HF Socket Rails

[mojo_13]

Just bought one of the 176 Cman socket sets and I'm going to need some rails for it. I will be saving up to get the Ernst Twist Lock rails but in the mean time I'm just going to go with the HF metal rails so I can have some sort of organization. I figure for the $20 I'll have into them it won't hurt the pocket book too bad.

My question is how long do these come? I know that you can probably cut them down but was wondering what the stock length was. I am going to be putting them in the HF 5 drawer cart as of now. Also if there are cheaper rails out there that will do the job let me know, but from the sounds of it these do an ok job and for a cheap price.

 

[tonydanzah]

those HF plastic socket rails fell like they would break if you used them regularly. I am a big fan of the craftsman, kobalt, matco plastic strips. They cost a little more, but are made in the usa and fell far more flexible.

 

[mrholeshot]

I kind of like the ball retention plastic ones from HF. I bought some for one of my road boxes. They are a bit weak for a set if 1/2 deeps but love them for 1/4 inch stuff. Too bad you can't buy the seperatly. For my prostuff I use the Snap-On steel ones.

 

[chopper1]

The HF rails are 16-1/4" long.
I picked up a bunch of all 3 sizes to store my extra sockets last week. I feel that they are okay for storage but if you are going to use them on a regular basis they are not the way to go. For my go to sockets I use the HR plastic socket trays, not as good has Hansens but a lot cheaper.

 

[BWright]

The 1/4 rails are a pain in the *** to get sockets on and off of. The 1/2 and 3/8 work ok, but I would seek another alternative for the 1/4".

 

[mojo_13]

those HF plastic socket rails fell like they would break if you used them regularly. I am a big fan of the craftsman, kobalt, matco plastic strips. They cost a little more, but are made in the usa and fell far more flexible.

I kind of like the ball retention plastic ones from HF. I bought some for one of my road boxes. They are a bit weak for a set if 1/2 deeps but love them for 1/4 inch stuff. Too bad you can't buy the seperatly. For my prostuff I use the Snap-On steel ones.

I was actually planning on getting the metal ones

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-qu...h-and-1-2-half-inch-socket-rail-set-1147.html

The 1/4 rails are a pain in the *** to get sockets on and off of. The 1/2 and 3/8 work ok, but I would seek another alternative for the 1/4".

Would you even use them for temporary purposes or look in another direction? I'll be saving for Ernst rails but probably going to have to buy as I go on those as a full set will be pretty expensive.

 

[bmxr4life87]

The metal ones work good! I bought the plastic ones last night and am going to start making the switch

 

[mrholeshot]

I was actually planning on getting the metal ones

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-qu...h-and-1-2-half-inch-socket-rail-set-1147.html



Would you even use them for temporary purposes or look in another direction? I'll be saving for Ernst rails but probably going to have to buy as I go on those as a full set will be pretty expensive.

Anything beats nothing and if thats what you can afford at the moment, go for it. Nothing worse than a bunch of loose sockets. The ones I use for 1/4 inch and some 3/8 I bought from MAC and they are stand up magnetic units. I don't know who makes them but I absolutly love them.(maybe Ernst) I can carry a set of shallow and deep 1/4 sockets without fear of them falling off or out. I want to buy a load of the Ernst organizers to really clean up my Macsimizer. I'm sre I'll be able to fill up anther tool box with the leftover stuff once it's really organized well

 

[mojo_13]

The metal ones work good! I bought the plastic ones last night and am going to start making the switch

Great, I hope I don't like them so much I don't upgrade. But I figure for the $20 I'll have into them I can build a backup tool set, but shhh don't tell the girlfriend.

 

[BWright]

Would you even use them for temporary purposes or look in another direction? I'll be saving for Ernst rails but probably going to have to buy as I go on those as a full set will be pretty expensive.

Depends. Will you be using the sockets on them everyday or occasionally? I have a few sets on them that I rarely use, but every time I do go to grab one of those sockets I curse the stupid things.

 

[nexum1919]

make sure you pick the ones that says 'TAIWAN' on them, they have much better shaped clips with flat spots on each side, which gives the perfect holding resistance. The ones that says 'CHINA' are junk...

 

[Bran Diezel]

$1 each they are unbeatable

 

[...rohit]

I have about 10 of them and store all my sockets on them. They are greater, my only complaintant is that its tough for me to get the 3/8 and 1/4 off. It's not really a big deal for me, I usually keep a flat head screwdrive with me to pry them off if I need to.

 

[mojo_13]

make sure you pick the ones that says 'TAIWAN' on them, they have much better shaped clips with flat spots on each side, which gives the perfect holding resistance. The ones that says 'CHINA' are junk...

Thanks for the tip I will be sure to go through all of them, sure hope they still have some Taiwan ones in stock.

 

[Indy_500]

make sure you pick the ones that says 'TAIWAN' on them, they have much better shaped clips with flat spots on each side, which gives the perfect holding resistance. The ones that says 'CHINA' are junk...

x2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the ones in the box where you can get all 3 drive sizes for $2.50 are made in taiwan. The ones you can buy $1 a piece in any drive size are made in China. There's a big difference, i will only buy the ones that come in the box from now on.

 

[dkroth]

$1 each they are unbeatable

Well, the Snap-On rails are in the $2-3 range and have a very nice on-off feel to them. And they're made in USA if that is important to you.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=storage&Group_ID=3223&store=snapon-store

 

[SCscoutguy]

I am a big supporter of HF stuff but this is one item that I can't endorse if they are going to get allot of use. The metal ones even the ones made in Taiwan will not hold onto the sockets if you bang them around in a box or tool bag. If you are just wanting to hang them up in your shop then they will probably do fine. I had a set of them in my junkyard bag for a few years and every time I would go to pull out the strips at least one socket would be sitting in the bottom of the bag from each strip. I ended up buying the Craftsman socket rails with the angled plastic covered handles and have not had a socket fall off yet with them getting allot of use being banged around all over the junkyard.

 

[speed bump]

I dont see the point when the Snap-on rails are $2.10-$2.65 a piece and are much better rails.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=storage&Group_ID=3223&store=snapon-store

 

[Indy_500]

I put extensions, spark plug sockets, extra 12 point sockets, hex sockets, torx sockets, etc. etc. on the metal rails. For my "go-to" sockets i use socket trays just because i like how u can just take them on and off with no force holding them down. I could care less if they take up space but that's just how i like it. I took white labels and re-labeled my HF socket trays and for $15, i got 6 socket trays and for about another $5 i got all my extra sockets on socket rails. Sounds a lot better to me then spending $60+ on hansens although i'll get some hansens some day since i have a 21 mm that doesn't have a peg on my 3/8" drive. And i like how on the tips of the pegs on hansens, it says the size.

 

[bgott]

I bought plastic and metal HF rails. They are strictly homeowner grade, meaning, if you use them every day, junk. I've broken the plastic clips that hold my most frequently used sockets, you have to push down on the square stud while pulling up on the socket and that *****! The HF tin rails hold the sockets fine as long as you don't move the rail or try to replace the sockets after you use them. I've got to sit down and make a list for the Snap-on man and replace all of them. That is, I'm going to replace them with the run of the mill Snappy metal rails. I have a co-worker that has one of the spring loaded rails, you can lay that thing down gently on it's side and it will shoot the sockets off. Not good, he has already lost a socket or two and has hardly used them.

 

[rhastings80]

I bought the metal ones from HF. Watch out the edges are very sharp!

 

[srmofo]

you guys really have that many problems with the plastic ones? I've got all my spare sockets (craftsman) on them at the shop and they work just fine for me. Those are not my primary sockets that I reach for but they have worked for several years now.

Now when I got them I did have to sand a few of the square pegs to get a looser fit and even chop a few of the plastic shafts off, but for $6 for 3, it sure beats $10 for 1 hanson.

 

[JASTECH]

I have S/O metal rails for many years. I just purchased a set of 1/2 Drive impacts from 1/2" to 1 1/2" Deep sockets for 185.00 of my very tight funds. They arrived on the plastic rails with many broke off the rails from USPS. I was debating on magnetic rails that stand them up or the one were deep/shallow laydown on magnetic holder. Please give me your thoughts.

Thanks, JASTECH
________

 

[BWright]

I guess I didn't realize the Snap on rails were so cheap, and I never even thought to check the website. From now on I will be buying those. I feel so ashamed.

 

[A29]

I sold my socket rails at my last garage sale. As what ever I'm working on is never far from my box they just stay in the drawer. Made this holder on the cheap. Just reach and grab what ya need. Used 3/4" pine cut to fit and bored holes with a forstner bit. Just for my 3/8 stuff.

 

[Lump]

I buy LOTS of used sockets, then clean them and de-rust them (if necessary), and finally start trying to make sets out of the loose sockets. So I just need cheap socket rails, to help me organize hundreds of sockets of different sizes, brands, types, points, etc.

I have bought quite a few rails from vendors at my swap meets...(just cheapo's, of course). I often only need to use them once...until a "set" is completed, and ready to give to one of my sons, or trade, or sell.

But I also want better units for use with my personal best sockets inside my Craftsman tool chest. So soon I'll have some pretty good comparison info, from personal experiences. Remember...since socket rails are cheap...just go for it with something, and upgrade if you need or want to. Like someone said above, "Anything is better than nothing," when the alternative is a bunch of loose sockets rattling around your tool drawers.