Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I had a couple of power tools that I've been either storing loose or in the cardboard box (a DeWalt impact wrench and a Black & Decker drill - both corded) that I decided needed another storage option. Given the relatively low price, I ordered both the Craftsman 13" Reinforced Tool Bag as well as the Stanley STST70574 12-Inch Soft Sided Tool Bag. I was amazed to find that while both are excellent, well constructed bags, they are actually suited for very different purposes. Both bags are made from a durable feeling 100% polyester. Both seem to be well constructed, with reinforcing material on the heavier duty seams. Both have a two piece fabric handle. Both are attractive, but fairly different styling. Both are made in China. The Craftsman bag has significantly more storage area inside, much more so than the 13 vs 12 inch size in the descriptions would lead you to believe. In addition to the extra inch of length, the base of the Craftsman bag is 8" wide compared to 5" for the Stanley bag, resulting in vastly more interior space. In keeping with the larger (and potentially heavier) payload of this bag, there is a bit more reinforced stitching on the handle of the Craftsman, as the handle fabric continues much further down the side of the bag. The other big win for the Craftsman is the heavier duty zipper. While still matching the price point of this bag (e.g. too much stress will destroy it), the zipper has bigger, heavier duty teeth that just feel like they'd hold up to a lot more abuse than the Stanley bag. In contrast, the Stanley bag looks a bit more refined. While both bags have 6 outside pockets, the Stanley has 3 pockets on each side of the bag, with the larger pocket on one side having a heavy duty Velcro flap to hold stuff in. In contrast, the Craftsman has three mesh pockets, with three non-mesh pockets right behind them. The pockets on the Stanley have a much greater capacity while the ones on the Craftsman seem quite limited. On the inside of the bag, the Stanley has 5 pockets of varying size on one side, and on the other side a single pocket the entire length of the bag with two Velcro attachment points to allow you to secure things inside. The Craftsman has no interior pockets. While I'm not convinced of the usefulness, the Stanley bag also has light reflective strips on the outside pouch flap, so it could save your life if walking down a dark rural road swinging your tool bag. For the purpose I originally had in mind (storing largish hand tools), the heavy duty, larger Craftsman bag fulfilled my needs exactly. However, if you're looking for a small tool bag to keep the basic screwdrivers, hammer, tape measure, and other small assorted tools in one of your kitchen cabinets, the Stanley is probably the better choice. When I pulled both out of the Amazon box, I found the Stanley to be the better bag... until I needed to fit the large tools in - at which point the Craftsman was the clear winner. But I will have no problem finding a use for the Stanley bag. Both are a good value for the money.