Looking for low profile socket organizer

[blackgold]

Hey guys, I just got the 56”harbor freight top box and would like to move my sockets up but my current socket organizers are too tall with deep sockets. I believe I’ve seen flat steel plates with posts attached. That would work My current ones have a 1/4” tall base and that plus the deep sockets is too tall. Any recommendations would help.
Thanks,
Brian

 

[flushcut]

Westling Machine, or socket rails welded to 16ga or something.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

http://www.westlingmachine.com/


HF also has some nice socket organizers, pins are much shorter than the hanson design. No more snapped off pins. Your other option is something like this, maybe 1/8 inch tall overall? http://www.westlingmachine.com/



Westling are the prettiest, easiest to grab from. Some level of socket loss over the really, really bumpy stuff. HF are the best value if you want labeled stuff, I keep all my large stuff in there. Only issue is they don't include a spot for 26mm, jumping 25 to 27. I just put a spot of electrical tape over that spot, and continue to the bigger stuff on the metal trays I posted. They're the best for packing in sockets, and organizing however you like. Only con is they can grab smaller sockets a bit too aggressively if one is not removing them on a regular basis.

 

[shelteredV]

http://www.westlingmachine.com/ToolHolders.html

not cheap, but I have them and once you start using them, you appreciate the quality

 

[Fedwrench]

the westling machine organizers are too tall for your HF box. The issue really is how shallow the top of that box is. Even thin rails like magrail TLs probably wouldn't fit. Sorry,

 

[one9gt]

VIM magrails ... pricey but worth it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NFT5]

I've been wrestling with the same problem - sockets a bit taller than the drawer.



I don't want to lay them down horizontally since that will likely take up too much space. So, been thinking about some kind of angled setup.


I think that this guy might be on the right track. With better quality rails and maybe an aluminium extrusion base the idea could be very practical, certainly for sockets up to about 25mm. My set goes to 36mm which is a bit big to tuck the next line under, but I think I'd still get some space savings.


https://toolguyd.com/custom-socket-storage-idea/


and his Youtube video

 

[uncwstudent]

I've been using one of these from Lowe's and I love it: https://m.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Steel-socket-Storage-tray/3381278

 

[1320]

Westling 1/4" and 3/8" SAE and metric deep sockets fit under the top cover and it will close correctly.
The 1/2" drive deeps will not.

This is without a drawer liner and only in the parts where the top cover reinforcements aren't. This is with Snap-on sockets. I want to say some Craftsman and some Taiwanese manufactured deep sockets are taller.

 

[blackgold]

Thanks for the input. I found these which look like they might work (I don't care about keeping the 1/2" deeps upright). the base is pretty thin on these but will also come out to be pretty expensive in the end.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WRQ32KH/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thanks,
Brian

 

[countryroad82]

Me personally, I like these https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/3-8-magnetic-socket-holder-black I like how it stores my sockets flat and I can grab the whole thing and take wherever. The magnets leave a little to be desired if they will hold it you turn the organizer over gently.

 

[Bartleby]

Even thin rails like magrail TLs probably wouldn't fit. Sorry,

They fit. Great rails, but they're expensive.

 

[magtl]

The base on the Westling socket holder I believe is 1/4", the Magrail TL socket rail is 3/16" .

 

[Elvisidal]

I gave up on this quest and moved my sockets to a shallow drawer laying flat with a few of these

 

[Banshee365]

VIM mag rails and the cheap plastic trays from HF and the like will be the lowest peofilenfor standing sockets up.

 

[njride]

My favorite thing about the hanson rails, is that the sockets arent located with the square drive, so they are loose enough to be able to take out with one hand, without picking up the whole dang rail.

I see the westlings and they look great, but can you grab a socket one handed, or do you need to kind of pry it off the rail?

 

[Banshee365]

My favorite thing about the hanson rails, is that the sockets arent located with the square drive, so they are loose enough to be able to take out with one hand, without picking up the whole dang rail.

I see the westlings and they look great, but can you grab a socket one handed, or do you need to kind of pry it off the rail?

The Westlings are not magnetic or anything. The sockets just sit on the pegs. The pegs are slightly undersized so that the sockets are easy to place on and off but they’re tall enough to not allow them to fall over. I wouldn’t have them in a box or cart that you push furiously through the shop jumping over air hoses and such, they could fall off doing that. But they’re great static socket trays.

 

[Rickster]

With an older toolbox like mine vertical height was challenging for the socket drawer. So I settled on the Hanson trays as they allow the socket to sit the lowest. Even then I had to use an angle grinder with a flap disc to take a small portion of top off some of the pegs to clear without interfering. The Mechanics Time Saver blocks work well too but can be a bit pricey.

 

[Calum11]

Hi, guys! While dealing with the same problem I decided to find all-purposed decision and finally got it) Craftsman impact socket set. It has six individual trays each with a number of pre-drilled holes for adapters, sockets, ratchets, and extensions. It has quite a large storage capacity and cost me 29$. I think that is a great deal, no? But you can also <a href="https://thecozyholic.com/best-socket-organizer/">click for more</a> options to choose

 

[jhnlngn]

I have these, can't get any more low profile:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UDGKY6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[smuro04]

I have the HF trays. I scored and broke off the dividers with the sizes on them. I like them much better now as I can put all my sockets close together and not have to worry about my OCD and skipped socket sizes. They are about as thin as you can get height wise.