Socket Organization

[Ross]

Currently I am using metal rails to organize all my sockets, but, I don't really like this method. I am thinking about getting a bunch of magnets like these http://www.magnet4less.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_5&products_id=8 to build some custom ones. Has anyone used any magnets like this to organize hold their sockets?

 

[lauver]

Ross,

Those look like overkill...3.5 pound hold. Might be a problem getting your sockets off. Did you see the 10' x 1/2" rolls of flexible magnetic tape with adhesive backing. This might be more along the lines of what you're looking for. You could stick strips of this to a board or the bottom of your drawers and just set your sockets on the magnetic strip...just enough magnetism to hold your sockets in place but easy to grab and remove when you need them.

Let us know what you get and how it works out for you. A photo of the installation would be nice too.

 

[LWaite]

thats pretty cheap for magnets - I know most of the tool trucks have some magnetic trays for your sockets. I have even used magnetic plates to hold them on

 

[-B-]

this might be a better option http://www.magnet4less.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_13&products_id=200

 

[vartz04]

hansens and be done.

 

[Woodward_Dreams]

hansens and be done.

+1 hansen works great and takes up less space in the box

 

[vartz04]

i work out of the service cart under my name, space is a premium, the hansens were the only way I could quickly find sockets and take up minimal space. Plus it only takes one hand to get them off, unlike socket rails

 

[jkeyser14]

I bought 3 sets of english and metric Hanson trays (standard and metric in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" drive). I love them. I've got all my 6 points in one set of trays, 12 points on the other set, and impacts on the last set. It set me back $150 for all of the trays, but they are extremely easy to quickly identify socket locations, missing sockets, etc.

 

[vartz04]

I bought 3 sets of english and metric Hanson trays (standard and metric in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" drive). I love them. I've got all my 6 points in one set of trays, 12 points on the other set, and impacts on the last set. It set me back $150 for all of the trays, but they are extremely easy to quickly identify socket locations, missing sockets, etc.

I hope one day to have that whole set up in my box. Its expensive to just fill the extra sockets that I don't have though. as of right now I just have 1 set - 1/4" metric/sae and 3/8" metric/sae. Id never buy them for 12pts because well I never use 12 pts. but having 2 sets of 1/2" is in my future.

 

[superautobacs]

There are socket organizers in the market that incorporate a strip of magnet to hold them in place.

If the sockets are going to be in a box, simply purchase magnet strips and you're on your way to creating a fully customizable socket holder/organizer.

 

[ihredo4]

I have my sockets organized totally differnet than anyone on here so far. I have a Lista cabinet and one drawer is dedicated to SAE and one to Metric sockets. I will have to get pictures but I have all my sockets arranged by size. 1/8" to over 2". Each size has its own bin location and it may have 1/4", 3/8". and even 1/2" sockets in that bin. This will most likely change when I get my Proto display rack that I will mount on the wall. I will get pics tomorrow.

 

[thomask]

See Top of Box

I got mine at a car show.

Not expensive and easy to get sockets on and off...

Also easy to see what is missing!

 

[Paladin]

Another fan of Hanson trays!

 

[Farmrod]

As far as im concerned hanson trays are the only way to go quick and easy they do take up quite a bit of space though but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make there are some things that wont go on the trays that you will have to have rails for or a magnetic holder or two

Chris

 

[Fedwrench]

Not a hanson fan. They take up too much space. You can't tailor them to specific sizes. You can't use them for swivel sockets. I much prefer the flexibility offered by plastic rails such as the ones made by Ernst manufacturing, Vim tools, or Craftsman.
Vim tools has a new system out called the mag rail. It's not cheap but, it looks pretty good.

 

[scottmlew]

I like Hansen overall, but beware of the problems many of us have reported here, with certain brands of sockets not fitting on them for various reasons (some of which can be fixed by modding the pegs, some of which can't be fixed)

btw, I actually have a socket stuck on one of my Hansen trays now...no idea how I'll get it off without breaking the peg

 

[wreckercologist]

different strokes for different folks* I have a few problems with the Earnst rails as well as the Hanson trays but that's just me.* I welded Snap-on socket rails to 16 ga. sheet metal.* This allows me to stuff more sockets into a drawer and not have a bunch of wasted space.* As mentioned before, the Hanson trays won't work with swivels.* This also allows me to put my 3/4" drive stuff on a rail as well.

The snap-on clips do wear out and have to be replaced every once in a while, but so do the plastic ones. Here's a few pics of my set up.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

clip rails work upside down

 

[Rickster]

I have a couple of steel Mag Mats I picked up at Harbor Freight to hold the sockets that over-run the Hanson trays. I believe they are these.

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-3945-mechanics-time-savers-210r.aspx

 

[Moose-LandTran]

btw, I actually have a socket stuck on one of my Hansen trays now...no idea how I'll get it off without breaking the peg

Can you spray some WD-40 down the hole and try gently twist it off?

Snap-on compact 1/2" in 3/8" body with orange hard handle? That blows my mind..

 

[Ross]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The welded rails look cool. Sounds like the socket trays are the crowd favorite, I will look into them some more.

 

[vartz04]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The welded rails look cool. Sounds like the socket trays are the crowd favorite, I will look into them some more.

seriously, if you buy them you won't be unhappy, aside from if your current socket collection doesnt fill them. Although some people might see that as a plus side cause they get to buy more sockets.

 

[Farmrod]

yes beware the empty spots will drive you nuts everytime i open my socket drawer it seems as if the empty spots are looking right at me begging for a socket to hold

Chris

 

[vartz04]

ive got most of mine filled, the whole reason I havent bought the 1/2" trays is I have the fewest sockets in 1/2" so Id spend to much money filling them

 

[Moose-LandTran]

The whole reason I havent bought the 1/2" trays is I have the fewest sockets in 1/2" so Id spend to much money filling them

I don't understand.

 

[vartz04]

I don't understand.

all i Have is 1/2" shallows in metric/sae, and then impacts. Id have to spend prolly $100 to fill the empty spots and spend a lot of time searching ebay/posting want ads on here.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

all i Have is 1/2" shallows in metric/sae, and then impacts. Id have to spend prolly $100 to fill the empty spots and spend a lot of time searching ebay/posting want ads on here.

Haha, i know what you meant. I was joking.

 

[vartz04]

thats what i figured. but yeah, if i had the extra $ id buy it, but for now ive got what I need.

 

[wreckercologist]

Snap-on compact 1/2" in 3/8" body with orange hard handle? That blows my mind..

you'll hate me if I tell you what I paid for that one and a few others!

 

[scottmlew]

Can you spray some WD-40 down the hole and try gently twist it off?

I had previously tried that with no luck. Today it was really starting to irritate me, so i spent some time with it and succeeded. Lots of gentle twisting with steady upward pressure. Suddenly I heard a crack, and I thought I had just broken the peg, but a little burr on it (from when I had to grind the peg down to fit the socket on) was all that had snapped off, and now all is well! I guess the burr was such that when I put the socket on the peg it offered no resistance, but when I tried to pull it out, it was bending the other way and getting caught.

 

[Ross]

I am not really worried about empty slots, I don't think that there would be any with my current collection... and if there was I would be interested in fixing that problem.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

you'll hate me if I tell you what I paid for that one and a few others!

I have quite a few spare Snap-on hard handles (in various colours) so when i find a suitable ratchet (730 series) that'll accept the compact guts and a hard handle i'll make one. But tell about your score!!

 

[Kevin54]

I have about $25 in this setup of socket holders. Metal rails on sale and a couple of pieces of Poplar board

 

[wreckercologist]

But tell about your score!!

I picked that ratchet up at an auction about 15 years ago. It was bundled with the other orange handled 3/8" drive and the SL715 in the photo....................winning bid of $12.50.

At the same auction I picked up a RS-4-L for $5.00. I sold that one on ebay last November for $198.00 plus shipping!

I'm not sure but I suspect the orange handles are not original. They probably had the first generation, square, hard handle in black.

How about you? Any "if it was any cheaper I'd of had a gun in my hand" deals?

 

[vartz04]

I have about $25 in this setup of socket holders. Metal rails on sale and a couple of pieces of Poplar board

how do you like the masterforce box? Once i have my own garage i plan on buying the bottom box.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I picked that ratchet up at an auction about 15 years ago. It was bundled with the other orange handled 3/8" drive and the SL715 in the photo....................winning bid of $12.50.

At the same auction I picked up a RS-4-L for $5.00. I sold that one on ebay last November for $198.00 plus shipping!

I'm not sure but I suspect the orange handles are not original. They probably had the first generation, square, hard handle in black.

How about you? Any "if it was any cheaper I'd of had a gun in my hand" deals?

Nice score! Like you say it's not original though, as those 720s/730s came with the older style handles, and the one you have on it is a wider screwdriver handle. Still the same job though, sometime for comfortable as it's a tad bigger.

I've had some nice scores, but nothing quite that nice.

 

[Handyman163]

I figured I'd post up my "solution", even though it's a hybrid/copy of some DIY posts in this thread by Wreckercologist and Kevin54.

I used a piece of 1/4" MDF from HomeDepot (about $6 for 2'x4' piece) cut to fit the drawer (allowed for about 1/8" space on either end of the socket rail to edge of board). I used a 2.5" spacing between the mount holes for all but the 1/4" drive rails, which are 2" apart. I put a piece of the no-slip drawer liner between the board and the socket rails, then screwed them down with 1/2" screws. The screws stuck out the back side 1/4", so I ground them off with my 4" angle grinder, and viola!!! I'm super happy with it, and now all sockets and ratchets are in one drawer, and for only $15.

Thanks for all the great ideas guys!

Pieces and parts:
1/4" MDF ($6) cut to 21 7/8" x 15 5/8" to fit drawer
4 _ 1/2" socket rails ($0.89ea HF)
4 _ 3/8" socket rails ($0.89ea HF)
2 _ 1/4" socket rails ($0.89ea HF)
30 _ 1/2" screws

<a href="http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/?action=view&current=MySocketDrawer1Large.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/MySocketDrawer1Large.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/?action=view&current=MySocketDrawer2Large.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/MySocketDrawer2Large.jpg" border="0" alt="Socket Drawer 2"></a>
<a href="http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/?action=view&current=MySocketDrawer4Large.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/MySocketDrawer4Large.jpg" border="0" alt="Socket Drawer 4"></a>
<a href="http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/?action=view&current=MySocketDrawer3Large.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss276/jsnchurch/Tools/MySocketDrawer3Large.jpg" border="0" alt="Socket Drawer 3"></a>

 

[TheGrooveking]

different strokes for different folks* I have a few problems with the Earnst rails as well as the Hanson trays but that's just me.* I welded Snap-on socket rails to 16 ga. sheet metal.* This allows me to stuff more sockets into a drawer and not have a bunch of wasted space.* As mentioned before, the Hanson trays won't work with swivels.* This also allows me to put my 3/4" drive stuff on a rail as well.

The snap-on clips do wear out and have to be replaced every once in a while, but so do the plastic ones. Here's a few pics of my set up.

Great pics, love the fact that those look like tools that are being used.

TheGrooveking