Watching a guy at the local hardware store in Boise use a magnetic bar for his drill bits made me install a whole wall of them for my sockets.

I saw him grab exactly what he needed without looking, so I bought six 18-inch bars for $12 each and now my workbench is a dream, but has anyone found a good way to keep the smaller 1/4-inch drive sockets from falling off?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher_ross1mo ago

That magnetic setup is a disaster waiting to happen. Just get a proper socket rail.

barnes.mason1mo ago

Yeah I saw a video where a guy had his magnetic socket holder fail, sent sockets flying everywhere. @christopher_ross is right about the rail being safer. The magnets can lose strength over time, especially if you drop it or get it greasy. A rail just locks them in place.

xena_fisher491mo ago

Man, that video sounds like my whole life. I'd be the guy who drops the magnetic holder right into a bucket of old engine oil. Christopher_ross has a point about the rail, for sure. Magnets are fine until they just... aren't. I've had one fail and spent twenty minutes finding a 10mm under my workbench. A rail might be boring, but at least your sockets stay put when you bump the thing.