Home Depot is launching an updated Ridgid tool box system, dubbed Pro Gear System 2.0.
Ridgid’s Pro Gear tool box system came out in late 2014, and has been quite popular over the years. In my opinion, the Ridgid Pro tool boxes offered decent features, durability, and convenience for the price.
Ridgid’s tool box system was never the best, but it had a lot to offer while still being surprisingly affordable – especially when their 3pc combo went on sale for the holidays.
Here’s what Ridgid says on their website about their new Pro Gear Gen 2.0 system:
The RIDGID Pro Gear Toolbox 2.0 delivers the tough tool storage pro users have come to expect from RIDGID Pro Gear and goes the extra mile with premium pro features that will raise your game.
And, not to worry, Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 tool boxes are backwards compatible with their original products as well.
The new Ridgid tool boxes feature a built-in hanging systems, with the Pro Gear Mounts included.
It seems that all of the hand-carry tool boxes are wall-mountable, but presumably not the rolling tool box.
The rolling tool box has been upgraded with “reach and roll technology,” which they don’t really get into.
But, there are also upgrades that I do understand, such as an Attach-and-Detach capability.
The RIDGID Pro Gear Cart features Attach-and-Detach capability between RIDGID Pro Gear 2.0 XL Toolboxes allowing you to switch between 2.0 XL Toolboxes on the Cart’s wheels (purchase additional RIDGID Pro Gear 2.0 XL Toolboxes on the Home Depot website) and to detach the XL Toolbox 2.0 from the Cart for easy insertion and transportation in your truck or vehicle.
Okay, so you have the Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 XL tool box, and the cart 2.0, which can… be attached and detached from each other?
This is a huge feature, and something I and many readers have been wanting to see from Milwaukee Packout and other brands’ modular tool box systems.
If I’m understanding this correctly, the “cart” components, basically the handle, wheels, and XL tool box attachment points, are one component, and the XL tool box is removable from that. This would allow for separation for easy carrying and transport, or for adding a mobile rolling base to any XL-sized Pro 2.0 tool box.
IF – and that’s a big if – Ridgid comes out with other XL-sized tool boxes, this could allow users to customize their bottom tool box component as they please. For example, if Ridgid comes out with a drawered tool box or front-door cabinet-style tool box, an Attach-and-Detach cart base would allow any of those or other XL-sized tool boxes to be used as the bottom of a Ridgid mobile tool box stack.
Readers have mentioned wanting customizable bottom boxes before – such as tool boxes with drawers – and THIS would be the way to do it!
But, it remains to be seen if Ridgid is interested and intent on expanding their Pro Gear 2.0 tool box system with such options. Ridgid has not added much to their 1.0 system over the past 8 years, but perhaps things will change with this new 2.0 system.
The rolling tool box’s wheels are on the outside of the tool box, leading me to believe I’m right in understanding this to be a cart plus XL tool box combo.
From the product image, the rolling tool cart also has a foot step, for more easily moving a loaded tool box or stacked tower into an angled position for transport.
Looking deeper, here’s a product image of the Ridgid Gen 2.0 XL tool box with its rolling cart component next to it in a truck bed.
Sweet! This holds huge potential and might just give Ridgid a strong competitive advantage.
Even if Ridgid doesn’t expand their selection of XL-sized and cart-compatible tool boxes, this design also means that they can offer large 9-inch wheels, and without taking away from the tool box’s storage space.
The large and XL tool boxes (and rolling tool box combo) all come with a new one-piece removable organizer box.
All of the Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 tool boxes I’ve seen so far are advertised as having an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance.
It doesn’t look like much has been done to the latches, or the interconnecting latches, which helps with backwards compatibility.
Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 Tool Box Sizes
- Half-width organizer
- Small tool box (suitcase-style)
- Large tool box
- XL tool box
- Rolling tool box
According to the product specs, the large and XL tool boxes each have a 50 lb weight capacity, and the rolling tool cart has a 100 lb weight capacity.
Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 Tool Box Pricing
Large Tool Box: $50
XL Tool Box: $60
Rolling Tool Box: $90
I expect for these and the other new tool boxes teased in Ridgid’s product images to be available shortly.
With the holiday season fast approaching, I’m guessing we’ll see the new Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 tool boxes debut around November, with promotional pricing on 3-piece tool box combos.
The new Ridgid tool boxes will be available exclusively at Home Depot.
Thoughts
I’m sure there are other differences between Ridgid Pro Gear 1.0 and 2.0 tool box systems, but the main differences look to be the included wall-mounting option for hand-carry boxes, and the removable rolling cart component for the XL-sized tool box.
Unfortunately, the “Fix-and-Hold technology,” which seems to be the wall-mounting system, requires different brackets for each size of tool box. That is, the small, medium, and large (XL?) tool boxes all require the brackets they come with.
Ridgid’s documentation says that the wall bracket pairs have a maximum load capacity of 55.1 lbs.
The tool boxes come with hanger clips, and I wonder what other kinds of mounting systems or accessories might make use of the mounting interface.
I’m glad that the new Ridgid tool box system is compatible with their existing products, although there might be some exceptions, such as with their new half-width organizer boxes.
I would say that this compatibility might limit what Ridgid can do with their updated tool box lineup, especially compared to newer systems such as Flex Stack Pack, but we also don’t know what they have in mind for their new Attach-and-Detach connectivity interface.
Competition is certainly heating up in the tool box space!
What’s your take on the new Ridgid tool box system?
