If you’re like most people who do a lot of work around the home and garage you have a collection of tools you have gathered for decades. Unfortunately as critical as they are, all too often it’s easy to just leave our tools scattered in the toolbox which basically ensures that it will take a lot longer to find a given tool then it should. Aside from generally being a nuisance this actually extends the length of time required to do even the most basic job, as more time might be spent looking around than is actually used to accomplish whatever it is you’re trying to do.
One mark of a professional mechanic is organization, and if you spent any time at all in a garage you will see how much it is worth to these pros to keep everything boxed up or otherwise arranged. This is not about being a neatness freak: it’s about not getting distracted from whatever you’re trying to fix by the hassle of looking around for a tool. Wrench holders are one of the ways that someone with a lot of tools can stay organized. Depending on how you work, there are several different kinds and most mechanics have more than one. If you’re not sure what sort of wrench holder would suit you best, here is an overview of the most popular types:
A wrench wrap is popular as an easy way to transport between 10 and 20 ranches simply by wrapping them in a heavy cloth, canvas or leather holder of this kind. Unlike a box or other methods, wrenches that are tightly wrapped don’t bang against each other and are tightly held until they are needed.
If you’re looking for a cheap solution, take a look at one of the many heavy-duty plastic wrench holders on the market; they may not be the most aesthetically pleasing tool boxes you’ll ever find but they will do the job for less money. In theory this means you would have more cash left over to buy better quality tools! Especially if you don’t have all that many wrenches and do most of your work at home in your own garage, a wrench holder made of strong plastic might be fine for you.
A great way to stay organized is to take advantage of vertical wall space that you have in your work area, and pegboard wrench holders are ideal for this. As easy as it is to buy yourself some pegboard and cheap metal or plastic inserts that you use to hold your wrenches and other tools, plenty of mechanics use this as a way to stay organized as well as accommodate tools. The beauty of having things on the wall, in addition to getting things out of the toolbox so that there is less in there to rummage through, is that you can hang the wrenches you use most often on the pegboard so that you have maximum access to everything.
A variation on the pegboard wrench holder is a magnetic holder for your wrenches. Some people might like the cleaner look that a magnetized vertical surface presents in their work area; either way getting tools out of the box and onto the wall can only save you time.
A wrench caddy is another way to keep the tools in the air in front of you, as it holds one end of your wrenches, leaving your easy access to the other end. Along with wall-mounted solutions a caddie might not be the best way of holding your wrenches if you travel around a lot to different job sites.
A wrench carrier that also bears mention is a spud wrench holder, which plumbers would normally use for these specialized plumbing wrenches. These are often made of very heavy-duty leather, sometimes reinforced with rivets, that the plumber can put his belt through so as to easily carry two or three wrenches.