What to put in which drawer!!??

[TucsonAZ]

Okay, I'm going to need medication over this by the time I'm done! Some things are soooo easy for me to sort, here's a picture of my socket drawer, no trouble, got it! My box is one of the old stainless ones from Costco, 5 small drawers on the top as well as 5 medium, bottom has 6-7 of the 36" drawers.

Then there are items I don't know what to do with and would love some thoughts and help. Some items like extractors, thread repair stuff and so on I don't have enough of for their own drawer so I don't know who to group them with. Torque limiters makes the most sense with extensions right? But then I should put the breaker bars in there too it seems to I have to move up to a larger drawer. Since these are related to sockets, do I add my impact magnetic nut drivers too? At that point should the normal nut drivers go in there with with screwdrivers?

Do the Knipex plier wrenches go with adjustables, pliers, vice grips or channel locks? I would need two drawers for all of those.

Anyway, any organizing tips would be insanely helpful, I'm struggling with the seemingly unrelated stuff like hog ring pliers, Cleco pliers, hose pliers and other random stuff I don't use often but they're pliers. Or do they all go in smaller labeled boxes in a tall drawer down below and I put the additional work into finding them the once every year or two I need them.

 

[bdbecker]

You are suffering from paralysis by analysis. I know because I also tend to overthink things quite often. While we can all offer our input, what works for one person will be completely different for another. At the end of the day, you just have to go with what makes the most sense to you. Don't be afraid to sort everything out into which drawer you think it belongs in and live with it for awhile. Everything won't magically fit into a well organized system - you are going to have outliers that you just have to find a home for. The important thing to remember is that as long as you can find it, it doesn't really matter if you store your extractors and thread repair stuff next to your kazoo collection. Hold off on the kaizen foam until you are certain you like how everything is dispersed.

For me personally, I generally have my core/most used tools grouped by type and located in the upper, easily accessed drawers. Pliers in one drawer, screwdrivers in another, hammers, wrenches, and so on. Once I get past the most used tools, I sort by task. Specialty auto tools in one drawer, measurement tools in another, etc. Once I get past that, its more of what fits where. My bottom drawers are just a mish-mash of rarely used tools that make no sense being grouped together, but I know where they are and can find them when needed.

You'll get it figured out. Don't be scared of making a mistake. Sometimes there is no better way to learn.

 

[HPRifleman]

This is a timely question as I have recently been considering a new tool chest but can't really decide on which size.

I have gone through all my tools and segregated them into categories, then tried to categorize them based on drawer size. Some items like punches and drifts would only require a small (4"-6" or so) drawer. Other things need deep drawers. My goal was to try to create groups of tools. Some of which would require their own drawers, others would be combined.

In all honesty I'm not sure if there is a perfect system and I'm sure that some things would wind up in a "miscellaneous" drawer. If it helps, here is the list of my tool categories. It's still a work-in-progress.

Tools	Small	Shallow	Semi-Deep	Deep​
Wrenches, Combination, Flare		X​
Nut Drivers		X​
Manuals, Paperwork, Notepads, Writing Instruments		X​
Plastic Bags, Zip Ties, Twist Ties		X​
Rachets, Sockets			X
Adjustable Wrenches		X​
Allen Wrenches			X
Clamps				X
Electrical Tools, Fuses, Connectors, Cables, Wire Cutters/Crimpers			X
Screwdrivers		X​
Measurement Tools			X
Pliers, Vice Grips		X​
Sheet Metal Snips		X​
Files		X​
Probes, Inspection Tools		X​
Pipe Wrenches				X
Taps/Dies		X​
Hammers			X
Pry Bars			X
Punches, Impact Tools, Drifts	X​
Oil Filter Wrenches			X
Scissors/Cutting Tools, Knives, Blades	X​
Carpentry Tools, Stud Finder, Door Handle Jigs			X
Hole Saws			X
Rotary Tools, Wire Brushes, Cut-Off Disks, Sandpaper			X
Hole Tools, Drill Bits, Extractors, Hole Punch			X
Hand Saws		X​
Staple Guns, Staples		X​
Personal Protective Equipment, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Muffs				X
Air Tools				X
Tool Bags				X
Plumbing Tools, Teflon Tape, Fittings, Tubing Cutters, Tubing Tools				X
Scrapers		X​
Pullers				X
Painting Tools, Brushes, Painter's Tape			X
Vacuum Pump			X
Illumination Tools, Flashlights			X
Grease Gun			X
Hardware			X
Rags				X
Levels				X
Battery-powered Tools				X

 

[Garcky]

Nothing is more individual than tool organization. How I organize my tools would probably be confusing to other people, and vice versa. The most important thing, really, is that you remember where a tool is in your box, so you can access it immediately. Once you come up with an organization plan, stick with it. That will help you remember where your stuff is in the tool chest.

 

[Prospecter]

1. Just do it. When you like something, keep it. When it's not working, fix it.
2. Drawer labels are your friends. a. They make it easy to find stuff. b. They force you to decide on categories.

Labels can go on magnetic tape for easy changes. Or judiciously use a heat gun to soften the adhesive of labels you want to move.

 

[u2slow]

I group things coarsely, and move them around as my organizing changes. For more segregation in a large drawer, dig in your recycling for trays, containers, and shallow boxes.

I'm still unbelievably far away from tools fitted in foam cutouts

 

[kaymccampbell]

That's pretty. Were I to do it, I'd need 6 more toolboxes. I believe in the "If it's got the same shape, then same drawer", philosophy. I do separate imperial and metric in different piles\drawers.

 

[bluedog225]

Sounds strange but I put things with one handle in one drawer (screwdrivers, punches, etc) and things with two handles in another (pliers, vice grips, scissors, metal snips). Works great.

 

[nadogail]

I have a drawer for tools that you work by squeezing the Handles together. Another for adjustable wrenches and another for “special tools”.

 

[oldwino]

Like it’s been said above, drawer layout is what works for you. Make your best guess, load up and work with it for a while. You will probably re-org a couple of times til your layout fits.

as an example, the majority of my work is using SAE rather than metric so they go in separate drawers, electrical testers, crimpers, etc in another, etc etc

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

This is a timely question as I have recently been considering a new tool chest but can't really decide on which size.

I have gone through all my tools and segregated them into categories, then tried to categorize them based on drawer size. Some items like punches and drifts would only require a small (4"-6" or so) drawer. Other things need deep drawers. My goal was to try to create groups of tools. Some of which would require their own drawers, others would be combined.

In all honesty I'm not sure if there is a perfect system and I'm sure that some things would wind up in a "miscellaneous" drawer. If it helps, here is the list of my tool categories. It's still a work-in-progress.

Tools	Small	Shallow	Semi-Deep	Deep​
Wrenches, Combination, Flare		X​
Nut Drivers		X​
Manuals, Paperwork, Notepads, Writing Instruments		X​
Plastic Bags, Zip Ties, Twist Ties		X​
Rachets, Sockets			X
Adjustable Wrenches		X​
Allen Wrenches			X
Clamps				X
Electrical Tools, Fuses, Connectors, Cables, Wire Cutters/Crimpers			X
Screwdrivers		X​
Measurement Tools			X
Pliers, Vice Grips		X​
Sheet Metal Snips		X​
Files		X​
Probes, Inspection Tools		X​
Pipe Wrenches				X
Taps/Dies		X​
Hammers			X
Pry Bars			X
Punches, Impact Tools, Drifts	X​
Oil Filter Wrenches			X
Scissors/Cutting Tools, Knives, Blades	X​
Carpentry Tools, Stud Finder, Door Handle Jigs			X
Hole Saws			X
Rotary Tools, Wire Brushes, Cut-Off Disks, Sandpaper			X
Hole Tools, Drill Bits, Extractors, Hole Punch			X
Hand Saws		X​
Staple Guns, Staples		X​
Personal Protective Equipment, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Muffs				X
Air Tools				X
Tool Bags				X
Plumbing Tools, Teflon Tape, Fittings, Tubing Cutters, Tubing Tools				X
Scrapers		X​
Pullers				X
Painting Tools, Brushes, Painter's Tape			X
Vacuum Pump			X
Illumination Tools, Flashlights			X
Grease Gun			X
Hardware			X
Rags				X
Levels				X
Battery-powered Tools				X

WOW!
Somebody has waaaaaaayyyy too much time on their hands!
Idle hands....

 

[gsuty17]

On the bright side, I'm glad I'm not the only one who over thinks things. Good Luck!

 

[Rickster]

Yup, as said above, start with basic pliers, wrenches, etc drawers and the sort from there as you use them.

 

[gleman]

I got the five drawer cart from HF for Black Friday and decided to organize my hand tools.



While trying to break bad habits I decided to go on YouTube and see how others had them organized.

That was quite the rabbit hole!

I don't know how many videos I watched and still didn't come up with a solid plan.

I guess I'll chalk that up to lessons learned and will try to work out my own system instead of wasting time on YouTube.

 

[larry_g]

Put the most used tools in the waist high drawers, the lesser used in lower drawers and don't be afraid to put real outlier tools on the shelf or the storage shelves/cabinets in the shop. Now that I'm getting older and no longer do heavy work I have most of the big wrenches in some hand carry boxes on the shelf as well as test tools. That cleans up the roll cabs for what I use frequently and takes the load out of them.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[HPRifleman]

On the bright side, I'm glad I'm not the only one who over thinks things. Good Luck!

If thinking is good, overthinking must be better.

 

[MongoTA]

Long Story?

You have your basics that make sense when they are grouped in the same drawer.

My drawers are essentially 'dump drawers'. Example, with the basic tools all screwdrivers are loose in one drawer. Wrenches loose in another. Pliers loose in yet another. However, they are roughly sorted. Screwdrivers; flat vs phillips, wrenches; metric vs SAE, pliers by type. All are sorted by size.

Drawers get opened, drawers get closed, the individual tools really don't move around at all even though there's nothing more than a drawer liner in the bottom of the drawer. They stay in place.

After use I usually put the tool(s) back in the intended spot in the drawers, but often I'll just drop them in and close the drawer. They may or may not get sorted later. They usually do.

After that, simply put the odd and ends where you think you want them. As you use them, or more importantly, as you don't use them. your use and work flow will tell you if they need to be moved or rearranged.

As has been mentioned, labeled drawers help as your storage needs increase. My labels are blue painter's tape. When things become set, maybe the painters tape will change to something more stylish. Probably not.

Even with miscellaneous stuff, I try to group it in some way. Feeler gauges, bolt/nut/screw thread gauges, metal thickness gauges, smallish measuring things like those that I might use, they are together in a drawer with the rulers, calipers, tape measures, and other measuring devices I use most often. Less used measuring items are in a different drawer.

Spring punches are in the same drawers as my metal drill bits, because I'll almost always use one of the spring punches when drilling a hole. Get a drill bit, grab a spring punch.

Once you get set, then if you want foam tool cutouts like in your photo you can go that direction. I could not have foam trays like that due to space constraints. If you're still gathering tools, careful with the foam trays as well. I can drop a new-found screwdriver in my "loose screwdriver drawer" and it's right at home.

Sometimes you have to cry uncle and pull the drawers out, put them on a work table, and look at the contents holistically, hoping for a better way. Sometimes you find a better way. Sometimes you just put everything back and get back to doing.

Some of my drawers are messy. My avatar shows one drawer of maybe five drawers of drill bits. They're organized single-depth, but not gorgeously so. But I can find what I need quickly. In the photo below, in the two red drawers I sort of have stuff upon stuff. But because I use them, I can reach into the drawer of dies and pull out the one I need in 15 seconds. Ironically, if I used the taps and dies less often, I'd need them better organized as I'd be less familiar with them. Sometimes clutter works. Sometimes it kills.

Short story?
Put stuff away. Use your stuff. Move stuff as needed. Label the drawers containing the lesser used stuff. Then once settled, and if desired, make your stored stuff pretty.

Good luck!

 

[LWB]

The whole point of tool organization has been lost to a certain extent IMHO. I'm guilty of this too and overthink EVERYTHING, not just tools.

The point is to be able to find the tool your looking for. That's it, no more no less. I could be wrong, but think this over organizing trend or building a box that is "beautiful" is new. Much like home organization and kitchen organization.

The world has gone "organization" nuts and is yet another disease spread by social media. We'll all be medicated soon enough...

So, put **** where you think you'll be the most likely to find it. It won't matter anyways because you'll move it 10 times while working with it

 

[Kent_B]

I miss 5s like a dose of the clap. I'm wit @MongoTA.

 

[u2slow]

Freed up my wrench drawer the other day.... More room for 1/2" drive stuff now.


A have a misc pliers/snips drawer. Locking pliers get their own messy drawer. Pipe wrenches, strap wrenches and slip-joint varieties share one drawer.

 

[16again]

I organized and then reorganized until I found what works. Then I labeled the draws. Super easy and super organized.

 

[TucsonAZ]

Thank you all, huge help and I think LWB's comment hit home the most even though most had the same sentiment. I just need to put what I'll use where I'll most often use it in a way I know works to access it whether that makes sense to somebody else or not. The photo above is my drawer, I actually pulled a lot of sockets from the sets that I don't care about in those sizes and set it up in a way that made sense for my work and brain. Wrenches are the same, let me find a picture...



Works for my brain and how I use things, metric in one drawer and SAE in another, both the same layout.

As for the foam, HUGE life changes going on, I actually sold all of my random USA made tools and repurchased everything from scratch based on use. The quality of tool is based on that, some stuff I use often is high quality, Knipex, Klein, Proto, Vessel, and so on, then stuff I rarely use but want for access issues is lower end as I will rarely if ever need it.

The point is, I'm converting a bus to a little house and I'm going to be on the road for at least a year hence the foam, I need things more laid out, methodical, organized, and compact than I would naturally do.

 

[LWB]

It looks fantastic. I'm sure you be happy with it. I know I would be.

 

[Blickus]

OCD. They’re tools, use them, and spend your time on something more interesting.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

the stuff that is used most goes in the drawers that are most easily accessible. For me that means sockets, ratchets, vise grips and hammers. Prys go in the drawer below it along with little hammers. Pliers in right side small drawer. Precision tools in a separate box. bottom drawer for the cellphone, hat(s), etc-stuff that has no business in a working shop. Yeah the phone. When I'm out there I am there to work not lolly-gag and the phone hinders my ability to get stuff done, but I take it with me for those 'just in case" moments. So far I ain't had to use it for that. If I'm in the shop for more than a few hours, it becomes a business line, although I don't answer it every time it rings. It just rings. Voicemail greeting "I'm busy leave a message if it's important"-or to that effect.

Everything in the box has a purpose and if it didn't it got pitched long ago. Most used stuff towards the top, less used stuff toward the bottom.

horrible freight 72" box-I have two of them. One at home one at work.

 

[PoorUB]

The point is, I'm converting a bus to a little house and I'm going to be on the road for at least a year hence the foam, I need things more laid out, methodical, organized, and compact than I would naturally do.

You will have room to lay out your tool storage like this on a bus?

Most guys I know that travel with tools end up piling stuff in the drawers as they don't have room to keep everything in organizers.

 

[TucsonAZ]

You will have room to lay out your tool storage like this on a bus?

Most guys I know that travel with tools end up piling stuff in the drawers as they don't have room to keep everything in organizers.

I have my trailer with so many of my tools are coming I just needed to consolidate them and get most to fit in the one box.

 

[u2slow]

I have my trailer with so many of my tools are coming I just needed to consolidate them and get most to fit in the one box.

For fitting as much as possible, IMHO, you need to lose the foam.

Some of my tools came with the cheap plastic molded tray. Drawer fits 3 times the tools after chucking it.

 

[tyyost]

I use my tool cart to compliment my main box. The cart has my most used tools, including sockets, favorite wrench sets, common pliers, punches, screwdrivers. Even then, I have duplicate drawers. Pliers seem to multiply, especially when you consider the different types, from slip joints, electrical , plumbing, snap rang, specialty like exhaust hanger or trim tools.

Some drawers I find best organized by the purpose of the tools in the drawer. Electrical drawer may be jumpers, leads, pliers, crimpers, strippers, meter, etc. Another may be all my variations of Allen wrenches/sockets. Like others suggest I try to match the placement to frequency of need and drawer size/height. I know you are using foam, but i would consider the toolbox widget or a variety of pliers rack. The density you gain in storing pliers on edge is a big gain for little cost.

 

[jblnut]

I had a few suggestions that I thought were worthwhile until I scrolled down and saw the foam ..... We're in different leagues lol. My favorite way to organize tools is to hurriedly chuck them into the nearest drawer so they're not sitting around staring at me. Even when things are labeled I open every damn drawer anyway for some reason.

If you have space in the bus for the foam filled drawers that's amazing but like others have said you'll pack way more stuff into those boxes without it. The tools won't really care .... so they'll get scratched a bit from bumping uglies with each other but they'll still work fine. That being said, that foam sure does look sweet !!

 

[logical]

No need for foam to keep them in place, just fill the space with more tools.

 

[Viper98912]

Did you buy some foam sheet and then cut it out with a razor blade? If so, that looks great honestly. I might do the same with the wrenches I have as they end up sliding all over the drawer.

 

[tfalk]

For pliers, I bought a couple of these...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016TU4P00/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Haven't had time to set up my new to me toolbox I bought earlier this year. Hopefully garage is
getting ripped off and rebuilt from a side entry 2 car into a front entry 3 car in the next few months.
Hardest part is going to be figure out where to put the new tool box

 

[TucsonAZ]

I agree with everything said here, the foam is an odd one and I agree again relating to space and the use of. In reality, I'm getting older, I wrench less, often times just as needed and as I've aged and have less energy to look for tools and used the wrong tools I've gone from fixing everything with an adjustable, vice grips, and hammer to having the right tools and not being able to find them or even remember what's missing. The foam is a byproduct of age, not misplacing stuff, and being so f-ing annoyed when I space is missing something I hunt it down and put it back. I'm currently in overwhelm with quantity of tools mode, I have them all over, like I honestly needed a tool the other day and remembered I left one laying at the back of my property two years ago and used it.

Anyway, I need to be more efficient and spend less time looking for lost stuff and dealing with a miss matched tool set of yard sales and hand me down finds. Some of which was Snap On, Matco, and so on and I'm able to sell and replace with lower end full sets and more tools that are fine for my use case. And remember, I have a 7x14 trailer behind the bus for tools and so on.

 

[MongoTA]

...the foam is an odd one and I agree again relating to space and the use of...as I've aged and have less energy to look for tools...I need to be more efficient and spend less time looking for lost stuff...

That's really what it's all about. Tailoring our storage to suit our needs.
As our needs evolve, so should our methods of organization.

I miss Tucson. Used to live up on North Kolb Road, up by Ventana Canyon Resort. Flew A-10s out of D-M for a few years.

 

[kbeefy]

I have a 40" box that I use as a tool cart, I keep my most used tools in it and can wheel it to a job if I find myself making multiple trips to the toolbox.



Most used sockets drawer.... Top drawer in tool 'cart'



Most used Wrench drawer, 2nd drawer in 'Cart'



Random long tool drawer, 3rd drawer in 'Cart'



Most used Pliers Drawer, 4th drawer in 'Cart'



Below that are hammers and PPE, not very well organized or using space very well.

Screwdriver/Prybars on rack on side of 'Cart'




I try to keep it from getting to cluttered, I have many '2nd most used' drawers as well.....

 

[nadogail]

The best advice I ever received on tool box size was when as a young man I was told to buy the biggest tool box you can afford; because you will eventually fill it up.

 

[u2slow]

I'm happy with my 3 smaller toolchests (6 if you count the top-chests separate). They don't all have to be in the same place. I can always add another, or replace one.

 

[HPRifleman]

The best advice I ever received on tool box size was when as a young man I was told to buy the biggest tool box you can afford; because you will eventually fill it up.

That's the stock advice on Garage Journal, but is it really the best path? Kind of like, "what size garage should I build"? It's easy to just spend other people's money and answer "bigger". Isn't there a point where it's big enough?

As an example, for my needs, a 56" tool cabinet seems appropriate. But I don't want to get caught short so I've thought about going to the 72". It would be easy to just spend more and use up more floor space with the bigger cabinet but would I really get the use out of it? I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

[Radio Flyer]

The best advice I ever received on tool box size was when as a young man I was told to buy the biggest tool box you can afford; because you will eventually fill it up.

I regret it often. Bought a triple bay when a well thought out double would have been fine. Now I have triple bank that I can't move around the shop. I spend a lot of time walking back and forth and have no work surface where I'm working. The shop is already tight, so a cart is not practical. With less than 10 years to go, I'm not interested in buying/switching boxes.