I dropped almost $400 on a full set of those fancy magnetic socket holders and I'm calling it a waste now.

I mean, I saw them all over the place and thought it would be a game changer for keeping my sockets in order. The idea of them sticking right to the side of my box was cool. But in a real shop, they just collect metal dust and grime like crazy. After about a month, the magnets were so gummed up that sockets would just slide off if I bumped the tray. I had a 10mm fall into a customer's engine bay, and that was the last straw. It took me twenty minutes to fish it out with a magnet on a stick. Now they're in a drawer, and I'm back to my old plastic rails. Has anyone found a good way to keep sockets both clean and easy to grab?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon3782d ago

Yeah those magnetic trays are a total trap for a working garage. The metal dust sticks to them and makes a mess. What worked for me was just getting a cheap parts washer brush and giving the rails a quick scrub with some simple green every Friday before closing up. Keeps the sockets from getting gritty and you don't have to fight to pull them off.

derek782d ago

That "quick scrub every Friday" plan sounds good on paper, but it's another chore that just doesn't happen when you're busy. I gave up on keeping them clean and just use the old rails now. The sockets might get a little dirty sitting in them, but at least they don't dump themselves onto the floor.