I have archeological layers of tool's in my shed. When I can't find something for example a tape measure, I go and buy a new one . When I return to the shed with a new tape , magically 3 old tape measures can be spotted lying around.
A couple centuries ago, when I was a machine operator in a factory, my roll cart had every drawer lined with foam that was painstakingly hand cut with the proper nook for each tool. Judging by the tool chest in my garage right now I'd say I'm over that phase.
@@holmes1956O when your working on a million dollar turbine engine and a chunk of chrome flakes of into it because your wrench’s are beat to shit it matters.
I'm diesel/heavy equipment mechanic, with minor sewing skills, so l employ canvas roll ups for my wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers etc. Since I'm versatile( mobile and stationary) and a lot of times in the mud it's convenient to toss the rolls in first then unroll them, do my work and put the tools back mostly dirty and when I return to the yard a quick rinse with a pressure washer makes them look pretty again, LOL. Heck I scratch my tools just removing them from packaging. All my tools fulfil their destinies, they may be scratched and worn but they are loved! LMMFAO!.Good video...
I personally prefer to store my wrenches and sockets in the original containers that they came in, but I leave the containers open and lay the containers flat in my tool chest drawers. This has two advantages for me. First, they remain organized because the original container design has already done that work for me. Second, I can always just close the lids and take them with me wherever I go. Basically, why reinvent the wheel? I do realize that some containers may be a bit bulky and take up more space that way but I consider the container when purchasing the sets. Sometimes I will just remove the lids and set the lidless container right in the drawer. Simple.
I'm a mobile tech on heavy equipment so I have hundreds of wrenches in metric and standard in all shapes and sizes and I absolutely love the harbor freight wrench rings. They are the cheapest and most effective solution to me to keep them together
My wrenches are in a tool roll, one side metric one side sae. I can drape the tool roll over something and now my wrenches are vertically stored. It’s pretty sweet. It works for me because I don’t necessarily work in a shop, but all around. It allows me to roll up my tools to transport, then display them when I need them wherever.
I'm constantly transporting my wrenches so I keep them in labeled canvas rolls. One SAE and one Metric. It's compact, easy to see what's missing and works great
This was always my go too for my stuff in the truck. It is getting harder and harder to find a decent roll though. Amazon is it, no box stores or auto parts carry then any more. Canvas served me well until I found a set at an estate sale, it's a siliconized rubber with slight padding is the best description I can give. The only issue was it used a built in loop of the material to close. I broke those pretty quickly and you can't sew a tie on it. So the wives stolen hair ties are the way now. Plus they are a few slots shy
As Germans both my dad and I both use 2 metal toolboxes each that fold out to 4 long slim trays and one large tray at the bottom. In each tray we place the wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, pliers etc. without any holder, but the separate trays allow for small "piles" of tools in which it is easy & quick to find the needed tool. Highly mobile, slim to store, still relatively quick access to every tool. Thank God we use only metric tools and also DIN-standardized screw heads "over here", which keeps the number of actually needed tool sizes to a minimum. Example: Most common sizes are 10-13-17-19-22-24-27, so its easy to keep track of your few tools instead of needing to lug around every tool in a complete gap-free set from small to large in both metric and SAE-size. ATB, Gereon
Have a peg board with 2 rows of hooks -one row for metric and one for SAE wrenches.have 4 or 5 of each size.just grab and go and when I get done clean up and hang em back up. Have my nice sets in my box .also if someone wants to borrow let them use the cheapo ones on the wall .
Yep... I've had the foam wrench holders for a hunerd years. Got a big kit of them pretty cheap as I recall from Sears. They are completely customizable and just stick to the drawer with adhesive.
my 2 cents worth... my favorite wrench racks are "Ernst Manufacturing Gripper Wrench Organizers" thru summit racing. theyre inexpensive at under 10 bucks each, come in different colors & sizes, & they do a good job of holding ur wrenches in place (& they look just like the "gripper" wrench racks that all my sk's have come on, so maybe made by the same folks?)
I've been beating the hell out of a set of 20 dollar Pittsburgh wrenches on lots of hydraulic work and more for over a year now, and I will swear by those wrenches. They work perfectly for what I do and I haven't had a problem with any of them yet. I buy a lot of harbor freight stuff because I'm cheap and sometimes you'll be disappointed, but a lot of times youll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of some of their tools. Not to mention replacing a 20 dollar set of wrenches is still a lot cheaper than buying a top dollar set, to each their own but this is how I personally feel about tools in general.
I have the foam amd i just slot them all in after im done using them, its much easier to pull them out of the foam and then attach them to the magnetic strip as the day goes on, when the shop gets a little quiet i take the time to replace them all in the correct foam slots. Great video btw.
I store my wrenches in a home Made setup take a peice of stiff copper wire and wrap it around a piece of pipe then spread the coil out and lay the wrenches in the gaps. works like a charm.
I got 2 arsenal 5872 canvas wrench rolls for Christmas and love them. They roll up compact when I'm storing them in my jeep and have grommets to hang on the wall unrolled with all of them displayed neatly.
+BleepinJeep nice!! Hey I've been meaning to ask you Did Jeep only make that Comanche in automatic? I've been looking for a beater truck and I've always liked those
I was a pile of tools guy for two centuries. When my eyes started going on me, omg did I see the value in getting things in their place lol. Wish I had done years ago since yelling at the kids to get the red triangle with wrenches on back wall is easier than the 3/4 open box wrench next to the sledge on the bench near the coffee pot, where I left it.
I store my wrenches in a tool roll. My standard kengh wrenches I store in a roll from harbor freight, while my shorter ones I store in a roll from craftsman.
I’m a mobile mechanic. I use an ammo box with a divider in the middle, separating two piles of wrenches. Metric on the left, SAE on the right. Best and most compact way I’ve found to “organize” them in regards to limited space.
I'm in the process of making oneout of an old piece of tin and some long bolts/nuts with heat shrink/vac hose on them. Prevents the terrible clanging when opening and closing drawers, is suited to my specific tools and is a lot cheaper than buying pre made ones (especially snap on with Australian prices!)
One of my co-workers complained about my organization when I told him I had one drawer for things with one handle and a second drawer for tools with two handles. Seemed logical enough for tools I don't use too often. . . . I use pretty much everything that you're using. I've got the magnetic Snap-on racks for the common wrenches that I carry on my rollcart (on the lid, just like you do). In the big toolbox, I used the plastic holders for the less commonly used wrenches I have, and the 'pile of tools' method for the rarely used ones, or the cheap ones I have so I can modify them if I need a special tool in a hurry.
The plastic/foam strips are Craftsman, I use them myself although the jumbo wrenches from Horror Freight will actually slide the foam part out if you don't cut them the entire depth of the drawer and stick them too close to perpendicular. Sears also has several other overpriced foam organizers you can cut yourself, which I use as well for sockets and extensions.
when i was a millwright i had to have all my tools on a roll around tool cart. i had a craftsman top box for most of my small stuff and a big wooden box for my big stuff and my snapon box in my locker. i always kept my wrenches in 2 roll up bags. 1 for standard and 1 for metric 2 wrenches of the same size per pocket. now i have the plastic snapon trays since i work as a mechanic for a major airline.
Currently I use my socket extentions, organize metric small to large, then put a knuckle buster (swivel) on the end to hold them in place. I do the same with Standard. I have a large metric set, a small metric set, and a large and small standard set. Finding what I need is easy, and it keeps the wrenches organized and also takes up less room. Is a pain when I need a knuckle buster, or a long extention, but as long as I lay them down gently it's easy enough to thread them through again. Mine's a mobile set up, with a small 3 drawer and top tray plus the little half tray. I used to use ammo boxes and socks. Roll down the top of the sock and squeeze until they spread out so you can see what you need. Keep one sock for metric and one for standard, plus one for specialty, etc... keeps them from rattling and the socks clean the wrenches.
san379 I'd like to see more portable storage. I'm planning to go with the fabric roll up for use in a tool backpack to pack in my Jeep. Maybe two rolls, as I'll need US and metric.
I tried to find a wrench roll a couple of years ago and struck out, so I got a big chunk of denim and made my own. In my opinion it's the only way to go. All my end wrenches are in it and easy to find.
I have the plastic organizers the wrenches came with. They work really well in my roll around. I keep the larger wrenches of each set at opposite ends which compacts the footprint really well.
My dad uses the random pile technique and it drives me insane. I don't have a garage so I use a tool roll and some plastic holders that my short wrenches snap into. When ever I borrow my dads garage my tool boxes come with me ( just two medium size portable ones with a handle on top) I'd never get anything done looking through his tools all day. If I had my own shop I like the look of that cut foam idea.
Use to like roll up wrench bags . Now I have piles of them and buckets of them . Takes longer to find what you need than the actual job takes . Getting old and forget sucks .
Been using that plastic and foam holder for a hunerd years. Mine was bought from Sears in the 20th century. Also use it to organize screwdrivers using just a single run for each row of drivers.
i like having them in order on a carabiner if in a tool bag in the back of the car. not loose, easy to locate the size you need, as space saving as possible.
I have 2 or 3 of every size from 3/8s to 1 inch . I glued 2 pieces of 1/2 inch foam together and then cut out the shape to stand them up . I've never seen a wrench holder for more than one of each size so I've had to make my own . Not 100% happy with it , but it works . Going to try a 1 by 6 with screws for dividers and a magnet bar to hold the wrenches to the front of the drawer. Not sure if it's going to work but worth a shot . Update: 5 years later. I tried using the screws for dividers, it worked but definitely not as well as I hoped. So on to plan C. I took a 25 ft piece of 8 gauge wire and coiled it around a piece of 1 inch pipe and then laid it on the 1x6 and once I got the wrenches organized I zip tied it to the board. I'm still using the magnet bar but have labeled it for the wrench sizes. I now have all my wrenches to 1 inch, my metric to 25mm and assorted odds and ends in one 40 inch drawer. Using a larger diameter coil I've done the same thing for my pliers, some of the pliers racks are nice but this setup is adjustable to fit different pliers. For the 1 1/6th to 2 inch I used 2 coils of 1/4 inch brake line (coiled around a piece of 1 1/2 pipe) screwed to a piece of plywood. Advantages, everything is organized (youcanfind what you are looking for), minimum footprint, you know when something is missing, it's cheaper than any of the fancy things that are for sale and I made to fit my tools in the space available. Is it perfect? No, but so far I haven't been able to figure out an improvement.
+HumbleMechanic the foam holders were sold by Sears as craftsman ones a few years ago, I haven't seen them for a while but they used to come with the bases in multiple colors and they had double sided tape to stick them down in your drawer. I think I still have a few sets in a plastic bag somewhere... I was wondering what I was going to do with my racheting wrenches, I may have to go dig those up. I mostly use sets of plastic rails (kind of like the plastic ones you have but I bought them as single rails and could adjust the spacing, which I cut up the notches at one end because my "slight OCD" drove me nuts that the small wrenches were spaced the same as the large ones. How makes the steel clip ones? I don't have room for a roll cart so I typically will take what I need to where I'm working, which because of my wrench setup means that I typically take one or 2 that I think I need and leave the rest. I'm thinking some of those steel clip ones might let me carry a whole set to where I'm working, I might even clear up some real estate by attaching some neodymium magnets to the back of them and sticking them to the side of my box.
The drawer with the foam holder is my new favorite way to store wrenches also Mac pro torque wrenches come in an awesome case easy to grab from the drawer and then throw in the cart and take across the shop
Coiling a wire coat hanger tightly around a one inch tube or larger, into a spring, to push wrenches into, quadruple my draw space. Fold the ends of the coil out flat, for steady rests. For the smaller wrenches, using a ring binder, used another straight piece of wire,, tie wrap, etc, and they'll stay neatly together in bunches, in the draws and in smaller tool boxes / pouches for carrying. I used a powered pipe threader to wrap the coil with a hole in a pipe, but they can be easily done by hand too with a vise. Cheers.
I wish I had the room to lay things out in a nice neat foam lined drawer, but tool box space is far too premium to spend a drawer that size on three dozen wrenches. I have some set up in the on edge close order storage, which is fine for the largest and smallest, but you're always guessing in the middle, and it's a pain to get them out, and I have the pile, which I hate, but it's space saving, so when tool box space is premium, it's what works. Yes, a larger box is in order, but the tool trucks were paid off three weeks ago and I'm not ready to bring that pain back.
I don't have the real estate for wrench holders, so I use the pile method. I only keep wrenches in the drawer though and separate metric and standard. I can find the wrench I need fairly quickly still. When I upgrade to a bigger box I will probably sort my wrenches better.
I'm a pegboard guy. I like my wrenchs displayed right in front of my face so I can reach them from the bench. I cover as much of my garage with pegbord as possible. because they are not hidden away in rollabouts or cabinets it speeds up how long it takes me to find the correct tool.
As a maintenance man I don’t have much room and have to carry my tools by hand. Well even in my 12’ 4300# main toolbox lol I use a 3” external snap ring. I grind the tabs down some and pinch in it a vice to close them. They hang nice and are great for grab and go.
I keep my stuff in a plastic Bahco tool box. I also have backpack for electricians tools. Almost everthing is in it's original holder or a case. This is perfect for me at the moment since I don't have a van and I live in apartment building with no elevator.
in my mobile box I use aircraft cable with loops on either end. held together with those itty bitty carabiner. they don't lay all pretty and flat, but it's very functional to grab and go.
I use a twist lock wrench hanger on my roll cart for alignment wrenches, with the really popular sizes color coded with tape matching the same colors on my impact sockets. I love the wrench holder from husky because it locks them into place so no matter what they never fall off the side of my cart. 1/4 twist its free , quick n easy.
That little go-kit is nice but something not many talk about is open end access if they're tightly packed like that. It's nice to be able to get your finger under the open end of the wrench to pry it out of the stack fast
I use the clevis pin with the pin attached to the clevis for my boxed end wrenches in my portable tool bag. I can put the metric on one and standard on another. Same thing for ratchet wrenches. Better than digging through a tool bag.
for a portable setup try industrial safety pins. they are great to throw in the bottom of a box. can usually do 10-19 or 7/16-7/8 on one side of a large pin. if you need larger the big box ends fit over the clasp to double up. or just buy another safety pin.
Ernst Manufacturing builds the best racks on the market IMO. Their GRIPPER series of racks are all I use now. They grip the wrenches without scratching them. They have a nice carry handle if you just want to grab your entire set of wrenches for a job. They can be had for $5-$8 per rack. Ernst is who makes the Mac Tools wrench racks.
In my cart I've got a drawer with them sitting in a plastic holder. Near the front of the drawer it has slots for the shorties. Though the main tool box it's almost a crap shoot. I've got the big wrenches like the 3" to 1 1/4" neatly placed and some specialty wrenches on magnetic wrench holders. Though the rest are mostly duplicates that they are jumbled. My mobile setup started with a clip and I've Even used cable Velcro straps to keep them together. I've gotten a set now that came off the truck that has sockets and wrenches that is much easier for keeping things neat for field repairs.
What i use for most of my equipment, (atv,skidsteer,tractor) is a carabiner clip. Just put them through the closed end, then take them off the of clip when not in use
Ive seen guys make thier own foam inserts with the floor pads from HF. Im a mobile tech, not automotive, i have a small tool bag with a few commonly used Tools. I also have a canvas roll with wrenches in it which is great.
I used 12 gauge wire and wrapped it around some pvc pipe to make a coil, fits perfectly, used to have the drawer filled with nothing but wrenches, now I have room for my breaker bars and long extensions and some
I love the way that you work as a mecanic. But you still are liking our comments. That means a lot to me and any youtuber that is still liking comment had my subscription. Thats why i subscribed
I have several methods because I've done mobile repairs, a garage and there's a commercial business I make repairs for . There's nails on the wall above the work bench there
I use large stiff springs in my field box. The gaps in the coil hold the wrenches really well and the diameter of the spring keeps them snug when the drawer is closed.
In my car tool box I use an anodized elongated length color karabiner through the box end of the wrenches. 2 karabiners (one small and one large) for metric, two for SAE and I'm set! Think of it like an oversized key chain.... when I need a wrench I just 'flip' em around like virtual oversized keys, swing the spring loaded gate down and voila, wrench I need slides right off! Works great, wrenches 'bunch' together tight when not in use; you can use the karabiner like a handle to carry around, or put it on a pegboard or hook. It's super compact and it's ultra cheap. The colors let me know at a glance which set is metric or SAE.
Before I sold my 47" tool cabinet and chest: Everything had a place... even the anvil. Now it's scattered in multiple different containers. I think it's time I designed something I can build that stores everything in a compact format. Similar to that one piano maker's custom tool box... fantastic engineering, that.
I don't have the footprint to use the holders so I divided a drawer in 4 compartments. I separated "big" from "small" for metric and SAE. Anything from 14mm is "big" and anything over 1/2 inch is big. The rest go in the "small" compartment. Works for me, tells me where to look fairly quick but I do have to search a little for the size I want to use.
My wrenches are on pegboard hangers like you see product on in a store. I chose this method because my wrenches are a mixed lot from multiple sets with missing wrenches. Try searching through 500 wrenches in a drawer to find a 13mm and pick up 9 different 14mm wrenches in the process.
1/2 off track: My tools were how I fed my family. I have had some great tools. Some were borrowed, stolen, but few lost. I started a deposit system. Leave something I want that's worth more than my tool if you Really need to borrow it. If you bend, break, loose or keep it, your deposit is mine. Mostly stopped the asking to lend. All are scratched and worn. Thanks for your input.
Charles, I'm surprised you didn't come across my personal favorite; making your own holder out of coiled wire. It's non-marking like foam but provides a tight fit and sits the wrenches up so they take up less space in a toolbox drawer. Look up coiled wire wrench holder on Google and you'll see. I have such a mis-match of wrench sizes and brands so this style of holder fits them all well.
In my car toolbag I don't have room to store a caddy like that. So I use a cheap carabiner, similar to what you'd use in climbing. Just a smaller version. This allows you to keep all your wrenches together and pull them all out as a group to avoid hunting all over the bag for the one you need. I couldn't use this method for my garage tools though.
oh yea I took some panels of foam flooring and insulated the drawers in my big boxes I saw one guy on here use a spring to hold his wrenches in order and neat.
single messy drawer of only wrenches...... minimum of 4 10mm wrenches at all times. mixed up of ratcheting and conventional styles. however I have the stubbys in the locking plastic wedge, the flare nut wrenches in thier original blow molded plastic case, and crows foot on a metal strip. wrenches always take the longest to find, but as a Mobile Mechanic, I can't have a giant tool box so space is too tight for fancy holders.
I just got a plastic holder from sears. Haven't tested it. But it looks like it will hold them and be easy to undo. I think it's for on the go. Not sure.. hopefully it's not a pain to use. I got one for my truck. I keep tools in my truck just in case.
At school, they drilled holes into the tool cart and inserted different sized bolts 10mm,12mm,13mm, and so on and the wrenches just fit over the bolts of the correct size.
I do the unorganized mess at the moment. But so far I only have a half dozen wrenches because I'm buying tools as needed for specific repairs, because I can't afford them otherwise. I suspect in the coming months I'll revisit this video as my tool collection grows.
There was an apprentice in the shop where my Dad was a millwright. When the Snap On truck came by every month this apprentice would buy the 2 or 3 tools he found himself needing to borrow the most often during the month. The first time the truck came after he passed his exams he pointed at a large box and told the salesman to fill it up. This cost him right around $20,000 in mid 1970's money, he signed the note for the monthly payments to start the following month. During the next month he broke a screwdriver. Not a big deal he thinks, it's on warranty. The Snap On guy glances at it and tells him he was using it as a pry bar (he wasn't) and no warranty. The kid looks at him for a few seconds and points to the tool box he got the previous month, which he hasn't paid a penny for yet and tells the guy to take it with him, he changed his mind.
I'm surprised you didn't mention springs, all my wrenches in my shop sit on a wall mounted shelf slightly angled down so their easy to see, the wrenches sit on edge held in place by a large spring from one of those spring loaded light poles you often see in the corner of a living room, works great.
A pto lock pin or a quick pin. Similar ta a carabiner,but straight shank and a couple inches long. 1/4 to 5/8 goes on rod,11/16 and up goes on the hoop/latching part. Will carry a full set.
In my HF type 5 drawer cart I used a piece of 7mm plywood then laid out the wrenches and using wooden dowels and aluminium angle, secured them down, best use of available space and costs very little except time and can be laid out any way you like and if you grow to dislike it then just get another piece of plywood and do it all again.
I just have too many styles and types of wrenches to organize them in a tray. It'd take an entire rollaway box to store them all that way. I have one large drawer for all my imperial wrenches and one large drawer for all my metric wrenches. Another large drawer for 1" and above large wrenches. The wrenches just get thrown in there. Some times it's kind of a pain to find the right size but it's the compromise I need to make. z I'm the only one that uses my tools. so they always get out back in the drawer. That's the best I can do. Same goes for screw drivers, one drawer for flat, one for Philips. one for torx, and one for everything else. Works for me. I can't tell you how many drawer organizers that I've bought that ended up in the yard sale.
My wrenches are scattered about, all over my house, shed, cars, and when I need one, I hunt for it until I either find it or get so frustrated that I go out and buy more, of which get scattered about, and the process continues. 🤣
The best way to find a missing tool is to buy a new one, ninety percent of mine are found that way. It shows up usually right where somebody (I...) left it or someone will walk into the shop "You missing this?" or it'll show up in the washing machine etc.
When I had all of my wrenches in a small handheld toolbox I would put them in order with a carabiner through the box end. It's faster than sifting through the bottom of the box and won't get disorganized when your toolbox rolls around the bed of your truck.
I know this is gonna make you cringe but I just tied a rope through the holes and put them in the trunk of my '82 Cabbie. The wrenches, 2 screwdrivers, a spare alternator belt and some tape makes a great roadside emergency kit. :)
Guillaume Filion Never hurts on those cars. I had a box full from junk yard hauls. Also you can use the Horn relay in place of the fuel pump relay temporarily if yours conks out.
I have archeological layers of tool's in my shed. When I can't find something for example a tape measure, I go and buy a new one . When I return to the shed with a new tape , magically 3 old tape measures can be spotted lying around.
A couple centuries ago, when I was a machine operator in a factory, my roll cart had every drawer lined with foam that was painstakingly hand cut with the proper nook for each tool. Judging by the tool chest in my garage right now I'd say I'm over that phase.
We do that a LOT in aerospace due to FOD concerns.
if you don't like scratched up tools you might be in the wrong trade lol.
agreed, along with about a 1/2 inch layer of oil, wd40 and brake clean caked onto them also.
A guy that don't like scratches on his tools is a guy that that don't go mudding with his 4 x 4
Scratched up by use is one thing, scratched up from storage is another. Especially if you have good tools
Michael Baucom my tools are for work not for show. Scratches dont affect their performance.
@@holmes1956O when your working on a million dollar turbine engine and a chunk of chrome flakes of into it because your wrench’s are beat to shit it matters.
I'm diesel/heavy equipment mechanic, with minor sewing skills, so l employ canvas roll ups for my wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers etc. Since I'm versatile( mobile and stationary) and a lot of times in the mud it's convenient to toss the rolls in first then unroll them, do my work and put the tools back mostly dirty and when I return to the yard a quick rinse with a pressure washer makes them look pretty again, LOL. Heck I scratch my tools just removing them from packaging. All my tools fulfil their destinies, they may be scratched and worn but they are loved! LMMFAO!.Good video...
Love the fact that you don't try to sell anything in this video. Kudos to you!
I work out in the field and I keep my wrenches hooked on a carabiner in a bag. They stay organized and I can see the sizes
I personally prefer to store my wrenches and sockets in the original containers that they came in, but I leave the containers open and lay the containers flat in my tool chest drawers. This has two advantages for me. First, they remain organized because the original container design has already done that work for me. Second, I can always just close the lids and take them with me wherever I go. Basically, why reinvent the wheel? I do realize that some containers may be a bit bulky and take up more space that way but I consider the container when purchasing the sets. Sometimes I will just remove the lids and set the lidless container right in the drawer. Simple.
Thought I was the only person who does this lol
My sons store my tools in their tool boxes. You will have to ask them.
I'm a mobile tech on heavy equipment so I have hundreds of wrenches in metric and standard in all shapes and sizes and I absolutely love the harbor freight wrench rings. They are the cheapest and most effective solution to me to keep them together
NICE!!!!
The foam with plastic sorter is a Craftsman "universal divider system" and is found at Sears.
🥺 that's, was found at sears 🥺. I remember seeing that at sears, but for me took up too much room.
My wrenches are in a tool roll, one side metric one side sae. I can drape the tool roll over something and now my wrenches are vertically stored. It’s pretty sweet. It works for me because I don’t necessarily work in a shop, but all around. It allows me to roll up my tools to transport, then display them when I need them wherever.
I'm constantly transporting my wrenches so I keep them in labeled canvas rolls. One SAE and one Metric. It's compact, easy to see what's missing and works great
This was always my go too for my stuff in the truck. It is getting harder and harder to find a decent roll though. Amazon is it, no box stores or auto parts carry then any more. Canvas served me well until I found a set at an estate sale, it's a siliconized rubber with slight padding is the best description I can give. The only issue was it used a built in loop of the material to close. I broke those pretty quickly and you can't sew a tie on it. So the wives stolen hair ties are the way now. Plus they are a few slots shy
Tekton has them in a set
As Germans both my dad and I both use 2 metal toolboxes each that fold out to 4 long slim trays and one large tray at the bottom. In each tray we place the wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, pliers etc. without any holder, but the separate trays allow for small "piles" of tools in which it is easy & quick to find the needed tool. Highly mobile, slim to store, still relatively quick access to every tool. Thank God we use only metric tools and also DIN-standardized screw heads "over here", which keeps the number of actually needed tool sizes to a minimum. Example: Most common sizes are 10-13-17-19-22-24-27, so its easy to keep track of your few tools instead of needing to lug around every tool in a complete gap-free set from small to large in both metric and SAE-size. ATB, Gereon
those plastic and foam ones are craftsman wrench holders from sears, I have them, they are great
Have a peg board with 2 rows of hooks -one row for metric and one for SAE wrenches.have 4 or 5 of each size.just grab and go and when I get done clean up and hang em back up. Have my nice sets in my box .also if someone wants to borrow let them use the cheapo ones on the wall .
Double magnets make for a solid, neat solution
I had those foam/plastic holders. Got them at Sears under the Craftsman brand name.
Yep... I've had the foam wrench holders for a hunerd years. Got a big kit of them pretty cheap as I recall from Sears. They are completely customizable and just stick to the drawer with adhesive.
Jose Esparza Justin
The kit is only 13.99 here in florida
Me too. I would like to get more of them.
my 2 cents worth... my favorite wrench racks are "Ernst Manufacturing Gripper Wrench Organizers" thru summit racing. theyre inexpensive at under 10 bucks each, come in different colors & sizes, & they do a good job of holding ur wrenches in place (& they look just like the "gripper" wrench racks that all my sk's have come on, so maybe made by the same folks?)
I've been beating the hell out of a set of 20 dollar Pittsburgh wrenches on lots of hydraulic work and more for over a year now, and I will swear by those wrenches. They work perfectly for what I do and I haven't had a problem with any of them yet. I buy a lot of harbor freight stuff because I'm cheap and sometimes you'll be disappointed, but a lot of times youll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of some of their tools. Not to mention replacing a 20 dollar set of wrenches is still a lot cheaper than buying a top dollar set, to each their own but this is how I personally feel about tools in general.
I have the foam amd i just slot them all in after im done using them, its much easier to pull them out of the foam and then attach them to the magnetic strip as the day goes on, when the shop gets a little quiet i take the time to replace them all in the correct foam slots. Great video btw.
I store my wrenches in a home Made setup take a peice of stiff copper wire and wrap it around a piece of pipe then spread the coil out and lay the wrenches in the gaps. works like a charm.
cool!
I got 2 arsenal 5872 canvas wrench rolls for Christmas and love them. They roll up compact when I'm storing them in my jeep and have grommets to hang on the wall unrolled with all of them displayed neatly.
Good ideas Charles! You can also buy a foam pool float and make your own cutouts. I've got a vid on that somewhere...
+BleepinJeep nice!! Hey I've been meaning to ask you
Did Jeep only make that Comanche in automatic? I've been looking for a beater truck and I've always liked those
HumbleMechanic no ive seen them with the manual. Those comanches are pretty rare these days.
+BleepinJeep they come up here a good amount. I'd imagine a manual swap is not too bad on those.
My father in law used large springs to organize wrenches. It held them upright and organized - fairly neat idea.
I was a pile of tools guy for two centuries. When my eyes started going on me, omg did I see the value in getting things in their place lol. Wish I had done years ago since yelling at the kids to get the red triangle with wrenches on back wall is easier than the 3/4 open box wrench next to the sledge on the bench near the coffee pot, where I left it.
I'm in constant flux between the pile, and obsessively laid out lines of tools.
I use a fabric wrench roll for combo wrenches, and I use a couple of linked carabiners for my deep offset double box ends.
I store my wrenches in a tool roll. My standard kengh wrenches I store in a roll from harbor freight, while my shorter ones I store in a roll from craftsman.
I’m a mobile mechanic. I use an ammo box with a divider in the middle, separating two piles of wrenches. Metric on the left, SAE on the right. Best and most compact way I’ve found to “organize” them in regards to limited space.
Have you looked into wrench rolls? I think that’s how I’d go if I was more mobile.
HumbleMechanic haven’t really considered them. I will have to look into those!
@@HumbleMechanic wrench rolls are very inconvenient
They bounce around a lot i haven't found a wrench holder that fits my small drawers
I'm in the process of making oneout of an old piece of tin and some long bolts/nuts with heat shrink/vac hose on them. Prevents the terrible clanging when opening and closing drawers, is suited to my specific tools and is a lot cheaper than buying pre made ones (especially snap on with Australian prices!)
One of my co-workers complained about my organization when I told him I had one drawer for things with one handle and a second drawer for tools with two handles. Seemed logical enough for tools I don't use too often. . . .
I use pretty much everything that you're using. I've got the magnetic Snap-on racks for the common wrenches that I carry on my rollcart (on the lid, just like you do). In the big toolbox, I used the plastic holders for the less commonly used wrenches I have, and the 'pile of tools' method for the rarely used ones, or the cheap ones I have so I can modify them if I need a special tool in a hurry.
The plastic/foam strips are Craftsman, I use them myself although the jumbo wrenches from Horror Freight will actually slide the foam part out if you don't cut them the entire depth of the drawer and stick them too close to perpendicular. Sears also has several other overpriced foam organizers you can cut yourself, which I use as well for sockets and extensions.
Any idea of part number & cost, or maybe even a link???
when i was a millwright i had to have all my tools on a roll around tool cart. i had a craftsman top box for most of my small stuff and a big wooden box for my big stuff and my snapon box in my locker. i always kept my wrenches in 2 roll up bags. 1 for standard and 1 for metric 2 wrenches of the same size per pocket. now i have the plastic snapon trays since i work as a mechanic for a major airline.
Currently I use my socket extentions, organize metric small to large, then put a knuckle buster (swivel) on the end to hold them in place. I do the same with Standard. I have a large metric set, a small metric set, and a large and small standard set. Finding what I need is easy, and it keeps the wrenches organized and also takes up less room. Is a pain when I need a knuckle buster, or a long extention, but as long as I lay them down gently it's easy enough to thread them through again. Mine's a mobile set up, with a small 3 drawer and top tray plus the little half tray. I used to use ammo boxes and socks. Roll down the top of the sock and squeeze until they spread out so you can see what you need. Keep one sock for metric and one for standard, plus one for specialty, etc... keeps them from rattling and the socks clean the wrenches.
Coloring your wrenches by etching is also a nice way to tell them appart quickly no matter how they are organized
+MElmo that's true!
a fabric roll bag about 30 inches long and from smallest to biggest.. ..about 40 wrenches in there
I like that idea.
san379 I'd like to see more portable storage. I'm planning to go with the fabric roll up for use in a tool backpack to pack in my Jeep. Maybe two rolls, as I'll need US and metric.
I like the roll up type myself because I usually work on my bike or car in the driveway not a shop and only have a toolbox not a roll cart .
I tried to find a wrench roll a couple of years ago and struck out, so I got a big chunk of denim and made my own. In my opinion it's the only way to go. All my end wrenches are in it and easy to find.
Easy to make your own canvas and heavy stapler and you can lay it on the ground and its a place to lay parts so you don't loose them.
I have the plastic organizers the wrenches came with. They work really well in my roll around. I keep the larger wrenches of each set at opposite ends which compacts the footprint really well.
My dad uses the random pile technique and it drives me insane.
I don't have a garage so I use a tool roll and some plastic holders that my short wrenches snap into.
When ever I borrow my dads garage my tool boxes come with me ( just two medium size portable ones with a handle on top) I'd never get anything done looking through his tools all day.
If I had my own shop I like the look of that cut foam idea.
Use to like roll up wrench bags .
Now I have piles of them and buckets of them .
Takes longer to find what you need than the actual job takes .
Getting old and forget sucks .
Been using that plastic and foam holder for a hunerd years. Mine was bought from Sears in the 20th century. Also use it to organize screwdrivers using just a single run for each row of drivers.
i like having them in order on a carabiner if in a tool bag in the back of the car. not loose, easy to locate the size you need, as space saving as possible.
I have 2 or 3 of every size from 3/8s to 1 inch . I glued 2 pieces of 1/2 inch foam together and then cut out the shape to stand them up . I've never seen a wrench holder for more than one of each size so I've had to make my own . Not 100% happy with it , but it works .
Going to try a 1 by 6 with screws for dividers and a magnet bar to hold the wrenches to the front of the drawer. Not sure if it's going to work but worth a shot .
Update: 5 years later. I tried using the screws for dividers, it worked but definitely not as well as I hoped. So on to plan C. I took a 25 ft piece of 8 gauge wire and coiled it around a piece of 1 inch pipe and then laid it on the 1x6 and once I got the wrenches organized I zip tied it to the board. I'm still using the magnet bar but have labeled it for the wrench sizes. I now have all my wrenches to 1 inch, my metric to 25mm and assorted odds and ends in one 40 inch drawer. Using a larger diameter coil I've done the same thing for my pliers, some of the pliers racks are nice but this setup is adjustable to fit different pliers. For the 1 1/6th to 2 inch I used 2 coils of 1/4 inch brake line (coiled around a piece of 1 1/2 pipe) screwed to a piece of plywood. Advantages, everything is organized (youcanfind what you are looking for), minimum footprint, you know when something is missing, it's cheaper than any of the fancy things that are for sale and I made to fit my tools in the space available. Is it perfect? No, but so far I haven't been able to figure out an improvement.
+HumbleMechanic the foam holders were sold by Sears as craftsman ones a few years ago, I haven't seen them for a while but they used to come with the bases in multiple colors and they had double sided tape to stick them down in your drawer. I think I still have a few sets in a plastic bag somewhere... I was wondering what I was going to do with my racheting wrenches, I may have to go dig those up.
I mostly use sets of plastic rails (kind of like the plastic ones you have but I bought them as single rails and could adjust the spacing, which I cut up the notches at one end because my "slight OCD" drove me nuts that the small wrenches were spaced the same as the large ones.
How makes the steel clip ones? I don't have room for a roll cart so I typically will take what I need to where I'm working, which because of my wrench setup means that I typically take one or 2 that I think I need and leave the rest. I'm thinking some of those steel clip ones might let me carry a whole set to where I'm working, I might even clear up some real estate by attaching some neodymium magnets to the back of them and sticking them to the side of my box.
The drawer with the foam holder is my new favorite way to store wrenches also Mac pro torque wrenches come in an awesome case easy to grab from the drawer and then throw in the cart and take across the shop
Coiling a wire coat hanger tightly around a one inch tube or larger, into a spring, to push wrenches into, quadruple my draw space. Fold the ends of the coil out flat, for steady rests. For the smaller wrenches, using a ring binder, used another straight piece of wire,, tie wrap, etc, and they'll stay neatly together in bunches, in the draws and in smaller tool boxes / pouches for carrying. I used a powered pipe threader to wrap the coil with a hole in a pipe, but they can be easily done by hand too with a vise. Cheers.
carabiners work well for box wrenches and you can imagine it's pretty tricky to get the ones on there
I wish I had the room to lay things out in a nice neat foam lined drawer, but tool box space is far too premium to spend a drawer that size on three dozen wrenches. I have some set up in the on edge close order storage, which is fine for the largest and smallest, but you're always guessing in the middle, and it's a pain to get them out, and I have the pile, which I hate, but it's space saving, so when tool box space is premium, it's what works. Yes, a larger box is in order, but the tool trucks were paid off three weeks ago and I'm not ready to bring that pain back.
LOL congrats on paying off your tool bill! That feels really good.
HumbleMechanic the foam inserts are from Grainger.com. type in 6ZGR5 the search bar
I don't have the real estate for wrench holders, so I use the pile method. I only keep wrenches in the drawer though and separate metric and standard. I can find the wrench I need fairly quickly still. When I upgrade to a bigger box I will probably sort my wrenches better.
I'm a pegboard guy. I like my wrenchs displayed right in front of my face so I can reach them from the bench. I cover as much of my garage with pegbord as possible. because they are not hidden away in rollabouts or cabinets it speeds up how long it takes me to find the correct tool.
As a maintenance man I don’t have much room and have to carry my tools by hand. Well even in my 12’ 4300# main toolbox lol I use a 3” external snap ring. I grind the tabs down some and pinch in it a vice to close them. They hang nice and are great for grab and go.
I keep my stuff in a plastic Bahco tool box. I also have backpack for electricians tools. Almost everthing is in it's original holder or a case. This is perfect for me at the moment since I don't have a van and I live in apartment building with no elevator.
in my mobile box I use aircraft cable with loops on either end. held together with those itty bitty carabiner. they don't lay all pretty and flat, but it's very functional to grab and go.
I use a twist lock wrench hanger on my roll cart for alignment wrenches, with the really popular sizes color coded with tape matching the same colors on my impact sockets. I love the wrench holder from husky because it locks them into place so no matter what they never fall off the side of my cart. 1/4 twist its free , quick n easy.
gizzy nc is it like a mobile carry tray? I just bought one from craftsman
www.homedepot.com/p/13-3-4-in-10-Compartment-Magnetic-Locking-Wrench-Holder-LAW10HD/204766587
15 bucks
That little go-kit is nice but something not many talk about is open end access if they're tightly packed like that. It's nice to be able to get your finger under the open end of the wrench to pry it out of the stack fast
I stretch springs and heat them with a torch to gap the space to store them
I use the clevis pin with the pin attached to the clevis for my boxed end wrenches in my portable tool bag. I can put the metric on one and standard on another. Same thing for ratchet wrenches. Better than digging through a tool bag.
for a portable setup try industrial safety pins. they are great to throw in the bottom of a box. can usually do 10-19 or 7/16-7/8 on one side of a large pin. if you need larger the big box ends fit over the clasp to double up. or just buy another safety pin.
Ernst Manufacturing builds the best racks on the market IMO. Their GRIPPER series of racks are all I use now. They grip the wrenches without scratching them. They have a nice carry handle if you just want to grab your entire set of wrenches for a job. They can be had for $5-$8 per rack.
Ernst is who makes the Mac Tools wrench racks.
In my cart I've got a drawer with them sitting in a plastic holder. Near the front of the drawer it has slots for the shorties. Though the main tool box it's almost a crap shoot. I've got the big wrenches like the 3" to 1 1/4" neatly placed and some specialty wrenches on magnetic wrench holders. Though the rest are mostly duplicates that they are jumbled. My mobile setup started with a clip and I've Even used cable Velcro straps to keep them together. I've gotten a set now that came off the truck that has sockets and wrenches that is much easier for keeping things neat for field repairs.
What i use for most of my equipment, (atv,skidsteer,tractor) is a carabiner clip. Just put them through the closed end, then take them off the of clip when not in use
Ive seen guys make thier own foam inserts with the floor pads from HF. Im a mobile tech, not automotive, i have a small tool bag with a few commonly used Tools. I also have a canvas roll with wrenches in it which is great.
I used 12 gauge wire and wrapped it around some pvc pipe to make a coil, fits perfectly, used to have the drawer filled with nothing but wrenches, now I have room for my breaker bars and long extensions and some
I use: Ernst Manufacturing 6015-Black 40-Tool Space Saver Wrench Rail Kit. It's pretty nice but requires non slip liners.
Regarding the foam/ plastic storage, if you live in the U.K, Halfords do sell this kind of storage
I love the way that you work as a mecanic. But you still are liking our comments. That means a lot to me and any youtuber that is still liking comment had my subscription. Thats why i subscribed
Thank you!!! See I really appreciate all you guys with out you I couldn’t do what I do. Lol
I have several methods because I've done mobile repairs, a garage and there's a commercial business I make repairs for . There's nails on the wall above the work bench there
I use large stiff springs in my field box. The gaps in the coil hold the wrenches really well and the diameter of the spring keeps them snug when the drawer is closed.
In my car tool box I use an anodized elongated length color karabiner through the box end of the wrenches. 2 karabiners (one small and one large) for metric, two for SAE and I'm set! Think of it like an oversized key chain.... when I need a wrench I just 'flip' em around like virtual oversized keys, swing the spring loaded gate down and voila, wrench I need slides right off! Works great, wrenches 'bunch' together tight when not in use; you can use the karabiner like a handle to carry around, or put it on a pegboard or hook. It's super compact and it's ultra cheap. The colors let me know at a glance which set is metric or SAE.
Before I sold my 47" tool cabinet and chest: Everything had a place... even the anvil. Now it's scattered in multiple different containers. I think it's time I designed something I can build that stores everything in a compact format. Similar to that one piano maker's custom tool box... fantastic engineering, that.
The foam/plastic setup is indeed a craftsman product. "Craftsman Tool Chest Divider System" Part #: 65397. Can be purchased from Sears Parts Direct.
I don't have the footprint to use the holders so I divided a drawer in 4 compartments. I separated "big" from "small" for metric and SAE. Anything from 14mm is "big" and anything over 1/2 inch is big. The rest go in the "small" compartment. Works for me, tells me where to look fairly quick but I do have to search a little for the size I want to use.
My wrenches are on pegboard hangers like you see product on in a store. I chose this method because my wrenches are a mixed lot from multiple sets with missing wrenches. Try searching through 500 wrenches in a drawer to find a 13mm and pick up 9 different 14mm wrenches in the process.
1/2 off track: My tools were how I fed my family. I have had some great tools. Some were borrowed, stolen, but few lost. I started a deposit system. Leave something I want that's worth more than my tool if you Really need to borrow it. If you bend, break, loose or keep it, your deposit is mine. Mostly stopped the asking to lend. All are scratched and worn. Thanks for your input.
I don't use organizers but I have a rubber friction pad that sits in each drawer and the wrenches just sit in order on it
Imirish 21 that's what I did. But if I close my drawer to hard, the may slide around a little.
A wrench wrap it nice too, especially if it's made from a waked cotton or leather 👍
Charles, I'm surprised you didn't come across my personal favorite; making your own holder out of coiled wire. It's non-marking like foam but provides a tight fit and sits the wrenches up so they take up less space in a toolbox drawer. Look up coiled wire wrench holder on Google and you'll see. I have such a mis-match of wrench sizes and brands so this style of holder fits them all well.
+Nate Rowe a few years back I made a rig to cut foam for gun cases. Wish I still had that thing. Lol
In my car toolbag I don't have room to store a caddy like that. So I use a cheap carabiner, similar to what you'd use in climbing. Just a smaller version. This allows you to keep all your wrenches together and pull them all out as a group to avoid hunting all over the bag for the one you need. I couldn't use this method for my garage tools though.
oh yea I took some panels of foam flooring and insulated the drawers in my big boxes I saw one guy on here use a spring to hold his wrenches in order and neat.
It's my less used wrenches with no holders that are getting on my nerves. Those are the ones that I need to organize.
single messy drawer of only wrenches...... minimum of 4 10mm wrenches at all times. mixed up of ratcheting and conventional styles. however I have the stubbys in the locking plastic wedge, the flare nut wrenches in thier original blow molded plastic case, and crows foot on a metal strip.
wrenches always take the longest to find, but as a Mobile Mechanic, I can't have a giant tool box so space is too tight for fancy holders.
ykmalachi you're lying. Everyone knows it's impossible to keep even 1 10mm around
I just got a plastic holder from sears. Haven't tested it. But it looks like it will hold them and be easy to undo. I think it's for on the go. Not sure.. hopefully it's not a pain to use. I got one for my truck. I keep tools in my truck just in case.
At school, they drilled holes into the tool cart and inserted different sized bolts 10mm,12mm,13mm, and so on and the wrenches just fit over the bolts of the correct size.
Foam and plastic organizer strips are made by Craftsman at Sears or online
I do the unorganized mess at the moment.
But so far I only have a half dozen wrenches because I'm buying tools as needed for specific repairs, because I can't afford them otherwise. I suspect in the coming months I'll revisit this video as my tool collection grows.
Just don't follow this strategy. czcams.com/video/bhhprwcGMrA/video.html
Another tip. Tell all the apprentices to stay away from your tools.
+Gordon Freeman Hahahha.
+Gordon Freeman tosses you a crowbar. Take care of them pls. ;)
There was an apprentice in the shop where my Dad was a millwright. When the Snap On truck came by every month this apprentice would buy the 2 or 3 tools he found himself needing to borrow the most often during the month. The first time the truck came after he passed his exams he pointed at a large box and told the salesman to fill it up. This cost him right around $20,000 in mid 1970's money, he signed the note for the monthly payments to start the following month. During the next month he broke a screwdriver. Not a big deal he thinks, it's on warranty. The Snap On guy glances at it and tells him he was using it as a pry bar (he wasn't) and no warranty. The kid looks at him for a few seconds and points to the tool box he got the previous month, which he hasn't paid a penny for yet and tells the guy to take it with him, he changed his mind.
Kryten428 interesting story!
AvE has a sticker for that. Something about "dirty dick beaters"...
I'm surprised you didn't mention springs, all my wrenches in my shop sit on a wall mounted shelf slightly angled down so their easy to see, the wrenches sit on edge held in place by a large spring from one of those spring loaded light poles you often see in the corner of a living room, works great.
A pto lock pin or a quick pin. Similar ta a carabiner,but straight shank and a couple inches long. 1/4 to 5/8 goes on rod,11/16 and up goes on the hoop/latching part. Will carry a full set.
In my HF type 5 drawer cart I used a piece of 7mm plywood then laid out the wrenches and using wooden dowels and aluminium angle, secured them down, best use of available space and costs very little except time and can be laid out any way you like and if you grow to dislike it then just get another piece of plywood and do it all again.
I use the protector springs from hydraulic hoses. They work great...
carabineers. Not going to get the full set from tiny to large but just the most common sizes. very good for the mobile tool bag.
Where did you get the metal wrench holders on the lid of your role cart?
I just have too many styles and types of wrenches to organize them in a tray. It'd take an entire rollaway box to store them all that way. I have one large drawer for all my imperial wrenches and one large drawer for all my metric wrenches. Another large drawer for 1" and above large wrenches. The wrenches just get thrown in there. Some times it's kind of a pain to find the right size but it's the compromise I need to make. z I'm the only one that uses my tools. so they always get out back in the drawer. That's the best I can do. Same goes for screw drivers, one drawer for flat, one for Philips. one for torx, and one for everything else. Works for me. I can't tell you how many drawer organizers that I've bought that ended up in the yard sale.
My wrenches are scattered about, all over my house, shed, cars, and when I need one, I hunt for it until I either find it or get so frustrated that I go out and buy more, of which get scattered about, and the process continues.
🤣
Rob L. Rob L that reminds me of my small hammer and screw drivers, I just look in the kitchen draw when they’re not in their proper location.
The best way to find a missing tool is to buy a new one, ninety percent of mine are found that way. It shows up usually right where somebody (I...) left it or someone will walk into the shop "You missing this?" or it'll show up in the washing machine etc.
When I had all of my wrenches in a small handheld toolbox I would put them in order with a carabiner through the box end. It's faster than sifting through the bottom of the box and won't get disorganized when your toolbox rolls around the bed of your truck.
I know this is gonna make you cringe but I just tied a rope through the holes and put them in the trunk of my '82 Cabbie. The wrenches, 2 screwdrivers, a spare alternator belt and some tape makes a great roadside emergency kit. :)
+Guillaume Filion I actually like that for a car kit.
@Guillaume Do you have a spare fuel-pump relay as well? :D
Son of Tamriel Good idea, I'll get one!
Guillaume Filion
Never hurts on those cars. I had a box full from junk yard hauls. Also you can use the Horn relay in place of the fuel pump relay temporarily if yours conks out.
i use an aluminum carabiner in the same way-easier that rope!
Worked with some guys that used large d style clips and large springs to store their wrenches.
at work most people use a carabiner to hold box end wrenches. throw them in a tool bag and in hook what you need
I use a nail on my tool cart for my wrenches because I have lots of the same size Have a good day
In my harbor freight tool cart I use the plastic wrench sets an in my craftsman tool boxes I have them laying in the drawer organize
Can you please describe the mobile/compact wrench storage solution that you showed. Where might I find something like that?