Picture a messy toolbox. Doesn’t it give you anxiety? Maybe you’re picturing your own toolbox, and every time you work on something, you tell yourself that you’ll get eventually get around to organizing it. But it never happens! There’s always one more project that needs to get done. Well quit waiting, and grab a super convenient organizer.
How to Get Organized
A socket organizer is a simple and intuitive way to keep all of your socket heads together, organized, and accessible. While different socket organizers accomplish the task with different designs and materials, all sockets have a single purpose: making dealing with your toolbox a bit easier.
Storying Your Socket Organizer
The biggest consideration when choosing a socket organizer is where the sockets are going to be stored. Are you going to keep them in a drawer, on a workbench, or do you need to carry them out into the field?
Drawer
The rolling toolbox is the ultimate symbol of shop work, and it’s probably the most common way people store tools. Like the very budget-friendly Sedy on our list, most organizers are designed to load up with sockets and throw in a drawer.
Workbench
If you have a bench or like to work at a station, then there are organizers built for you. Units like the OEM have all the sockets sitting upright in the tray, which makes them super easy to grab and organize. The magnetic Olsa can just be slapped onto any surface, so every place you are working is a workbench.
In the Field
Working out of a truck or a van presents its own unique organizational challenges. Road bumps can knock everything around, and even if your truck has drawers, they are prone to disorganization or the wrong size. Socket organizers like the Makitoyo have all the holders packed tightly, and a carrying handle. It’s super portable and compact, so it’s easy to throw in a box and drive out to a job.
How the Sockets Are Held
The way that an organizer holds a socket varies a lot. The spectrum typically ranges from easy-to-grab and securely fastened. Organizers like the OEM unit here just have a peg that the socket fits on. Super easy to use, but if you knock over the tray, your sockets scatter.
Methods get more secure from there. The standard ball lock has largely replaced the easy-to-bend metal spring locks of the past, and can now be found on even inexpensive units. Some innovators like MLTOOLS have a twist lock, which is very secure. It does take longer to get the socket off the organizer, though. If you want the best of both worlds, you have to pay. Olsa makes a fantastic magnetic organizer. It holds the sockets using powerful magnets, so they are super secure and easy to grab.
Number of Sockets/Type of Sockets
Another important thing you need to consider is the number and type of sockets you have that need organizing. If you have like 100s of ¼” and ⅜” sockets that include weird sizes, getting a single, 10 spot organizer is probably a silly thing to do. Conversely, if all you have is a very simple ⅜” set, something like the 80 spot portable Olsa is a waste of money and space.
Just as a note, labeled organizers usually come in both SAE and Metric. Some companies, like OEM, include both in the same box. Most will make you buy separate units for each standard. There are tools that are neither SAE nor Metric that we talk about below, but you aren’t likely to find dedicated organizers for them.
In our ‘Quick Facts’ section, we list out the capacity of each organizer ranked by the type of socket (SAE or Metric), the size of the driver (1/3, 3/8, or 1/2 inch), depth (whether it’s a shallow or deep socket), and the capacity (number of slots for each size).
Quality
We’ll go over materials and a more in-depth look at what makes a quality tool down here, but the gist is that even cheap tools in our modern era are good enough. We wouldn’t recommend anything that won’t work, so it just comes down to how much you are willing to pay for extra durability.
This top 10 list showcases many different styles and mounting options. Just make sure that whatever organizer you purchased fits your needs, as it’s way more important to pick the socket organizer that works for your situation than to pick the most expensive or fully-featured holder on the market.
Top 10 Best Socket Organizers 2020
1. Best Overall Socket Organizer: MLTOOLS Socket Organizer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Twist-lock
- ¼ drive number: 15/15 SAE/Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 15/15 SAE/Metric
- ½ drive number: 15+15 SAE/Metric
Best Suited For
Deep drawers, the top of a toolbox or small tool caddies are where this organizer is most comfortable. It holds the sockets upright, so shallow drawers beware. It is easy to carry around, and each individual strip of sockets can be removed. That makes this the best compromise between portable, easy, and compact.
Our Review
First of all, we’re fans of the twist-lock system that the MLTOOLS uses. It will hold the sockets upside down, there aren’t any little metal bearings to wear out, and unlike the old-school metal springs, it’s never a fight to get a rarely-used socket off the holder. The individual rails can be removed and carried individually off the tray. They are modular, so you can customize the trays. You can arrange the trays by drive size, metric vs. standard, or any combination of things, all that for a really reasonable price.
There are only two things that slow it down. First, it has tons of space with 90 spots, but it’s an equal number of each drive size. That means you’ll probably have empty ½” spots, and not enough ¼” spots. That’s not a huge deal since it’s pretty much par for the course when it comes to tool organizers. The difference is that since they are sold as a set, you can’t just buy one more rail, you have to get at least 3. Grab the Horusdy 3pc on our list to fill out the kit, as they are cheap and compact.
Second, perhaps the biggest problem is that they won’t hold up to years of hard daily abuse. It is absolutely perfect for everyone who wrenches on their project every weekend or needs a track day set, but not the professional shop. For an ultra-durable model, check out the Olsa portable.
Pros
- Holds sockets firmly with a twist-lock system
- Has a lot of neat features
- Very good value for price
Cons
- Doesn’t come with extra holders
- Plastic clips can wear out with hard use
2. Best Premium Socket Organizer: Olsa Tools Magnetic Organizer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Magnets
- ¼ drive number: 13 deep, 13 shallow SAE
- ⅜ drive number: 13 deep, 13 shallow SAE
- ½ drive number: 7 deep, 9 shallow SAE
Best Suited For
The Olsa Tools organizer is magnetic and holds the sockets upright, so it’s not good for throwing into drawers. It is super good to take with you to whatever you are working on and sticking it to whatever metal surface is nearby.
Our Review
We’ll get the bad out of the way first. The set is an SAE-only version. If you want to organize your metric set too, you’ll need [amazon url=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XV756J6/”]this onet[/amazon] also. That pushes the price for the whole set to well over $100. You could buy 6 of the Makitoyo sets, giving you 480 spots to work with for that much. Each place on this Olsa is precisely the right size. If you have a super mismatched socket set, some of them might not fit. If you have a meticulous setup, this is perfect, but get the twist locking organizer if you have a bunch of random brands for sockets.
What you don’t get with the cheaper units is quality and convenience. An advanced-polymer plastic is nearly unbreakable, but it’s the convenience that pushes this organizer into one of our top spots. Magnets hold the organizer to a surface, and magnets hold your sockets in place. That makes them super easy to remove, but still secure enough to slap the thing on the side of a toolbox. You’ll never have an excuse not to put the socket back in its spot.
Pros
- Magnetic holder is super convenient
- Holds sockets securely
- The labels are easy to read
Cons
- High price
- Tight tolerances for mis-sized sockets
3. Easiest to Use Socket Organizer: OEMTOOLS 22233
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Round plastic peg
- ¼ drive number: 9 short and 9 deep SAE, 12 short and 12 deep Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 12 short and 12 deep SAE, 12 short and 12 deep Metric
- ½ drive number: 14 short and 11 deep SAE, 15 short and 14 deep Metric
Best Suited For
It’s good for benchtops and the top of large toolboxes, as it takes up a lot of space. The pegs stick up too far for drawers, and the sockets are not held securely enough to survive moving around a lot anyway. It’s one of the biggest sets on our list, though, so if you need to hold 170 different sockets, you probably have the space for it.
Our Review
You can choose the colors! Ok, so that’s not an amazing feature, but it is fun to coordinate toolsets. The bigger, cooler thing is that it has a ton of spots for a ton of sockets. There are 170 labeled pegs, with different size pegs for different drive sizes, although nothing is stopping you from putting things on the wrong peg. This versatility is what separates this from our other labeled peg option, the Grip. That, and the OEM has twice as many spots.
You’ll break those pegs off if you are too rough with it. Also, unlike most holders, if you tip the OEM tray over, all your sockets will fall out. Not the worst issues, but definitely something to consider if you’re hard on tools.
Pros
- Tons of spaces
- Very easy to use
- Comes in cool colors
Cons
- Sockets are not held securely
- Pegs can break off if you push too hard on them
4. Best Portable Socket Organizer: Olsa Tools Portable Tray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Ball bearing snap
- ¼ drive number: 20 SAE or Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 30 SAE or Metric
- ½ drive number: 30 SAE or Metric
Best Suited For
It’s got a metal base, a handle, and enough spaces for any portable set. That makes the Olsa Portable tray perfect to be thrown into a truck for travel, or into a backup set that you keep in your trunk for when things go wrong. You can also throw a nail on the wall of your garage and hang it if toolbox space is at a premium.
Our Review
Olsa is a leader in quality, as we have already seen with their giant magnetic system here. This one is affordable though! It’s not the cheapest portable carrier on our list – that honor belongs to the Makitoyo, but the Olsa will survive a lot more abuse. The tray and rails are metal, so you won’t feel bad letting it bang around in a big truck box. They stayed away from the annoying metal spring retainers of old, and instead they opted for the plastic holders with spring-loaded bearings. Those holders hold the sockets securely. A little too securely sometimes, so tight you might have to fight with it to get infrequently-used sockets off.
Most of our complaints are just complaints about the portable tray design. The sockets will be hard to read when they are all packed on densely, and hard to grab when the tool tray is full. Since the same thing is true of other portable sets like the MLTOOLS and the Makitoyo, it’s unfair to use it as a strike against the Olsa. It can be annoying, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
Pros
- Very high quality
- Compact
- Has plenty of spaces
Cons
- Can be hard to read the socket size
- Sockets can be hard to remove from organizer
5. Best Budget Socket Organizer: Sedy 3 Piece ABS
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Ball bearing snap
- ¼ drive number: 16 SAE or Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 15 SAE or Metric
- ½ drive number: 10 SAE or Metric
Best Suited For
This set is great for drawers and boxes. These are just your standard rails meant to hold the sockets in one spot. They won’t really hold the sockets upside down, although the sockets stay relatively firmly on the organizer. They also don’t include magnets or anything convenient for mounting the rack itself. Just throw them in a drawer and enjoy the extra space.
Our Review
Neophytes and occasional mechanics rejoice, because this organization set is cheap. It’s made of ABS and vinyl, which is good enough, and the plastic holders will hold a socket as long as you don’t fling it too hard. You get 41 spaces for less than lunch, don’t try to make it more than it is.
If you need more spaces but still want to keep things cheap, the Makitoyo holds 80 sockets and is twice the price. At that point, you might as well just buy two sets, though, as they’ll better fit the drawers.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Colorful
- Perfect for a small set
Cons
- Retention could be better
- Less-than-stellar plastic quality
6. Best Ultra-Compact Socket Organizers: Horusdy 3pc
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Ball bearing snap
- ¼ drive number: 20 SAE or Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 18 SAE or Metric
- ½ drive number: 16 SAE or Metric
Best Suited For
Unlike a traditional rail holder, the Horusdy organizer has retainers on both sides of the rail. That makes them hold the same number of sockets as a traditional unit, but stay half the length. It’s perfect for small toolboxes or anywhere that space is limited.
Our Review
The Horusdy organizer has a cool feature you won’t find anywhere else: the rails are double-sided, so they are short and wide rather than long and narrow. That’s great if you don’t have very much space to work with as they can fit in smaller drawers and boxes.
Unfortunately, no matter how you carry it, one side is always less than the other. The whole thing is plastic, so quality isn’t the best, and the rubber cap that holds them all together is easy to knock off. They are really cheap, though. It’s only a few dollars more than the cheapest set on our list, the Sedy. If you need quality, get the Olsa portable. If you need to save space, the Horusdy is perfect.
Pros
- Super compact
- Inexpensive
- Easy to read socket stamps
Cons
- Quality could be better
- Rubber end caps prone to wearing out
7. Best Portable Magnetic Socket Holder: Olsa Tools Portable Magnetic Socket Tray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Magnets
- ¼ drive number: 0
- ⅜ drive number: 0
- ½ drive number: 11 shallow and 11 deep SAE or Metric
Best Suited For
The Olsa Portable Magnetic organizer is both shockingly portable and shockingly effective. Unfortunately it’s also small; each tray can only hold a handful of sizes. The best thing to do with it is to fill it with the 20 sockets you use the most and keep it handy as a portable workstation. Throw it in your travel toolbox, hide one under the seat of your car, or keep one hidden in your workshop so your clumsy friend won’t lose all your sockets when he comes over to work on his old beater.
Our Review
This magnetic organizer is really nice. It’s made of strong materials, and the magnets will stick to any metal surface and hold it in place. Plus, even though the sockets are super secure, they are still easy to remove and use. The only thing holding it back from being truly amazing is its small size. It seems like no matter what, the size you need won’t be in the set you brought with you.
In addition to being small, they come in different sizes. If you need a bunch of smaller ¼” drive sockets but bought the ½” drive sized tray, you are pretty much out of luck. They are expensive enough that you probably won’t want to buy a multiple to make a complete set, so you just have to put smaller sockets in the bigger sized slots. The magnets will hold the small sockets in place well enough, but it looks bad. If you need to carry around a lot of sockets, a full-sized setup like the other portable Olsa, or the much cheaper Makitoyo, will serve you better.
Pros
- High quality
- Magnets make the tray super convenient
- Really easy to use
Cons
- On the small size
- Each tray only holds set sizes
8. Best Portable Socket Organizer for Toolboxes: Makitoyo 80-Piece
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Ball bearing snap
- ¼ drive number: 26 SAE or Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 30 SAE or Metric
- ½ drive number: 24 SAE or Metric
Best Suited For
If you saw the c and thought it was perfect, but hated the price, Makitoya has you covered. It’s the same deal: you need something portable that is easy to throw in a box and have at the ready whenever. It holds sockets well enough to survive transportation, and it’s strong enough to take a beating in the elements.
Our Review
The Makitoyo is one of those tools that you come across at Harbor Freight. You are sure you’ve seen the exact same tool with a different label, but it looks like it will do the job you need it for, so you buy it. After all, it was a really good price, so even if it breaks after a year, you won’t feel too bad. It ends up being pretty good quality, though. You get a bunch of false confidence and buy a Pittsburgh Tools Torque Wrench that doesn’t set correctly. You end up snapping off a manifold bolt in an aluminum block. Maybe that last part was just us, but the danger is real.
Get the Olsa portable if you need a better fit and finish than cheap can give you, and get the MLTOOLS thing if you want innovation. Get this Makitoyo if you just need something good enough for right now.
Pros
- Cheap
- Durable enough to throw around
- Has a lot of clips for sockets
Cons
- Clips are hard to move around
- The box says it will hold sockets upside down, but definitely don’t trust it to do that
9. Easiest-to-Read Socket Organizer: Grip 6 pc Socket Tray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Plastic pegs
- ¼ drive number: 11 SAE, 13 Metric
- ⅜ drive number: 13 SAE, 15 Metric
- ½ drive number: 15 SAE, 17 Metric
Best Suited For
Like the OEM organizer, the Grip is mostly useful for deep drawers, toolbox tops, and workbenches. The sockets stand upright, and they don’t lock in very securely. It’s smaller than the OEM in all dimensions, so it’s a little more toolbox friendly. That comes at the cost. The Grip just can’t hold as many sockets as others, even the portable clip-in units. If you have a big kit, then look elsewhere.
Our Review
We love this organizer because it’s got big, easy-to-read labels. It’s also super easy to set the sockets on. There’s just no reason not to put the tools back in their spot. The durability of the Grip is fine. It’s a chunk of plastic that’s probably a little less likely to break than the OEM competitor since the pegs are shorter. The shorter pegs also make it a little easier to use. Rather, it would, but the pegs on the Grip aren’t just normal pegs. They turn into square bases that hold the sockets tighter than conventional designs. It also makes the Grip look better when it’s full of sockets since they stay centered.
It’s got the same drawbacks as the OEM: if you knock it over, all your sockets will scatter. It also has another drawback, which will largely be dependent on your kit. If you have some weird sizes or a lot of different sockets, the Grip won’t have enough pegs for you. Or you’ll have to put sockets on pegs with the wrong label.
Pros
- Easy-to-read labels
- Easy to put the sockets away
- Good price compared to its competitors
Cons
- Not enough spots, especially if you have funky sizes
- Easy to knock the sockets out
10. Best Drawer Socket Organizer: Craftsman Socket Organizer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Stats
- Type of retention: Holes drilled in plastic
- 195 compartments
Best Suited For
It’s a drawer organizer, and that pretty much means you need to stuff it into a drawer. You could probably build a box for it if you wanted. The good news is that it can hold just about anything, with over 195 separate places to put things that are all labeled. If you have a big toolbox and a lot of junk to organize, the Craftsman is a good fit.
Our Review
The Craftsman drawer organizer is a perfect example of something that was almost great. Everything is nicely labeled, but the labels are hard to read. There’s a spot for every type of socket, but it’s organized strangely. It says Craftsman on it, but it’s made of thin plastic. It’s easy to get the tools in and out, but the whole tray system wobbles and moves around.
That doesn’t make it bad. It will hold an entire tool kits worth of sockets in a very neat, organized way. If you have the drawer space, it’s a really nice system for keeping a set together. But there are better options out there: stuff like the Olsa organizer or the MLTOOLS organizer are phenomenal. This Craftsman organizer, although fine for a typical drawer toolbox, just isn’t anything special.
Pros
- A spot for everything
- It can be arranged to fit different drawers
- Every spot is labeled and easy to get to
Cons
- Quality isn’t great
- Nothing exceptional
Tips, Tricks, and Extra Info
Now that the hard part is done, let’s get into some more fun tidbits and information. We’ll hit on some weird tools you might want to consider organizing and give you some pro tips at keeping your space clean. First, we want to address one of the questions we are sure you have after reading the reviews: where’s the metal?
Plastic vs. Metal
Traditional socket organizers used bent metal springs that locked your sockets in place with tension. If you’ve ever used them, you know that they suck. They are prone to bending, and it’s often frustrating to add or remove sockets from the retainers. Comparatively, plastic organizers are easier to manufacture with better tolerances, less expensive, and hold their shape better long term.
The only sacrifice is durability, but the truth is that cheaper metal organizers won’t last long enough without bending to take advantage of their added strength. That’s why no traditional spring metal organizers appear on our recommendation list, they’re simply out of date. Plastic technology is advanced and durable enough that it beats out other designs
Dealing with Unusual Sockets
We note a few times in our reviews that some holders, like the big Olsa magnetic organizer, aren’t good for unusual sockets. The standard socket is hexagonal on the inside, smooth on the outside, and only a little bigger than the size of the bolt head it’s measured for. There are a lot of sockets that don’t fit that description, though. Sockets like:
Impact Sockets
Impact sockets are heavy duty sockets meant for high torque. The thicker walls mean they won’t fit into organizers like the Craftsman.
10-Point and Specialty Sockets
A standard bolt has 6 points, so traditional sockets are either 6 or 12 points. High torque bolts, often used as head bolts, can be all sorts of weird shapes. You don’t want to mix them up.
Bit Sockets
Bit sockets are just like drill or impact bits, just with a hole for a socket wrench instead of a hex shank. They fit on any rail system, like the MLTOOLS, but won’t slide over pegs.
Universal Joints and Extensions
Universal joints allow you to pivot the socket onto a hard to reach bolt, and extensions move the wrench further away from the bolt. Most people store them in a drawer next to the organized sockets, but they do sell special organizers like [amazon url=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVSWXDP/”]this one[/amazon] from Ares.
Adapters
They make adapters for everything. The most useful are upsized adapters, from ¼” drive to ⅜” drive, and impact driver adapters. Impact drivers that use a standard ¼” hex lock need to be converted to square drive so you can use sockets with them. Ares makes [amazon url=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D9VGY55/”]this organizer[/amazon] for adapters, but a traditional socket organizer won’t accommodate an adapter.
Other Ways to Organize Sockets
While a specially-designed socket organizer is the best way to keep sockets organized, there are other ways to store sockets. Some of the following are below:
- Tool Pouch: An inexpensive tool pouch will keep your sockets together, but it won’t keep them organized. To keep your sockets organized and portable, you’ll need a specific organizer designed for travel like the Craftsman.
- Workbenches: As workbenches are stationary, they don’t have to meet the same design constraints as portable or semi-portable socket organizers. We’ve seen DIYers take really unique and beautiful approaches when designing wooden socket holders.
- Work Van: While a work van with toolboxes can be customized for ease of use with a socket organizer like the Makitoyo, a work van with a pegboard can be used to organize sockets cleanly.
Other Oddities
The average socket organizer is meant for either Metric or SAE sockets in the three most common drive sizes. Nothing is ever that simple, and there exist a ton of socket categories outside of those ones that you might encounter. For instance, British Standard sockets are just a little bit different than American Standard sockets. You can read more here on Whitworth sizes, but if you are working on an old MG, you probably already deal with that frustration.
Sockets also get gigantic. There exist ¾” and 1” drive sockets that get massive in diameter. Tractors and other heavy-duty equipment require-heavy duty tools. The good news is that weird stuff like this is rare, so chances are you won’t be needing to organize them in your toolbox anytime soon.
Pro Tips for Staying Organized
If you are buying socket organizers, you probably care about keeping your entire workspace orderly. It can be an absolute pain to do that, though. We asked a handful of pro mechanics to give us some tips and tricks in keeping organized.
Force Yourself to Clean Your Tools
Make it a habit to clean your tools after you use them. There are two reasons. First, having clean tools is nice. There’s an old saying about how the difference between a good mechanic and a great mechanic is a white shirt; keeping a shop clean makes everything better. Second, it forces you to put the tool away. You build a routine that is easy to stick too.
Take Trays and Boxes With You
Even if it’s just a cardboard box, keep containers within reach wherever you are working. That way, you can throw parts and tools into the box as you work, rather than scattering them to the winds: the more boxes, the better. Also, use boxes to hold bolts by drawing a rough diagram on the cardboard and stabbing the bolts through where they go.
Limit Your Trips to the Toolbox
Use magnetic trays, or organizers like the Olsa to take more tools with you to a project than you think you need. Every time you make a trip to the box is a chance to leave a tool behind, and the likelihood of you putting it away dwindles.
Make a Spot for Everything
It’s one of the best parts of having an organizer like the OEM peg system. You get a lot of labeled spots, and having a spot for a tool makes you more likely to keep it organized. It’s usually best to start with big categories and work down to individual tools. Like, this toolbox is for engine tools, this drawer is for socket wrenches, and this space is for the holy 10mm. The more categories you have, the less paralyzed by indecision you will be, and the easier it is to organize things.
Clean Toolboxes Finish Projects
Having to look for the right size wrench kills momentum. The time and extra effort it takes to dig through a pile of mismatched tools can make even seasoned mechanics lose their cool. Don’t do that to yourself. Make your life better and organize those boxes!
Source: Tools - autoquarterly.com
