Review on CLC Custom LeatherCraft 1539 🧰 Multi-Compartment Tool Bag with 50 Pockets by James Cypert

A few months ago I bought an 18 inch CLC 1539, CLC 1537 and Husky Tool Wall Bag model #80897N09 to compare and to decide what works best for my needs. In the end, I chose the 1539 for its size and fantastic organizational skills, far superior to the Husky. I played around with the Husky very briefly before giving it up. appeared to be constructed fairly well, but the elastic straps across the pockets on the sides of the tools made it difficult to place the tools inside and this severely limited the options for placing the tools, especially since anything more than 6-8 could be customs in height caused difficulties. It's like you couldn't close the bag. It was also a much harder/stiffer bag that was less comfortable to carry. The 1537 was a good bag but other than the capacity it didn't have the features of the 1539 that I really liked like the dual (front and back) large organization compartment and loops on the back for hammers/levels/etc. If it had those two features (and ideally an inch or two taller) I'd probably choose two of them over the 1539 which, as others have pointed out, becomes incredibly heavy once you take full advantage of its organizational features. In many ways it's too well designed. Aside from the obvious ones (size, organization, quality), there are a few features of the 1539 that really stand out. Of course there are the above. In addition, there are straps that prevent the large zipped compartment flaps from falling all the way down, keeping them under control and preventing their contents from falling out. In addition, the pockets retain their full capacity, even if those behind or in front of them are full. I love this bag very much. However, I can't give full marks as there are a few things that could be improved, many of which should have been obvious when it was developed. Here are my issues with this bag and that's why I'm only giving 4 stars (although again this is a really great bag): - no strap loop (although it's easy to add). - The shoulder strap is a constant nuisance, especially when accessing the main compartment. But I'm not sure how to fix that. The elastic loops at the top of the inner front compartment flap are practically useless. Because of their small size and location right next to the flash, they're only good for bits. It's great for people who find it useful for this, but it's too restrictive. Something deeper and lower would be better.- Addition to the previous note: more pockets could be used in the flaps of the front and back compartments and elastic loops in the area above the mesh pockets.- A clip could be used in the front compartment (or two), like in the back compartment. The mesh pockets are ok (could be more stretchy to hold things better but they're not bad) but it would be nice if they zipped closed. The fabric loops on the bottom pockets in the front compartment are getting shorter and less useful (see 4th picture). They would also be more functional and easier to use if they were elastic. My mini ratchet screwdrivers barely fit in and if they were elastic it wouldn't be a problem. The zipper closes every now and then. I've included some photos comparing the three bags in hopes it will help others decide without having to pick each bag like I did. Also, there's a lot of variation in the size of these bags, so I actually filled them with as many boxes as possible and then measured the boxes to get the actual inside dimensions. I also filled two CLC bags with the same amount of tools to show the difference and I also showed each tool individually so you can see how much these bags hold. I took these photos when I first received the bag. I've since added a DeWalt 20V work light, a DeWalt 20V compact reciprocating saw, a Milwaukee 12V reciprocating saw, a set of reciprocating blades, a few hand tools, a set of screwdriver bits, a flashlight, some gloves, and a slow cooker. Tool. Of course it doesn't close with it and is difficult to carry, but it can withstand anything. Eventually I'll probably get another 1539 or 1537 to share tools with. The first picture (assuming it stays in order) shows the inside dimensions of the CLC bags. When the bags are wide open, the height from the bottom of the bag to the zipper is 15" (1539) and 13.5" (1537). They won't close with something that big inside (9.25 inch tall boxes was pretty much the limit; of course, tools could be bigger than center), but I just wanted to include that measurement in case someone finds theirs. healthy. In the second picture you can clearly see how much deeper 1539 is than the other two. What you can't tell from the picture is that unlike the CLC bags (which would close even at 9.25 inches high and the 7.25 inch wide box inside) the Husky was not closed , when the caliper was in this position. position . This is also evident in the third shot, where the husky bag is noticeably shorter. This photo really shows the difference in size between the two CLC bags, with the 1539 being slightly taller and significantly longer than the 1537. The next two pictures show how much more comfortably everything fits into the 1539 with that extra room and room left. The fifth picture also shows what does the bottom of the bags look like? , the significant difference lies in the back panel design (the second large compartment with hammer/level loops on the 1539 versus the multiple pockets on the 1537) and the way the pockets fold. It's worth noting because it causes them to lean forward and possibly tip over if they're not loaded enough to overcome it. The last picture shows the sides, which are basically the same. My use of this bag is basically to keep most of my most used tools in one place so I can just grab the bag and either bring it to the room where I get work done or toss it in the car and take it somewhere . It's not meant to be carried around, which is good as it likely weighs over 50 pounds. As I mentioned and as others have mentioned, this bag is too easy to stuff to the point where it becomes too heavy which is a testament to how well it can organize your tools. I would love to see CLC come out with a bag identical to the 1539 but with the above issues fixed/improved and closer in size to the 1537. I would then take two of these to separate my most commonly used tools, which would be easier to use. Movement. Either way, depending on how many tools you have and what you're going to use them for, you can't go wrong with any of these bags. much less. In my opinion, that's just not true. Even if the Husky bag was half the price of this bag, I'd still rather pay the difference (not much) and get one of the CLCs. They're just so much better in every way. When I bought these I was struggling with the idea of spending that much on a tool bag as I've always used the cheap ones in the past. Having used it I would do it again anytime and now I see it in a very different light where it doesn't seem like such a big deal given how great the quality is and how much it has helped me to organize my tools. Not only wouldn't I hesitate to spend the money again if I had to, I wouldn't bother with a Husky trying to get nearly as good for less because the $20 saved just isn't worth it.