DeWalt TOOL CONNECT Tag (100 Pk)

Why I started tagging everything

Tools walk. Pallets get shuffled. A gang box gets moved to the other side of the site and suddenly the day turns into a scavenger hunt. I put DeWalt’s Tool Connect tags into my workflow to cut down on those chases and to bring some structure to jobsite inventory. I rolled them out across tools, storage, and a few pieces of equipment, leaning on DeWalt’s Site Manager software as the control center.

In short: these Bluetooth tags are built for construction realities, not sci‑fi tracking dreams. They shine for inventory and “where did we last see it?” use cases. They won’t replace a GPS tracker for off‑site theft recovery, but as a day-to-day asset manager, they’ve been effective.

Setup: fast pairing, smoother in batches

Each tag pairs by scanning its QR code with Site Manager. I found the onboarding refreshingly quick: open the app, scan, name the asset, assign it, done. It’s easy to move a tag from one item to another later via the same code. Rolling out a whole cart of tags goes faster if you pre-plan naming conventions (e.g., “M18 Bandsaw 02,” “Gang Box A,” “Lift Cart 1”) and assign them to teams or jobs during the scan.

If you want automated, always-on coverage in a shop or trailer, the Construction Asset Gateway (sold separately) ties the system together by acting as a stationary Bluetooth “listener.” Without a gateway, updates come from phones or tablets running the software within range.

Mounting: choose attachment to match abuse level

The tags accept glue, screws, or zip ties. That flexibility matters more than it sounds.

• Glue: Good for clean, flat plastic or painted surfaces, cases, and bins. Surface prep is key; degrease and dry or the adhesive will fail under vibration and heat. I reserve glue for items that aren’t constantly handled.
• Screws: The most secure option if you can spare two small pilot holes in wood or heavy plastic. I used screws for gang boxes, carts, plywood jigs, and storage cabinets.
• Zip ties: Fast and non-destructive on handles, hoses, and odd shapes. On high-vibration items, I double up or cinch through a secondary tether to keep the tag from spinning.

The tags are IP68, which shows in the field. Mine have shrugged off dust, a week of rain, and a rinse without complaint. The form factor isn’t dainty; they’re clearly built to be stepped on occasionally without giving up.

How they actually track

These are Bluetooth tags, not GPS beacons. Practically, that means:

• Range is roughly room-to-jobsite scale. Expect tens of feet to about a hundred in the open; metal studs, concrete, equipment, and bodies will shrink that.
• The software records a last-seen location when the tag is in range of a phone/tablet running the app or a gateway. That “breadcrumb” is what you use to retrace.
• When you’re nearby, you can trigger a blinking blue LED to help zero in on the right shelf, bin, or bay.

In use, this looks like: “We last saw SDS Drill 04 near the north stair on Level 3 at 3:42 pm.” If someone with the app walks past it later, the timestamp and location update. I’ve recovered a misplaced rotary laser this way after it migrated to a different floor. The LED is a nice final step once you’re in the general area; it’s visible even in bright interiors.

If you’re imagining real-time, citywide tracking, that’s not this product. For theft recovery across town, you’d want a dedicated GPS/cellular device. For on-site control and post-move breadcrumbs, these tags do the job.

Day-to-day value on a job

Where these tags pay off:

• Check-in/check-out transparency: Assign a tag to a crew or person. The last-seen trail and job association make “who had it last?” a data point instead of an argument.
• Staging control: Pallets and materials tagged in the laydown yard are easier to relocate after inevitable reshuffles.
• Storage discipline: Tagging both the tool and the case helps keep kits together. The LED makes it easy to identify the right Systainer/ToughSystem box in a stack.
• Shop and trailer coverage: A gateway in the shop or site trailer creates reliable last-seen updates without relying on everyone’s phones.

I noticed less wandering for high-demand tools simply because we could identify their last known home quickly. It doesn’t eliminate human error, but it compresses the search window.

Software experience: functional and straightforward

Site Manager is where everything lives: assets, assignments, and last-seen locations. I didn’t need a training session to get productive. Key interactions—pair, rename, assign, locate—are intuitive. The “blink LED” command works reliably when you’re within range, and the last-seen map view is what I keep open most.

Reassignment with the scannable code is painless. On mixed fleets, I tagged non-connected items (carts, storage, ladders) alongside connected tools; having everything in one list is more valuable than trying to only track high-ticket items.

Performance and reliability

• Connection stability: Consistently solid. If I lost the tag behind two concrete walls, the system recovered as soon as I came back into range.
• Range: Typical for Bluetooth in a construction environment. Steel framing and dense equipment cut distance; open warehouses do better.
• LED visibility: The blue blink is bright enough to stand out among cases and racks. It’s not a siren; think visual breadcrumb, not alarm.
• Durability: IP68 carries weight here. Dust, water, and daily handling didn’t faze the tags.

Limitations to understand before you buy

• Not GPS: If you need recovery across a city, this isn’t the right tool. Think “inventory control and on-site location,” not “find my stolen skid steer.”
• Ecosystem dependency: You’ll get the most value with a gateway or a crew that keeps the app running. If no device ever comes near the tag, you won’t get updates.
• Pack size and cost: This is a 100-pack. It’s ideal for outfitting a shop or a multi-crew contractor, but overkill for a one-off need. The per-tag investment makes the most sense when you tag broadly, not just the top five tools.
• Attachment hardware not included: Plan ahead for how you’ll mount each tag and buy the right screws, zip ties, or adhesives.

These aren’t deal-breakers; they’re boundaries. As long as you operate inside them, the system behaves exactly as advertised.

Best practices that helped

• Establish a naming and assignment scheme before you start scanning. Consistency pays off when searching or auditing.
• Tag more than just the expensive tools. Carts, bins, and storage cases are the hubs where gear accumulates; tagging them increases the odds of useful last-seen updates.
• Use screws where you can. It’s the most robust mount in rough environments.
• Place a gateway in the trailer or shop. It converts the system from “only works when someone walks by” to “always listening at home base.”

Who benefits most

• Foremen and owners managing medium to large fleets who need visibility, not just on flagship tools but across materials, storage, and support equipment.
• Shops and warehouses that want automatic updates without relying on worker phones.
• Projects where multiple trades and floors make simple “walk and look” searches time-consuming.

If you’re a solo tradesperson with five tools you always keep in the truck, this is more infrastructure than you need. If you’re trying to cut the time spent hunting, documenting, and assigning responsibility across a site, it fits.

The bottom line

I put these Tool Connect tags to work to bring order to the chaos of daily tool movement. They’re rugged, easy to deploy at scale, and integrate cleanly with the Site Manager software. The system is honest about what it is: Bluetooth-based, last-seen tracking with a helpful visual locator, not a GPS theft recovery solution. Within that scope, it’s effective and efficient.

Recommendation: I recommend these tags for contractors and shops that want practical, on-site asset control and are willing to support them with either a gateway or consistent app usage. The durability, quick pairing via QR, and useful last-seen/LED features outweigh the cost when you’re tagging broadly. If your primary goal is off-site theft recovery or you only need to track a couple of items, look for a GPS tracker or a smaller-scale solution instead.