We are fortunate to have many very clever and creative members on the GTT Forums sharing ideas and insight which is very helpful. Of course, we have a few "others" :laugh:. If we can have a thread which has gone on now for hundreds of postings about tractor KEYS, why not get started with tool organizing?:lol:
Since we have threads and forum categories with photos of everything from tractors to critters, what makes us smile and numerous other topics, I thought maybe it was time to start a thread where we can post pictures of how each of us deal with our hand tool organization and storage.
Whether you use a tool chest, tool boxes, a 5 gallon bucket, a wall organizer or a pile in the middle of the work bench, I thought it would be interesting and hopefully an opportunity to get new ideas and share what works and what doesn't with our tool organization and storage.
Many of us have significant investments in our tools.:gizmo::gizmo:The vast majority of the GTT topics involve repairs, maintenance and other issues which require the use of tools to achieve our goals. There are numerous tool organizers available in the marketplace. It will be interesting to see how these work in the real world and whether the members who use them find they were a good investment. I know I have tried several different "tool organizers" over the years which I did not like nor find helpful so I discarded them.
So, I will start the process with a few photos. I encourage all of the GTT members to jump in and share their photo's with us. Thanks to all who choose to participate.
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This is the center of my main tool chest. It has the hang on sides with drawers in the side compartments. I will need to get a better picture of the entire chest assembly. I bought this at Home Depot (H.D.) several years ago and have been very happy with it. I have three other tool boxes which are smaller than this one. I am considering a new tool chest, again from the Home Depot, to consolidate the other three smaller chests into one so I can eliminate these other boxes and their inefficient use of space.
While this box has Harley Davidson decals in the lid and on it's sides, I added those and the two lights in the lid. The socket posts missing sockets are because I have an ongoing project on the work tables right now and many tools are out being used on that project so they are organized on that bench while I am using them.
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This is a closer look at the very top of the box where the sockets sets I use the most often are located inside the lid. I really like the socket organizers I am using. At the tip of each post on which the individual sockets are stored, is the size written large in white so it is very easy to read. You don't need to look at the actual socket to see the sizes. I tried numerous other styles and methods and for one reason or another, didn't care for them.
I have all of the Metric sockets on the left and SAE on the right in the top area of the box. They are organized by drive size so it is 1/4" in the front, 3/8th" immediately behind those and the 1/2" drive sockets are in the rear so it's easier to see them all. I have numerous other sockets in other drawers such as one drawer for all impact sockets, another drawer for all of the 3/4" drive sockets, etc.
The top drawer has 3/8" and 1/2" drive ratchets lying across the front by length. The 1/4" drive ratchets are in the left section of the plastic tray. Various extensions and swivels are sorted by drive size in the other trays. Of all of the methods I have tried over the years, I prefer this one for the ratchets, extensions, etc.
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Over the years, I have accumulated several of each size combination wrenches, in both SAE and Metric. Each of the plastic compartments in the photo contain two sizes of wrenches, with the left side bin having several of each of the smallest wrenches. This drawer has SAE wrenches from 1/4" to 5/8th". The wrenches are different lengths, brands and some are 6 point box ends others 12 point box ends. The drawer beneath this one has wrenches from 3/4" up to 1" SAE. I have another drawer in one of the other boxes which has box end wrenches from 1 1/8" up to 2". Due to the number of wrenches I have, the Metric wrenches are in lower drawers using the same organizers. I have a separate drawer for ratchet wrenches, another drawer for stubby wrenches and another for Tubing Wrenches and another for AN Fitting Wrenches.
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Smaller drawers such as this one contain Torx Bits, Allen Bits, Allen Wrenches. I use the trays which came with the sets so they can lie flat in the drawers.
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This drawer has SAE and Metric Nut drivers and stubbies. I try to keep the SAE and Metric tools of the same type together in the same drawer whenever possible. In the cases of wrenches, I just have too many to use even a couple of drawers. The flat chisels are in this drawer along with the long handled torx drivers simply because there was room.
The nut driver set originally came in a plastic pouch which snapped shut and for awhile I kept those nut drivers in the pouch. But it made getting them out cumbersome so I pitched it. I did keep the clear flat tray which was in the packaging when I received the stubby nut drivers and it is very handy for storage as it keeps them together and organized.
I have a drawer the same size as this one which contains all of the screwdrivers. Another of the drawers I use for drill bit sets so all of the bits are lying flat and it's easy to see the bit size. For whatever reason, I have 6 or 7 different drill bit sets in the drawer including all sizes, a letter set of bits and all corresponding metal taps and the cross handles and other mounting tools.
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This drawer is primarily "Oil Change" tools with the different sized filter wrenches, etc., but this drawer begins to demonstrate why I need another tool box because I have some 3 jaw pullers mixed in this drawer and a few others where they will fit. The big brass item is the tool for blowing the air out of my lawn irrigation system in the fall. I don't like having the same type of tools spread around in different locations because of space. Also, for those with really good vision, there is a stun gun along the front of the drawer:dunno:. Hey, you never know......:laugh:
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This is a "catch all" drawer and holds the "longer items" like bolt cutters, longer ratchets and extra sockets which are duplicates of the sockets contained in the very top of the tool chest. I have a couple of 3' long extensions and also this drawer but hard to see are all of the "car entry tools" used by locksmiths to get in a wide variety of vehicles.
While I thought the red plastic socket organizers with the magnetic bases to hold the sockets would be handy, in reality, they result in "stacking" and I really don't like stuff stacked that requires me to dig through or move to get to what I need. This drawer would be reorganized when I get the new tool chest and the "stacking" will be eliminated.
So this is a brief look at my main tool chest to give an example of the methods and organizers which I find handy. The other 3 boxes are each smaller than this one. One contains a few deep drawers of all of the 18 volt cordless tools. Then a drawer dedicated to every size and shape zip tie. There are drawers of just snap ring pliers of numerous sizes and angles. Another drawer is just sheet metal fabrication tools.
While the main box is pretty well organized, the other boxes have several deep drawers and I have far too much stuff stacked on top of other stuff, which I really don't like. I am considering adding the following box to the red box shown in the pictures to get rid of the 3 smaller boxes and to permit me to get things better organized. I would prefer to get the new box in red to cut down on the dust, finger prints, etc.
Husky 52 in. 18-Drawer Tool Chest and Rolling Tool Cabinet Set, Black-HTC5206 HMT5212 - The Home Depot
Since we have threads and forum categories with photos of everything from tractors to critters, what makes us smile and numerous other topics, I thought maybe it was time to start a thread where we can post pictures of how each of us deal with our hand tool organization and storage.
Whether you use a tool chest, tool boxes, a 5 gallon bucket, a wall organizer or a pile in the middle of the work bench, I thought it would be interesting and hopefully an opportunity to get new ideas and share what works and what doesn't with our tool organization and storage.
Many of us have significant investments in our tools.:gizmo::gizmo:The vast majority of the GTT topics involve repairs, maintenance and other issues which require the use of tools to achieve our goals. There are numerous tool organizers available in the marketplace. It will be interesting to see how these work in the real world and whether the members who use them find they were a good investment. I know I have tried several different "tool organizers" over the years which I did not like nor find helpful so I discarded them.
So, I will start the process with a few photos. I encourage all of the GTT members to jump in and share their photo's with us. Thanks to all who choose to participate.
While this box has Harley Davidson decals in the lid and on it's sides, I added those and the two lights in the lid. The socket posts missing sockets are because I have an ongoing project on the work tables right now and many tools are out being used on that project so they are organized on that bench while I am using them.
I have all of the Metric sockets on the left and SAE on the right in the top area of the box. They are organized by drive size so it is 1/4" in the front, 3/8th" immediately behind those and the 1/2" drive sockets are in the rear so it's easier to see them all. I have numerous other sockets in other drawers such as one drawer for all impact sockets, another drawer for all of the 3/4" drive sockets, etc.
The top drawer has 3/8" and 1/2" drive ratchets lying across the front by length. The 1/4" drive ratchets are in the left section of the plastic tray. Various extensions and swivels are sorted by drive size in the other trays. Of all of the methods I have tried over the years, I prefer this one for the ratchets, extensions, etc.
The nut driver set originally came in a plastic pouch which snapped shut and for awhile I kept those nut drivers in the pouch. But it made getting them out cumbersome so I pitched it. I did keep the clear flat tray which was in the packaging when I received the stubby nut drivers and it is very handy for storage as it keeps them together and organized.
I have a drawer the same size as this one which contains all of the screwdrivers. Another of the drawers I use for drill bit sets so all of the bits are lying flat and it's easy to see the bit size. For whatever reason, I have 6 or 7 different drill bit sets in the drawer including all sizes, a letter set of bits and all corresponding metal taps and the cross handles and other mounting tools.
While I thought the red plastic socket organizers with the magnetic bases to hold the sockets would be handy, in reality, they result in "stacking" and I really don't like stuff stacked that requires me to dig through or move to get to what I need. This drawer would be reorganized when I get the new tool chest and the "stacking" will be eliminated.
So this is a brief look at my main tool chest to give an example of the methods and organizers which I find handy. The other 3 boxes are each smaller than this one. One contains a few deep drawers of all of the 18 volt cordless tools. Then a drawer dedicated to every size and shape zip tie. There are drawers of just snap ring pliers of numerous sizes and angles. Another drawer is just sheet metal fabrication tools.
While the main box is pretty well organized, the other boxes have several deep drawers and I have far too much stuff stacked on top of other stuff, which I really don't like. I am considering adding the following box to the red box shown in the pictures to get rid of the 3 smaller boxes and to permit me to get things better organized. I would prefer to get the new box in red to cut down on the dust, finger prints, etc.
Husky 52 in. 18-Drawer Tool Chest and Rolling Tool Cabinet Set, Black-HTC5206 HMT5212 - The Home Depot
Thanks for taking the time to review this information.
