From the tools that support the use of other tools department comes this week’s featured tool of the week – the magnetic tool and parts tray. While there are dozens of different shapes and styles of this useful shop item, the simple yet effective concept is one that works as it should. Magnets attached to the bottom of the tray keep wrenches and errant nuts, bolts, and other fasteners in one place while working on your bucket. These same magnets allow for E-Z placement of the tray anywhere where there’s some steel or iron. On an engine stand. Under the lid of the toolbox. On top of a fender cover. And so on. One drawback of the magnetic tray is an unintended result of its awesome powers. The hours of mystery spent wondering where on freaking earth the 12mm box end wrench went can often be solved by turning the magnetic tray upside down. Oh – there it is.
Did you take that picture in my garage? I have the exact same tray-with-tools-balanced-on-the-cart (another great addition) setup going on right now.
Strongly recommend the rectangular ones (pictured) over the bowl-style for actually holding tools.
A word of caution: if you find yourself using blades or other sharp tools, be careful about leaving them in the tray. Got a nasty cut once when I reached into the tray and got a handful of wrench-with-razor-blade-attached. Not fun.
Lastly: remember to re-collect magnetic trays when going for a test drive. I’ve left them stuck to the frame rail before. The tray usually stays, but the contents come out.
Hey, you missed a tip on that. Never, ever, ever put a magnetic tray on the ground. Those magnets will pick up any ferrous bits of dirt, shop dust or asphalt crud, and they will wait there patiently, like little razor blades, just aching for a chance to scratch a Spirograph pattern into your clear coat.