Whats the best way to organize a ton of used tools? Think of a bunch of tools thrown into totes.

[braxx]

This may sound dumb but do you have have a good process for sorting / organizing containers filled with random tools?
Think of 5-6 totes each nearly full of misc. tools. Anything from deep/shallow sockets (1/4, 3/8 and 1/2) metric and standard, special sockets (ie, spark plug, o2 sensor, large torx male and female), bits (Phillips, standard, torx, hex, etc..) screwdrivers, ratchets, every type of pliers, pipe wrenches, prybars, air tools, cutting wheels, gasket surfacing discs, blah blah blah....
Think of 2 large tool boxes full of tools and randomly dumping all of the tools into totes.

I was thinking of getting 10 to 12 , 5gal buckets .
Start simple, sockets into one, ratchets into one, screw drivers into another, etc...
Then once sorted that way. Take the socket bucket and sort it by 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive. Then sort each drive size by standard and metric.
I think if I try to sort everything too granularly right off it will not be efficient.

Maybe I'm over thinking it, but if you have a process that works for you or if you have seen something like this posted somewhere else, let me know.

 

[boosted gt]

just sell em to me and let me worry about sorting em. j/k

your plan seems ok, are these mixed brands or all the same?

 

[braxx]

just sell em to me and let me worry about sorting em. j/k

your plan seems ok, are these mixed brands or all the same?

Mixed brands.. I got in a bad habit of just buying more tools instead of organizing what I already had. Now i NEED to organize the garage and sort these dang tools.

 

[Scott714]

I have this problem but it's a bunch of oil boxes full of tools from everytime I work on something. Sorry no help...

 

[Hugger Z]

Sorting is always a good start. Then you can figure out how you want to store them (toolboxes, totes, etc).

 

[COBRA90GT]

Sorting them out with the buckets is a good start.

I guess you could always lay down a big piece of tarp in your garage and dump them all out like a million Lego pieces and sort 'em out that way too. Then just slowly divide them up and into their proper place over the course of a weekend or something (?).


G'luck - I'm not jealous of that task at ALL ! LOL

 

[braxx]

Sorting is always a good start. Then you can figure out how you want to store them (toolboxes, totes, etc).

Storage is going to be another problem. I sold my large tool box set up a few years ago (About how long these tools have been disorganized) so there is NO WAY my current box will hold half of these tools.
I'm not looking forward to buying a larger tool box. I'll have to cross that road when I come to it.

 

[braxx]

Sorting them out with the buckets is a good start.

I guess you could always lay down a big piece of tarp in your garage and dump them all out like a million Lego pieces and sort 'em out that way too. Then just slowly divide them up and into their proper place over the course of a weekend or something (?).


G'luck - I'm not jealous of that task at ALL ! LOL

Ya, I've been putting it off. I was thinking about offering some money to my little cousin to help (It puts money in his pocket and helps me too) or something. It will be a boring and tedious job.

Wouldn't it be awesome if someone made a tool sorter, like those change sorting machines. Pour in your tools and it properly sorts them..... I wish.

 

[Beigg]

I could just imagine the vice grips, hammers, and c-clamps going thru that. Lol

 

[braxx]

I could just imagine the vice grips, hammers, and c-clamps going thru that. Lol

See, you guys know exactly what I'm going through. I had some welding and crap to do this past weekend. I had to dig through the totes for even the 2 vises that I used, 4 c-clamps etc...
God, it's like that show about hoarding except with tools and stuff like tools.

 

[RBOD]

Just break it up into general catergories then more and more specific. Sockets, wrenches, pliers, etc. Then 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive, then deep/shallow, etc.

 

[Billydroveit]

Wouldn't it be awesome if someone made a tool sorter, like those change sorting machines. Pour in your tools and it properly sorts them..... I wish.

There is, it's called Roger's house! Just don't count on much of a return....

See, you guys know exactly what I'm going through. I had some welding and crap to do this past weekend. I had to dig through the totes for even the 2 vises that I used, 4 c-clamps etc...
God, it's like that show about hoarding except with tools and stuff like tools.

I was thinking the other night, while in your garage...."goddamn he's got a lot of shit in here"...lmao!

By The Way...did you find the wife's "bullfrog" in the basement?

 

[braxx]

There is, it's called Roger's house! Just don't count on much of a return....


I was thinking the other night, while in your garage...."goddamn he's got a lot of shit in here"...lmao!

By The Way...did you find the wife's "bullfrog" in the basement?

Ya, it is the gas meter but only if the water heater, furnace and garage heater are running.
It took a liitle bit of time to figure out. Remember my wife came out to the garage in her robe, she had just taken a shower (Made the gas water heater run), the house furnace was running and while we were in the garage I had the garage heater running. So while all three were running a lot of gas was flowing through the meter / regulator. That was causing the noise.
I called DTE and they said it was not un-common for the meter to make that type of noise durring heavy use.

 

[ReiKo]

This may sound dumb but do you have have a good process for sorting / organizing containers filled with random tools?
Think of 5-6 totes each nearly full of misc. tools. Anything from deep/shallow sockets (1/4, 3/8 and 1/2) metric and standard, special sockets (ie, spark plug, o2 sensor, large torx male and female), bits (Phillips, standard, torx, hex, etc..) screwdrivers, ratchets, every type of pliers, pipe wrenches, prybars, air tools, cutting wheels, gasket surfacing discs, blah blah blah....
Think of 2 large tool boxes full of tools and randomly dumping all of the tools into totes.

I was thinking of getting 10 to 12 , 5gal buckets .
Start simple, sockets into one, ratchets into one, screw drivers into another, etc...
Then once sorted that way. Take the socket bucket and sort it by 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive. Then sort each drive size by standard and metric.
I think if I try to sort everything too granularly right off it will not be efficient.

Maybe I'm over thinking it, but if you have a process that works for you or if you have seen something like this posted somewhere else, let me know.

Take it from someone who has a lot of tools also...

Sort it with the buckets... Once that's done... Get the box and then you will see what you will keep in the box and what you won't keep in the box... That way you know what you will have to send out ot storage and what you won't send out to storage...

 

[moneypit]

big table plastic bins and time or sell them to me

 

[ItsAllAboutTheT&A]

When I left BMW 2 years ago, I put all of my tools in a big box in the trunk of my car. When I got a shop for my powder coating business, I moved my toolbox in and just dumped everything in thinking I'd sort them later. It's been about a year and every time I go to sort my tools, I end up saying "screw this!" 5 minutes into it.

 

[Billydroveit]

Ya, it is the gas meter but only if the water heater, furnace and garage heater are running.
It took a liitle bit of time to figure out. Remember my wife came out to the garage in her robe, she had just taken a shower (Made the gas water heater run), the house furnace was running and while we were in the garage I had the garage heater running. So while all three were running a lot of gas was flowing through the meter / regulator. That was causing the noise.
I called DTE and they said it was not un-common for the meter to make that type of noise durring heavy use.

OK, told ya mine makes the same noise when firnace and water heater is on in my house...

So about that tool sorting thing like coin star....if it helps i'll put a tool star sign on my house!