Mantis Tool Grid

[mds47588]

Surprisingly I've not seen much discussion on here regarding this product. For someone that's OCD or everything in it's place it's tailor made for them. The mats as I call them are essentially a plastic pegboard and then with the various holders it makes for awesome organization, and so easy to add more tools because we can never have enough. I have only found two places that one can purchase from online. Obcessedgarage.com (high shipping rates), and jbtools.com who always seems to be out of stock on the mats, but maybe they are discontinuing them from their lineup...??? Also, Mantis makes this product for both Cornwell and Matco. I worked in unicornland and bout a few pieces from a Cornwell dealer that had a limited amount in stock on their truck. Can's speak for Matco if it's generally a truck stocked item. And I thought it odd that Snap On doesn't have it on their truck.

Also, I know that not everyone uses their boxes the same. While it appears that most users on here are auto techs, I am a mechanic for a regional airline. Working in the hangar my box gets rolled around....alot. Every shift. If it was mostly stationary, I would most likely not have done this. Previously I used to cut foam to shadow my tools, but this has taken the place of it, minus my Milwaukee power tools.

As for the tools, the 3/8th's sockets are Craftsman, but truth be told they are rarely used. Pretty most of everything else is Snap On. The wrenches are a mixture of Snap On and Craftsman USA made. The USA Craftsman ratchet wrenches will be replaced soon by Snap On and then they will be going to my home box. The stubby wrenches are also USA Craftsman and have served me well for over 20+ years. There is some open spaces that will be soon be filled up and this drawer will appear much fuller than it is now. The pliers are Snap On, minus the two vice grips (which I've never used and the snap-ring pliers. The forceps I dunno where they came from but they have been a lifesaver more than once. The mini pliers are Blue Point.

 

[Ton ton]

Always interesting to see what and how an airline mechanic uses his tools.

 

[Ton ton]

Are those sockets ? The big round things?

 

[mds47588]

Ton ton - Yes, those are sockets. There is a 1 3/4, 3", 3 1/8", and 2 3/4". They are used for for wheel/tire changes.

 

[Ton ton]

Ton ton - Yes, those are sockets. There is a 1 3/4, 3", 3 1/8", and 2 3/4". They are used for for wheel/tire changes.

Cool, thank you for the answer.

 

[Raineman]

I can see where that system would be great for inventory control, but otherwise...damn, those would be for some extreme OCD situations.

 

[LXCam]

A buddy of mine who's the shop foremen at a dodge dealership just took this leap. I know he bought it all off the matco guy. I'll have him text me some pic's and drop them in. I've been wanting to do this system but I'm so invested in what I've already got, its a hard pill to swallow.....just cuzz I like it deal

Well he only had this one for now.

 

[jonshonda]

Couldn't you accomplish the same thing if those tool holders/dividers/partitions were magnetic?

Basically just have a bunch of various length L-brackets with magnets on the bottom. The larger the bracket, the bigger the magnet it comes with?

 

[VRStrickland]

I was super excited when I found this thread. I am pretty sure I can save enough space in my metric wrench drawer to maybe move my SAE wrenches back into the same drawer. So, I sat down and figured up an order. WOW, much less interested now. For the stuff to do just the metric wrenches in this one drawer was just over $500 before shipping. Pretty sure I am going to have to pass.

 

[iamrfixit]

I have tool grid in my box. Used it for organizing my ratchets and extensions, and the wrench drawer which really worked nice. I found it online at a few places a couple years ago but the site I ordered mine seems completely changed. I got it mine at toolrage.com, they were located in New York. They had a full catalog of stuff online and I ordered from the site but now looks like you have to call to order anything. Not sure they're even the same place.

If you can find the bundles that's the way to go, much cheaper than buying a piece at a time. I ordered two wrench bundles at around $65 each and still have a bunch of fixtures left. Search the code TLG-BDL2WRENCH and maybe it will lead you somewhere. Each kit has enough parts to organize 20 small, 20 medium and 10 large wrenches in blue (metric) and the same parts in red (sae). The drawer board is a separate purchase. Here's my wrench drawer, used two wrench kits and have several left.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I've been interested, but just to put the grids down in my socket drawer is $225, without any pegs. 29x26 sections, My drawer is roughly 29x70. I have over 1000 sockets, a solid 750 in that drawer. If those were all 3/8, that's another $190 in pegs. 100 screws is $11, that's another $88 in screws.

That's a tough bill to swallow when I'm not sure they would actually save me space.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Can one of you guys with the grids post a description of the boards? There are files for most of the holders available on Thingiverse. Are the holes threaded? Spacing between holes?

 

[iamrfixit]

I've been interested, but just to put the grids down in my socket drawer is $225, without any pegs. 29x26 sections, My drawer is roughly 29x70. I have over 1000 sockets, a solid 750 in that drawer. If those were all 3/8, that's another $190 in pegs. 100 screws is $11, that's another $88 in screws.

That's a tough bill to swallow when I'm not sure they would actually save me space.

I need the ability to move whole socket sets over to the tool cart, and with the tool grid system that's out unless you move each socket one at a time. I use westling machine trays instead, just over $300 worth in this drawer. The wrench drawer is 52x29 and the grid board was $35 each for two boards. The two wrench bundles, (enough for 200 wrenches) was $130 total, and included 400 screws. You used to be able to get socket fixture bundles as well, looks like maybe those are discontinued. I did find this source, don't know anything about them.

Socket drawer pic is older, missing a few ratchet upgrades.

 

[Mallen]

I can see where that system would be great for inventory control, but otherwise...damn, those would be for some extreme OCD situations.

It's. It about being off. You lay out your tools with a particular spit for everything. Then if a spot is empty you know it didn't make it back into the box and can go find. Same purpose as kaizen foam.

 

[Snapped-off]

I was super excited when I found this thread. I am pretty sure I can save enough space in my metric wrench drawer to maybe move my SAE wrenches back into the same drawer. So, I sat down and figured up an order. WOW, much less interested now. For the stuff to do just the metric wrenches in this one drawer was just over $500 before shipping. Pretty sure I am going to have to pass.

Have you priced out Toolbox Widget? They save a ton of space as well.

I thought about tool grid for my socket drawer but I'm already invested in hanson trays and olsa rails... why change it.

 

[iamrfixit]

Can one of you guys with the grids post a description of the boards? There are files for most of the holders available on Thingiverse. Are the holes threaded? Spacing between holes?

The board is plastic and has 3.5 mm holes spaced on a 10mm grid. Not too thick probably around 8 mm and the holes don't pass all the way through. The screws are a coarse thread made for plastic, with a blunt end and they cut their own thread as they're screwed into the holes.

The fixtures have pins that insert into the grid board and then a hole so you can run a screw into the grid to lock the fixture in place. Depending on fixture size it may have additional pins and/or holes. You can remove the screws and move things around if needed, the screws don't really damage the board other than a little cosmetic damage.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Thank you!
I may print a few of the holders and see if I like them then figure out how to replicate the base. I wonder if having some piece of aluminum drilled and tapped by Snescutsend would be economical.

 

[AirMech#406]

I am going to be making the Tool Grid leap when I buy my new Tekton box. Looks like an awesome system with the only downsides being cost and that the mats take up a tiny bit of vertical storage. Way more customizable than foam and if you sell or buy a tool then you dont need to re shadow the whole drawer. Currently the only place I can find to buy from that has stock is obsessed garage and Matco

 

[no704]

Reminds me of Legos.

 

[JradM]

Thank you!
I may print a few of the holders and see if I like them then figure out how to replicate the base. I wonder if having some piece of aluminum drilled and tapped by Snescutsend would be economical.

Makes me wonder if you couldn't just drill holes in a thick plastic cutting board.

 

[mds47588]

Even though I have the tool grid on my socket drawer, if ya notice in my origional post I am also using Hansen trays for the regular sockets and tool grid pegs for the others. For me, and what I use my tools for the Hansen trays are 2nd to none.

 

[Off_kilter]

Thought about buying plastic sheets and useing a CNC router to copy the boards. Could make one piece sections for each of my drawers.

Lot of other tasks before I get there though.

 

[AirMech#406]

Thought about buying plastic sheets and useing a CNC router to copy the boards. Could make one piece sections for each of my drawers.

Lot of other tasks before I get there though.

I thought about doing the same thing but decided it wasn't worth my time. If you do attempt it be sure to post pics! I would be super interested in how it would turn out.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Reminds me of Legos.

both in modularity and price LOL! When I was a kid I thought as an adult I’d be able to buy all the legos I wanted nooope that **** is too damn much lol

 

[Gfleck067]

I just finished installing my grid system. This drawer has 12 racks of standard and 10 of metric all my stubby Allen’s and torx stuff. Most commonly used ratchets and extensions in the angled holders didn’t have room for them in here. Have a small upper drawer for overflow ratchets and extensions. Im
Not really sure of the cost. I got the boards from jbtools they were the cheapest what holders they had in stock my Matco guy gave me a box and a few other random boards for like 20$ bc he didn’t sell any of them. Everything else I got off obsessed garage. Have the rest of the pegs coming in tomorrow to finish everything. Probably have 4-500$ in it but I did come from the hanssen peg mounts which I did like just didn’t fit right in my box how I wanted them to. I’ll keep them bc you can’t beat them in a service truck.
might try to do a wrench drawer but I have about 12 sets of wrenches in one of them and it’s packed lol. But enjoy I’ll post again when it’s finished. Oh. Also this is time consuming. I have probably 8-10 hrs in setting up and screwing down but don’t screw anything down until it’s completely laid out.

 

[AirMech#406]

I just finished installing my grid system. This drawer has 12 racks of standard and 10 of metric all my stubby Allen’s and torx stuff. Most commonly used ratchets and extensions in the angled holders didn’t have room for them in here. Have a small upper drawer for overflow ratchets and extensions. Im
Not really sure of the cost. I got the boards from jbtools they were the cheapest what holders they had in stock my Matco guy gave me a box and a few other random boards for like 20$ bc he didn’t sell any of them. Everything else I got off obsessed garage. Have the rest of the pegs coming in tomorrow to finish everything. Probably have 4-500$ in it but I did come from the hanssen peg mounts which I did like just didn’t fit right in my box how I wanted them to. I’ll keep them bc you can’t beat them in a service truck.
might try to do a wrench drawer but I have about 12 sets of wrenches in one of them and it’s packed lol. But enjoy I’ll post again when it’s finished. Oh. Also this is time consuming. I have probably 8-10 hrs in setting up and screwing down but don’t screw anything down until it’s completely laid out.

Looks great! How the heck did you get boards from JBTools?! I have been checking their stock on and off for the last two months and not a single TG item has been in stock!

 

[Outahere]

...Obcessedgarage.com (high shipping rates), and jbtools.com who always seems to be out of stock on the mats, but maybe they are discontinuing them from their lineup...???...

When I checked about 6 months ago, JB Tools still had Tool Grid stuff in stock, and it was priced at about 50% of what Obsessed Garage charges. JB Tools states "out of stock" , not "discontinued". I sent them a message asking about future availability. I regret not placing an order back then, when availability was good.

Another similar product is Organizer Genie, but it was more costly than Tool Grid at JB Tools.

Amazon.com

Organizer Genie - For Tools and Accessories | Ascend Tools

 

[Outahere]

I received a reply from JB Tool:

We do not currently have an ETA on Tool Grid items.

 

[Zewnten]

I had this, when it was exclusive to Matco, but I quickly got frustrated with it when trying to add tools. But if you have all the tools you need for that drawer it works really well and looks good.

 

[AirMech#406]

I had this, when it was exclusive to Matco, but I quickly got frustrated with it when trying to add tools. But if you have all the tools you need for that drawer it works really well and looks good.

I would think it would be easier to add tools with this system as opposed to a system like kaizen foam. Because instead of having to recut an entire foam piece, you would just have to move around some holders. I'm not invalidating your experience, but just musing. What do you use for tool control now?

Edit: I thought of something else... it sounds like you had the Generation 1 of Tool Grid, which did not have the little locator posts on the underside of the tool holders. From what I hear, this made the holders move around a lot when getting the drawer set up. Generation 2 is supposed to eliminate this by using little locator legs that keep the holder in place while you screw it down. Do you think that may have played a part in your experience? Or am I way off base?

 

[Outahere]

It's time to organize my metric sockets. The garage will soon be warm enough to work in. I bought my Tool Grid stuff at fatmonkeytools.com (aka JL Wilson Co). There was a minor problem with my order, but they quickly resolved the issue. (I believe the owner previously owned a tool truck, but sold the truck and switched to internet sales).



One of the boards was slightly bowed in the middle, and the other was more bowed (about 1/4"), but I believe that can be greatly reduced with a 50lb weight and 24hr of gravity treatment. The board is 9.5mm thick. The socket pegs are 6.5mm thick at the base.

 

[Outahere]

I have only found two places that one can purchase from online. Obcessedgarage.com (high shipping rates), and jbtools.com who always seems to be out of stock on the mats, but maybe they are discontinuing them from their lineup...???

No thin mats were included with the boards inside the factory packaging I received. I don't see the need for them, so its no loss for me.

 

[CS454]

Works a treat, worth the cash.

 

[afazz]

I outfitted one of my socket drawers with Toolgrid. I do like it for sockets, although not enough to convert my main toolbox organizers (Hansen, Westling, Vim Magrail) over to Toolgrid.



I hated their plier organizers, so I just used my Ernst / Snap-on organizer on top of the grid. I also didn’t like the blue, so I dyed the metric holders black. Note that the red organizers did not accept the dye as well, and the blue ones did require heated Rit Dyemore synthetic formula.