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The short answer
Manufacturer-published figures. Capacities are not interchangeable: a box rating is what the box holds, a base rating is what the whole stack can weigh.
The highest published single-box capacity here at 123 lb, IP65 sealed, with auto-connect latches that beat anything Milwaukee does — and usually cheaper than the PACKOUT equivalent.
The chassis the rest of a PACKOUT stack sits on: 250 lb published for the whole tower, 9 in. wheels that clear a threshold, and every wear part available separately.
The reason to pick ToughSystem for a garage: 440 lb published on four 360-degree casters, which is 190 lb more rolling capacity than the PACKOUT equivalent.
The only drawer unit here that publishes a per-drawer figure — 43.5 lb each across three shallow drawers, on metal ball-bearing slides, inside the auto-connect stack.
Drawers and metal ball-bearing slides inside the PACKOUT footprint, at the honest cost of half the capacity: 50 lb published against the plain box's 100 lb.
The budget way to add two organized levels to a ToughSystem stack — with the honest caveat that DEWALT publishes no load figure or IP rating for this one.
#ad · Prices come live from Amazon, last checked October 8, 2026, and vanish from this page rather than go stale. Scores are ours, compiled from published specs and warranty terms — not from testing we did not do. Tap a row for the full write-up.
The decision in one table
Both systems do the same thing: sealed polymer boxes that latch to each other and roll as one unit. They have converged on the format, so the differences are in the specifics — and for a garage buyer the specifics point one way more clearly than the brand loyalty in this category suggests.
Capacity and dimension figures are manufacturer-published. Price comparison is qualitative because both move; live prices are on the buy buttons above.
PACKOUT
ToughSystem 2.0
Which wins
Single large box, published capacity
100 lb (48-22-8425)
123 lb (DS400)
ToughSystem by 23 lb
Rolling base, published capacity
250 lb rolling box
440 lb DXL dolly
ToughSystem by 190 lb
Base wheel size
9 in. all-terrain
6 x 1.75 in. casters x4
PACKOUT on rough ground
Base movement
Tilt and pull on two wheels
Push or spin on four swivels
ToughSystem on a flat slab
Stack latching
Side latches, two hands
Auto-connect, one hand
ToughSystem
Drawer slides
All-metal ball bearing
Ball-bearing metal
Tie
Drawer capacity published
50 lb per unit
43.5 lb per drawer
ToughSystem — more useful figure
Front latch material
Metal
Plastic (drawer units)
PACKOUT
Service parts sold separately
Wheels, axle, latches, handle, gasket
Limited
PACKOUT
Accessory ecosystem breadth
Very large, including powered units
Large, including 20V light and charger
PACKOUT
Entry price, sealed large box
Higher
Lower
ToughSystem
Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen.
Why the 440 lb figure decides it for a garage
The single biggest spec gap between the two systems is not the box capacity, it is the base. Milwaukee's rolling box publishes 250 lb for the whole loaded tower. DEWALT's DXL dolly publishes 440 lb.
That 190 lb difference is what separates a stack of three boxes from a stack of six. If the plan is a tool box, a drawer unit and an organizer, both systems do it comfortably. If the plan is to put most of your hand tools and a couple of cordless kits on one rolling platform and move it between the bench and the car, PACKOUT runs out of rated capacity first.
There is a geometry argument on the same point. The DXL is a flat dolly with four 360-degree casters, so the stack pushes sideways, spins in place and parks against a wall. The PACKOUT rolling box is a box with two wheels at one end: you tip it and pull it. On a jobsite with a gravel drive and a curb, tipping and pulling on 9-inch wheels is the better system by a mile. On a flat garage slab, four swivel casters win every time.
Where PACKOUT is genuinely better
Three things, and they are real rather than brand noise.
Wheels, if the garage is not the only destination
Nine-inch all-terrain wheels are not marketing. They clear a garage threshold, a sidewalk lip and a gravel drive, where 6-inch casters stop against all three. If the tools regularly leave the slab, PACKOUT's chassis is the one that will not frustrate you.
Service parts
Milwaukee sells the PACKOUT rolling box's wheel kit, axle kit, latch assembly, side handle kit, storage tray and lid gasket as separate parts. That is a decade-long product rather than a disposable one, and it is the most underrated difference between the two systems. A rolling box whose wheels you can replace is a rolling box worth buying twice as expensive.
Metal where it gets kicked
Milwaukee's drawer box uses metal front latches and a locking security bar that takes a padlock. DEWALT's three-drawer unit uses a plastic front latch at a comparable price. The latch is the part that gets kicked, stood on and caught on a door frame, and the material difference shows up there first.
Drawers: the honest capacity cost
Both makers are straightforward about something their marketing does not emphasize: putting drawers in a modular box costs you a lot of capacity.
Milwaukee's drawer box halves the plain box's rating and adds 8 lb of empty weight. Both makers publish this rather than hiding it.
Unit
Published capacity
Empty weight
Slides
Milwaukee PACKOUT Large Tool Box
100 lb
12.2 lb
n/a — single cavity
Milwaukee PACKOUT 2-Drawer
50 lb
20.05 lb
All-metal ball bearing
DEWALT DS400
123 lb
Not published
n/a — single cavity
DEWALT 3-Drawer Unit
43.5 lb per drawer
Not published
Ball-bearing metal
Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen.
DEWALT's figure is the more useful of the two because it is per drawer. 43.5 lb per drawer across three drawers tells you exactly how to load it; Milwaukee's 50 lb per unit does not tell you whether that is 25 lb per drawer or 40 in one and 10 in the other.
What neither publishes loudly enough is depth. DEWALT states 65 mm of internal drawer depth — about 2.6 inches. That takes sockets, bits, hex keys, files and wrenches beautifully, and it does not take a cordless drill. If you expected drawers like a tool chest's, see tool chest vs tool cabinet and the best rolling tool boxes instead — a steel chest gives you five times the volume per dollar.
IP65, and what it is worth in a garage
Both systems advertise IP65 on their sealed boxes, and it is the same rating meaning the same thing: dust-tight, and protected against water jets. It is not a submersion rating.
On a jobsite that rating is about rain. In a garage it is about condensation, which is the thing that actually rusts a socket set. An unheated garage swings through the dew point most spring and autumn nights, and a sealed box with a lid gasket stays dry through it where an open shelf does not.
Which is why the gap in the documentation matters: neither maker publishes an IP rating for its drawer units. A drawer front cannot gasket the way a lid can. If damp is the problem you are solving, the sealed boxes are the answer and the drawer units are not — or fix the room instead, which is covered in how to insulate a garage for heating.
Pick ToughSystem if, pick PACKOUT if
No hedging — the two systems suit clearly different buyers.
Pick DEWALT ToughSystem 2.0 if
The stack lives on a flat garage slab and gets pushed around rather than hauled over curbs.
You want the most rolling capacity available — 440 lb published, which nothing in PACKOUT matches.
You want per-drawer load figures rather than a per-unit total.
Entry cost matters: the DS400 is usually the cheapest IP65-rated large box of the two and publishes the higher capacity.
You already own ToughSystem 1.0 boxes — 2.0 is backwards compatible, which is a real saving.
One-handed latching appeals. The auto-connect side latches are the nicest piece of design in either system.
Pick Milwaukee PACKOUT if
The tools leave the garage regularly. Nine-inch wheels over 6-inch casters is not close on rough ground.
You want to be able to buy a replacement wheel kit, axle, latch or gasket in five years. Milwaukee sells all of them.
You are already in the M18 battery system and want the powered PACKOUT accessories in the same stack.
Metal latches matter to you more than a published capacity number does.
You want the broadest accessory range in the category — PACKOUT's is larger, and it is still growing faster.
Pick neither if
The tools never leave the garage. Both systems charge a mobility premium you are not using, and a steel rolling chest at the same money gives you several times the drawer volume and drawers deep enough for power tools. Start with the tool chest buying guide and the best rolling tool boxes instead.
#ad · Price as of October 8, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ToughSystem 2.0 DS400 Large Tool Box
#1Best for the cheapest sealed big box here
DEWALT ToughSystem 2.0 DS400 Large Tool Box
9.0/10our score, from published specs
The highest published single-box capacity here at 123 lb, IP65 sealed, with auto-connect latches that beat anything Milwaukee does — and usually cheaper than the PACKOUT equivalent.
What the maker publishes
123 lb load capacity — published
IP65 rated for dust and water resistance
21.6 in. W x 14.6 in. D x 16.2 in. H
Patented auto-connect side latches, one-hand operation
Two-piece metal front latches; removable inner tray
Backwards compatible with ToughSystem 1.0
How it scores
Published capacity
9.5
Weather sealing
9.5
Stacking mechanism
9.5
Expandability
8.5
Value
9.0
Where it wins
+123 lb published is the highest single-box capacity on this page, above Milwaukee's 100 lb Large box
+Auto-connect side latches mean a box clips to the one below as you set it down — one hand, no fiddling, and it is the best thing about the whole ToughSystem design
+IP65 sealed, same as Milwaukee's boxes
+Costs appreciably less than Milwaukee's Large Tool Box while publishing a higher number
Where it doesn’t
−Sold in the US largely as the DWST83342-1 international SKU, so the listing you find may be an import with the pricing and support that implies
−Taller and narrower footprint than PACKOUT's, which makes mixing the two systems in one stack a non-starter
−Front latches are plastic-and-metal rather than Milwaukee's all-metal, and they are the part that gets kicked
−Removable tray only; no drawer option within this box
#ad · Price as of October 8, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to PACKOUT Rolling Tool Box (48-22-8426)
#3Best for the base of a packout stack
Milwaukee PACKOUT Rolling Tool Box (48-22-8426)
8.9/10our score, from published specs
The chassis the rest of a PACKOUT stack sits on: 250 lb published for the whole tower, 9 in. wheels that clear a threshold, and every wear part available separately.
What the maker publishes
250 lb total weight capacity — published
IP65-rated weather seal
9 in. all-terrain wheels and an industrial-grade extension handle
25.6 in. H x 22.1 in. L x 18.9 in. W
Impact-resistant polymer with metal-reinforced corners
How it scores
Published capacity
9.5
Mobility
9.5
Build
9.0
Expandability
9.5
Value
7.0
Where it wins
+250 lb published for the whole loaded stack, which is the figure that actually decides whether a tower of boxes is a good idea
+9 in. wheels are genuinely large — they roll over a garage threshold and a gravel drive rather than stopping dead
+Every service part is sold separately: wheels, latches, handle, axle, lid gasket. A rolling box you can rebuild lasts a decade
+IP65 on the base box as well, so the bottom of the stack is sealed too
Where it doesn’t
−Expensive for a box with no drawers — you are buying the chassis, and the storage is a single cavity with a tray
−25.6 in. tall before you stack anything on it, so a full tower gets awkward to see into
−Rolls on wheels at one end and tips to move, which is fine on a flat slab and tiring on a sloped driveway
The reason to pick ToughSystem for a garage: 440 lb published on four 360-degree casters, which is 190 lb more rolling capacity than the PACKOUT equivalent.
What the maker publishes
440 lb / 200 kg load capacity — published
Four heavy-duty 6 x 1.75 in. casters, full 360-degree movement
31.7 in. L x 25.8 in. W x 9.85 in. H; 27 lb
Impact-resistant body reinforced with integrated steel bars
Two integrated side handles
How it scores
Published capacity
10.0
Mobility
8.5
Build
9.0
Expandability
9.0
Value
7.5
Where it wins
+440 lb published is 190 lb more than Milwaukee's rolling box carries, and it is the single biggest spec gap between the two systems
+Four 360-degree casters means the stack pushes sideways and spins in place rather than tipping and dragging on two wheels
+Integrated steel bars inside a polymer body is the right construction for a platform carrying 440 lb
+A flat dolly under a stack is more flexible than a rolling box, because the bottom tier is still a box you chose
Where it doesn’t
−It is a platform, not storage — you still buy every box that sits on it, so the real entry cost is this plus a box
−6 in. casters are smaller than Milwaukee's 9 in. wheels, so a gravel drive or a tall threshold is harder work
−A 440 lb stack on four swivel casters wants a flat slab; on a sloped driveway it goes where gravity says
#ad · Price as of October 8, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ToughSystem 2.0 Three-Drawer Unit (DWST08330)
#5Best for published per-drawer capacity
DEWALT ToughSystem 2.0 Three-Drawer Unit (DWST08330)
8.3/10our score, from published specs
The only drawer unit here that publishes a per-drawer figure — 43.5 lb each across three shallow drawers, on metal ball-bearing slides, inside the auto-connect stack.
What the maker publishes
43.5 lb per drawer capacity — published, per drawer rather than per unit
Three drawers, each 450 x 285 x 65 mm internally
25 liters / 6.6 gallons total capacity
Ball-bearing metal drawer slides; metal hinge
Plastic front latch
How it scores
Published capacity
9.0
Drawer hardware
8.5
Build
7.5
Expandability
8.5
Value
7.5
Where it wins
+Publishes capacity PER DRAWER, which is the number you actually need and which Milwaukee's drawer boxes do not give — 43.5 lb x 3 is 130 lb of rated storage
+Ball-bearing metal slides, same standard as the PACKOUT drawer units
+Three shallow drawers at 65 mm deep is the right geometry for sockets, bits and hex keys, where one deep drawer becomes a pile
+Clips into the same auto-connect stack as every other ToughSystem 2.0 box
Where it doesn’t
−65 mm internal depth per drawer is genuinely shallow — a cordless drill does not fit, and that surprises people
−Plastic front latch on a unit at this price, where Milwaukee uses metal
−Per-drawer ratings do not sum into a stack rating; the carrier underneath sets the real limit
−Priced level with Milwaukee's 3-drawer box without a meaningful build advantage
#ad · Price as of October 8, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to PACKOUT 2-Drawer Tool Box (48-22-8442)
#6Best for drawers in a packout stack
Milwaukee PACKOUT 2-Drawer Tool Box (48-22-8442)
8.2/10our score, from published specs
Drawers and metal ball-bearing slides inside the PACKOUT footprint, at the honest cost of half the capacity: 50 lb published against the plain box's 100 lb.
What the maker publishes
50 lb weight capacity — published
All-metal ball-bearing drawer slides
14.3 in. H x 22.2 in. W x 16.3 in. D; 20.05 lb empty
Locking security bar secures the drawers in transit and takes a padlock
Quick-Adjust dividers for drawer layout
How it scores
Published capacity
6.0
Drawer hardware
9.5
Build
9.0
Expandability
9.5
Value
6.5
Where it wins
+All-metal ball-bearing slides, which is the single biggest difference between a drawer unit worth owning and one that binds in a year
+The locking security bar solves two problems at once — drawers staying shut in transit, and a padlock point
+Quick-Adjust dividers mean the drawer layout changes as your tools do, without buying inserts
+Drawers are the right format for the things a garage loses: sockets, bits, hex keys
Where it doesn’t
−50 lb published total is HALF the plain Large Tool Box's 100 lb — drawers and slides cost you capacity, and Milwaukee publishes that honestly
−20 lb empty against the Large box's 12 lb, so you carry 8 lb of mechanism before any tools go in
−No IP65 rating published for this unit, unlike the sealed boxes — a drawer unit cannot seal the same way
−Roughly double the price of the Large Tool Box for less published capacity
The budget way to add two organized levels to a ToughSystem stack — with the honest caveat that DEWALT publishes no load figure or IP rating for this one.
What the maker publishes
Two-tier stacking chest in a single ToughSystem 2.0 footprint
Lift-out upper tier over a lower cavity
Compatible with the ToughSystem 2.0 auto-connect stack
How it scores
Published capacity
4.0
Weather sealing
5.0
Build
7.5
Expandability
8.5
Value
9.0
Where it wins
+Two usable levels without two separate boxes to unlatch, which is faster in practice than it sounds
+Cheapest ToughSystem 2.0 storage unit of the ones here, by a clear margin
+Same auto-connect footprint, so it drops into an existing tower
Where it doesn’t
−No published load capacity for this unit, unlike the DS400 and the three-drawer — the one gap in DEWALT's otherwise good documentation
−No IP65 rating published, so treat it as a dry-storage box
−Two shallow tiers suit fasteners and hand tools; a reciprocating saw does not go in either one
Starting from scratch
If you are buying into either system today, buy the base and one sealed box first and live with it for a month before adding drawers. The base is the expensive decision and the one you cannot change later; the boxes on top are a running purchase you can make slowly.
ToughSystem, on the published numbers. Its DS400 box carries 123 lb against PACKOUT's 100 lb, its DXL dolly carries 440 lb against PACKOUT's 250 lb rolling box, its three-drawer unit publishes a per-drawer figure where Milwaukee publishes only a unit total, and the entry boxes cost less. PACKOUT wins on accessory range, service parts and 9 in. wheels — which matter more on a jobsite than on a garage slab.
Are PACKOUT and ToughSystem compatible?+
No. Different footprints, different latch mechanisms, and no adapter from either maker. ToughSystem 2.0 is backwards compatible with ToughSystem 1.0, and that is the only cross-generation compatibility either system offers. Pick one and stay in it — mixing means two separate stacks that cannot carry each other.
Which one is actually waterproof?+
Both of the sealed boxes are IP65 rated — Milwaukee's Large Tool Box and DEWALT's DS400. IP65 means dust-tight and protected against water jets, not submersible. Note that neither maker publishes an IP rating for its drawer units, because a drawer front cannot seal the way a lid gasket does. In an unheated garage that matters for condensation more than for rain.
Do the drawer units hold less than the plain boxes?+
Yes, and both makers publish it honestly. Milwaukee's 2-drawer box states 50 lb against the plain Large box's 100 lb. DEWALT's three-drawer states 43.5 lb per drawer. Slides and drawer fronts consume capacity and add empty weight — Milwaukee's drawer box is 20 lb empty against 12.2 lb for the plain one.
Is a modular stack better than a rolling tool chest?+
Only if the tools leave the garage. A steel rolling chest gives you far more storage per dollar and drawers deep enough for a cordless drill, which neither of these systems manages. The modular systems earn their premium when the same tools have to go to a job, a track day or a friend's driveway and come back organized.
What is the cheapest way into each system?+
DEWALT's DS400 is typically the cheapest sealed large box of the two, and it publishes the higher capacity. Milwaukee's Large Tool Box is the PACKOUT entry point. Either way, budget for the base — a stack is only as mobile as whatever is underneath it, and that is the expensive piece in both systems.
DEWALT ToughSystem 2.0 DS400 specifications — Published 123 lb load capacity, IP65 dust and water rating, 21.6 x 14.6 x 16.2 in., auto-connect side latches, backwards compatible with ToughSystem 1.0.
