Customer Reviews

Custom LeatherCraft 1614 23-Pocket/5-Piece Comfortlift Combo System

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I started out in the trade 2 years ago and purchased a set of bags similar to the occidentals, though mine were custom made by a man out of truckee, california. they came to a total of nearly $185. about 4 months later i bought these and i have never looked back. i not only bought one pair but i have also bought 4 more sets of these same bags, in case clc ever changes them. the only thing i did to mine was to modify them by adding a padded belt and cut off the small, high up, left hand pocket. this allows for easier access to nails in the large pocket.

buy this product; you will not be sorry.

I am a twenty year vet. of the trade. This is the best rig I have ever owned, and the price is unbeatable.
Squatting to frame my left thigh bumps my tape off of its clip.
My helper immediatly told me to order him one as soon as he saw it.
You will like this rig.

I am a land surveyor and have been using the belt for a little over a month, after getting a job with a new company. While I probably don't need all the pockets, the setup is great for carrying lots of nails, hubs, flagging...whatever I need.

The suspenders are solid and take the weight off the hips. When walking back to the truck, I sometimes even put my sledge hammer in (10lbs) and cant even feel it.

The only negative is the hammer positioned at the small of the back (which I moved to the right front) and my leatherman and scabbard, which I keep close to the buckle, occasionally slide off because the buckle is on the small side.

It felt heavy in my hand when I first picked it up. However as soon as I put it on, WOW, I'm extremely suprised at how comfortable and light weight it is, even packed with tools. I'm guessing it's distributing the weights in all the right spots.

I also like this design way better than my toolbelt with pouches. With the same amount of tool, I feel more balanced and hardly any stress on my waist, hip or back. Compare to the toolbelt which just drag my pants to my knees. Yikes~

I have now had two of these bags shipped to me, and both have gone back. I am not sure if what I had gotten is a newer design or not, but it is not as good as what people have stated in these other reviews..here is why..First of all the bag is WAY to bulky and constanly moves on the belt, so you are always ajusting it and it's not light. Also with both bags I had the belts and Suspenders started to fall apart after just TWO days. Imagine if It was used longer what would happen. Spend your $$ on something else, this is just not made well at all.

I bought these bags to start my new job in construction, and so far they have worked great! Material seems very durable so far. There are lots of room for hardware and some little slots for thin items like screw drivers or ratchets along with places to hang tools:

Left side:
- tape holder
- 2 small slots inside main bag to hold screw drivers or thin tools
- 1 large band to hang a large tool (I use this to hold my 12'' crescent wrench)
- 2 medium bands (they can fit a 10'' crescent wrench, one located on the back and one underneath)

Right side:
- 2 small slots perfect for pens or drill attachments
- 6 tool slots
- one small pocket and one larger side pocket in main bag (I use these to hold my ratchet attachments)
- 1 hanger for a hammer

The harness is really helpful and durable, and is also one of the reasons why I purchased this belt over others. When I am carrying over 20 lbs worth of tools, it really helps to reduce fatigue. What I really like is that the harness hooks up to loops attached to the bags so there isn't any chance of the bags dropping or slipping.

Now, one of the drawbacks is that for my trade there aren't enough pockets to hold some of my hand tools so I end up just throwing most of my tools in the main bags, which isn't that big of a deal, but can get annoying when carrying more than a handful of tools and sorting through them. Overall though, these bags are great for carpenters or anyone needing a general tool bag hold lots of hardware. For me though, I needed something with more pockets to organize my tools. CLC offers a heavy duty framer's set which does have plenty of pockets which I may purchase in the near future.

lets start by saying i bought this sometime back to replace my leather and suede occi/nichols setup.i really needed something lighter and did`nt plan on buying occi to test out my lightweight theory.i used this set up so far framing/roofing/decking/finish work and building a stockade fence.i used it the last 10 months i worked in the building ind.and am happy to say my lightweight theory was a success.it helped my back a lot to loose at least 1o pounds of just leather.i replaced the belt with a dewalt 5 inch padded belt.because the CLC belt just did`nt cut it anymore its too thin,not stiff enough and too big even on the last holes to fit my waist tight enough to keep the pockets from bouncing.the shoulder pads slide some but once i set them where i want them they do actually stay there.they have enough padding to keep the straps from digging in,but not too much to be in the way.the pads are`nt too thick to be hot but to be honest i sweat enough that i would`nt notice them being hotter then anything else.all in all its a good set up it does have all the pockets/pouches/bags i need and it took me about a day to get used to it.it was cheap and light and thats what i wanted so i gave it 4 stars,only detractors are the the weak belt and middle rear clip holds to the hammer loop in back and i don`t wear my hammer there the one time i did i sat down on a roof and off went my hammer.and that the hammer bounces too much there and hits the back of my leg when i walk.it has a hammer loop on the bag and that`s the one i always use.
all in all good layout in the bags for nails,square,nail puller even just the right size for adhesive.


::UPDATE::
i added a Dewalt 5" padded belt and dumped the original loose fitting un-supportive belt.it`s a much,much better rig now.
i also pinned the small top pocket closed on one side to reach into the nail bag better,and oddly enough with the small pocket pinned it fits a driver bit perfectly between the pins and right at the perfect reach.
with the Dewalt belt the added back support and padding lets me not need the suspenders,and the higher back makes the bags not slide backwards and when used does actually stop the suspenders from sliding or twisting.but makes the rear hammer loop unable to fit the belt and the back hook on the suspenders is now a handle.(i don`t use the rear loop,every time i sat down i dropped the hammer,and i always kept it on the bag anyway)
all in all over the past 8 months i`ve used this rig a lot and it has taken the abuse without a problem.

I like this tool belt that I can wear this all day with comfort. You can swap the bags with whaever you like your trade needs. Maybe drill holster or electrician pouch etc. I like this fabric ones over leather. Leather ones take longer time to break in and heavier. I put one more hammer clip in the back to hold two different hammers, finish and framing hammers. Fully adjustable to your size.

The bags are comfortable to wear all day, and spacious enough to hold all the tools you need. Amazon presents CLC's drill holster with this item, but for me there would be no place to hang it besides the belt buckle area. For many projects, I'll just carry the bag by the handles and set it next to the work and it stays open and accessible. There seems to be a spot for most of my carry tools - with the frustrating exception of a torpedo level. There's a slide-in long narrow holder between the speed square pocket and exterior fastener pouch, but it's only big enough for my t-bevel. If you're not going to be busy, buy something smaller - you'll want to fill these bags up, and that gets awfully heavy.

Update:

I've since moved on to a pair of oiled leather CLC bags. The set that is the subject of this review is nice, but they are HUGE. I've learned to outfit by bags with what I need for the day, rather than try and carry EVERYTHING at once. If you're doing a remodel project that needs a wide variety of tools, these will make great bags on a budget. Just don't expect to get between framing or in any corners or tight places. I use these bags fastened together as a utility tool bag, and take what I need from it to put on my belt. Can't complain about the quality, but it just wasn't the right thing for me.

I was totaly shooked at the difference the shoulder belt made in a days time working in construction. The belt is big enough to carry almost anything you will need. The best part your hips feel a lot better in a days time. I have order two more of the belts for my friends.