usually, but you probably could fit a pipe wrench in one of them if needed.
  1. Pockets with closures are ideal for delicate tools or electronic devices that could be damaged if exposed to a lot of dust, moisture and incidental contact. Some closures are just fold-over tops and some have Velcro that holds the closure tight and opens with that familiar “skritch” sound. Obviously, the more critical items need the tightest closure.

    Let’s face it – a cellphone is an essential tool, even if you’re tempted to throw it into the wastewater lagoon sometimes. Nearly every tool bucket organizer has a pocket with a Velcro closure, so use it for its intended purpose.
  1. What are those holes for? Many tool bucket organizers have a grouping of pockets with holes in the bottom. Those are drainage holes. So if you get caught in a downpour or a plumbing installation goes snafu, whatever is in those pockets won’t have to sit in a puddle of water. What you put in those pockets is really up to you, but for electronic devices, use pockets that aren’t likely to get wet in the first place.
  1. Save bulky items for the interior pockets. Bulky items often don’t fit well in any pocket, but if you’re destined to have a less-than-perfect fit, it’s better to have that on the inside rather than the outside. That way, if that pricey mini-grinder decides to fall out of its pocket, it will just clunk into the bottom of the bucket and not into the mud.

    Also, bulky items are, well, bulky. If they’re stored in the outside pockets, they’re going to stick out like warts and they’ll be more likely to get scraped against a brick wall or door frame while the bucket is being carried.
  1. Balance in all things. If you load your tool bucket organizer with hammers and heavy wrenches on one side and pencils and sandpaper sheets on the other, you’re going to have an imbalanced load. Spread the heavy stuff around.
  1. Think of the neighbors. You can fit just about any tool in any pocket, but you want to be able to withdraw that tool when you need it. Make sure that the tool in one pocket is not creating problems for a tool in an adjacent pocket.

    For instance, a multi-tip screwdriver with the handy storage compartment built in to the handle might crowd its neighbors a bit. You might want to surround that multi-tip screwdriver with a phalanx of seldom-used tools to keep conflicts to a minimum. 
  1. Pointy end down. Tools with sharp edges, blades or pointed tips should always be stored business end down. OK, you knew that.

Tool Bucket Organizer Ideas – Thinking Outside the Box (Bucket)

Tool bucket organizers don’t have to be reserved for hammers, drills and levels. The possibilities are endless when you have a tool bucket organizer with a lot of pockets. Here are some good ones:

Garden Tools

Are your garden tools thrown together in a Skecher’s shoe box or a grungy recycled shopping bag? Use a tool bucket organizer to stow your spades, hand clippers, cultivators, bulb planters, spray heads, seed packets, hose repair kits, fertilizer spikes, etc.

In the center you could put partial bags of potting soil, a small watering can, perhaps a box of Miracle-Gro and tools that don’t fit in the pockets. 

But do be careful that you don’t overload the thing. This is supposed to be handy, the envy of the Elm Street Garden Club – not a Gold’s Gym free weight.

BBQ Tools

A man’s patio is his castle. W hat better way to set before the king the various tools he needs for grilling than with a tool bucket organizer? Even Spatula City can’t top this deal!

Spatulas, matches, lighter fluid, grill gloves, grill scrapers and more can be stored in the pockets, and your King of the Grill apron can be neatly folded and stored in the center part of the bucket. Don’t limit your idea to just tools. You could put condiments, secret recipe spices, meat tenderizer and the like in the pockets and you know what? – You could probably hide a cold one in large side pocket.

Sewing Kit

A word of caution: if you leave your tool bucket organizer lying around unused for more than three weeks, you’re liable to find it commandeered and put to use as a sewing kit. It’s been known to happen. Needles, threads, skeins, scissors, pinking shears – the sky’s the limit.

Cleaning Supplies

In this post-COVID world we live in, you never can be too clean or too thorough in your cleaning. Keep all the stuff in one handy carrying system.

School Supplies

Yeah, the kids are going to get it all out of order, but at least you would have taught them the concept of organization. It’ll come back to them when they’re parents.

Craft Supplies

Your wife (or maybe you) has multiple glue guns because she bought a new one every time she couldn’t find the one she already had. Keep all the glue guns in pockets, along with glue sticks, tack hammers, scissors, push pins, paint, paint brushes, pipe cleaners (they always need pipe cleaners for some reason) fabric swatches – whatever.

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