Does anyone else HATE socket holder strips/rails?

[shoggoth80]

My experience with rails... leaves me wanting. I realize that I want a product that no one makes:
A custom built organization case... space for deep well, mids, and shallows, each in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" with room for 2 ratchets each (a roto/long handle, and normal), and then another just for my impacts.

Actually tempted to try and make like a wooden clam case with foam inserts that I can carve to shape to hold the tools.

Rails are always too long, or too short. I want all my sockets of a type on there (metric, 3/8" deep for example), and it never pans out.

 

[maddawg1952]

I hate socket rails. Give me an old school metal tray any day, I grab any one I can find at yard sales or flea markets.

 

[ultgar]

I like these detection boxes.......holds sockets and drive accessories. You can peal off the Facom sticker if you are using other brand tools. Unfortunately, they are a little pricier at $35-40ea.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Yet I swear by them. No they arent perfect but they are by far the easiest to read and fit my box pretty darn good. I bought a huge case of them years ago and Ive yet to break a single one in my box or my dads.

You can mix and match sizes on a rail which is good when you have an odd set going for a junkyard box. Been using them for 30 years, no problems.

 

[Negen]

My koken rails seem to work for me.

 

[Zeroek]

I hate socket rails. Give me an old school metal tray any day, I grab any one I can find at yard sales or flea markets.

I'm glad I'm not alone on the metal socket Trays. I wish more companies did that still. Most my socket sets at work are in those trays.

 

[3200fps]

Nope, I LOVE these socket rails. Excellent because you can choose the rail you need and easily take it with you. You can put it in a bag and they won't go all over the place. All my sockets at work are on rails.

 

[Fugio]

The main reason I like rails is because I can screw them to the inside of a tool box (or to the wall) so nothing gets misplaced.

 

[cliftonbros89]

I'm glad I'm not alone on the metal socket Trays. I wish more companies did that still. Most my socket sets at work are in those trays.

Agreed. I started crudely making some of my own for sets in one of my boxes.

 

[66354dream]

I actually like the socket rails the OP posted, in fact that type is all I use

 

[Kamanhart]

This is my personal solution, Takes up less space than the socket boss and can be configured exactly how I want it.

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

I've posted this in other threads, but it would apply here too any may spark some ideas for others.

I'll start out by saying I'm OCD. I really wanted to like the Hansen trays or the Craftsman drawer organizers, but I had an issue with the empty spots and the need for multiple trays for 6-point and 12-point. At a glance I wanted to be able to see if I was missing a socket. Labeling was also important to me, so just about every commercially available solution wouldn't work.

This YouTube video was my inspiration:

My solution isn't perfect (no solution is!), but it is easily expandable if I pick up another socket set or a random socket. These rails do take up more space, but again, expandable, customizable, and labeled. Space in the tool box was not a major concern for me at this point. What works really well for some people doesn't work at all for others.

I used 2 1/4" tongue and grove oak flooring and the $0.99 socket rails from Harbor Freight with a groove cut for the rail to sit in (not necessary). I started with my largest socket (36mm) and spaced the rail the the edge of the socket lined up with the edge of the board. I kept this same spacing for the rest of the rails. This could be made more compact and cheaply by using narrower boards without labels or mounting rails closer together on a sheet of plywood:

 

[oldwino]

Another vote for Ernst. Hate those metal rails with a passion.

 

[radrush]

Another vote for Ernst. Hate those metal rails with a passion.

The Ernst rails are cool; I like them. They are very versatile.

The Socket Boss version is really cool as well because you can grab the whole tray and go.

Preference on tool storage appears to be dependent on a mechanic's "work-to-tool distance ratio" preference. While some mechanics prefer the "bring the work to the tools" method others prefer the "take the tools to the work" method.

Red for SAE and Blue for Metric is cool and all, but all black would be badass.

 

[danski0224]

How well do the Ernst twist-lock clips work?

 

[n8n]

Nope, I LOVE these socket rails. Excellent because you can choose the rail you need and easily take it with you. You can put it in a bag and they won't go all over the place. All my sockets at work are on rails.

IME putting a rail in a bag damn near guarantees that you'll lose a couple sockets. I find the plastic Craftsman/Wright ones better but still don't retain sockets well enough to hold deeps on while transporting.

 

[dutchgray]

I hate socket rails. Give me an old school metal tray any day, I grab any one I can find at yard sales or flea markets.

I'm with you on that as well, nothing better for a portable set IMO.
I have Hansen trays in my box, they waste a lot of space but its not a major issue in a box.

 

[maddawg1952]

Just as a side note I found an old Mac 1/4" short socket metal tray that now will hold my 1/4 impact metric sockets set. That I just acquired! SCORE!!

 

[DirtyWeRX]

+1 for Ernst manufacturing rails. Very customizable and they save space




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[Freeborn John]

Those Snap-on rails which you press down on and supposedly pop the socket into your hand are the biggest load of **** to ever bear the company name.
Rant over, thanks for listening.

 

[Zeroek]

Just as a side note I found an old Mac 1/4" short socket metal tray that now will hold my 1/4 impact metric sockets set. That I just acquired! SCORE!!

Lucky. Those new from mac are pretty expensive. Reason I buy the Cornwell ones.

 

[maddawg1952]

Funny you say that this was on the same table at the yard sale. I grabbed it for future use. First Cornwall tray I've seen in the wild.

 

[davethorik]

I bought a set of Wright 1/2 shallow 6 pt metric impact sockets and they came on 2 plastic rails with plastic clips with a spring-loaded ball in each.

I like them more than the metal rails for ease of use but occasionally the sockets won't want to come off. When they do the ball and spring in the clip will go flying. Happened 3 times now somehow I've found the pieces every time. But I know my luck will run out eventually.

 

[jsaw]

Here is a rack that I made. It does not work as a portable rack that you can carry around, but it is ok in the top of my cart

 

[Zeroek]

Funny you say that this was on the same table at the yard sale. I grabbed it for future use. First Cornwall tray I've seen in the wild.

Love em! Matter of fact I think I'm going to get all my home sockets organized in the cornwell trays. They are cheap enough to do it.

 

[RoundedCorners]

Any decent half-sized metal (like the old school ones with the bar over the top) or plastic (detent or twist) rails?

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

After digging thru this thread and seeing some of the more organized socket arrangements, I've got work to do.. Here are several ways my son and I are currently organizing our sockets...

 

[tremek]

Gearwrench or kd are best rails I've found.

I love them Too

 

[dkop1]

I meant to post this here, ended up posting it in the gearwrench hot deals thread because i have too many tabs open and don't pay attention....



Can anybody recommend a system for storing sockets in a tool bag? It seems like the plastic clip rails are my best option that I'm aware of. They're ok, but I'd like something a bit sturdier/more organized if there's a product out there. Unfortunately most of my mechanical work happens everywhere BUT my garage at home so i just have the metal clip rails in my toolbox. Those tools do more sitting than working, so, I could care less how they're stored as long as they don't roll all over the place when I open the drawer.

 

[FOCUS.FREAK]

If your looking into something to hold for in your bag. Then look into tektons socket holders. They have the twist lock feature on some. Also you can get an attachment to hold your ratchet and extension all in one. Here.

 

[dkop1]

If your looking into something to hold for in your bag. Then look into tektons socket holders. They have the twist lock feature on some. Also you can get an attachment to hold your ratchet and extension all in one. Here.

Those look great! Better than my loose, rattly Harbor freight plastic ones now. Ratchet/extension storage isn't an issue with my particular bag, but it's nice to have that option. And if I do decide to, that extension holder is a nice feature

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[RXtacy]

Ko-Ken magnetic rails have been awesome for me!

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of a garage, or having my toolbox next to my car. This means I have to load up a bag with the tools I need. If my box was near the car I would probably use the Hansen trays.

 

[elefan]

The best socket organizers are the cheapest ones.. A screw in the board.

 

[bczygan]

I don't like the HF ones.

 

[carcajou]

Just redid my entire drawer with the plastic rails. Love them. Let me consolidate three drawers into one and then some. Sure you can't Id the socket as fast, but for someone working out of their box every day that's not a huge issue because you just learn where they are at anyways. If you guess wrong once and awhile it isn't a huge deal. Not to me at least. I wanted my real estate back.

Before.

After

I personally liked the before pic, Around this farm with several people in and out of my boxes, hansens at least are labelled.
It helps but i still need to reorganise things about twice a month

 

[hull_viper2]

This is what I use for my regular sockets:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-socket-organizer-set/p-00965172000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1#

And this for my deep sockets:

http://www.sears.com/hansen-3-8inch-dr-sae-socket-tray/p-00933935000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

[98ssuck]

I like them. Easy compact way to keep all my sockets organized. I cut the rail down to size so they aren't bulky.

 

[bigjeff94]

I like them cut down rails are the best way to organize sockets in the top of a rally box in my opinion. Makes a nice portable OR stationary setup. However in big toolbox I like the blow mold cases sockets come in. Extras are also kept on rails though.

 

[Al Borland]

In my old 26" craftsman box with shallow drawers, I cut HF rails to fit front-to-back, put the sockets on and lay them on their sides. Sizes face up. SAE on the left, Metric on the right. Shallow and deep, impact and chrome, a drawer for 1/2", a drawer for 3/8" and 1/4" gets to share with Allen and Torx.

 

[wiens80]

Anybody use this style? I'm not ready to commit without some positive feedback, as they are pricey.


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