How do organize your ratchets?

[Beaubeau]

I use all my stuff, but I clean them up after each use. No reason to have crappy looking tools.

It is a reflection of the guy doing the work. Crappy looking tools sometimes means crappy work. If they don't give a **** about their tools, why would they care about my car/house etc?

Not even close buddy, my foreman at work is a quad master technician for 4 different brands, is in the top 3 qualified technicians for all European brands for this country, is a certificate qualified mechanic, electrician, auto electrician, auto ac technician, all licenced, he can do any job in half of book time, perfect every time, he has zero comebacks and has never misdiagnosed any vehicle in my time working with him (3 years) he can diagnose faults without looking at the cars and get it right every f-ing time, he is what I consider elite, he has job offers weekly, including international offers, and guess what his tools are a complete mess, you know why? Because he does not have time to 'polish his ****' .
Fair enough if you ain't a full time tech and you have time to clean your tools all good, but dirty messy tools doesn't indicate laziness or poor work it just means that your work input and output is so full you don't have time to piss between jobs.

 

[king nero]

1/4" drive drawer:

DSC_0686 by http://www.flickr.com/people/48008900@N03/

3/8" drive drawer:

DSC_0687 by http://www.flickr.com/people/48008900@N03/

1/2" drive drawer: (a little less organized)

DSC_0688 by http://www.flickr.com/people/48008900@N03/

I like the socket holders in these pics, can you buy 'em online? link please, or a tool/brand name? much appreciated!

 

[daddy2coull]

i've upgraded my box and ratchet and extension collection. but bought some clips from a local hardware store for pennies and screwed them to a sheet of ply. the next version will get painted up to match my box

 

[PCO6]

Here are mine ...

 

[Chris_PT]

I like the socket holders in these pics, can you buy 'em online? link please, or a tool/brand name? much appreciated!

I forget the brand name (Maybe Lisle) but you can go to your local Sears and pick them up.

 

[mdbeck1]

I like the socket holders in these pics, can you buy 'em online? link please, or a tool/brand name? much appreciated!

They look like these:
http://www.sears.com/lisle-2-pc-mag...00941377000P?prdNo=9&blockNo=34&blockType=G34

 

[emeraldcoupe]

don't laugh,lol. there are a few ratchets not in there right now.

 

[lbulloc2]

Not even close buddy, my foreman at work is a quad master technician for 4 different brands, is in the top 3 qualified technicians for all European brands for this country, is a certificate qualified mechanic, electrician, auto electrician, auto ac technician, all licenced, he can do any job in half of book time, perfect every time, he has zero comebacks and has never misdiagnosed any vehicle in my time working with him (3 years) he can diagnose faults without looking at the cars and get it right every f-ing time, he is what I consider elite, he has job offers weekly, including international offers, and guess what his tools are a complete mess, you know why? Because he does not have time to 'polish his ****' .
Fair enough if you ain't a full time tech and you have time to clean your tools all good, but dirty messy tools doesn't indicate laziness or poor work it just means that your work input and output is so full you don't have time to piss between jobs.

That really doesn't seem to make any sense - if your mate the super mechanic is so damn fast and godlike then surely he can find a brief moment between declining his numerous daily employment offers and diagnosing a flat tyre to wipe the dirt off his tools as he chucks them back in the box?

Next you'll be telling us he shops exclusively at harbour freight and the only tool he owns is a single adjustable wrench

Chill out dude, it's only the Internet

 

[theamcaddict]

I have mine in a Craftsman 26in box with nonslip liners. They stay in place without any issues.

Same here. No issues

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

Throw in drawer and close

 

[Steevo]

Most of my ratchets are in this drawer:

Except for the three in the mobile tool box, and the two in the cheap rollaway in the house garage, and the one in the truck, and I think there's another one or two somewhere around here . . .

Sorry, mine aren't polished.
Neither are my cars.

 

[loosewingnut]

And SOME PEOPLE see well-maintained tools and shout LAME. I'm guessing these folks in particular don't know any better. It's A-OK to use a ratchet to mix paint or drive nails if you're stuff is all Chinese garbage.

I use my tools on the clock. I paid good money for them too, and I treat them as such. It takes next to no time to grab a clean rag and wipe the grease and dirt off before putting my tools up. It's ridiculously easy to keep chrome halfway decent looking...

Agreed, and I want to add a point. I used to wrench professionally and one of the first things I learned was the faster you wrench, the more money you make. I would would go fast and not worry about messes. Then I learned something else. No one likes working around a slob. A good worker takes the time to clean his tools and work areas (benches, lifts, parts cleaning stations) so that the next person doesn't have to deal with their tools laying out or their mess. I worked in both the auto field and the machinist field and in both industries where I worked, if you were not a clean person, you didn't work there. Cleanliness and orderliness meant you were more productive and had less problems. I don't buy the argument that someone just works so hard, they don't have time to clean up. Tools are chrome and a simple wipe before you put them back is all it takes. I would spend maybe 5-10 minutes max at the end of each day. And we had a great mechanic at one of the places I worked that had a socket drawer and a wrench drawer and a pliers drawer. When he was done, he just threw the tool in its drawer. Whatever time was saved by him just throwing it in there was lost when he had to take a few seconds to find that tool again. He was a great mechanic, but I don't see how it saved him any time.

I have also found that when I wrenched, the two things that messed up tools the most were rubbing on each other and rubbing on the ground. When you are a professional, you don't always have time, so that stuff is inevitable. Now that I work in my garage on my own time, I can take a little extra time to make sure my tools aren't sliding across the ground.

 

[purpurite]

So what I learned today is that if you have clean and organized tools, you must not use them at all. Damn tool polishers. And the best, most efficient mechanics who use their tools to make money just throw them all in a box because they don't have time to do anything else but make profits.

Got it.






Don't slam drawers and a simple rubber drawer liner does fine...

Oh, and you might notice that I own both brand new "truck" ratchets as well as Craftsman ratchets that my grandfather used every day to make money. They are both clean and well organized. I must be one of those wretched tool polishers.

 

[bobemmerich]

I use these.....My ratchets don't slide around-unless I give the drawer a HARD yank...

 

[ToddGrossman]

I organize mine first by the type of primary metallic crystalline structure and then by the photoelectric work function of the finish. Anyone else use this method?

Coach

Duh. Who doesn't?

 

[RKA]

What am I missing here? The OP has enough drawer depth to orient the ratchets across front to back in the drawer. With a good liner underneath, why would the ratchets "slide all over"? That's what I do and everything stays in place. My suggestion would be to look around for something that's actually broke. Fix that.

 

[subzero32]

Work box. It's a sectioned tray that I picked up at Summit (if you've never been to a Summit Racing store -- GO) for like $6. I just got those CM Slim's a couple weeks back. The RP's were the only ones in there and flat, and I freaked when I thought I'd lost the organizational capability there.

Home box. This one is going to be shadowboxed as I have a piece of foam and won't be adding much to it (u-joints, couple mics pieces).

Love it.

 

[Sparkfarmer]

How much time do you guys spend cleaning and aligning your tools? Most of them dont even look like you use them, just have a little tool carshow with them! Nothing with even a scratch, a bunch of sockets without a spec of grease in them or a smudge on something LAME!

This has been discussed many times. No need to revisit it here.

 

[t4runner]

Mostly Snap-On but for a Craftsman swivel head and 2 Cornwell

 

[jzt]

Home box. Somewhat wasteful of the space. Still missing a few Facom ratchets that need service.

 

[fowlwishes]

I just pack mine so tight they cannot move much. alternating the handle direction helped me keep them in place and conserve space.

 

[Hammell]

I put all my ratchets and extestions in the drawer with enough other stuff they dont roll around too much. Works for me.

3/4 drive gets its own drawer of course.

 

[river1]

I organize mine first by the type of primary metallic crystalline structure and then by the photoelectric work function of the finish. Anyone else use this method?

Coach

That would drive me insane

you have to organize by photoelectric work funtion of the finish THEN by the primary metallic crystalline structure, if you would put some thought into it it just makes sense

later jim

 

[Roland-5.0]

I don't have pics but I just put all my ratchets in one drawer in my toolbox. Not in any particular order just inside the drawer works fine for mine. I do however wipe them off before putting them away. I took a few of my best ratchets home to have here but I have to many ratchets anyway. Glad I sold a few misc ones on here. Now I have room for new ones I guess. I have noticed after browsing this site I have been slowly organizing my tools when were slow at work.

 

[Jeffvette]

Small collection, slightly organized.

 

[scott0]

I use magnetic rails to keep the ratchets and extensions in one spot. Works great.

 

[Subyroo651]

I use magnetic rails to keep the ratchets and extensions in one spot. Works great.

This looks like a neat idea, can you show more of how you did it?
Thanks

 

[dirtydogintex]

I like the socket holders in these pics, can you buy 'em online? link please, or a tool/brand name? much appreciated!

The ones I had were Lisles.
They work wonderful in a box or on a bench all stationary like but aren't worth a dam if they're dropped.... or fall any distance.
The magnets aren't usually strong enough to hold the larger (heavier) sockets in place on landing.
You betcha - I sold all of mine....

 

[regguy1]

3/8" and 1/2" drives in main socket drawer
1/4" drives in seperate drawer with 1/4" drive stuff

 

[purpurite]

I use magnetic rails to keep the ratchets and extensions in one spot. Works great.

Best idea so far.

 

[lilscorpion]

For years I've just laid them in a drawer but have never liked it. Even with liners they seem to move around and I never get them back where they were previously...nor can I remember.

Today I made the first of a few storage trays out of 1-inch HDPE. I've not likes the foam shadowing because they tend to be difficult to clean (or more difficult than I like). Could be I never found the right foam...dunno.

It's a start. I do like the magnetic rail idea to be honest. I know a few techs that use them and they work well.

 

[GIJoe4500]

I like the idea of HDPE a lot more than foam. How much does HDPE run these days?

 

[lilscorpion]

I like the idea of HDPE a lot more than foam. How much does HDPE run these days?

About $100 for a 12x54 shipped (eBay). Compared to buying tool organizers (Hansons, Mechanics Timesavers, etc), I don't really thinks its terribly expensive. Besides, they're chemically resistant and can be washed in the dishwasher if you want. The stuff will probably outlast my tools.

 

[GIJoe4500]

About $100 for a 12x54 shipped (eBay). Compared to buying tool organizers (Hansons, Mechanics Timesavers, etc), I don't really thinks its terribly expensive. Besides, they're chemically resistant and can be washed in the dishwasher if you want. The stuff will probably outlast my tools.

That's not a bad price at all. After buying that, i'd just have to purchase a mill and learn how to use it!

 

[lilscorpion]

That's not a bad price at all. After buying that, i'd just have to purchase a mill and learn how to use it!

It cuts so well, I'd bet money it could be done with a router and a drill press.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

that HDPE looks awesome, i would love to get some of that and make a few custom organizers for things, but im the same as above, then i would have to explain to the wife why i was in the garage for 4 days cutting up organizers instead of fixing things and helping with the kiddos......but killer idea and they look spectacular...GREAT WORK

 

[fflintstone]

If you pile them in a drawer 2 or 3 deep they don’t move around much.

Do I have way more than I need? Absolutely. Do I enjoy deciding which one to use at any given time, you bet.

 

[Mugen AP1]

If you pile them in a drawer 2 or 3 deep they don’t move around much.

Do I have way more than I need? Absolutely. Do I enjoy deciding which one to use at any given time, you bet.

 

[Armstrong1720]

I have 14 different ratchets in my drawer as i speak. Their different lengths and different teeth..some flex some not. They each have a different purpose . I work on big trucks and tractors. And yes they are laid out perfect. Polished each packed with greese and a touch of oil. I even have a small piece of steel wool to polish out any scratches !!

 

[ckadams00]

I organize mine first by the type of primary metallic crystalline structure and then by the photoelectric work function of the finish. Anyone else use this method?

Coach

I was hoping someone else on here did it this way, I thought I was a freak.