How to organize too many sockets and wrenches?

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Jul 21, 2012
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South Florida
My Car
'71 Mustang Mach 1 M-code "Soylent Green"
'69 Plymouth Valiant 100
'68 Plymouth Satellite
Ever since I wound up with Dad's tools, I've been trying to figure out how best to order the endless sockets I now have kicking about:

18znc.jpg


Organized, it may be (imperial at left, metric right, and some Whitworth in another drawer), but I'm not sure the organization here makes sense.

Should sockets of different drive sizes be mixed if the head size is the same? Particularly when they are Allen sockets? I've relegated one of the imperial socket rows (second from left) to nothing but 3/8" drive sockets, but each size includes standard, deep, and articulated sockets if I have them on hand - and some of those are duplicates too (though I have nothing against that - if there's one thing I've found, you always need two 7/16, 1/2" and 9/16" sockets on hand more often than not). Efficient or not?

On the other hand, should I organize by quality? The great majority of what I have here are pre-China Craftsman sockets with a smattering of SnapOn and Proto, but Sears' beer-budget Companion's sockets (curiously enough, of excellent quality - must have been a one-off supplier) make up the second largest number of sockets. Fact is, nothing here is bad enough to consider worthy of its own "trash-tools-for-trash-jobs" drawer, which makes me question why I'd bother categorizing them by quality to begin with.

That said, what have you fellows found to be the most efficient manner of socket organization? I'm open to suggestions.

-Kurt

 
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Looks better than my tools at home or work.

I say, good job!
I'm no fan of Harbor Freight, but their 99-cent socket organizers certainly make organization quick and cheap. Not as good as old Craftsman organizers, but they do the job.

Also helps that they just opened one less than three miles away.

-Kurt

 
Hey Kurt,

That looks a pretty good jod there. I think a major key factor in any layout is to have the ability to know where to grab any piece of tool fast and easy when you want it, just as it is easy to return any piece when the job's over and you packing up. If that is easy, then your tools are truely well organised.

Btw, nice collection you have there.

Greg.:)

 
Things would be so much easier with less sockets. Please send me whatever you are not keeping.

 
That looks a pretty good jod there. I think a major key factor in any layout is to have the ability to know where to grab any piece of tool fast and easy when you want it, just as it is easy to return any piece when the job's over and you packing up. If that is easy, then your tools are truely well organised.
Ideal only when the tools are not far from the car. In my case, I have to drag whatever tools I figure I'll need to the front of the house to work on the cars.

Being able to pull the minimum of socket rails out of the workbench - and not have to make a return trip to the toolbox - would be the ideal scenario.

Things would be so much easier with less sockets. Please send me whatever you are not keeping.
Hey, there's another '71 in the area for sale...could use some funds!

;)

In all seriousness, I might have to ease off here. Some of the duplication is just ridiculous - all with exception to the American-made Crafstman sockets and wrenches. While I can always warranty them, the latest Chinese Craftsman stuff looks as if it was made by the same company that makes Harbor Freight sockets.

-Kurt

 
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Things would be so much easier with less sockets. Please send me whatever you are not keeping.
Like the t shirt dancebanana:D

 
I would eliminate duplication of sockets for sure. (Same points/depth/drive)

And then organize by drive/points/length. When I grab a rack of sockets I know what drive/points/length I probably need. Then it is just a matter of what size. You wouldn't want a rack of 7/16" sockets starting with 1/4" drive small, both points then shallow and deep. Then the same size 3/8" drive and then 1/2" drive. When searching for a socket you 'know' what type you want, you just might be off on the size. That's my two cents.

 
And then organize by drive/points/length. When I grab a rack of sockets I know what drive/points/length I probably need. Then it is just a matter of what size. You wouldn't want a rack of 7/16" sockets starting with 1/4" drive small, both points then shallow and deep. Then the same size 3/8" drive and then 1/2" drive. When searching for a socket you 'know' what type you want, you just might be off on the size. That's my two cents.
Really good advice, though I'd like to bounce one thing back to you for your thoughts:

What if quite a few jobs are ambiguous about necessitating deep sockets? I've found myself more than once needing a deep socket for one reason or another when least expecting it, e.g., using the deep socket to space my ratchet away from one surface while keeping the length minimum to clear something on the other side.

What I describe can be done with a standard socket and an extender, but that combo is often too long for tight spaces.

i have used this method for quite some time .
1 fail point for not having taken that rusty Craftsman screwdriver back for a warranty replacement before the China takeover.

2 win points for having enough spark plug remover sockets to remove all 8 spark plugs without using any socket more than once.

:p

Mint!

rofl
Hey, look, it's David Freiburger!

-Kurt

 
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Some really good points made here! It got me to thinking maybe organizing by common sizes. A clip rack with the common sized sockets with a short, deep, 12 pt short 12 pt deep, unversal (wobbly) socket of each size all together. Have 1 set up with common smaller sizes 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 etc depending on length and another with common larger sizes. Then maybe one with a variety of extensions. I have kept my deep sockets in the original cases which keeps them organized but not necessarily handy. In working on my kids cars I have them do the work and we end up with way too many trips to the toolbox. I'm just thinking out loud here... I do have some of the specialty sockets like the torx and allen key on clips, it makes it easy to see when 1 is missing.

My rule of thumb on tool quality is to think about how often I'll use the tool. If it's a once in a while (not professionally) I'll likely go to Harbor Fright... I just moved within 1/2 mile of our local store... DANGEROUS!! :D

 
I use a tool cart to pile a bunch of tools on then roll it outside to work on car. Even if I make a return trip, by time I'm done I can just roll all my stuff back at one time.

I'm sure harbor freight would have a cheap one for round the house duty.

 
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