Your socket organizers
- Thread starter fidowanttobe
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Big Barn
Super Member
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- Aug 20, 2013
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- 6,874
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- Victoria, B C
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- More than 40 over the years. Ten at any one time. Mostly Ford and New Holland
Now all we need to do is convince ALL manufactures to utilize fasteners with sizes marked on them also...
I have a hard time believing there used to be a day when not only would I KNOW the size of fastener with only a fleeting glance but ALSO grab the CORRECT sized tool without even thinking. *
* metric/SAE Allen wrenches different story.
Yes, it's funny, this made me realize how poorly marked my once "nice" socket set was...
This is the one place I like the plastic case, but if my kids had dumped them one more time... now they are saved, and I am sure it will save some strife with the wife as well.
This is the one place I like the plastic case, but if my kids had dumped them one more time... now they are saved, and I am sure it will save some strife with the wife as well.
Gary Fowler
Super Star Member
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- Jun 23, 2008
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- Bismarck Arkansas
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- 2009 Kubota RTV 900, 2009 Kubota B26 TLB & 2010 model LS P7010
I cant understand how folks like this ever find anything. I have a place for everything and everything goes back in it's place when I finish work.
The only thing that isn't organized is spare sockets and such that get dumped into a plastic cup and kept in its place in one drawer. With my CRS syndrome, this is the only way for me to keep up with things.
I don't have the collection like the "Snapon Kid" with his $5000 tool cabinet (minus tools) but I have enough to do most any job I encounter. I find that the best organizers are the steel (or plastic) boxes that tool sets come in so I try to keep mine in them. Some of my larger sockets (3/4-2" that I use only occasionally are stored in their steel boxes on a shelf in back of my shop. This keeps me down to only 2 small rolling tool chests.
I do keep some cheap socket sets separately in my motorhome "just in case" and a few tools in an old Craftsman rolling tool chest in my garage for use in quick repairs in the home. This keeps me from walking the 75 steps to the shop to fetch a small wrench or pliers to tighten something in the house.
One deep drawer in my shop tool chest is dedicated to shop rags, one can never have too many grease rags. Mine are mostly old T-shirts which seem to out work shop towels like the ones from Harbor Freight.
PHPaul
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- Downeast Maine
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- Kubota B2650 with cab, Pasquali 986
Lots of nice solutions here, but I'm a cheap Esso Bee. I tried a few of the various plastic organizers and either didn't like them or they didn't fit my needs.
So I came up with these. A couple hours of my time and some scrap lumber and my sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers are organized.
Two major benefits: I can find the tool I need without pawing around, and I can spot a missing tool quickly when I'm cleaning up.
piercedtiger
Silver Member
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- May 19, 2014
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- Newark Valley, NY
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- 2011 Massey Ferguson GC2600 DL100
I wish I could organize my tools like some of those! haha I got so sick of sockets, wrenches, allen keys, and screwdrivers being scattered between 2 work benches in my barn, one in my basement, and wherever I last used them that I just bought a new combo kit. Around Christmas time this one was $99 Shop Kobalt 227-Piece Standard (SAE) and Metric Mechanic'''s Tool Set with Hard Case at Lowes.com so it seemed like a good deal to me. Everything in 1 case, trays to organize most of the pieces and take just them to my work area, and an extra empty tray for other commonly used random tools. It was a duplication of many already owned tools along with some sizes I didn't already have, but $100 was worth just having everything in one freaking place to look! Now it stays under the workbench in my office and goes with me whenever I might need a socket, wrench or driver. It's not perfect, but it sure saves me a lot of running back and forth between buildings and benches!
piercedtiger
Silver Member
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- May 19, 2014
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- Location
- Newark Valley, NY
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- 2011 Massey Ferguson GC2600 DL100
I ended up in that situation (tools scattered, always looking) over years of collecting tools. Small set here, 1 or 2 pieces there for ONE specific job, random gifts or hand me downs. Then we bought a house with a barn. One side was an open floor workshop area, but it quickly cluttered up, the lighting sucks, and it's too cold to use in the winter. I made a smaller bench in the larger "truck" bay for working on vehicles, but soon I wasn't working in that area either. The basement isn't heated, but is warmer than the barn so my mill, lathe, table saw, router, etc are there. I wish I could have rebuilt everything to suit my needs, but that wasn't possible. Definitely something on my mind for our next house!
KubotainNH
Veteran Member
Nice, those are on my list. Metric ratchet is comical. I have a set of deep wells that used to look like this but hard to read on the most used sizes now.
http://toolmonger.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/Socket3.jpg
My set is crapsman, your picture on the right is as easy to read as my better examples... very disappointing.
I thought about cutting the sticker on the ratchet, but decided I didn't care... try asking for a 3/8 ratchet without it...
I thought about cutting the sticker on the ratchet, but decided I didn't care... try asking for a 3/8 ratchet without it...