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Socket rail selection help

SuzukiGS750EZ

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Apr 26, 2012
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Hey guys. I'm looking for some socket rails. I bought the tekton plastic rail (ernst) 3/8 with 14 pegs for my sunex 10-22mm wobble sockets, but one of the had to go on the opposite side since they wouldn't all fit in a row. if there's a rail that will fit all these sockets and then i can use the tekton rail for the other sockets im about to mention, that would be awesome. I need:

(6) 3/8 Craftsman SAE allen sockets on one rail
(5) 3/8 stanley torx sockets & (6) 1/4 stanley torx sockets on one rail
(3) 1/2 Metric SK allen sockets & (7) 3/8 SK allen sockets on one rail

I know i'll need to mix and match the stanley and SK sockets on one rail so i'll probably need to buy one of each and swap the pegs onto the rails. I'm trying not to have too much extra length on the rails, which is why i came to ask here. As well, if it's cheaper to buy a set of the rail pegs vs the entire rail with pegs for the mix matched ones. Let me know what you think!
 
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FigureItOut

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The nice thing about the Ernst rails versus the MTS twist lock is that the cost of extra pegs is very low with the Ernst. I bought a ton of extras in each drive size when I was setting things up and it makes it way easier whenever I add sets or rearrange things.

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SuzukiGS750EZ

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I was hoping for some suggestions on shorter rails for the 6 SAE sockets as well :). I will look into those though. Thank you.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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The nice thing about the Ernst rails versus the MTS twist lock is that the cost of extra pegs is very low with the Ernst. I bought a ton of extras in each drive size when I was setting things up and it makes it way easier whenever I add sets or rearrange things.

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Thanks for that addition. The tekton one i got was the ernst with twist lock. I don't at all mind regular ones either, so i'll look for those.
 

FigureItOut

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Thanks for that addition. The tekton one i got was the ernst with twist lock. I don't at all mind regular ones either, so i'll look for those.
I meant the Tekton/Ernst twist lock, I don't think they have non twist lock. What I was getting at was that extra pegs are very cheap. Just a couple months ago I was grappling with the life alerting dilemma of socket rails and had a hard time deciding between MTS and Ernst. The cost of pegs was a big reason I went with Ernst.

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SuzukiGS750EZ

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I do like the ernst or tekton or whoever lol rail that i bought. I do see they make an 18 inch. I think what i'll do is put all the sockets side by side and take a measurement. I should have thought of this before i went and made this thread. I'll just get what the nearest size is.
 

colin39

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Ive done most of mine with the ernst twist locks. But getting just the black black clips here in the y-uk is as good as impossible. One pack of 15 clips is £30.0. Any hoos this is the socket tray to date
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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Ok so here's what i gathered last night:

(6) 3/8 SAE Allen Sockets (need a 4.5" socket rail or close to)
(5) 3/8 Torx & (6) 1/4 torx (need 6.5" rail or close to)
(3) 1/2 metric allen & (7) metric 3/8 allen (8" rail or close to"

I also need a 14" or close to it 3/8 rail for my 13 wobble sockets.

So i'm wondering what my best bet to buy combo's of rails and such where i'll get the length of rail i need while also being able to swap around the pegs. I see i'll need (3) 1/2 pegs, (18) 3/8 pegs and (6) 1/4 pegs total.
 

Devvo

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Aug 8, 2016
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I really like the gearwrench rails, they stand up on their own and come in a couple of different lengths and colours so you can have say red for metric and blue for standard
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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The lengths are the easy part. It's figuring out the cheapest way to get the pegs without having too much left over. Colors are a good idea, I was thinking that myself. I also don't know where to find a great selection and if I should stick with the plastic ones or go metal.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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On the ernst rails, do the 1/2 and 3/8 fit in the same rail as well as maybe the 1/4 so I can buy the rails and pegs separately?
 

Super Sport

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They might not be quite as nice as the Ernst, but I would recommend the Wright rails. They are the same as the plastic Craftsman, but Wright offers different lengths of rails. You can buy individual pegs, or at Sears buy 5 packs or even full sets of the Craftsman rails and rob the pegs off of them.

HJE has the Wright here: http://www.harryepstein.com/index.p...detail=2823&dir=asc&order=price&q=socket+rail

I'm quite happy with these, and I think they're still a bit cheaper than the Ernst. They're made in the USA and of good quality. I only wish I had gone with the Wright first, as now I can't keep the colors straight since half of mine are black & gray Craftsman rails.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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the biggest issue for me is mixing pegs of different drive sizes and not knowing what rails i can do that with. the longest one i need has to be at least 14" and the shortest 5".
 

Sloper0204

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A few assumptions have been made in this thread that with a few seconds of research could have had solid answers rather than "I don't think" kind of thing.

First and foremost, go to the manufacturers website:
http://www.ernstmfg.com/

Second, look at their options! By looking at their options you will see that they offer other clips than just the twist lock:
http://www.ernstmfg.com/Socket-Organizers.aspx

Third, look at the rails they offer. Do they specify a size for a certain drive size? Nope. That would lead a person to a reasonable conclusion that all the drive sizes fit all the rail lengths. Which is easily verifiable by utilizing their "Contact Us" page:
http://www.ernstmfg.com/Contact-Us.aspx

And for the record, having a ton of the Wright, Craftsman, and Ernst rails, Ernst is the most versatile. Especially if you get the new style rail rather than the old.
 

Know Wosad

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May 15, 2016
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Man I need to stay outa here.I have all Gearwrench with the exception of a few hand butchered metal rails on wood for miscellaneous like a 7 piece hex, some magnetic plug sockets and some torx.I see Ernst sells shorties for those. Here goes another $ _____ ;-)
 

colin39

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Mar 3, 2014
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Ernst were really helpfull, kelsey sorted me right out and looked after me on the shipping to the Y-uk
Im about to put another order in for wrench racks and twist lock clips for the rails
 

Stress911

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Aug 10, 2016
Messages
5
I just started using strips of 1/8" x 3/4" steel or aluminum and put plastic clips on from HF or Craftsman. Cut to desired length and put screws on both ends to keep from falling off
 

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Greg85mcss

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Frederick MD
I have my torx & metric hex on a 14" rail together & my sae with some other stuff I don't use much. I like the idea of a short rail for each set but also like them a uniform length just for the aesthetic. Also you will probably never use the 20mm so taking that off will make the rest fit the rail you have. I have the master set on a lowes 4 rail tray & one doesn't fit but I had extra room on the row behind it. I'm happy with the setup but wish it was like the ernst where you can take off individual rails.


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