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How do you organize your offset box wrenches?

Bucklagrim

Active member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
35
After seeing everyones organized toolboxes, this site has recently made me reconsider my current organization methods. My wrench drawer was always a mess with metric and standard wrenches thrown into separate piles. I have picked up some wrench racks from lowes for combination wrenches, but they don't work for my offset box wrenches. I also have a harbor freight wrench holder, but I don't like how it wastes space with the small set. Does anyone have any home brewed options? Please post up your ideas of what works for you.
 
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WWIIjeep

Well-known member
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
1,240
Location
Arizona
I keep my deep offset box wrenches in a thin drawer where the average style of organizer won't fit even if I wanted one. They just nest (or spoon) on their sides. Their shape keeps them in place and they take up very little room that way, yet still easy enough to select the one I want to use.
 

lauver

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
1,433
Location
Belton, TX
buck,

I've tried everything to organize my wrenches, and there is no perfect solution. Every solution has it's upside and downside. Here's what I'm planning now:

1) Two drawers are needed, one drawer for Metric wrenches and one drawer for SAE wrenches. This makes a world of difference and opens the way for steps 2 & 3 below.

2) Wrench racks of all kinds are out. They do organize & contain wrenches nicely, but they also all waste space in their own way.

3) Thin stock metal dividers are in. I'm making my own. Here's what I'm planning for in each wrench drawer. Each drawer will have divided space (bins) for 7 wrench patterns:

a) Standard pattern ratcheting combo wrenches,

b) Standard pattern non-ratcheting combo wrenches,

c) Oversize non-ratcheting combo wrenches (20mm+ or 15/16"+)

d) Long pattern offset DBE's,

e) Short pattern offset DBE's,

f) Standard pattern flare wrenches, and

g) Misc. small wrenches (ignition & obstruction).

I'm planning on spacing the dividers so that all my wrenches in each category (a-f) will just fit in the dividers when laid on their sides +1/4". The Misc. small wrenches (category g) will just be tossed randomly in their bin. The dividers will probably be no taller than 1" or 1-1/4" so that it's easy to get any wrench(s) in and out of the bins.

I have no idea how big your roll cab is or how may drawers you have to work with or how many wrench patterns you have. My roll cab is 26-1/2" wide x 18" deep and my drawer dimensions are 22" wide x 16-1/2" deep so my options are limited.
 
Last edited:

Squankum

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
7,797
Location
Southeast
I'm with WWIIJeep, they nest fine together on their sides and it's as space efficient as possible.

(I save my space inefficiency for my go-to set of CMan Pros on a soft, grippy Ernst rack.)

If you store them fore-aft they don't want to fall over when you tug the drawer. OK, I don't know that they want to fall over if they're perpendicular to the drawer tug, but that's just how I store mine. It's a good tip for some other tools.
 

losabio

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Messages
125
For some reason, it seemed like mine stacked tighter if I kept adjacent sizes next to one another:

19-18
16-17
15-14
12-13

I'm certain that I got the idea from GJ at some point.
 
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cheechi

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
4,384
Location
Triad, NC
Mine don't get used often, so they sit in the plastic shelf hanger (HF) in a drawer with other infrequently used sets. Spline/universals, older style double box ratcheting, maybe something else is in there too.

This obviously would **** if you need them as often as once a week. I don't.
 

BK13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
2,692
Location
PDX, OR
Lookin' forward to see the results...

buck,

I've tried everything to organize my wrenches, and there is no perfect solution. Every solution has it's upside and downside. Here's what I'm planning now:

1) Two drawers are needed, one drawer for Metric wrenches and one drawer for SAE wrenches. This makes a world of difference and opens the way for steps 2 & 3 below.

2) Wrench racks of all kinds are out. They do organize & contain wrenches nicely, but they also all waste space in their own way.

3) Thin stock metal dividers are in. I'm making my own. Here's what I'm planning for in each wrench drawer. Each drawer will have divided space (bins) for 7 wrench patterns:

a) Standard pattern ratcheting combo wrenches,

b) Standard pattern non-ratcheting combo wrenches,

c) Oversize non-ratcheting combo wrenches (20mm+ or 15/16"+)

d) Long pattern offset DBE's,

e) Short pattern offset DBE's,

f) Standard pattern flare wrenches, and

g) Misc. small wrenches (ignition & obstruction).

I'm planning on spacing the dividers so that all my wrenches in each category (a-f) will just fit in the dividers when laid on their sides +1/4". The Misc. small wrenches (category g) will just be tossed randomly in their bin. The dividers will probably be no taller than 1" or 1-1/4" so that it's easy to get any wrench(s) in and out of the bins.

I have no idea how big your roll cab is or how may drawers you have to work with or how many wrench patterns you have. My roll cab is 26-1/2" wide x 18" deep and my drawer dimensions are 22" wide x 16-1/2" deep so my options are limited.
 
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Bucklagrim

Active member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
35
The wrench rails I have (kobalt and snap on plastic) are too shallow. Travis, what rails are you using? I also have the Hf metal wrench holder, but it's a waste of space for the 5 or so wrenches in each set (metric and standard). Thanks for all the replies.
 
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Bucklagrim

Active member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
35
Lauver, I hear you on the racks being a waste of space, however I'm tired of searching through piles of wrenches looking for that 13mm or 9/16th. I am lucky in that I have a vidmar and two Kennedys so space isn't an issue. I also like being able to tell what's missing at a glance.
 

JBradley500

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2013
Messages
781
This might be off topic since I don't have offset box wrenches, which may sit too high for this method, but I seen another poster here do this. I used a bunch of those $0.99 1/2" HF socket rails to make home-brewed wrench rails. They work great up to about 19-21mm, depending on wrench dimensions. They were a lot cheaper than the alternative, especially since I had a bunch not being used.

CAM00037_zpsa0690f24.jpg
 
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