70236 16-Pc 1/2-In SAE Magnetic Socket Organizer

I needed to rethink my organizational system for my new toolbox. I wanted the ability to pull an entire set of sockets out of the main box and throw them into a service cart to wheel over to the job. This is the 21st century, so crappy old metal rails with spring clips weren't an option. The Hansen style trays are great if you're going to leave them mostly stationary, but they're a little flimsy to stand up to regular movement in and out of a box. Ernst twist-lock rails are pretty good, but the size markings are sorta small and can be hidden. Westling are pretty slick looking, but they really seem to be for users of the type who buy Snap On because they care more about having expensive tools than getting a bargain.For my specific needs and wants, these trays are absolutely perfect. The magnet, which both holds the tray to metal and holds the sockets in the tray, is very strong. (In fact it's so strong that I need to double up the drawer liner in my box in order to make them a little easier to remove.) It's easily strong enough to hold the tray on the side of a box and keep the sockets from falling out It'll even hold completely upside down as long as you aren't too violent with the shaking. The plastic feels like its probably a solid chunk, so it's going to be very durable. The markings are all clear and readable.They hold what is generally considered a full run of sizes, with both the 1/4" & 3/8" versions having room for standard and deep well. The 1/2" tray only holds one run, which is a bit of a downside to me. I understand that they do it to keep the size of the tray down, but I'd like to see them offer a 1/2" tray with holes for a full complement of regular & deep for those of us who have the room.I have read that there are some brands of sockets which won't fit into the holes, but my Craftsman & Pittsburgh sockets all fit fine. Just a little bit of play so they're easy to insert, but no so much as to make them rattely.Highly recommended.

The 1/4" drive and 3/8" drive ones are great. Bits are held to the tray, and tray is held to your work surface. In both cases, the hold is strong enough to be useful without being strong enough to be a pain. All my sockets fit, and apart from not having a place for extensions and having a few blank spots all is well.I'm not as fond of the 1/2". You can't lay out the deep well sockets opposite the standard ones the way you can in the 1/4" and 3/8" drive. For deep and shallow, you'd need to double up on trays. Also, I use air a lot more often with 1/2". So, if you want want impacts too, then add more after that. Put it all together and that is a lot of money and deep drawer space. Not worth it for me as A) many of the sizes aren't useful, B) some impact sockets do fit and some don't and C) some of the larger 1/2" sockets I DO use don't have a home for axle nuts, crank pulleys, o2 sensors, etc.I ended up sticking with the rails for all 1/2" and smaller drive specialty sets (hex, torx, inverted torx, etc). For the 1/4" and 3/8" sets, I would buy them again in an instant.

This is a fantastic way to store your sockets. The baseplate is magnetic which allows the entire holder to be placed on the side of a normal metal toolbox or what ever that a magnet will stick to. This is also what keeps the sockets in their place. There are no small magnets inside those holes - that is the baseplate you see in the bottom so there is nothing to get loose and get lost (the sockets will always stick unless they are aluminum or stainless or something non-magnetic).I can't imagine anything that would work better for me to hold my sockets. I started with a set of 10 SAE and 10 metric (10 deep and 10 shallow of each type) and added the extra ones to make this a complete set. The only problem I've run into is the largest (5/8") will not fit in the hole. This one is an "SK" and I guess it is slightly thicker metal so the hole needs to be reamed a little. I didn't subtract a star - I think it is the socket not the holder.I liked this one enough that I went and got the metric one for my metric 1/4 in drive sockets (mentioned above).OK this was supposed to be for the RED Ares SAE socket holder. I am also pleased with the metric one. My only wish on the metric is if it had one more holder for a 15mm socket (shallow and deep).

I am a 33+ year CNC machine builder/repair technician and after using this brand of tool I cant say enough about the quality for the price, This set is the ARES 70232 26pc. and it includes 1/4 bits,all 3 socket size adapters,3 socket drill driver adapters, all in a magnetized tray for $40. Ive used them extensively for months now with no problems or failure of any kind. The crv is tool steel and the finish is super nice chrome. I will be buying more from ARES. No I do not get any product for my review, These are my words to tell you about a tool that performs as it should because so many tools out there look good, but just dont hold up.

For the 1/4” size only, I prefer magnetic socket holders.. I like that the labeling for the socket sizes are easy to see when something is missing.. I believe if I had a work bench or rolled a large toolbox around then I would prefer the magnetic holders for all my sockets. But for dragging a regular toolbox out into the driveway the long socket holders with clips fit in the toolbox better (it's a bit of a PITA, that there is no labeling unless you put the sockets on with the size facing one direction). I bought both brands (that look similar in the pictures), and they look exactly the same when handling them too. The magnets are not very strong on 3/8 and up magnetic holders.. So while perfect for a huge toolbox, they are terrible for a small box where space is at a premium, and if jostled around the sockets would probably fall out.