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How do you keep your impact sockets

pseshooter300

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Apr 8, 2014
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78
Just curious how everyone stores there impact sockets. If you use something like a Hansen tray or a socket magnetic rack or keep them in the case like how Grey pneumatic comes. Thanks
 
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Rossco

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Jun 29, 2011
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873
Location
Great White North
My impacts are stored I the tool foam with the rest of the socketry.

The deeps lay down an the shallows stand up.
 
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hifi_hokie

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Nov 2, 2010
Messages
1,102
Location
Hillsborough, NC
Right now, the only impacts I have are a single Grey Pneumatic set that I keep in the case, but I could see myself going to something like Westling Machine trays if/when my collection grows.
 

Mr. Brooks

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Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
311
Kobalt socket trays, cheap enough to buy a few sets. Set for chrome. Set for impacts.
 

rick carpenter

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Jan 20, 2011
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3,765
Location
Huntsville, East Texas
A Hansen tray for my 1/2" deeps in the toolbox, no other garage impacts. A Craftsman metal rail for my 1/2" deeps in the Husky road bag, not really happy with that set up.
 

Mr.Nutcase

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Joined
Apr 23, 2009
Messages
3,850
Location
USA
1/2 loose in drawer (17,19,18,21,22)
Rest in hason trays
3/8 in rails, 3/8 chrome in lowes holder blue
 

Murphy4570

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Feb 27, 2012
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Location
West Deptford NJ
Like this:

IMG_1020_zps1fc829be.jpg
 

92integra

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Jul 11, 2013
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857
i was having this exact problem today after picking up some matco swivel sockets..... to wide to store in hf tray's my grey duo's fit in the 3/8ths and 1/4" trays as well as the hf 1/2" impact sockets..... i settle for laying down one of hf magnetic tool holder's like 18 inch's long held my 10-19mm matco swivel sockets and my 10 12 13 15 mm 12point swivels all on 1 rail
 
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zkling

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Jan 23, 2007
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16,939
I just stand them on end in the top compartment of the box with the rest of my sockets. Granted I hardly ever move my box and I only have 1/2" impacts. Racks and trays are not nearly as space efficient. IMHO.

Each on its own individual impact gun, racked and ready for use... :evil:

:lol: :thumbup:

That's the only logical way to store them! Each gun has its own hose right?

Of course, is there any other way?
 

W0rLDWaR4

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Jan 29, 2014
Messages
337
Location
Downey, CA
i have them on the plastic (composite) craftsman socket rails...laying down in a drawer. My chromes are in my 28" roll-away standing up...there's a couple sets of impacts there as well.
 

Sonorous

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Aug 10, 2013
Messages
102
Location
Ottawa/Outaouais/MTL Canada
If you use something like a Hansen tray or a socket magnetic rack or keep them in the case like how Grey pneumatic comes.

A little of all three in my home garage.

The first thing I grab is a full-ish VIM rail of 3/8" impact swivels along with 1/2" shallow impact sockets. These live on my cart/tray/stool depending on the job, along with my other commonly used tools. The 1/2 impact wrench usually sits with the quick-flip tire service impacts so I don't need deeps to get wheels off.

I then have a full drawer for metric sockets - way too many to be sure. The ones that will fit live on the Kobalt trays, while some of the axle sockets (some 3/4" drive too) live beside the 1/2 trays. I also have a chrome 3/4 drive metric set that lives in its case and occasionally gets introduced to an impact wrench :evil: .

SAE stuff is mostly split (and neglected) between two smaller drawers on Kobalt trays. I also have a 3/4 SAE impact set that lives in its case (the stuff that needs it doesn't usually fit in the garage :mad:).

I guess it comes down to how much stuff you've got and how you use it. I really like having everything in one drawer where possible, because it lets me see and assess all my options.

Just the other day I needed to get at a 26mm transmission fluid strainer on a Kubota. I didn't have a thin enough socket to fit (in either metric or 1", which ended up fitting after knocking the paint off). If it was a smaller, metric-only size it would have been a quick glance because everything is in the one drawer, but instead I had to dig out several 3/4 drive cases to check them out while also looking back and forth through several drawers to see what would work best. In the end sockets didn't work at all and an old 1" offset box wrench (with the 15/16 end already broken off) plus a 24" cheater pipe solved my problem.

I guess my point is that the simple rail works well, but once that fails all-in-one-drawer is usually the easiest way for me to find the right tool for the job. Once that fails you better hope you kept those broken old wrenches to save your ***!
 

4x4gearhead

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Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
1,820
Location
New Hampshire
I use socket rails. Plain and simple. I dont like hansen trays because they are stuck in your toolbox after that. If you plan on taking them to a job or a piece of equipment in my case, you run the risk of knocking them over and them going everywhere. I wouldnt mind some of those lisle magnetic organizers though, just havent been able to justify spending $100+ on doing this to my sockets.
 

dlcwent

Member Emeritus
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Messages
8,427
Location
coastal maine
Some on rails, some in trays, some in the boxed plastic set they came in. I too have a hard time justifying the $100+ on organizers. As long as I know where they are, I'm fine with it.
 

Adam.C

Banned
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
1,490
I think the hansen racks are a good idea. I try to keep all my black stuff oilled. I think laying it down defeats that and can help sockets rust. I like them upside down on the stud racks.

I don't like magnetizing tools. I would prefer MTS racks if they weren't magnetic. Ditto for the Snap on upright trays.
 

Exceller8

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Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
2,337
Location
Banning, CA
My impacts don't get any love. I just throw them in a drawer and call it good. My chrome sockets have proper organizing racks. :thumbup:
 

Hpozzuoli

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Joined
Dec 11, 2013
Messages
3,428
Location
Rhode Island
All 1/2. No 3/8 at all. If I need the mg325 I use an adaptor. I keep them coated in WD40 due to the winters I have here.
 

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Monte

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Dec 23, 2008
Messages
12,664
Location
Germany



i made this tray out of wood so you can remove both socket holders from the drawer and so they also don´t stick to the drawer.
 

454ragtop

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Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
5,010
Location
Carver, MA
Made in USA, right here in Carver actually............scrap of 2X4, a forstner bit, a little spray paint, and voila!
Jim
 

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Tool504

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Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
11
My impact sockets (1/2, 3/8 and 1/4) are all standing up on their own shallow/deep combo harbor freight trays like all of my chrome sockets. My impact swivels are a little thick and don't fit well on the trays, so they are standing up on craftsman composite rails. I like those because they don't promote rust on the impacts like my cheap metal rails seem to.
 
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