Just realized I was wrong about magnetic socket holders

Uma Lopez · 2026-03-14T19:30:07.207505+00:00

I was talking to my buddy Mike at the auto parts store in Springfield, and he said he keeps his sockets on a magnetic rail now. I always thought the old metal clip trays were fine, but he pointed out how much faster it is to grab and put back a socket when you're under a car. I switched my main 3/8 drive set over to one last weekend and it actually does save time. Anyone else make this switch and notice a difference?

the_elizabeth6mo ago

My brother-in-law had that same "under a car" moment you mentioned. He was always dropping sockets from his old tray, and one rolled right into a drain pan (a real mess). He got a magnetic strip as a gift and now he won't stop talking about how he doesn't lose them in the gravel under his driveway anymore. I guess it's one of those things you don't think you need until you try it.

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felix_jones6mo ago

My cousin Dave in Omaha had a socket roll off his tray and into the lawnmower oil drain last summer. Took him twenty minutes to fish it out with a coat hanger. After hearing that, @the_elizabeth, I finally got a magnetic rail. Now my sockets just SNAP into place. It feels like cheating, honestly. I don't know why I fought it for so long.

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alexlewis5mo ago

Yeah, that whole "under a car" thing is real... I was helping my neighbor swap a fuel pump and his old tray tipped over, sent sockets rolling everywhere in his gravel driveway. We spent more time on our knees with a flashlight than actually working. He ordered a magnetic strip that same night after we found all but one. It's still out there somewhere, probably.

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