I stumbled upon Tool Grid, an organizational system for tool box drawers. Although pricey, the Tool Grid system looks space-efficient and allows for a high level of customization.
Most of the images shown here show Matco tools, as that’s where I first learned about the products, but the organizational system is also available from other automotive tool brands as well.
With these tool organizers, you can layout a tool drawer to fit custom assortments of common mechanics tools, such as wrenches, sockets, ratchets, screwdrivers, extensions, and other such gear.
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At the heart of the system are perforated plastic boards that are sized to fit Matco tool box drawers.
Don’t have a Matco tool box? Tool Grid is also available from Cornwell, Mac Tools, and others.
The boards are 3/8″ thick and can be purchased in different sizes. It looks like they can be trimmed down for a custom fit if needed.
There’s another style of Tool Grid board that appears to be scored for easier separation, but it doesn’t look to be available for purchase anywhere yet. The company recently showed off new color options on their social media feed.
Each of the tool holders are screwed down, with locator pins helping to keep everything aligned and in position.
Matco has different holders and accessories which can be purchased as part of larger sets and assortments, or individually.
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Small angled wrench holders, for example, are available in packs of 10, in blue for metric and red for SAE.
They also have taller dividers that look to work well for holding pliers and tools like hex key sets in a space-saving vertical orientation.
Tool Grid recently showed off some of their new options at a Mac Tools fair, such as parts bins and cordless drill and driver holders.
From the prices on Matco’s website, the cost to outfit a tool box is going to be steep, on the order of maybe $100 per drawer – at least.
If you’re a pro user with tools spread all over your drawers, the cost might be worth it. If not, consider this a DIY-inspirational type of project. This seems like the perfect type of project for 3D printing enthusiasts.
Dave P
It looks like at least the end wrenches fit their holders pretty snugly but I really can’t tell if they snap in or just lay in–the kind that snap/kind of lock in are a pain. Might work for fixing a bicycle but for actual mechanic work when you end up using dozens of tools it’s far better if they just drop in place and therefore remove easily. The FREE (or at least they don’t add very much at all to the cost) holders that come with Milwaukee end wrenches are very good in this regard.
Too pricy anyway. I’m not into displaying tools, but rather using them.
Mario
What is an “end wrench”? ASE certified tech here asking.
Stuart
Open end maybe?
Munklepunk
Box end, closed end, open end, whichever. They have always been called end wrenches.
Stuart
I’ve never heard that either, but it sounds right.
Every now and then I’ll hear “socket wrench” for sockets, but never “end wrench” for wrenches. They’re usually either combination wrenches with open and box ends, open end wrenches for double open ends, and box end wrenches for double box ends.
Kurt
I haven’t heard that term for, and I was a NIASE certified tech back in the day.
Bear
End wrench is the correct terminology when talking about these types of wrenches non specifically. I am not certified anymore but I am old and certifiable.
MM
The term “end wrench” by itself is incomplete. It’s missing the designation for what type of end. I have never heard or read the term “end wrench” used alone, it is always in conjunction with some prior term. I.e. “box end wrench”, or “open end wrench”. Other types of wrenches are variations on those basic designs. A combination wrench is open end + box end. An offset box end is a specific type or subset of box-end wrenches. Another example of that would be a ratcheting box end.
Steve
I like the organization, but 100$ per drawer is kind of crazy to me for what looks like a bunch of plastic. I’m pretty organized regardless. I like the concept, not so much the price…
Plain+grainy
It has its good points, but not very practical price wise. Tool manufacturers are doing a good job of providing organizational boxes with their tools. And the price is usually palatable.
Daniel L
Neat stuff, but the thing that keeps me from going deep with this kind of is the complexity and cost of a build…not to mention a lack of local availability. It’s the kind of system I’d start by making a single order, figure out that I need like 5 more of a piece to make it work for me while a good 30% ends up unused and taking up extra space in my workshop…
Now…pair the base concept with a library of 3d models in fusion 360, and I would be IN. My 3d printer would be humming along for weeks.
John804
That would be amazing. I’ve been drooling over the Gridfinity system mentioned below by Mike, but a 3d-printed version of this would use significantly less filament, especially if you use common pegboard as the base grid.
Jared
For someone working out of their tool chest for a living, this probably adds enough speed to be worth the investment.
It’s also nice that it could be reorganized easily and customized for the tools a person has. Not so easy to add a new tool if you’ve done foam shadowboxing, for example.
Alternatively, I organized a wrench drawer with Toolbox Widgets recently and I’ve been pretty happy. There’s no lock to overcome to retrieve a wrench and they hold the wrenches reasonably close together for good density.
Jack D
I tried out Toollodge this last fall, and have been pretty happy with it overall. Customizable to a fault, and still does what I need. Takes some time to setup and design, but I can’t find a better customizable drawer system…
Dave P
As someone who spends about a third of his living working out of big toolboxes, having the end wrenches “snap” or Lock” into their holders is a nightmare-takes two hands to get one out or put one away. No one in the trenches would even consider that type of a holder.
MM
Pro:
It looks like a very flexible design that you can customize it however you like and it should fit most toolboxes easily by cutting down larger panels if necessary.
Cons:
Expensive.
Looks like it would be difficult to clean with all the unused mounting holes for crud to fall down inside.
Doesn’t look very space-efficient to me; other tool organization solutions can reduce wasted space between tools.
D K
looks like wall control for the toolbox. this lends itself vell to 3D printing. purchase the Tool Grid Base plate and print the holders. or pay someone to print them. Thingiverse and Printables.com have a lot of similar projects just not as nice.
Myself
Reminds me of the “socket and screwdriver bit organizer” reviewed here in 2014. Shame they didn’t keep compatibility with that system, it was a good start!
Stuart
I was thinking about the same. https://toolguyd.com/socket-screwdriver-bit-organizer/
Lee Valley stopped selling it, although it’s now available under FreeZone branding elsewhere.
Scott K
I remember this- the look of this is great and it seems very efficient if you regularly use sockets near your point of storage. I tend to bring my tools to wherever a project is, so this would create a lot of extra trips.
Chris I
I tried doing this with pegboard and dowels in my own toolbox. It’s so tedious I barely got started before giving up. Plus, try and envision getting your whole socket drawer dialed in with sockets and maybe wrenches, perfectly aligned and laid out………and then bam, you need to buy a 34mm special socket.
This stuff looks good on paper and trade shows and tool website pictures, but not really a practical application product.
fred
When we acquired our fabrication company – the tool room had shadow boards and Lista storage solutions were laid out for a business that was failing and designed for workflows and assembly manufacturing that no longer existed. We embraced lean manufacturing and six sigma practices – but it took some time and money before we had things redesigned to fit what our new business had morphed into. Static designs have the advantage that everyone learns where everything is – and when reaching for a tool it’s almost like “muscle memory” kicking in. The disadvantage – like you say – is that when you make customized one-off products your tool needs (and storage priorities) are likely to change.
Franco
Very true but no different than foam cut out inserts; great till you get a new 34mm socket… or new wrench, screwdriver, or whatever.
There’s the Hansen type that have all the sockets, so you have empty spaces taking up room for sockets or wrenches you don’t have.
Tough o find the perfect system that caters to your tools and has easy flexibility to change or add as your tools change.
MM
I use the Hansen type trays, they do have advantages but they’re not perfect. In addition to having spots for very uncommon sizes, they are also missing a few sizes: mine are are lacking 26mm and 1-3/16 in 1/2 drive, as well as 21mm and up in 3/8″ drive. There’s probably others, those are just ones I remember off the top of my head.
I don’t think there ever can be a perfect solution. Anything with fixed dedicated spaces is always going to missing some things and have unwanted compartments depending on the owner’s needs. A custom solution can avoid that problem, but then it has to be re-done every time you add or remove a tool from the setup. So one either accepts that the organization will never be truly perfect, or one has to be prepared to spend a lot of time and money constantly updating a custom solution.
Franco
Yes…depending on how many tools you have and what you use, example…Hansen, can make a big difference.
I have the Hansen, and a couple of empty spaces is not a big deal…like on my 1/2″. My 1/4′, I don’t have many, so many empty spots; it almost defeats the purpose of organization.
Consider a mechanic, where drawer real estate is at a premium, they probably would not be a fan of the Hansen.
Like you say, a custom setup that can be changed would be the best. And it would need to be easy to change the config.
There probably will not be a one suits everyone solution, but there are some which can be easier to revamp which work better for some and others will prefer something like the Hansen (I am satisfied with mine)
Jared
I’m using Ernst trays for my sockets.
One advantage of that design is that the posts slide along “toothed” rails, so you can set the spacing yourself and the pegs stay where you set them.
They also come with stickers to label each peg so you don’t have any unused pegs and can add a peg afterwards easily enough.
On the other hand, I’m using the twist-lock pegs and I bet those would annoy some people. Easier to just drop a socket on a Hansen post than to push and twist it to lock. I like it regardless because I often remove an entire tray to work further away from my tool box. That’s easy to do with the Ernst trays and nothing falls off if I throw it in a bag or hold it sideways.
ljp
This product is sold by multiple vendors. I find the the holders are reasonable, obessedgarage.com has a 25 count of socket holders for $6, it the bases and screws are the highest costs.
John
It would be fun to do a full layout with this system, but the cost would definitely escalate quickly. I can see this being a bit frustrating if you have to add tools or rearrange the drawer once the initial layout is configured and screwed in place.
Zoom-Zoom Callahan
https://toolgridsystem.com/
Website for anyone hunting for them.
Looks like a neat idea. I wonder if they will make a packout compatible version
Mike
Gridfinity is an open source 3d printing project worth checking out:
https://gridfinity.xyz/
It is based on Alexander Chappels Assortment System, licensed under CC-A-NC-SA, partly inspired Zack Freedman’s initial designs of Gridfinity.
I do not remember where I saw it, I think it was Reddit, but someone came up with the idea of using corrugated plastic sheets and bobby pins.
Jeremy Schmidt just shoed off his DIY box system using scrap card board.
Mike
Not that Lego are cheap, but I wonder if that might be an interesting place to start.
Mike
Thanks for this link. Way cool.
Mike
I did not reply to myself! hahahaha
Tim D.
Now you did
aaron+s
Thangs.com has lots of gridfinity, including fast printing vase mode stuff
BigTimeTommy
Crazy that it would actually be cheaper to buy a 3D printer and do it yourself. Only marginally more tedious.
eddie sky
Unfortunately,I’m not that ocd-organized to figure out best drawers, least used, what to label, and adding/removing tools. Only a few years ago, I just started using mats in the drawers.
Jim
I have two KRA series Snap On boxes. One single bay bought used in the late 70’s. Another 3 bay bought new in about 2000.
One or the other was used professionally, daily, until 2015.
Both boxes have a shallow drawers that are 1 3/8” deep.
No way would I want to give up 3/8” of depth to an organizational system let alone spend maybe $100 per drawer.
Also, I consider my self to be well organized almost OCD
Chip
Plastic panels with snap in clips will wear very poorly.
Drop-in wrench holders,magnetic rails,plier racks, and socket holders are a much better use.
I have 100lbs of 3/8 sockets in a single drawer of a short chest,all on metal rails and easy to spot the missing.
Kilgore Trout
Magnets, duct tape, wire, hooks, re-purposed containers, wood blocks/screws/dowels, glue, color-coding, etc. It’s not pretty, but it’s flexible, cheap, and faster. Leave some space for expansion, parts, and “misc.”
Home handyman: be ready for most common stuff. Professionals/specialists may benefit from purchased organizers due to more predictable work.
I don’t take pics of my tool boxes.
Nathan
shadow boxing is big in the aviation section. I always liked the 2 color foam setups where a missing tool “glowed” in the drawer. Stahlwhile and someone else would put neon yellow or like color under a black top color. Snapon offered red at one time.
I liked that and usualy you already has a masterset kitted out.
I don’t mind the grid thing but I would only buy the mac or other stuff if it came with the tool box as part of a deal. Otherwise I would add on something. I like this 3d printed thing going around.
another option was magnetic holders some time ago forget who made those but they were nifty. think rail for sockets – that held the sockets and the rail would hold down for your steel drawer.
Britt
There are tons of good 3D print files out there for 0 or little cost. Less expensive to buy a 3D printer and print your own then pay $100 for drawer.