DeWalt ToughSystem 1.0: discontinued, and it still stacks with 2.0

DeWalt announced the original ToughSystem in 2011, one of the first pro modular tool box systems in the US. In 2019 it announced ToughSystem 2.0, and from 2020 the new line replaced the old one in stores. Modular Toolbox only lists systems you can buy new, so the original isn’t in the catalogue. People still own a lot of it, though, and still search for it.

Will my old boxes work with the new ones?

Yes. DeWalt says ToughSystem 2.0 is “designed to be compatible to all original TOUGHSYSTEM products”, so 1.0 and 2.0 boxes lock into the same stack. That makes ToughSystem one of the few systems where a generation change didn’t strand anybody’s boxes. Compare RIDGID Pro Gear, where 2.0 stacks on 1.0 but the lineups differ, or Husky, where Build-Out doesn’t fit Connect at all.

What changed in 2.0

• Latches: 1.0 used solid metal side latches that you lock by hand. 2.0 uses spring-loaded latches that snap shut when you set a box on top.
• Size: 2.0 boxes are slightly bigger. SlashGear measured the large box at 19 × 11 × 9.25 in for 1.0 and 19 × 12 × 10 in for 2.0.
• Wheels and handles: the 2.0 rolling base has larger wheels and wider handles that are easier to grip with gloves on.

Joining ToughSystem to TSTAK

DeWalt’s other system, TSTAK, doesn’t lock onto ToughSystem. DeWalt sells the TOUGHSYSTEM 2.0 Adaptor (DWST08017) to join TSTAK, ToughCase and Pro Organizer pieces to a ToughSystem 2.0 stack. With a 2.0 piece in the stack, that reaches your 1.0 boxes too.