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How do you organize your impact sockets?

adamsredlines

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Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
872
Location
CenTex
Trying to find a good way to do them, they came in cheesy plastic trays that take up alot of room and just look like ****, so I'm looking for a better way. They're too heavy for any rails that I know of, so what do you do?
Its a full set of Craftsman ones, 1/2" drive, shallow and deep, standard and metric.

I'm all ears.
 
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gsmornot

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Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
275
Location
Inside your screen
I use Hansen trays and HF trays. 1/2 inch on Hansen and HF for 3/8's. No reason, just ended up that way. Only catch is some of my sockets would not fit over the pegs on the Hansen's so I cut them off. That was for about 4 of the sockets. I guess the bore size on the cheaper impact sockets is just smaller.
 

mscribellito

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Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
157
Location
SC
I've got mine organized with these. They are neiko socket trays. They are exactly the same as the HF ones, just diff colors.

This is the complete set of Craftsman impacts

1/2 drive : 24 - metric shallow and deep
1/2 drive : 24 - standard shallow and deep
3/8 drive : 20 - metric shallow and deep
3/8 drive : 18 - standard shallow and deep

HpbDe.jpg
 
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JDS968

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Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
247
Location
Miami Beach, FL
I keep my Snap-On metric deep impact 1/2" set in the original tray they came in, always in the top drawer of my rolling cart for easy access. Even still keep the clear plastic cover on the tray, people tell me to throw it away but I don't know why, helps keep a little oil in the tray and dirt out. I keep my GearWrench standard impact 1/2" metric and inch-pattern sets on metal rails in the top of one of my boxes on my work bench. I kind of hate the rails but I kind of hate the sockets too, so I don't use them much and it doesn't matter much. Some of my tools are very well organized and some aren't. I guess these are some of the ones that aren't.
 

crewchief888

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Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
13,751
Location
NW indiana
nearly all my sockets are in the original metal trays that they came in.
the rest are on SO metal rails/clips
i had enough foresight to buy several, extra metal trays when they were still popular :thumbup: :lol_hitti

i hate them plastic things, i think they are unamerican :lol:


:beer:
 

smothers33

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Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
355
I use my US made unamerican plastic trays :D

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I use the plastic rails with the square clips just like the bottom pic I know they seem flimsly but I cut mine in half and used a butane solder torch to seal ends. this way is much better if you move around alot or have to carry them in a portable toolbox. The sockets snap onto square clips so they dont fall off inside the tool box when Im driving
 
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sporty_drew

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Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
248
Location
Iowa
I use the plastic rails with the square clips just like the bottom pic I know they seem flimsly but I cut mine in half and used a butane solder torch to seal ends. this way is much better if you move around alot or have to carry them in a portable toolbox. The sockets snap onto square clips so they dont fall off inside the tool box when Im driving

Are you referring to the Ernest rails? If so they are only the twist lock ones so I wouldn't use my impacts on them.
 

gatewaysysop

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Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
3,299
Location
Arizona
I have all my impacts in the original metal trays that came with them at the time. These were the earlier, better quality (Taiwan) chrome moly. ones sold from HF years ago. My deep impacts, also the same brand and source, came with really nice metal cases that I keep them in. For the few times I use them, this storage system works for me. :thumbup:

Someone that used them constantly probably wouldn't like fetching the deeps from a storage case, but it makes for compact storage and space is always at a premium, so I'm fine with it. No way do I have room for more Hansen trays for the impacts, plus they wouldn't be nearly as 'well stocked' as their shiny chrome counterparts in the main drawer. At least as-is, the OEM metal trays and boxes look full. :lol:

In an ideal world, I'd love to go the Hansen tray route, but most people here already know where that road ends. First a bigger box and then compulsively filling in the missing sockets, which of course would be even more expensive than the chromies. It's a vicious cycle! :lol_hitti
 

wreckercologist

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Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
1,813
Location
cyber-tool hell
tools02122012096.jpg

The box at home. I realize it's not exclusively impact sockets, but it is what it is. The rails are 1/16" aluminum rivited to a 1/8" thick aluminum base. More pics to follow below........

tools02122012095.jpg


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Punched all the holes on the iron worker at work.

The box at work. Two 16g. pieces of sheet metal with Snappy socket rails welded to the sheet.
10-30-10015.jpg


junk007.jpg
 

greasemonkey44

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
1,625
Location
memphis
some hansens, some northern rail type, some in the original container
i like hansens the least, the northern one are pegs on a rail that lines up to the edge(very compact) and i like the grey pneumatic storage containers, they just take up too much area
 
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