This Simple Gadget Keeps You From Losing That 10mm Socket - Jalopnik

Illustration for article titled This Simple Gadget Keeps You From Losing That 10mm Socket — Screenshot: In Jason’s Garage / YouTube

Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at a tool kit for removing plastic rivets with ease, a fluid transfer pump that’s crucial for fluid changes in some vehicles and a magnetic drain plug remover that helps you change fluids without getting you covered in stinky gear oil. This week’s cool tool a silicone tool tray. While not a tool itself, it saves you time and a few swear words by keeping your tools easily within reach during a project.

This suggestion comes from the wonderful people of Opposite-Lock, and it blows my mind that I haven’t considered that such a thing even exists.

I almost always run into two major annoyances when wrenching. The vehicle I’m working on has some rusty, seized up fittings — thanks, Midwest — and I lose track of tools, nuts, bolts and other things. Losing tools probably drives me even more nuts than rust. Much of the time I place a tool someplace thinking “I’ll find this here, later” and surprise, I forget where I put it. If the project is big enough, I’ll even lose multiple tools and then lose so much time finding them.

This happened big time when I installed the tow hitch receiver on my Volkswagen Touareg.

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I placed an impact socket in the spare tire well thinking I’d easily find it later. I most certainly did not and looking for it added a solid half-hour to the project.

This is where a silicone tool tray comes in. A silicone tool tray is so simple, yet so helpful. These things can grip windshields, can sit on your car’s body without causing damage and can hold onto nuts and bolts.

The In Jason’s Garage Youtube channel reviewed a Grypmat silicone tool tray and gave a history lesson on it, too:

The Grypmat appears to be incredibly durable. It’s claimed that it can withstand heat up to 500 degrees and is fire resistant.

A Grypmat similar to the one in the review costs about $30.

Do you know of a weird or unique but must-have tool that every wrencher should have? Do you want to see us put a type of tool to the test and see how it performs? Shoot me an email or drop it down in the comments!

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