Socket Rails

[TimDaToolMan]

I demoed some socket rails today at sears that had metal clips.

Once the socket was on, it took to pull to get it off. Now imagine greasy/oily hands working on a car, and your going to have even more trouble.

I KNOW these are made in China. But they are plastic, and they came off easier.

Is there any better way to organize sockets in a toolbox? I'm talking about a plastic tool box, not one with drawers. I tried the ones where the sockets just sit on a dowel, but they stand too high in the tool box.

 

[wise]

I used rails for years and liked them at first because it gave me some sort of organization, but ended up hating them. They lose there grip over time and when you drop them the sockets fly everywhere. There are no markings so you have to be aware of where everything goes. they don't stand up by themselves so your drawer looks messy unless you screw them down.

I use the Hanson socket racks, and love them. they sort of MAKE you be organized and are a real time saver. You dont have to screw them down, so you can bring them to a job or put them on a service cart and they're always easy to get at.

I use rails for my compact dirtbike tool box and find them great for that application. I fold them in half and bolt the two sides together, makes them take up less length and I can stack them.

 

[wissman38]

I have the rails made from Ernst manufacturing, made in the USA too bonus. they twist on and off to release the socket and you just put it back on and twist or vise versa. not too bad on the pricing neither. whenever i have dropped the rail ive never had it break the tool trucks also have them although more expensive for their branding so its easily found online. BTW buy the ones with the magnets on the bottom VERY handy while working because you can bring the entire rail.

 

[montanafordman]

I really like the plastic socet rails they have @ sears. The rails and the clips are plastic but they have the spring loaded metal ball in them. You can buy additional clips and interchange 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 on the same rail. Here are some of mine pictured below - I just bought some of the last USA craftsman sets at a few local stores near me @ half off for some of my portable tool boxes I use as spares I can take on the road (my home box is mostly SK and I used these rails until I got organized with hanson trays). The deep well sockets are half 1/4 inch drive and half 3/8 drive on the same rail. The other socket rail I have a couple 1/2 sockets on the end that were extras I bought for a specific repair job before I had a full 1/2 set and are larger than the biggest 3/8 sockets on that rail.

These are a little spendy @ $6.99 for one rail with 10 socket clips. Additional pack of 5 socket clips are $2.99 near me. You can get a 3 pack of all drive sizes for $12.99 so thats the better deal if you're buying other sizes also. These sets are made in the USA and I have not seen them switch these to china yet, and don't think they will. You can buy basically the same thing at Harbor Freight for about half as much but I do not like them as well as the craftsman ones. The harbor frieght rails feel like a much cheaper plastic, they flex more, and the socket clips slide around much more loosely on the rail, but the design is almost the same.

 

[jconley6]

Not a fan of the clip on rails. When I decide to replace mine, I'm going with either the vertical trays or the magnetic rails. Much easier to get on and off.

 

[CWP1616L]

Get the GearWrench socket rails - they're totally awesome. They're real stable, so you can stand a set of shallow sockets up without them falling over. And the clips release the sockets real easy.

 

[Nelkcots]

I have those exact metal rails from craftsman. Ditched them after a month or so. I am now using the plastic harbor freight up right trays and they work great. I know u said those won't work in your application so my next suggestion would be the magnetic plastic trays. They seem to work good but are kinda expensive.

 

[Bull]

Hansen plastic trays or Westling anodized aluminum trays for me.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

snap on socket rails (metal)
They good and cost is cheap
I have some hf plastic ones

 

[abvw]

I demoed some socket rails today at sears that had metal clips.

Once the socket was on, it took to pull to get it off. Now imagine greasy/oily hands working on a car, and your going to have even more trouble.

It's all in the technique. I never pull on the sockets, I "topple" them sideways and they just dislodge from the rail. I can even do it with one hand, whether the socket rail is standing up or laid down flat.

I have, and don't really like the Hansen trays.

 

[MattPersman]

For metal rails snap ons all the way. Think they are cheaper than most even

 

[SteveCh]

Just take some pliers and give each metal socket clip a squeeze. After one or two, you'll know how much squeeze to give.

Twenty years ago, I was in a buddy's shop--he owns an aircraft repair shop--and was saying I was tired of fighting to get sockets off the clips on the rails. He laughed, told me I was...not so bright...and told me the squeeze 'em trick. Works great.

I also have a set of the Sears rails someone showed above I got last month for a buck a rail of each size on sale. They were selling them in a two-pack of each size for two bucks a pack, had to try them. I don't crimp those clips down as much as I use those, with their handles, to carry sockets over to wherever I need them and if you make the clips too loose you can lose sockets all over the ground....

 

[4xdog]

It's all in the technique...

+1 here. Tip them to release, not a straight pull.

The rails are more convenient for me than a rack because it's easy to grab, say, the full metric 3/8 rail, for example, to head out for a project somewhere in the house.

I've used these for decades (as a frequent home user, but nothing like pro service) and they work just fine. Newer ones do seem tighter than my older ones. The clips can be re-tensioned if they get loose. Squeezing to soften them sounds perfectly reasonable (although I haven't tried this).

The Snap-on ones look interesting. I'll have to check those out.

 

[Thunderbisciut]

I'm in the process of making my own vertical trays from Tornillo hardwood and aluminum. The Hansens are great, but I don't want a lot of empty spots that I never plan to fill. Off the shelf trays/rails are always too short or too long for me. If you have the drawer height, vertical is the way to go imo. My way is not the economical or fast way to be sure, but it's a fun little project that has turned into a much larger one.

 

[kythri]

As far as metal spring-clip rails go, I've found nothing better than the Craftsman ones.

If you want Hansen-style trays, for the price, it's hard to beat the Kobalt sets at Lowe's when they're on sale for $9.97, though, compared to other stuff, $24.97 for all three drive sizes in Metric or SAE isn't a horrible price.

 

[cundifc]

Snap ons for metal. My dealer charges like 2.25 a rail for 3/8

 

[Mustang1167]

Get the GearWrench socket rails - they're totally awesome. They're real stable, so you can stand a set of shallow sockets up without them falling over. And the clips release the sockets real easy.

+1 get the Gearwrench and you'll be happy. I've tried all the plastic rails because I'm dragging my tools with me where ever I go. The Gearwrench socket rails are the best quality IMO.

 

[rsanter]

I have them both ways. I use the Hansen trays for the complete set and then I use socket rials to hold the most used range of sockets. That way I can grab sockets out of the box for use when the box is near and I can grab a rail for working under the car or when I have to take them to go.
Best of vote worlds.
Btw, I use the snap on metal rails which are the best IMO and then I also use the plastic ones like they have at sears but I get them from the 99cent store. They are the exact same thing but for less

For mismatched and oddball socket type items I use the magnetic rail to stick them to

Bob

 

[Hammell]

I rivited my socket rails to a thin pieace of sheet metal, keeps the sockets upright and organized, the rails have help up just fine for 15 years, just cheapo rails from canadian tire.

 

[5mall5nail5]

Here's how I do it:


44" US General by Jon Kensy, on Flickr

 

[4xdog]

These flexible urethane socket rails used to be available from several sources. They all seem to be gone now -- NLA. Were they any good? Is there a current supplier?

 

[Hondarider]

I like these magnetic rails from Craftsman...the holders twist 90 degrees to lock and unlock so it doesn't require any real force to install or remove...and the magnets are very strong. I reall like that the rails don't move around when you're messing with your sockets or moving toolboxes.

 

[alpinewhite]

If you want Hansen-style trays, for the price, it's hard to beat the Kobalt sets at Lowe's when they're on sale for $9.97, though, compared to other stuff, $24.97 for all three drive sizes in Metric or SAE isn't a horrible price.

I bought mine when they were on sale for $9.97 for each 3-pack. <$20 for both metric and SAE.

 

[MPOWERD]

I have been using the craftsman steel socket rails for years without any problem until this last year when I purchased a new set. The quality is **** and the sockets don't fit well and the edges will cut your fingers to the bone. HF rails are actually superior and they are onsale for only 99 cents a rail... Have never used a socket organizer for the simple reason that I store by socket drive size and I don't have room in the drawers for the organizers, but the rails fit very well.

 

[biggin89]

I really like the Lisle magnetic socket trays and most of my sockets are on those and then have some misc. sockets and 8 points on the plastic craftsman rails like pictured above. Also they have red and green so its easy to easily tell the difference between metric and sae, the down side is they are pricey. Heres a picture of the Lisle:

 

[kythri]

I bought mine when they were on sale for $9.97 for each 3-pack. <$20 for both metric and SAE.

Heh, I got 3 sets of each - 6pt chrome, 12pt chrome and 6pt impact.

 

[duneslider]

flexible socket rails.

http://www.allthingsjeep.com/ort-530x.html

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Hansen trays here

 

[Conductor562]

I had the Craftsman rails for several years, but as some have said, I grew to hate them. Over time the clips got bent and I got tired of replacing them. I bought a set of Hanson trays and never looked back. They saved me a ton of space in my box. Socket rails may be the only item in which I ever preferred plastic over metal.

 

[Delta88]

These flexible urethane socket rails used to be available from several sources. They all seem to be gone now -- NLA. Were they any good? Is there a current supplier?

.......

From what I've been able to dig up, these were developed by someone on one of the Jeep/Off-Road forums and made available for sale to its members first and to the general public a bit later. Then, it sounds like they were unavailable for some time. I just bought 8 of the 3/8 drive versions ($3.30 ea, + shipping) from These Guys and, though I expected to get the 'Dear John Letter' that they were no longer available, I received the holders in a week, or so. They have 'made in the USA' molded in, which is a plus for me. They hold the sockets very solidly. Maybe too much so at first but I would think they might loosen up a bit over time.

These might not be the best option for use in a garage/shop based box but they are awesome for the tool bags on my motorcycles - or any travel tool kit for that matter. That's where their tenacity really pays off as the sockets stay put no matter what until you give them a little twist and a strong tug. Plus, they're bendy enough to stuff into almost any open space in a tool bag. I put the metric hex key sockets on one and the 12-pts. on another and easily cut the holders to length as needed.

 

[PCO6]

I've been using the type below since high school ... over 40 years ago. I've never considered anything else.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Those flexible rails are pretty neat. Never seen something like that before

 

[Haveblue]

I like these magnetic rails from Craftsman...the holders twist 90 degrees to lock and unlock so it doesn't require any real force to install or remove...and the magnets are very strong. I reall like that the rails don't move around when you're messing with your sockets or moving toolboxes.

A friend of mine gave me two of those because he didnt like them. I figured they sucked so they were stuck to side of my old box empty for months. After reading about them, I finally moved them to my cart. I gotta say, I really like them! They are a little expensive, but seem to work well. All my other rails are old craftsman steel ones, and for the most part work fine. I like to be able to grab a rail and take it on the go.