It’s happening again: The weekend rush to get things done around the house before nicer weather arrives. The grass needs mowing; the shrubs need tending; year’s leaves are still lurking behind the fence; a couple of branches have fallen down during the storm. It’s all there waiting for your tools. Where in Heaven are the right tool items? Battery, charger, attachment and safety gear?
A organized cordless tool collection can make a world of a difference when it comes to outside projects. You may not want to turn your garage into a museum. It helps to have everything in order so the tools you need are right there and the ones you don’t clutter up less valuable real estate.
Start by Taking Inventory of Your Yard Tools
Begin by taking stock of the collection you already have before you go out and buy storage solutions. You may find that you have sets of hand tool or chargers for devices you no longer own.
Start by dividing your collection into four categories:
- Heavily used tools: Mowers, trimmers and other equipment you use regularly;
- Seasonal tools: Hedge clippers, pruners and other devices that appear only when the time of year rolls around;
- Lightly-used tool: Pole saws and other devices used only occasionally;
- Supporting equipment: Batteries, chargers, extensions cords, manuals and safety gear.
Once you’ve inventoried what you have you’ll get a sense of the space you need to organize your equipment. You don’t need quite the full set of floor-to-ceiling heavy-duty storage racks for that small plot of land at the end of your driveway.
Organize Tools by How You Use Them, Not Just by Their Shape
It’s tempting to organize your tools by size – tools on one side, smaller ones along the wall – but it doesn’t necessarily make sense to do this when it comes to cordless devices. Group your equipment by the tasks at hand. Keep related tools in the same place.
Of thinking in terms of mowers, trimmers, blowers and so forth think in terms of work zones. For instance keep your mower, trimmer and spares like trimmer line, handy. Put the leaf blower you use to clean the driveway and patio in the place. Similarly keep your pruners and safety gloves instead of in different storage areas. All this helps save you time and energy. Makes it easier to find what you need to get the job done.
Create a “Ready-to-Work” Zone
It goes without saying that the tools you use the most should be the ones at hand. Mount some tools, like mowers and pruners on the wall or keep them somewhere you can easily reach without navigating obstacles. The family’s “ready-to-work” zone may consist of a mower, a trimmer, a blower a couple of sets of batteries and some essential eye and hearing protection. Meanwhile items you only use once or twice a year can be tucked away on a shelf or in some other out-of-the-way storage space.
Lighten up your batteries
Among all your cordless tools batteries can be the culprits to lose track of. It’s not unusual to find a charged battery here or there or to have a charger somewhere that doesn’t belong to anything.
Make sure that you organize your batteries by platform – and not just toss them in a drawer or on the workbench. This is especially important if you have than one battery platform among your devices as the last thing you need is to attempt to use a charger that doesn’t belong to a particular battery.
The Department of Energy has plenty of information on energy storage and the latest battery technologies for homeowners who want to learn more about how to prolong the life of their devices. (Www.energy.gov)
Label everything!
It’s an idea to make labels for your storage areas if nothing else to identify sets of batteries, chargers, extra cutting line and other accessories.
If you have battery platforms among your cordless collections labels can help you keep track of what belongs to what.
Choose Equipment With Organization in Mind
The process of organizing a collection of cordless tools really begins the moment you buy something new. You have to consider the long-term implications of the tools you bring into your home. The unrelated systems you buy into the more complicated your setup will be.
When comparing modern battery-powered options, homeowners can look at greenworks tools and other cordless systems to see how different tool categories and battery platforms fit their existing equipment. Compatibility is often worth considering alongside power, runtime, and price, particularly for people building a collection over several years.
This doesn’t mean you have to buy tools from one company – you may find that some devices stand out from the rest in terms of performance. Still it’s an idea to limit the number of battery platforms you use for the tools you use most often.
Scale everything to the size of your yard
The amount of space you have will undoubtedly shape the way you organize what you have. Some examples of property sizes and what kind of storage systems you may want to consider:
Type of Property
Tools Used
Notes
Small yard or townhouse
Mower, trimmer, blower
Storage space is limited; go for a compact system that only allows storage of essential equipment.
Sized yard in the suburbs
Several types of mowers and seasonal equipment
Designate a ready-to-use and a seasonal storage area. This is a place to start limiting the number of tools you have in your collection.
Larger yard
Multiple battery platforms and specialized devices
Buy into a full-scale storage and charging system.
Garden plot
Lawn and garden tools
Keep areas for lawn care, gardening and seasonal equipment.
You don’t want to overdo it as more space and time devoted to storage means space and time for other activities.
Make room for equipment
Just because something is seasonal doesn’t mean it deserves to be stored out of sight in some inaccessible corner. The best way to organize a cordless tool collection is to make sure that seasonal equipment is rotated in and out of storage space when the need arises.
During the mowing seasons keep your mowers and other used equipment close by and easy to access. Similarly make sure that the batteries you use the most are within reach. As for accessories keep them in their working places.
This is also a time of year to make sure that you keep your equipment clean and well-maintained. Make sure that you clean your equipment of grass and other debris after every use and perform any maintenance to your blades before they become too difficult.
Meanwhile as the mowing season winds down leave room for leaf management and other seasonal tools. In the way you’ll want to prepare your tools for storage by cleaning them before putting them away.
For safety-related guidance, OSHA’s landscaping resources provide useful information about hazards such as cuts, flying debris, noise, and proper equipment use. (osha.gov)
Think about accessories and safety gear
A collection of cordless tools isn’t complete without the accessories and safety gear that go with them. Eye protection, hearing protection, gloves and other safety equipment should each have their special place. Similarly make sure that you keep trimmer line, blade replacements and other accessories in designated storage so they can be found when needed.
A number of organizers exist that will allow you to store items like these in labeled sections. It’s also an idea to store these items near the tools they belong to rather than in some other part of the house or garage. This way you’ll always know where they are and be able to retrieve them without effort. It’s about limiting the distance between you and the equipment, tools and accessories you need most.
Top tips for organizing a cordless tool collection
Keep work tools within reach preferably between waist and shoulder height. It’s much easier to work this way. It prevents unnecessary strain.
Return tools to their designated place after every use. This way you’ll always know where to find what you need. It doesn’t matter how fancy your storage systems are if you can’t find your equipment because it’s not where it’s supposed to be.
Keep batteries, chargers and other accessories in a place and make sure to follow any storage guidelines the manufacturer may have put out.
Don’t store objects overhead unless the storage system is designed for the task.
Designate a bin or area to organized cleaning supplies and accessories.
Set aside the time to assess your collection a year and get rid of any tools that you no longer use.
Make sure that walkways are clear at all times; not is it dangerous to walk around heavy objects but it also makes for less accessible storage space.
Keep manuals in an labeled file so they can be found without much effort.
Set up your space to speed up everything you do. If you have to move items to get to the one you need it defeats the entire purpose.
If you have limited storage space you may find that a few strategic changes can make a difference. Hooks, on the wall a designated battery storage unit and organized accessories can all help free up space.
Final Thoughts: Keep Organization Practical Over the Long Term
It all comes down to making your cordless collection as useful as possible. Start by organizing the tools that you use often. Make sure to set aside space for batteries for accessories and for safety gear. Do rotations so you are only using the equipment that you need. The main idea is to keep the essentials in the best storage space and to get rid of those items that just take up space. As your collection grows over time you can think carefully about adding new cordless tools. The same thing applies to the storage options you choose. You should only buy what you think you will need. Do not get overwhelmed, by systems that will not help you in the long run.
