Tool chest drawer heights?

[sz0k30]

Just bought a new Husky 41", 16 drawer tool chest combo to replace on old Craftsman that I outgrew. I did some looking before I bought including Menard's & HF 44" boxes. Bought the Husky cause I liked the drawer layout & sizes. But one thing I just noticed: the large (main) what I refer to as my junk drawer is basically the only one tall enough to stand up deep sockets. All the other drawers are @ 2-1/2" tall. Here is problem: all the nice stands made for organizing & holding deep sockets require a tall drawer, of which there is only one. How & where do you guys keep your deep sockets? Only in the one deep drawer, or do you just have them laying down in the shorter drawers. I haven't seen any socket organizers that store the sockets laying down? Whats up?

 

[consti2tion]

We keep them in what you're referring to as your junk drawer. Get rid of the junk or store it in a cabinet?

 

[bassJAM]

I keep all my sockets on rails like this laying on their side:

1/4 in. Socket Rail

Amazing deals on this 1/4In Socket Rail at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Last time I was in HF they had one of these marked down as an open box so I bought it to keep my metric impacts on. I might need to get a second one for my SAE impacts. I keep it on it's side as well.

1/2 in. Magnetic Socket Rail

Amazing deals on this 1/2In Magnetic Socket Rail, Black at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Sure, regular price is 20x what the cheap ones are but they do hold the sockets a lot better than the $.99 ones.

 

[Notbn]

Almost everyone uses the top full width drawer for sockets if you want to store them standing up.

 

[ibzepfan]

My top drawer in my US General box. Fits the bill perfectly and holds all my sockets and accessories except my impact sockets. In case you can't tell, I have a little OCD issue.

 

[anavrinIV]

Top drawer, standing up. Most efficient use of space and what most boxes today are designed for. A 40" wide, 4"+ deep junk drawer means you have too much junk...

 

[4 FN 27]

My OCD does not allow for a "Junk Drawer"...

Top Drawer and the over flow goes into a Tall Drawer down below.

 

[crewchief888]

in my service truck, i have most of my sockets in the top of my top box.. where they are 'spose to be
i have limited space in my truck, 3/4" and 1/4" drive stuff is stashed elsewhere

 

[oldwino]

the top drawer on my 72” is actually a 60” and a 12”. The 12” holds calipers, dial indicators, mag bases label maker, etc. 60” holds DMM’s and other electrical test stuff, crimpers, etc. i have a couple of dividers to seperate the electrical from air tools and dremel with accessories.
sockets go in a lower drawer with deep sockets racked and laying down. May not be “how you’re supposed to set up” but it works for me

 

[plinker]

With the KRL1032 I have, the top widest drawer (5-6" depth) is for hammers pry bars and other assorted striking type tools, The center bank drawers had the sockets standing up, one drawer each for 3/8 & 1/2 drive, both quite full. The 1/4 drive had a separate shallow drawer laying flat on rails. The shallower (2.5-3" depth) wide drawer drawer had all of my electrical ****.

None of this has really changed after changing jobs and moving heavy use things to a smaller roll around, the KRL has all the overflow per say, in the same drawers (not as cramped now) and the 32" rool around box has all the daily use items. If I could rearrange the drawers I would though so the 3/8 & 1/4 drawer is the top one since I'm into it all the time.

When I was working on truck/equipment stuff, this small roll around box would not have been practical as most of the time everything was or could have been daily use as the job varied between fab work, repair, new installs, wiring new trucks and whatever else they thought of.

 

[joel63]

My top drawer in my US General box. Fits the bill perfectly and holds all my sockets and accessories except my impact sockets. In case you can't tell, I have a little OCD issue.

Nice set up!

 

[ibzepfan]

Nice set up!

Thanks! I am sometimes torn between leaving my 1/4 sockets as is or putting them on rails like the rest, but the case holds everything but my ratchets and is convenient for on the go little jobs. I have everything in there...both shallow and deep sockets, metric up to 15mm and standard up to 9/16; torx and hex sockets, extensions, u-joints, etc. The sockets are all older Craftsman with the dual marking and the laser marking has worn off on most of them from being in the case, but it works for me!

 

[sz0k30]

sockets go in a lower drawer with deep sockets racked and laying down. May not be “how you’re supposed to set up” but it works for me

Thanks. At least I'm not the only one. And to everyone else. NO, I don't have too much junk