If you ever find yourself in any of these situations, it might time for a toolbox reboot:
- You keep having to stop what you’re doing to dig through your mess of tools.
- You’ve been adding to your collection for so long that you only now realize things are out of control.
- You’ve bought a replacement for a tool that you know is in there … somewhere.
- You suspect you’re missing a few tools, but you aren’t sure which ones they are.
There’s nothing more frustrating than spending most of your workday hunting down tools. All that wasted time adds up.
The good news is that this problem has a simple — and maybe even fun — solution: tool organization.
Take Stock of Your Stock
Before you do anything else, set aside an hour or so to look through every tool you own. Sort them into categories:
- Keep
- Sell
- Donate
- Trash
- Store
Be ruthless! If you have duplicates, keep the best one. Put the extra into one of the other piles. Break free of the mindset that you “might need it someday.” Unless it’s expensive or hard to find, you probably don’t need two or three of the same tool.
Do the same with tools that have more than one function. You may find a lot of duplication in this category. Remember, there’s no single answer — pick the tools you like to use the most.
By now, you should have a sense of how many tools you’ll need to organize.
6 Ideas to Keep Any Mechanic Organized
1. Roll-Up Wrench Pouches
Roll up pouches are handy when you need to travel with a set of wrenches — even if you’re only going as far as the other side of the shop. Just roll it up and close with Velcro. The Capri Tools heavy-duty canvas roll-up wrench organizer pouch is a great choice.
2. Wrench Racks
If digging through a pile of unsorted wrenches every time you need one doesn’t seem fun, consider a wrench rack.
Wrench racks are so affordable and easy to use, you’ll wonder why you didn’t grab one (or four) sooner. Racks allow you to quickly grab the exact size you need — no more hunting! Spend ten minutes at the end of each shift re-racking your wrenches, and “tomorrow you” will be grateful.
Capri offers 8-slot and 12-slot chemically-resistant polyurethane wrench racks. Features include flexible slots for quick loading and the ability to either hang them on a wall or store them in a 2-inch drawer.
3. Wrench Trays
Step it up a notch with a spiffy new tool chest or cabinet outfitted with ready-made trays and holders for sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, and more.
The Mechanic’s Tray for Master Combination Wrenches is an outstanding choice for organizing your combination wrenches. Crafted from high-quality EVA foam, Capri Tools’ combination wrench tray fits comfortably in tool chests and cabinets and features large print sizes to help you find what you need fast. It’s made with extra tough material and is resistant to almost anything you can throw at it.
Capri also carries foam trays for super thin wrenches.
4. Mechanic Trays
Remember your sockets? They’re those slippery little things rattling around somewhere toward the bottom of your tool chest. Capri’s metric and SAE billet trays will stop them from wandering. These aluminum trays will pay for themselves fast with the time you save not having to search for sockets.
Capri Tools carries several more thoughtfully designed tool trays for a variety of purposes.
5. Blow Mold Cases
A set of S2 steel-tempered sockets stored in a hard plastic blow mold case is handy for travel and keeps your socket set safely tucked away anywhere. Capri’s socket set line is so well-crafted you may decide to take an “out with the old, in with the new” approach.
Capri’s sockets are exceptionally durable and designed for daily heavy-duty work.
6. Tool Boxes and Service Carts
While this idea isn’t surprising, a sturdy tool box or service cart is an organizational tool every mechanic should own. If you’re not satisfied with the box or cart you’re using now, spend some time exploring all the new options in the market.
Capri Tools offers a wide array of mechanic tool organization products — and the heavy-duty, high-caliber tools you’ll want to put inside.