Raaco versus Hozan

[mos_def85]

Hello all,

I wanted to get feedback from all the ASL pros on here about counter storage. Anyone willing to give pros and cons between these 2 counter storage options? I'm about to order some for my Christmas gift but I'm on the fence whether I should get Raaco or Hozan system. It appears that each big nationality will fit into one tray in either system.

Any help is appreciated!

Jeremy

 

[Gwinnell]

Don't know about Hozan but Raaco and it's cheaper clones are great. I guess you are in the US so probably cost of Raaco will be a large part of your choice.

Raaco is enormously flexible and can be set up to suit your needs or use one of the 'standard' formats such as on the Texas ASL site. You can get one large or two smaller nationalities in each box and I use one of the larger three tier boxes for ALL the system counters.

Sounds like a good Xmas gift!

 

[J. R. Tracy]

The Hozan boxes are very nice and efficient, and the compartments have a little curve to them that makes it easier to dig out counters. However, they are made of a somewhat brittle plastic that doesn't hold up well to rough handling. I used them for years for my travel set but eventually every case was cracked and ultimately too banged up to keep using. I switched to Raaco, which is bulkier, but more durable.

 

[xenovin]

All systems have pros so here's my cons: raaco - expensive (US) and not great for organizing AFVs unless you want to make a ton of inserts. Hozan - brittle and heavy. Plano - insert issues allowing counter creep and take up the most space of the three systems. I now use cases from the container store that are smaller in size than Plano and dividers are one with case.

 

[Gunner Scott]

I have been using hozen for over 10 years for my travel set, no cracks or chips on my hozen cases and I'm pretty rough on lugging them around tourneys. As for plano, I use those cases for my home set. and glue down the dividers.

Scott

 

[jrv]

The inserts in a plano can be made secure with a quick touch of a soldering iron at the top. The material is, I believe, polypropylene. Most glues won't work on it, but there are some that are reported to work: http://info.craftechind.com/blog/bid/323475/Stick-to-it-A-Guide-to-the-Best-Glue-for-Plastic.

JR

 

[olli]

Well my choice would be RAACO but I get it cheap over here in the U.K., in America I think Plano or Hozan are the way to go.

 

[witchbottles]

Hosen are known to creep at times, especially when mounted - hence the inventions of cannions and doublets. oh... wrong hosen.......

 

[DrDeath]

All systems have pros so here's my cons: Plano - insert issues allowing counter creep and take up the most space of the three systems.

Easily remedied by 1/16" flexible plastic/styrofoam cut to the size of the inside of the container top-
Felt will also work for this. The newer and smaller 3601's are the answer to lighter OB Nationalities.
My planos have held up very well for 20+ years and plenty of travel and rough handling-

 

[xenovin]

The inserts in a plano can be made secure with a quick touch of a soldering iron at the top. The material is, I believe, polypropylene. Most glues won't work on it, but there are some that are reported to work: http://info.craftechind.com/blog/bid/323475/Stick-to-it-A-Guide-to-the-Best-Glue-for-Plastic.

JR

Leaving a little flash around the insert also helps make them fit snug

 

[von Marwitz]

I have never heard about Hozan, but looking it up, I realize, that I have seen it used now and then. Between Plano and RAACO, I'd go for RAACO.

In fact, after gauging the issue for years, I DID go for RAACO at long last.
The stuff will be delivered in a day or two.

von Marwitz

 

[BattleSchool]

Plano is inexpensive in North America, which is its greatest draw. It was my first pick, and remains a good option for ASLSK. I still have more than 60 (empty) 3500 cases, and four or five of the carry cases for these. (I preferred these smaller Plano cases due to their smaller footprint, having witnessed too many of the large Planos tip and spill during play.)

However, IMO, Raaco wins hands down for storing MMC, and 1/2" counters in general. Hozan's smaller compartments allow better flexibility for storing vehicles and 5/8" ordnance. But as others have mentioned, Hozan does not hold up well for travel. If you don't attend many ASL events, Hozan remains a good option. I opted instead for Raaco.

Another thing to consider is using more than one type of container system to store your ASL counters (e.g. Raaco for 1/2" counters, and another type of container, say Hozan, for the 5/8" counters).

Some use coin envelopes for vehicles. Others swear by matchboxes for their entire set. But much also depends upon how you plan to organize your counters.

If you want each vehicle type to have its own compartment, for instance, this ought to influence your buying decision. There are, of course, workarounds, as others have noted. One can divide a compartment using plastic, or paper cards. See Oliver Gray's Raaco system here. (Scroll down and click on photo with caption "The complete gentleman.") Olli uses labelled cardstock to separate different AFV from each other. The photo shows parts of four A75 inserts. Each tray/insert has five compartments, and each compartment can hold about 40 5/8" counters on end, or ~200 counters per tray, or 3200 counters per Assorter 55 case.

 

[Biondino]

Once you go Raaco, you never go back...
Compact, handy, flexible with various inserts options, easy to transport ...love it
Expensive but totally worthy

 

[xenovin]

Once you go Raaco, you never go back...
Compact, handy, flexible with various inserts options, easy to transport ...love it
Expensive but totally worthy

I finally got my hands on a raaco box and after messing around with it I found that I did not care for it. As stated above, superior for 1/2" counters and abysmal for 5/8" counters. The anal retentive dividers with counters all neatly stack looks good but not FTF player friendly. but that's just me.

 

[TopT]

I am going with a combo storage arrangement. 5 Raaco containers for MMC/ Info counters and envelopes for AFV's/ Guns

 

[Sparafucil3]

I am going with a combo storage arrangement. 5 Raaco containers for MMC/ Info counters and envelopes for AFV's/ Guns

Have you looked at the "3-deep" Raaco's that Battle School is selling? I bet you could cut your 5 trays to 3 (if not 2). I am using one for my informational counters and a second for my HOB/BFP counter set. Envelops are king. Sunken cost fallacy prevents me from moving to that now. -- jim

 

[RobZagnut]

Don't sleep on the Container Store storage trays. They're pretty slick. I've been slowly converting my old trays to them. Maybe Fort can show pictures of his travel set.

http://www.containerstore.com/s/clear-compartment-boxes/d?productId=10032167&q=Compartment boxes

 

[Steven Pleva]

They all have pros and cons:
Plano - Cheap and durable, but are space inefficient as you either pack a ton of air or you have poor counter access time for vehicles.
Hozan - Compact and space efficient, but they are a little heavy and the plastic is hard so it can crack.
Container Store - Very space efficient with no counter creep, but a little pricey. I use these for my informational counters and they are fantastic for this purpose.
Matchboxes - Efficient, super light and very configurable, but not very durable. Combined with envelopes for vehicles, this is the best (arguably the only) choice for flying.
Raaco - Good compromise across all considerations - efficient and durable, but pricey and a touch heavy. My choice for the nationality counters.

If I were starting over I would consider any of the last three choices: Container Store, Matchboxes and/or Raaco.
Steve

 

[BattleSchool]

I finally got my hands on a raaco box and after messing around with it I found that I did not care for it. As stated above, superior for 1/2" counters and abysmal for 5/8" counters. The anal retentive dividers with counters all neatly stack looks good but not FTF player friendly. but that's just me.

I'm not a fan of the dividers in the A75s either. But then I use A78s for my vehicles and ordnance.

Admittedly, it's not an efficient use of space when compared to Olli's system of dividers. However, with 128 individual compartments in an Assorter 55 (i.e. 16x A78 trays), there are enough compartments to give each vehicle type its own home.

 

[BattleSchool]

I'm not a fan of the dividers in the A75s either. But then I use A78s for my vehicles and ordnance.

Admittedly, it's not an efficient use of space when compared to Olli's system of dividers. However, with 128 individual compartments in an Assorter 55 (i.e. 16x A78 trays), there are enough compartments to give each vehicle type its own home.

Forgot to add that 3D-printed inserts will make Raaco more efficient, as per the custom trays below: