The ultimate socket organizer quest

[spencerian]

I am on a quest for the perfect socket organizer.
I have several different brands of socket organizers and like the Mechanic Time Saver's "Lock a Socket" the best for its fuction.

However, I can't stand having to pull the rail up to identify the socket I need.
I want to add labels to the socket rails.

Has anyone done this?
I could just get a sharpie, but want something more professional and permanent.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I use rails, i know exactly which is which because i use them so much.

 

[bowlofturtle]

i happen to like the idea of Mechanic Time Saver's 1/4 socket holders. the style for the deeps and shallows. if they used that design for the 3/8 and 1/2 i would simply get those. for the extra stuff like extensions, swivels and etc, i just use a rail

 

[Frank Elson]

same here.
OK, so sometimes I pick the wrong one, but not too often these days.
Look at the nut or bolt, swing to the socket rail and pick the one I need. Why should I need to read a size?

 

[Detroit Diesel Man]

I use rails for 3/8 & 1/4 drive but use Hanson for 1/2" drive and my 3/4 set just sits in the drawer in order. Hansons are nice as they have the sizes easily visible altho when you use them so much you get to know what is what without looking.


DDM

 

[Moose-LandTran]

The thing that puts me off all these trays are they sizes aren't acsending left to right. It stands to reason that the smaller sockets are on the left and the larger on the right. I just can't live with that kind of backwards organisation.


No, i'm not kidding.

 

[Stephenw]

I just went out a snapped a picture of my top drawer. The socket holders I'm using are like the standard metal rails with spring steel clips. These rails are riveted to a sheet metal plate, 4 rails to a plate. The height is just right for 1/2" deep sockets to stand upright in my top drawer.

 

[84TurboBuick]

If you do a search, you'll find my post where I made my own socket holders. They are color coded and labled....seems to be what you are looking for.

 

[dps]

The thing that puts me off all these trays are they sizes aren't acsending left to right. It stands to reason that the smaller sockets are on the left and the larger on the right. I just can't live with that kind of backwards organisation.


No, i'm not kidding.

Moose here's just playing the straight man; but I won't bite. The fruit hangs too low, the pickin's too easy...

 

[-olllllllo-]

I just went out a snapped a picture of my top drawer. The socket holders I'm using are like the standard metal rails with spring steel clips. These rails are riveted to a sheet metal plate, 4 rails to a plate. The height is just right for 1/2" deep sockets to stand upright in my top drawer.

that drawer is way too messy !!!

you should dump it all into a box and ship it up to me in canada, where i will neatly organize it for ya!!

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Moose here's just playing the straight man; but I won't bite. The fruit hangs too low, the pickin's too easy...

Nah, backwards organisation and mild obsessive compulsive disorder don't mix. Socket rails riveted to a "false floor" in the box for me!

 

[spencerian]

All I really want to do at this point is label the MTS rails.
If I had all the tools I needed I could go another route.
I am constantly buying tools every week. So new additions all the time.

I think the MTS rails are great. I can remove them from the tool cart if I need to (under the dash of a car is no time to relize Ford put an oddball fastener in there).

What should I use to label them???

 

[SteveU]

Montezuma LA400 portable toolbox has all the pegs built in as part of the box. Mount one of these to a portable cart & have everything handy.

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-73908290599399_2011_25612804

 

[dps]

What should I use to label them???

You can get one of those inexpensive label makers that use magnetic tape that can be repositioned if you're using it on metal, otherwise use the stick on label tape.

 

[Sniper55]

i know I'm a Little late but you know what they say better late then never, but you should take a look at this product http://www.socketmat.com i just ordered mine

 

[2barevo]

i know I'm a Little late but you know what they say better late then never, but you should take a look at this product http://www.socketmat.com i just ordered mine

whoa, that's very nice.

 

[SILVERPLATE]

 

[eschoendorff]

i know I'm a Little late but you know what they say better late then never, but you should take a look at this product http://www.socketmat.com i just ordered mine

That's interesting, but it doesn't seem to be an efficient use of space.

Quite simply, the ULTIMATE socket organizer is the one that you build yourself to YOUR specs....

 

[Merkava_4]

i know I'm a Little late but you know what they say better late then never, but you should take a look at this product http://www.socketmat.com i just ordered mine

I took a look at them!

 

[ImportTuner]

i know I'm a Little late but you know what they say better late then never, but you should take a look at this product http://www.socketmat.com i just ordered mine

Looks like the one Sears sell ...

 

[Rickster]

I ran with socket rails and the home-made stuff for a long time, now I've been converted to the Hanson trays. Not cheap, but they work well and have the size labeled. I got tired of always having to wrestle a socket off the rail when I needed to use it and then having to wrestle it back on. The homemade rows were OK but the smaller sockets kept falling. Yup, its the Hanson trays for me now.

 

[MachineTech]

I use the socket trays made by Hanson. They come in different colors so you can keep metric and SAE / 6pt and 12pt easily seperate. They have the long and short pegs for deep and regular. The tops of each peg have the size clearly readable. They also have spaces for uncommon sockets and sizes both larger and smaller that standard sets. Since I have gotten these most of the other guys at work have gotten them too.

 

[hamburglar]

Ultimate Socket Organizer?

Larger sets in cases.

 

[daveblank]

I use the socket trays made by Hanson. They come in different colors so you can keep metric and SAE / 6pt and 12pt easily seperate. They have the long and short pegs for deep and regular. The tops of each peg have the size clearly readable. They also have spaces for uncommon sockets and sizes both larger and smaller that standard sets. Since I have gotten these most of the other guys at work have gotten them too.

That style is my favorite. The sockets are easy to identify & retrieve.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

thats about right , right where I can find them

 

[Theo]

thats about right , right where I can find them

I think it's time to wax your box.

- That's the second time I've used that phrase this evening.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

wax this hombre

 

[eschoendorff]

OMG.......

 

[Moose-LandTran]

thats about right , right where I can find them

If you ever retire, will you sell me your tools?

 

[jwx]

I think it's time to wax your box.

- That's the second time I've used that phrase this evening.

Thats nice collection.