Silicone tool trays

[BertoBuckeye]

I've found these little silicone trays super helpful for car projects (and other handy projects). I bought one a while back and it was $25 and even then I thought it was worth it.

The 3 tray set below is from Rural King and is only $20. I thought they might be flimsy junk but they're actually really nice.

I'm not affiliated with this product in anyway just passing on the good deal.

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[RedneckWelder]

That is a good deal. Coworker has same in red his came from Amazon and were $50.

 

[Iowafox]

If I ever find some locally I might have to pick one up and see how they are. They look super handy!

 

[ZRX61]

I just use the cardboard flats that soda etc comes in.

 

[SILVERPLATE]

NAPA had the orange ones on sale a couple of months back. Tried to use them a couple times and not really satisfied to buy more. There something odd about them and just did work the way I thought.

 

[lardy1]

I got some (different brand) as a gift. I find myself using them more. I keep one on the bench whenever I'm woodworking for sharp tools. Nice soft surface.

 

[darkzero]

Guess I'm old school & cheap & won't get with the times. I'm still perfectly fine using my magnetic metal trays/bowls.

They don't appeal to me. What's the benefit of them? The only silicone product I use as a tool is a silicone drink coaster that I use as a drip pad for my hot glue gun. The hot glue won't stick to it.

 

[RKA]

I like them for smaller fix it jobs in the engine bay instead of lining the cowl, front quarter panels and front edge of the engine bay with screws, clamps and tools. But there comes a point where you’re pulling too much stuff out and you really need a rolling cart or table to get stuff out of your way. I like that it stays put and doesn’t need a flat surface to sit on. But you need to be careful it doesn’t fold up into a cavity as you dump stuff into it or you’ll have a bigger mess than the one you originally sought to contain. I also like the small sized ones that fit on the top of a step ladder. The silicone helps it stay put. Finally it’s helpful for any kind of disassembly where you have a myriad of small parts you don’t want getting lost. My bench is usually a mess, so things can easily get lost in the shuffle or hide next to whatever was on the bench before I started. Silicone tray isn’t necessary, any tray or magnetic dish will do. One big con though is if you need to move the tray elsewhere. It’s a two handed affair since it’s floppy, where almost everything else you might use you pick up with a single hand.

Overall, not as handy as I originally envisioned. Now that I have them, I’ll use them, but I wouldn’t buy again.

 

[islandkent]

Same here with the soda flats. I reinforce them with black duct tape. Makes a big difference for stability. Do that in my machinist box with all kinds of cutters and tooling. Cut down a small box and wrap.
Sorry. Carry on.

 

[BertoBuckeye]

I've used it when repairing my 3d printer and keeping the gas from rolling around

I no longer drop tools 8n a random part of the engine bay or leave them on the cowl.

If I'm working on the ATV they sit nice on the plastic fender to hold my stuff.

Magnetic trays only go so far. Feels like I have quite a few olastic retainer clips when I disassemble stuff on newer cars...magnetic trays wont help that.

Anyway to each their own. I love mine I have a dedicated hook for it in the side of my lift. But its noticeably cheaper than all the options I've seen until now. So a little less salty to give it a shot if you've been wondering.

Sent from my SM-G950U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Kscardsfan]

Shame we don’t have a rural king nearby to us.