Charging Drawer Keeps Battery Chargers Organized

Cordless hand tools keep growing in popularity. So, too, grows the number of batteries, chargers, and electrical cords to go with them. To keep his work surface from being taken over, Jesse Lutz devised a way not only to organize it but also to make it all go away at will.

"I can close the charging drawer, shut the cabinet door, and no one has to look at that stuff," he says.

On a timer
Lutz says because the designated area is enclosed (out of sight, out of mind), he did put the outlet on a timer. "If someone starts charging, then I know it will turn off within a set amount of time," he says.

Fire-resistant
Another safety precaution is that the drawer is made of metal. "That makes it more fire-resistant than a wooden shelf," Lutz points out.

The drawer was Lutz's idea, but he says the credit for the cabinetry fabrication goes to Rick Jorgenson of Kasson, Minnesota. The drawers are made of stainless steel.

Since the drawer won't slide all the way back to the wall, the wire behind the outlet doesn't get pinched; it's in a loop for slack. "I haven't had a problem with it getting twisted or kinked. The wire is tied out of the way with cable ties to keep it from getting in the drawer slide," explains Lutz.

You can see the charging drawer on the Successful Farming Machinery Show this month on RFD-TV.

A $2,500 winner
Lutz is the next recipient of a $2,500 Firestone in-store credit offer for having his idea chosen as the Idea of the Month. Enter your idea here.

Learn more about Jesse Lutz
Operation: On their third-generation Mason City, Iowa, farm, Lutz and his dad, Randy, grow corn, soybeans, and seed corn. They're also partners in a custom seed corn harvesting business.

Family: He and wife Jessica have two sons, Breck, 6, and Beau, 3.

Future project: "I want to restore an old Massey tractor my dad bought way back when," he says.

Wish list: A new bead-blasting cabinet would help with that restoration.

Email: jrlutz80@gmail.com

Written by Paula Barbour