socket rails

[dodgepu1946]

Anyone using the snap on quick release rails? How do they operate? I'm trying to decide between those or the old fashioned ones with the clips.

[funkyfullwidth]

If your talking about the twist lock ones, I like em. easy on and off. The only downfall I see is fancy things like that take up more room then the old school ones. I've always been a fan of the socket trays with the poles. easy to carry around, Easy to clean off with water or wd 40, but sometimes the smaller posts are frail. Not to mention they don't take up as much room.
Also, like with craftsman sockets i've noticed that on the rails/trays where the sockets touch each other they tend to get a rust line.

[dodgepu1946]

These are the ones I'm referring to. I did look them on on snap on's sight but it also didn't have much to explain how they work.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Snap-on-12- ... 415ad0903b

[junk4you]

The type of socket holders vary in my shop depending on loacation. I have a nice littel machine shop in one end of the shop. I have 2 Kennedy boxes with double top boxes. I keep all my machinest tools in them. I keep a set of SAE and Metric Socket along with wrenches in those boses. I use the Lesle holders. It is easy to bull them off and they take the guess work out of things. I have never bronken one in over 40 years of use.
In my mechanics box I have some of the post type but I really like the magnetic holders the best. I can take the whole set with me. I can put them in portable box when I go out and work on a tractor or car. I can put them on my bench when working on something. I am a contractor and architect but I have a full machine shop with welding and sheet metal. I also have a full wood shop on the other end of the barn. I have been rebuilding things for 50 years. I like to take things with me. I never work off a tool cart. I have the smaller end of the 1/2 inch drive sockets on the bars that twist lock the sockets on. They are ok but they un-twist with ease. Every time I put them away I make sure to twist them in the locked position.
On the tractor end of the Barn I have more basic tools. I made up trays that are tapered. I made them out of wood. I made a box with a bottom and I put a vertical dato in the ends so the slats are tpaered. The sockes all fit just fine and never fall over. The only bad thing is that you don't know which one you are pulling. I put a little nail polish on sevral so I know where to start.
The bottom line is that I like the Leslie post type. I have had all the different types. They are easy to read when you flip the lid or pull a drawer out. They are plastic and don't rust. I have a farm in Indiana where everthing wants to rust. My shop in California never shows any rust. We are so dry here that things get dirty. My wife is from Australia and she says this is the only place where she has ever lived that you need to wash the dirt off of the bushes. LOL

There are a lot of nice holders. If you go on E-bay there is a company in Plymoth Michichgan (just outside of Detroit) that sells all 6 Leslie for about $60 shipped to your door. They sell a lot of auto supply items and they are very honest to do business with. I have been dealing with them for a few years now. I grew up in Deetroit when it was nice. LOL

With the flat magnetic holders I had to get stickers with the sizes so I did not need to keep pulling sockets. If you wrok form a tool cart go Leslie post. If you need to carry them with you the magnetic holders work better. When I get upder something there is nothing worse than having to get put because you did not have the right socket. I am of the olf ramp and pit days working on things. These new lifts make life easy. Just my 3 cents worth. A penny for inflation.

[HLAV1]

I personally changed all of mine over to the Matco / craftsman plastic style. They are like the old metal clip and rail ones but alot tougher, the clips don't get bent out of shape and Matco offers the rail in around 5 different lengths so it's great for sets of all sizes when you only have like a 10 piece 1/4" drive set you don't need a 20" rail so the 8" rail is perfect. And so on. Plus they are offered in different colors so you can tell between sae and metric.

[bsg]

i like some of the newer production rails and still prefer the OldSchool Snap-on metal. it's a challenge to find different length rails while out treasure hunting and especially the long ones.

[bsg]

i had a great day at the swap meet and amongst a few other pieces of Snap-on that i found, i picked up two examples of the Snap-on A270 16.5" socket rail with clips. i've had pretty good luck with finding older Snap-on socket rails, but the A270 has been elusive.