ratchets and extensions and sockets, oh my

[a52-830]

travel is over, and tomorrow i start the 11 days i work at the local fair.

while away, i was considering what to do with my tool storage. i have a lot of it settled, but i am still up in the air about the sockets and stuff.

i am going to try converting to a stack for metric, and a stack for fractional. my tools are separated in the drawers that way now, and it makes more sense to have all the combination wrenches across two drawers with the metric on one side, and the fractional on another, especially since i have the boxes for it. i rarely if ever find myself jumping between, so being able to stay in one box is attractive.

this helps with sockets, incidentally. while the 1/4" sockets share a drawer with other things, the 3/8" and 1/2" are pretty tight, with some "specialty" sockets stored elsewhere. if i move to metric and fractional stacks, this opens up space, but leaves me with an issue: what about the ratchets and extensions?

now, i can use this as an excuse to duplicate everything, but i dont want that. i can put some of each style ratchet on each side, but i fear having to bounce back to the other side for something specific.

this also calls into questions something else i was thinking about. while i used to choose the socket drive size based on the fastener size, i find myself now thinking about the ratchet i want to use first. flex head? small width? flatter? i bought an "end box", which i was thinking about putting between the two stacks, and putting the ratchets and extensions for each size between the respective drawers, but i have doubts that this is the correct path. it seems i open both 1/2" and 3/8" looking for the correct ratchet more than i thought about.

so, since i won't be able to start this for awhile, i thought to consult the collective wisdom:

keep the ratchets/extensions sorted by drive size, or put them all together in one drawer (with the sockets separate)?

and, if together, how do you sort them: drive size ( flex/non flex (length)))? length ( flex/non (drive size)))?

 

[creativecars]

Is this for a home shop where locking up is not mandatory or a workplace where there are lots of other people?

 

[gdocktor3]

My wrenches are sorted sae in one drawer, metric in another, with regular and xl combos on left side and ratchet wrenches on right. Then I have a separate drawer with DBE and duplicates combos. Then one other drawer for flare wrenches, ignition wrenches, 1/2 moon, and other specialty wrenches. For sockets I have a drawer for each drive size, sae on left and metric on right, with ratchets, extensions, etc in the middle to separate them.

 

[speed bump]

Are you planning on moving around the tool boxes? If they are side by side I would probably just put the drive tools, extensions, and adapters in a drawer in whichever tool box has fewer tools. For example I have metric tools through about 36mm and will probably never go much bigger than that. I have SAE tools through 2" and expand as I find more tools. Due to that I would put my drive tools in the metric box as it would have extra space.

 

[Art From De Leon]

Ratchets and extensions in the same drawer as the same drive size sockets/torx bits/hex head bits.
36" and 19" removable handles for my 3/4" drive are kept in my side box, with my longer pry bars and extensions (24" and 36")

One drawer for SAE wrenches (in a modified kit bag) including my spline wrench set
One drawer for Angle wrenches, 'stubby' combination wrenches
One drawer for Metric wrenches (in a modified kit bag) and my angle metric wrenches
Larger GOEX (Black 1 5/16" and up) wrenches in a drawer with my hammer wrenches and larger line wrenches that are used with a removable handle
Crowfoot wrenches, and smaller line wrenches in a drawer with some Diesel injector sockets.

 

[ssdave]

I put the ratchets, extensions and similar tools in a drawer by themselves. When I'm working on stuff, typically I'm into that drawer once, get out the ratchets I need and an assortment of extensions. Then, get the sockets I'm likely to need and put them on the work table or cart. No advantage to me to have the sockets and ratchets together.

I separate the sockets by metric and SAE in separate drawers, and then by drive size and type so I can find what I need quickly.

 

[T45]

Isn't this why they invented service carts?

(GJ answer of course )

 

[wvrailroader]

I put my metric ratchets in one drawer and my SAE ones in another

I have way too many ratchets to put them all in one (or two or three) drawer. At last count I have 130+, so I have no real sorting system for them. The ones I use all the time are in my service cart and the others are scattered out in different drawers.

 

[colin39]

Sockets in one draw


And ratchets adapters and extensions in the other

 

[a52-830]

Is this for a home shop where locking up is not mandatory or a workplace where there are lots of other people?

it needs to be locked up when i leave. previously, that was a huge pain, since i was working out of three 26" stacks (thee keys each, nine keys total). just keeping them straight was a pain. now, i have moved to some snap on boxes, which i have rekeyed so that one key opens them all. the nine keys for nine boxes got replaced by one key for four boxes. i recently picked up another "identical" stack of boxes, along wth an end box (to use the terminology). while the nine went into the four easily, recent additions, and bringing back tools that were "elsewhere", has tightened things up a bit.

while currently i have a "mechanics" stack, with all the wrenches and sockets (basically, everything that is segregated into either metric or fractional), and a "tool" stack with, well, everything else (hammers, saws, etc), i have decided to use the new box to loosen up the "mechanics" stack into a "metric" and "fractional" set of stacks. the end box, which is all i was looking for originally, would have loosened that box up, but as times change, so do situations, and plans.

 

[crewchief888]

for the most part ratchets and extensions are in the same drawer...

it's not possible in my service truck

3/8" dr and (shorter) 1/2" extensions in one drawer

1/4" & 3/4" dr are stashed elsewhere in the truck

 

[Jake C]

I keep all my sockets, ratchets, extensions in my top drawer. Metric on one side, standard on the other.
Then I have two long shallow drawers so I keep my metric wrenches in the upper one and the standard in the lower.

 

[Empty Pockets]

My ratchets and extensions are in one drawer, sockets in their own drawers, sorted by drive size

 

[JUNK-MAN]

Since its not an option I'll just post mine, All mine are in the same drawer with most of my sockets and are just in a big pile on the right side of the drawer.

 

[a52-830]

I keep all my sockets, ratchets, extensions in my top drawer. Metric on one side, standard on the other.

wow, you have a lot of sockets, and not a lot of ratchets.

Then I have two long shallow drawers so I keep my metric wrenches in the upper one and the standard in the lower.

this is similar to what i currently have, although i dont store the crows foot sockets in with the wrenches. . . . which is an intriguing idea.

thanx for sharing . . . .

 

[Jake C]

wow, you have a lot of sockets, and not a lot of ratchets.







this is similar to what i currently have, although i dont store the crows foot sockets in with the wrenches. . . . which is an intriguing idea.



thanx for sharing . . . .

No problem at all.

 

[pi_guy]

I keep the Standard on the left and metric on the right BS is kept in other drawer with larger wrenches.

 

[Greg85mcss]

I don't feel like I "need" more wrenches but definitely get a little jealous of a nice wrench drawer or 2. I use a service cart for my go to tools almost all mertic. I like to have my ratchets, extensions & sockets in the top so I'm not going to multiple places for tools I'm using together.


Some ratchets were being used during those pics
Other extensions & everything else that goes on a ratchet is in the top drawer of the big box.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rossco]

Everything in one draw, sockets, ratchets, extensions etc. Well 1/4 - 3/8 - 1/2 anyways.