Socket Organizers - Suggestions?

[LMTC]

In the shop here where I retail (and live) we have two large toolboxes...one Craftsman top/bottom set on rollers, and one Craftsman 7 or 8 drawer top box on a fixed wooden tool bench. Over the years we have probably 8-10 different socket sets (in cases), all missing some pieces. I've been keeping them as sets (or almost sets) and inevitably they get put back in the wrong places....or worse, don't get put back for various reasons.

I confess to being the antithesis of organization when it comes to the shop. It seems to me it's time to put all (or enough to make complete sets) of the sockets in 1 or 2 drawers of one of the toolbox and put the extras away somewhere in their cute little cases. I spent an hour tonight looking at umpteen different socket organization kits/items at sears.com, ebay, and other places. It's got to be easy or it won't get used, and it's got to be durable. What do you use/like and why? Thanks for the input. Information here often saves a good bit of trial and error.

PS--we are using a few 1/4", lots of 3/8" and 1/2", and one large set of 3/4" drive. Deep and standard in all but the 3/4".

 

[Tractors4u]

I feel as though I have found a kindred spirit. I am the same way. I will see a new socket set at the store and it has this really cool case that looks like will keep the sockets organized well, but for some reason the sockets will not leap from the shop floor back in to the case and then into the tool box. Strange?!?!

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Wayne,
I have found the best organizers for sockets to be the plastic strips with the right size square protrusion, 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" etc to accomodate that particular size, and then just laying them in your toolbox drawer. Proper drawer of course ! I have gotten these from Sears Hardware stores. Come to think about it, I need a few more !

 

[AlanB]

When I started working the Civillian side of Aviation I learned a lot more about tool control.

You can find lots of things about Aircraft toolbox shadowing on Google, but here is a quick link for an example.

Tool Management Systems: A real world model with lots of options - July 2003 Issue - (Aircraft Maintenance Technology)

I use the metal clips and rails on my sockets, one clip per socket, and you can slide and add or subtract to equal the number of sockets that you have but really, it is mostly a mindset and attitude that will keep it organized or not.

My Home shop usually ends up with stuff piled everywhere, then I go through occasionnally and put things back where they go.

If I had a multi person shop, where we were using common tools, I would insist, insure that they were all shadowed or marked and returned at the end of each shift. $ accountability, and just plain easier for all concerned if they do not have to chase tools constantly.

When I am turning wrenches in the Aviation industry, box is shadowed, and inventoried constantly. Somebodys life can be on the line, and it just may be mine

The trick to me to making shadowing / inventory control work is
First, Make it easy to do the right thing. People will do the right thing if it is easy, if they have to do extra work it is an uphill battle.
Second, educate, you have to explain the benefits of why you feel it should be done, something like "hey, we are all working out of this box, and we are loosing too many man hours running in circles looking for sockets"
Third, Enforce, make it something that you check and enforce and allow time for. Okay guys, we shut down 30 min before quitting time, and sweep up and return all tools to the racks, at 10 min out I will be through to inspect the tool boards and insure that all tools are accounted for, then you have to carry through and do it and make it a habit.


Probably went off the deep end on what you wanted, maybe the short answer should be, metal rails with spring clips, screwed to a board which sits in the top of my box. One clip per socket and no extras.

 

[CATMAN]

LMTC, You didn't mention if you move complete sets to a work location or if you just pull individual sockets from a drawer. At work; I use clips and rails in my toolbox and the rails are rivited to a removal sheetmetal plate that sits in the top of the toolbox(BIG and heavy).

At home; I use Hansen plastic socket set holders(seen at Sears) and put those holders are on shelfs in the garage(I just grab what I want quickly).​

Some guys at work use magnetic holders/trays that hold shallow sockets on one half and its deep socket counterpart on the other half. These magnetic trays look handy. I've seen coworkers just throw their entire impact socket set (standard or Metric) under a truck if they were going to work on the transmission and everything is there for their choosing, where I have to think thru what sizes I will probably need before I get on the creeper and go under the truck. Those magnetic trays have 1/2 moon curves that are shaped to mimick the size of each different socket=sockets lay flat. One Note: If you choose rails and clips, I have found rail widths to be different depending on the manufacturer. I bought all Snap-on rails and clips BEFORE I build my sheetmetal socket set-up in my work toolbox about 23 years ago, so I don't have any issues when readjusting clip sizes(1/4; 3/8; 1/2) to add or modify my socket set-up.

A nice feature about Hansen plastic holder is that the plastic peg has the size right on it, but I might worry about its toughness in a true working enviroment with different people using the same equipment.​

 

[tommu56]

I have tried the rail thing I found mcmcater carr magnetic rails

McMaster-Carr

page 2713 bottom of page the horozonal ones and up right ones


A 1/4" 1/4"to 9/16" 4 to 14 mm 26 (13 Standard/13 Deep) 9 1/4" x 2" x 1 3/8" Red, Neon Green, Orange 52765A41 $19.91

B 1/4" 1/8"to 5/8" 4 to 15 mm 26 (13 Standard/13 Deep) 11 1/2" x 4" x 3/4" Red, Neon Green 55305A81 17.29

B 3/8" 1/4"to 1" 6 to 24 mm 28 (14 Standard/14 Deep) 16 1/2" x 5" x 3/4" Red, Neon Green 55305A83 22.12

B 1/2" 3/8"to 1" 9 to 20 mm 22 (11 Standard/11 Deep) 16 1/2" x 6 1/4" x 1 1/4" Red, Neon Green 55305A84 26.11

i use different color for metric and standard

tommu56

 

[kennyd]

I have been using THESE socket trays for about two years now, I find them very usefull. Sears sells them for about $10-$13 each depending on the size.

 

[DieselPower]

There are probably as many socket organizers on the market as there are different socket's. What do I use, probably about everything. Here's some of what I have at home. At my shop most of my sockets are in their factory metal holders that they come in when you buy from Snap On, Matco and Mac Tools. Here's a few pictures of some that I use. Click the thumbnail picture for a larger picture.




Magnetic socket holders. These hold up quite well and I have some that are over 10 years old.


A factory Mac Tools holder that came with the socket set.


Matco started using these in the late 90's. They are a very durable plastic and have held up much better than I thought they would.


The standard metal rail with clips type. There are cheap ones and there are good ones. The cheap ones don't hold sockets very well. The good ones use a good spring steel for the clips and hold even large sockets rather well.


Both of these set's are Craftsman organizers. I got these many years ago. They do take up some room but they do make for a very organized set up. I'm in the process of moving some additional tool box's to the house and reorganizing my box's is the reason they are currently empty. If I'm not mistaken Sears still sells these.

 

[LMTC]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. There are a few items I had not seen before. I know the biggest part of resolving this is a matter of will (or won't). I do think consolidating them to 1 or 2 locations will make the challenge seem less daunting.

 

[ToadHill]

The best way to keep my sockets and other tools organized, is to lock them up to keep my sons out of them. I bought then their own tools as gifts but after they loose them, guess where they look for tools.