Off the floor, to the box, on the floor, repeat-repeat-etc.

[wfochris]

What's your secret?

I have a stationary tool box stack, and when I'm working on my vehicle, it never fails that one of the three situations below happens:

1. I choose to not wreck the garage. I crawl under the car, with a 14mm socket, and find that it's a a 15mm bolt. Back out, to the box, swap the socket, and back under. Damn. Need a wobble bit too, ratchet won't swing. Out, back, back, under.

-or-

2. Throw pile of tools in the floor next to car. Sort through them as necessary, and usually difficult to find the 15mm that I need after an hour, as all sockets have come off their holders and have turned into what resembles a stack of coal ready for the grill.

-or-

3. Neighbor sits in a chair, and every 2 minutes hears "hey, I need a 3/8" drive 15mm deep well. It's in the second drawer on the top box"

What's your solution?

 

[srmofo]

I dont work on the ground.....but your solution might be to get some socket organizers you can take with you.

Hansens are nice but pricey

Harbor freight has recently come out with some knock offs that resemble the harbor freights.....errr I mean hansons.... about 1/3 the price

 

[Crusty Nut]

Harbor freight has recently come out with some knock offs that resemble the harbor freights. about 1/3 the price

Thats funny. HF knocking off their own ****.


I usually end up doing #1 or #2. None of my neighbors are going to just hang out in a chair while I do something.
One option would be to get a tool tray and take that under the car with you. I have all my commonly used sockets on socket rails, screwed to a plywood board. It's in my box 99% of the time, but is easy to take with you and everything stays together.

Or just get better at picking the right tools.

 

[ptschram]

Or just get better at picking the right tools.

I don't like carrying any more tools to the job than I have to.

I've also found that if I stop periodically and put my tools back in the toolbox, I'm miles ahead by the end of the day.

Heaven help the employee who left my tools strewn about over the weekend. If I'm on my own time (far more precious than client's (billable) time) I had damned well better be able to find the tools I need to fix my won stuff that got ignored over the week.

 

[kursplat]

working at home it's hard to not end up with tools laying all over the place, unless you have one of those shops with the lift and tool boxes and everything right there.

I've also found that if I stop periodically and put my tools back in the toolbox, I'm miles ahead by the end of the day.

yup, take a break, have a snack and clean up. i don't think it slows down the job, all the time wasted looking for stuff when it's in a big pile is saved

 

[diggerrick]

I remember chasing tools for my Dad - incredibly freakin' boring at the time.

I wonder if it's too early to start training my 4 & 6 year old daughters???

 

[tatra]

vice grips and pipewrenches are you need...........

 

[Ray-CA]

I usually just take a socket rail with me along with a few extensions etc. that I think I might need. My wife is also used to me taking some of her old shallow baking trays to the garage and they are really great at keeping tools container while under vehicles. They are deep enough to keep tools from rolling away, but shallow enough to be able to find what you need quickly. A bonus is that those magnetic parts bowls stick to the tray and they help keep the bolts, nuts etc. in one spot.

I've started searching the local thrift stores for these trays since she's bought all new ones. I'd hate to see what wold happen if I took one of the new ones to the garage!!!

Ray

 

[rickairmedic]

I use socket rails and just take the whole rail with me .


Rick

 

[nate379]

It's fun when something gets jammed under the creeper too.

 

[scalhotrod]

Hey Chris,

If I can't bribe one of my friends with beer to do #3, depending on the size of the project I do the following...

1) Grab a hand full of stuff that looks close if I haven't previously wrenched that nut/bolt and remember what size it is. I use old plastic containers (Tupperware, etc.) to keep stuff next to me under the car and from rolling away. After 17 years, I'm still a little surprised that I remember which bolts are metric and which are inch on my Firebird, or,

2) I took an old grocery cart and made a "project cart" out of it. For bigger projects I just load up what seems like half of my toolbox, but I don't have to crawl out and then walk back and forth plus it reminds me to clean my tools before putting them back.

Chris

 

[dwilliams35]

Go with option 2, and just get six of everything. If it rolls under the tire and you lose it, grab another one and get back to work. Once you're done, you can start corraling tools.

 

[kbs2244]

That is what childern are for.
Even girls.
But most often boys.
Be ready for them to crawl under with you to see what you are useing it for.

 

[justanengineer]

My toolboxes (Vidmar cabinets), all have large drawers, one of which is taken up by a Cman 200 piece socket/wrench set in its own plastic case about the size of a briefcase. I keep a few sets of pliers, screwdrivers, and other necessities in the Cman case, so for most jobs all I do is drag that under with me. Special tools, I like to get them as I need them to ensure they get put back.

 

[MGMatt]

Getting up and down for the correct tool is always a problem. It doesn't matter if your under the car on a creeper or spread out on top of the motor trying to get between the engine and the firewall. I like to use metal bread pans. I bring two, one for nuts and bolts and one for tools. I try to bring what I might need plus a size bigger and smaller just in case. If I have to get up for something else I try to return the sizes that were not needed. That way I only have what I need when it goes back together.

 

[ptschram]

That is what childern are for.
Even girls.
But most often boys.
Be ready for them to crawl under with you to see what you are useing it for.

Where can I buy some of those?

 

[larry_g]

I have a couple of magnetic rails that I take under the rig with me. Stick it to a frame rail or just on the floor. I can perty much throw a socket at it and it will stick as well as wrenches and extensions. Sort it out and back into the tool box with the tools after the job is done.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[eyeboltman]

Where can I buy some of those?

They are FREE just ask your wife .

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I have a little plastic tote that i put all my shallow/deep 3/8" impact sockets, extensions, ratchet in and then take them with me.

 

[Boyd]

They are FREE just ask your wife .

They are most certainly NOT free. Each one requires a minimum of 18 years of constant maintenance and upkeep.

 

[supertooljunkie]

Where can I buy some of those?

I believe Russia and China have an ample supply of them for sale. Russia if you are looking for boys and China for girls.

 

[theoldwizard1]

That is what childern are for.
Even girls.
But most often boys.
Be ready for them to crawl under with you to see what you are useing it for.

That's how I got started at about 8-10. By 14-15 I was doing most of the maintenance on the family fleet (up to 4 cars; in the 60s it always seemed like one of them always needed an oil change, tune up, shocks, brakes, etc)

 

[nissan_crawler]

I remember chasing tools for my Dad - incredibly freakin' boring at the time.

I wonder if it's too early to start training my 4 & 6 year old daughters???

I don't get to see my nephew much (which *****, he's an awesome kid), but my parents live within 6 blocks of my sister, and dad's always having him help with things.

Well, they were all visiting one week (several years ago), and I'm working on my washer, which means pulling the washer/dryer only about 1.5' out from the wall, then there's only about 2' between the side of the dryer and the wall, so you have to lay on your side, curl yourself around the side of the dryer, then slide behind it, and over to the washer. Well...I did that, and forgot the f'ing wrench I had just crawled out to get!!!

So, I asked my 4 year old nephew if my dad was around. He said "no, why". "I need a 9/16" wrench, and I left it laying in that pile of tools over there, and I don't want to crawl out of here again." I heard him walk off, and figured he went to find dad. 30 seconds later, a little hand and a 9/16" wrench appears between the washer and dryer, "here you go". Good thing I was laying down...I couldn't believe it. "Thanks buddy!"

Turns out, dad had started to teach him tool sizes.

He's 6 now, and his his own 1/4" drive, 3/8" drive socket sets, wrench sets, hammers, punches, level, square, tape measure, screwdrivers, you name it.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

1. I choose to not wreck the garage. I crawl under the car, with a 14mm socket, and find that it's a a 15mm bolt. Back out, to the box, swap the socket, and back under. Damn. Need a wobble bit too, ratchet won't swing. Out, back, back, under.


What's your solution?

That's what I end up doing. I haven't found a solution yet. I'm not having kids just to have a go-fer. The 'what tool' game is more exciting when working on something for the first time. After that I remember what's needed and get it out the first time.

 

[Craftsman_88]

More or less. I crawl under. Look at what I think I need. Enjoy tasty beverage. Grab 3 handfulls of tools. Toss them under the car. Crawl under. Find what I need. Toss the tools I wont use back out from under the car. Get back out. Put them away. Enjoy tasty beverage. Crawl back under. Remove, replace, fix, whatever I'm doing. Crawl out and enjoy tasty beverage. Put tools away. Enjoy a job well done beverage. If I had a tool carrier of some kind it would cut down on refreshment time. lol.... When Im doing break/ suspension work I put my tools in the drawers on my mechanics seat which makes it easier then when i'm under the car. Been considering purchasing a cheap tool cart for engine work so I dont make so many trips to the box. But I'm young enough its not too bad to go back and forth. Just my take on it all.

 

[wfochris]

great answers all. With my jeep, it seems it's every odd size - 11 / 13 / 15 / 16 / external torx / etc.

With the beater civic I just bought, I believe the entire car can be disassembled with a 10 & 12 mm shallow socket

 

[NUTTSGT]

I usually just get up and down. The wife tells me I'm a pessimist, but I look at it as good exercise, doesn't that make me an optimist ?

 

[Racer_X]

I added a speech recognition module to a Heathkit Hero-1 robot. I just tell it what I need and it retrieves it. The robot arm can lift 16 ounces, so it can retrieve a cold beverage for me as well.

 

[Racer_X]

Just kidding. It sounds pretty good though, doesn't it?

 

[SIDECAR BOB]

ohhh no way are they "free" cheap to get but expensive to keep

 

[tdkkart]

They are most certainly NOT free. Each one requires a minimum of 18 years of constant maintenance and upkeep.

Yep, I've only got one, but we're up to 23 years and counting.......

She was a great help in the shop about 20 years ago, now she considers it a junk hole unless she's due for an oil change.

 

[eldirector]

My little rolling stool has a tool shelf under it. I TRY To throw stuff I know I'll need on it before I get to work. Invariably, I'm up and down a thousand times after that, and the tool shelf is overflowing with tools.

I do stop and clean up now and then. Take a break, have a pop, and put a few things away. Of course, 20 minutes later I need it all back out again!

 

[MyKingdom]

I just guess what mite be needed, for me it's better to have more than not enough and this includes some fun time ICE COLD drinks with the project.

 

[csargents1546]

One of the way I grab that tool sitting on the bench after I crawled into the engine bay to do heads is one of those pickup magnet that is rated for 5 lbs. I even use it to open drawers on my cart and main box. just don't latch the ones that I need to get into. Saves me a ton of time.

 

[Kev442]

meh. I basically take everything I own out of the gorgeous, organized tool cabinet and strew it around willy nilly. I then lay down and play "find the right size" by feel while whacking my head on the bottom of the car several times. Usually the tool I need is digging into my back, so that makes it somewhat easier, but I have to squirm around like a rabid river otter to actually reach it. Tons o' fun!

 

[redcorvetteman3]

I remember chasing tools for my Dad - incredibly freakin' boring at the time.

I wonder if it's too early to start training my 4 & 6 year old daughters???

My 4 year old daughter loves helping me out...Something about daddy lets build something always makes me smile

 

[BlindViper]

I have a 170 ish piece craftsman 6 point set. If I am working under something its on the ground with me. I got fed up of **** its that size.

 

[ADaughen]

Or just get better at picking the right tools.

This is a big part.

If I'm working on some Euro/JDM car it's metric 8,9,10,14. USDM up to a certain year are standard 3/8,1/2,5/8. Later USDM are a toss up, sometimes standard sometimes metric.

I usually only have to get up for the oddball stuff or a BFH.

 

[crewchief888]

Or just get better at picking the right tools.

This is a big part.


I usually only have to get up for the oddball stuff or a BFH.

i usually take a BFH with me the 1st time.


whatever the job is, i take a look at what size socket/wrench/hammer i need before i get anything out of my box.

cuts down on "lost" tools as well.
at home in the garage, tools usually stays wherever i lay it down, sometimes a project gets drawn out for days, weeks, or months. if i know it's going to be a while before i get back to working, i'll put everything away.
at work, the end of the day means everything gets put back, i never know sometimes where i'll be the next morning, or get called out in the middle of the night, so i dont leave anything laying.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

A combination of 2 and 3. I'll take a quick peek from a distance then grab a size or 2 on either side so I don't have to get up.

A lot of the time dad is over here to help he is retired and only a mile away. The problem is every time I set a tool down he picks it up and puts it back into the box. I reach for tool I just put right where I could "reach it" and it is gone so now I'm reaching around trying to find where it rolled to. Still good to have him around the shop on the weekends though.