My Budget Tool Box Organization

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I know its not much and I didn't take a picture of it on my actual tool box, but I bought one of the harbor freight magnetic paper towel holders today with a 20% off coupon which made it $6.78 with tax.

http://www.harborfreight.com/magnetic-paper-towel-holder-67700.html

BUDGET TOTAL $127.77-$6.78= $120.99

 

[NJHandyGuy]

your gonna regret that i had one for a week everytime i got a paper towel the left or right side would fall off the magnets need to be 260% stronger

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

your gonna regret that i had one for a week everytime i got a paper towel the left or right side would fall off the magnets need to be 260% stronger

Thanks for the heads up. So far it works well and seems pretty strong, but I'll see how it works the next few days and if its as bad as you say Ill exchange for something else I need.

 

[scott37300]

I looked online at the grip trays and I couldn't find a good picture or list of sizes but they look similar to the ones I bought from HF which I REALLY don't like because they are missing sizes and also there isn't enough space between the sockets so they don't all fit.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I looked online at the grip trays and I couldn't find a good picture or list of sizes but they look similar to the ones I bought from HF which I REALLY don't like because they are missing sizes and also there isn't enough space between the sockets so they don't all fit.

Im not sure if the metrics skip sizes or not because I havent seen them at all, but I do have a 1/2 drive and its longer then the HF 1/2 drive tray and the sockets do fit better. They also dont feel as cheap IMO. Im hoping the 3/8 and 1/4 are as good as the 1/2 because I am very impressed with the quality of the tray considering the price. I have a lot of weight in the 1/2 with the impact and full set of shallow 12pt and I can still lift it and it doesnt really flex or feel like it will break.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I actually tried searching for pictures again and here is a link that shows the 3/8 metric tray has slots for 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20

http://www.ruralking.com/tray-3-8-socket-metric.html

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I finally got the grip trays but Im having trouble uploading the pics, so I will try to have them on in a little bit. The 1/2 drive sae and metric are both red but when you get the 3/8 and 1/4 drive the sae are red and the metric are blue. I also got an ernst 12 screwdriver holder. It was $52.90 for all 10 of the sockets trays and the screwdriver holder and thats including shipping.

Here are the labeled sizes on each size tray.

[1/4 sae] 3/16,7/32,1/4,9/32,5/16,11/32,3/8,7/16,1/2,9/16,5/8.
[1/4 mm] 4,4.5,5,5.5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15.
[3/8 sae] 1/4,5/16,3/8,7/16,1/2,9/16,5/8,11/16,3/4,13/16,7/8,15/16,1.
[3/8 mm] 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20.
[1/2 sae] 3/8,7/16,1/2,9/16,5/8,11/16,3/4,13/16,7/8,15/16,1,1-1/16,1-1/8,1-1/4
[1/2 mm] 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,27.

and here is the measurement of each tray (not including the hanger tab)

[1/4 sae] 7" x 2-1/4"
[1/4 mm] 9" x 2-1/4"
[3/8 sae] 13-1/4" x 3-1/2"
[3/8 mm] 13-1/4" x 3-1/4"
[1/2 sae] 18-1/2" x 4"
[1/2 mm] 20-1/4" x 3-3/4"


BUDGET TOTAL $120.99-$52.90= $68.09

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

Here are the pics

ernst screwdriver rail for my torx and nutdrivers

1/2 drive trays (standard is the one with sockets)

3/8 drive trays

1/4 drive trays

 

[jakeb]

I am interested to see what the screwdriver trays look like in use....

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I am interested to see what the screwdriver trays look like in use....

I will post pics as soon as I get it filled. I have class all day tomorrow so it will probably be sometime friday. I was originally going to use this tray for the husky screwdriver set I got, but it didnt work as well so I decided to use it with my torx and nut drivers. I just have to do some simple modifications to it. My neighbor came over today and gave me a craftsman screwdriver holder he didnt need so between the two organizers the screwdriver drawer will be done.

 

[scott37300]

Thank you for taking the time to list the sizes. I will check them against my HF ones tomorrow but it doesn't look like they skip any sizes! Looks like I will be ordering some GRips soon.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

Thank you for taking the time to list the sizes. I will check them against my HF ones tomorrow but it doesn't look like they skip any sizes! Looks like I will be ordering some GRips soon.

np. I started putting sockets on and they fit very well. The only two problems I had was with the 10mm on the 3/8 tray, the socket was hard to pull off at first but I cleaned the socket and it now seems to be better. I also had a little problem on the 1/4 tray with the 9/16 being closer to the 1/2. i may sand off a little bit of the post on the side that faces the 1/2 socket to give it more room. Other then that they feel sturdy and I am glad I went with them. The fact that the metric trays were blue was a bonus as I thought they all were red.

 

[scott37300]

They look MUCH better than the HF trays. Where did you order them from? Looks like I will be getting some this week.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I got them from toolking.com. They shipped fast and everything was there and intact. here is a link for the trays on their website.

http://www.toolking.com/tksearch/result/?q=grip+socket+tray

 

[Painter123]

1/2 drive trays (standard is the one with sockets)

All those empty slots would drive me nuts
I would feel the need to fill them even if I never had a use for the sockets those sizes

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

All those empty slots would drive me nuts
I would feel the need to fill them even if I never had a use for the sockets those sizes

thats just where I started cleaning out the drawers of my old box. I still have a big box of sockets to go through. But I do agree that if there are any empty slots, I will fill them even if its unlikely I will ever use that size

 

[wornoutoldman]

Interesting thread......

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

Here are some pics of the screwdriver drawer with the two organizers.

and here are some pics of the socket drawer with the trays. I have the sae in the back and metric in the front. I still dont have it all filled in and Im gonna be trading some of my extras to fill in the ones I still need.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I also decided to organize the drawer for ratchets, extensions, etc. I bought an aluminum cake pan for 1/4 stuff (1.00), 2 small pans [1 for the 3/8 and the other as an extra] (2.00 for both), and a metal tray organizer for the 1/2 stuff (3.97). I had some more drawer liner so I cut pieces and used some super glue to stick them in the bottoms to help keep things from sliding around. It was $7.36 for all of it including tax.

BUDGET TOTAL $68.09-$7.36= $60.73

 

[wxm]

Thanks for the info for the socket rack. Just ordered a set of metric to replace the HF.

I stopped using the screwdriver organizer as it was taking too much space.

 

[BerninicaCO3]

Cool, I like a lot of the ideas here!
I'm going through the same paces. I REFUSE to be the guy with 30 wrenches in a jumble in one drawer
So the socket organizers, unlike harbor freight's, are neither missing sizes, nor just 1 obnoxious sixteenth of an inch too narrow for even the sizes they include: they work?

I'll add one clever idea I picked up. Snappy sells sheets of foam to cut holes into for your ratchets, extensions, breaker bars, miscellanea.
Snappy only sells kits for their boxes, and naturally expensive at that.

Get some 6mm(1/4") cork underlayment, sold for sound insulation and as thermal insulation and padding to go under carpeting. It's $.50/ft^2 and works GREAT for keeping all those odds and ends in one spot!

 

[dodge610]

Where do you get these Husky 40'' boxes at? I have never seen them at home depot

I was at my home depot tonight getting things with the wife for the old honey do list they had the husky 40 inch tool boxes in black did not see any red.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

Thanks for the info for the socket rack. Just ordered a set of metric to replace the HF.

I stopped using the screwdriver organizer as it was taking too much space.

np. I had the same feeling about the screwdriver rack when I first got the box, but decided it was better for me to just downsize in screwdrivers. I had like 3 or 4 of each size and type so I decided to go with the husky set and then keep a few other old ones to abuse. If I ever get to the point where I start collecting screwdrivers again I will probably use a similar setup to yours.

Cool, I like a lot of the ideas here!
I'm going through the same paces. I REFUSE to be the guy with 30 wrenches in a jumble in one drawer
So the socket organizers, unlike harbor freight's, are neither missing sizes, nor just 1 obnoxious sixteenth of an inch too narrow for even the sizes they include: they work?

I'll add one clever idea I picked up. Snappy sells sheets of foam to cut holes into for your ratchets, extensions, breaker bars, miscellanea.
Snappy only sells kits for their boxes, and naturally expensive at that.

Get some 6mm(1/4") cork underlayment, sold for sound insulation and as thermal insulation and padding to go under carpeting. It's $.50/ft^2 and works GREAT for keeping all those odds and ends in one spot!

I cant see any sizes that are missing so they work great. the only problem I had with space was with the 1/4 drive with the 9/16 and 1/2 sockets so I sanded down one side of the post and now it works great. I definitly recommend these to anyone that doesnt want to pay for the hansen trays, but doesnt like the HF ones. I like the idea of the foam and may try it again when I can actually take my time. I tried something similar with the pliers and it looked horrible so I had to rethink it, but I may try again with the ratchets.

I was at my home depot tonight getting things with the wife for the old honey do list they had the husky 40 inch tool boxes in black did not see any red.

I saw a black one setup at the Home Depot by my house the other day. They had the one setup out of the box that a guy was getting ready to buy and then I think one still in the box.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

i like a lot of the ideas in here. may incorperate some into my tool box and work space.

 

[ihredo4]

You can order the 1/2" Hansen trays at O'Reillys. I thought they were very reasonably priced.

 

[magnetnerd]

I couldn't find the 3/8 SAE tray on Tool King's website. Am I missing something?

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I tried looking on the site again and I now dont see any of the trays listed. They must have sold out or something. I did see some on this site though, but its not where I ordered from so I dont know anything about the company.

http://www.ruralking.com/tray-3-8-socket-sae.html

another thing you could try is searching on walmarts website because you can order through them and they buy and ship through toolking.

 

[Crizzle]

Your thread inspired me to do something about my wrench drawers as I wasn't every veyr happy with how I had them laid out before. I picked up a couple of the tool trays as well and put them to good use.

And here is what it used to look like. Quite a few more wrenches in the drawer than before and yet it is still pretty organized.

 

[4x4gearhead]

Im a mechanic and **** son i wish i had that much stuff at home! Nice man thats a great start.

 

[buford36]

I'm new here so I don't know if this has been covered before or not, but, When I was in the Air Force, we had what was known as the Consolidated Tool Kit or CTK for short. The Idea was to cut a sheet of colored closed cell foam to fit the drawer of the tool chest. Cut another sheet of a contrasting color over that one. Lay out you tools as you want them and trace their shape on to the foam. Cut the tool shapes out of the first layer of foam leaving the bottom contrasting colored foam to "shine" thru. Now you can immediately tell what tools are missing when you pick up after doing a job.Quite important to account for all of them when working on aircraft. Here is alink to a company who premakes them to get a better Idea.
http://deltacdynamics.com/foamliners.aspx

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

Your thread inspired me to do something about my wrench drawers as I wasn't every veyr happy with how I had them laid out before. I picked up a couple of the tool trays as well and put them to good use.

And here is what it used to look like. Quite a few more wrenches in the drawer than before and yet it is still pretty organized.

looks much better. Its nice to have more tools and better organization.

Im a mechanic and **** son i wish i had that much stuff at home! Nice man thats a great start.

thanks.

I'm new here so I don't know if this has been covered before or not, but, When I was in the Air Force, we had what was known as the Consolidated Tool Kit or CTK for short. The Idea was to cut a sheet of colored closed cell foam to fit the drawer of the tool chest. Cut another sheet of a contrasting color over that one. Lay out you tools as you want them and trace their shape on to the foam. Cut the tool shapes out of the first layer of foam leaving the bottom contrasting colored foam to "shine" thru. Now you can immediately tell what tools are missing when you pick up after doing a job.Quite important to account for all of them when working on aircraft. Here is alink to a company who premakes them to get a better Idea.
http://deltacdynamics.com/foamliners.aspx

Before I started all of my organizing I was going to do something like that but I change dmy mind because I dont have the patience to do all of that and I dont have the money to pay to get it done on top of filling in the tools that are missing. But it definitly looks nice and I can see how beneficial it would be in the workplace.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

My neighbor came over this morning and he was cleaning out his garage and gave me a plastic storage container and B&D sander for free. Here are pics.

I had a 20% off coupon so I decided to go to HF and look around. I still needed metric impact sockets and saw the set below on clearence for $14.97. I went ahead and got that with the 20% off coupon so it was $12.70 with tax. I dont know if I will use metric impacts as much as the sae so is this a decent set to have considering the price? Here is the 14 piece set along with the plastic case.

After I left HF I stopped at a garage sale on the way home and must have caught the end of the sale because I think I got a great price on these 3 tools. They all work great and I got them for $2 each so with the $6 at the sale plus the $12.70 at HF, I spent $18.70 today.

IR 1/2" Impact model 231 A

Craftsman 1/4" heavy duty air die grinder w/ box (looks like it was never used)

Rodac 3/8" air wrench

BUDGET TOTAL $60.73-$18.70= $42.03

 

[Pukeballs]

I think Im going to give you a "u ****" for the IR231. Thats one of my favorite impact tools. Good work.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I think Im going to give you a "u ****" for the IR231. Thats one of my favorite impact tools. Good work.

I couldnt believe nobody bought it the entire day. The sale was only today as they were moving and didnt want to take any of the stuff with them. They said they only had like four other people come look around and nobody was even interested in the couple of tools they had. I already had enough hammers and wrenches so I passed on them. They said to make an offer because they wanted it gone and they had marked each down to $5 each so I offered $6 for all of it thinking they would counter with at least $10 but instead he said ok.

 

[Coach James]

I have that same set of HF impact sockets and they have worked fine many times for me.

Coach

 

[Harleyguy]

I was wondering about the HF impact sockets. I think I will pick up a set also.

 

[sscustom]

mannnn i love this thread asome toolbox and tools

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

I was wondering about the HF impact sockets. I think I will pick up a set also.

I started looking at the set closer and decided to return them. They wouldn't fit on the socket tray because they weren't even. I tried getting another set thinking I could make one good one and return the bad one but it didnt work. The part that goes on the ratchet fo the 15mm was almost to the edge of the socket so I will wait and buy a better set another time.

mannnn i love this thread asome toolbox and tools

Thanks


BUDGET TOTAL $42.03+$12.70= $54.73

 

[xcgates]

Uggh, way to go and make me feel guilty about how messy my toolbox is. But the thing is I haven't needed anything more than a couple screwdrivers and a pair of pliers in the last couple weeks, as my bikes have been nice to me recently. (Knock on wood!)

Good on you for getting things in order, and I just might have to go do something about my odd-ball sockets littering the place, as well as the messy screwdriver drawer. Liner might even be enough in some cases.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Nice score on that Craftsman grinder...