Wiha was advertising this 35pc hex and Torx key set in my social media feed, with the 3 tool sets sitting in a custom-fitted foam tray.
Foam trays are nothing new in the tool world, but there’s been an increase in the number of brands selling tool modules like this.
The general idea is that you buy new tools with the storage and organization figured out for you. You get the tool set, pop the foam tray into a tool box drawer, and you’re ready to go.
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There’s a premium involved, of course, as there are costs associated with the foam trays and custom cutting services.
I have a couple of tool sets in foam trays, and wish I had more. Mixing and matching between brands can be a challenge. Sometimes the foam trays are too small or large for my tool boxes, which can force some compromises or lead to wasted space.
I think it’s great if you’re setting up a new tool box and focusing on just one brand. I also feel that foam trays are far superior to flimsy molded trays that tend to be prone to cracking.
There’s also the option to make or commission your own custom-fit foam trays.
This isn’t a trend that’s going away anytime soon. Many brands have been committing to the concept of tool modules and custom foam trays to hold everything.
Do you like foam trays? How important are foam organizational trays to your purchasing decisions?
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If you like the Wiha hex key, Acme Tools has it for $120.
BobH
No, I don’t use them with one exception.
It would require me to have many more drawers than I have room for to store my tools.
The one exception is I have a systainer with a foam insert I use for my shaper origin. For that I modified a design at Shaper Hub to include the relevant tools, bits, and parts that I use with my Shaper Origin.
Warren Renshaw
So true. Also you can’t continue to refine your placement once completed.
Nathan
If I wrenched on airplanes I’d consider it but like that wila set there is a good bit of wasted room there.
Most of people make their own. But it’s nice to get a full set of something setup originally. Saves gobs of time.
Hazet, geodore and a few others do it I assume they still do
I look at them and I like good organization but I usually pass on pre foamed. As diy it’s not that important to me
Andy Grey Rider
I prefer the plastic blow-moulded trays as opposed to foam that quickly turns to dust.
Plastic is easier to clean.
Yes, space is a premium but so are my tools.
I have a selection for those that want to borrow.
They will never get any of my most expensive tools.
Being a toolmaker, I blow-mould my own trays because there’s nothing on the market for my custom tools.
I calibrate my own tools too.
I don’t rely upon others, if it’s worth doing, learn the skill yourself.
Phillip
Foam won’t turn to Dust, if you buy Quality Foam. Myself I like the Neoprene Rubber Foam, it’s a little pricey but if you do your research and buy a full sheet from a Wholesaler you can get a good deal on it.
My Tools are also very pricey so I don’t mind buying quality Organization Products to take care of them.
Andrew Kinard
As a heavy equipment mechanic i can assure you that even high quality foam inserts will break down with time and use. I personally own over $100,000 in tools and equipment and the space it would require to “organize” my tools in that manner would be enormous.
CMF
Strange comment. I don’t believe there is much to consider as airplane mechanics are required (could be law?) to have tool inserts, to make sure no tools are missing and left in a precarious area of the plane.
TomD
That’s exactly why you get inserts like this – so you can tell at a glance that you have all the tools back in the box and none left in the equipment.
A W
It’s not a law, but it is considered best practice and is required by many aviation companies.
Noneya
If you are on a defense contract in aviation it is required, outside of that many companies also require it. Not a FAA regulation though. Tool control is a must in aviation and reason most like to have it done. I can’t stand to look inside someone’s tool box and see it isn’t shadowed. It also presents a cleaner look and organization. Thought process is if you keep your tools neat then your work quality is also better as opposed to someone who has tools just sitting in a box unorganized. Reflects the type of work you do. IMO.
Cache
THIS needs to be applied in everything, any field, any situation in life…
Booze
Say no to FOD.
Andy
Yes, but only where I feel it adds value to my expected uses.
My primary non-impact ratchet / socket set (313902) and metric combination wrench set (601903) are from Sonic Tools. Since both kits have many individual pieces that are easily misplaced, and the foam layout is fairly space-efficient and, the foam does a good job of organizing the tools to make my experience better.
Neither of the example images fit my criteria for an efficient use of the space the foam occupies, so I wouldn’t purchase those sets.
The rest (majority?) of my sockets and related accessories such as extensions and swivels are on Tekton (Ernst) socket rails.
I have a set of Knipex snap ring pliers and Wera VDE screwdrivers in foam trays that I’m less convinced by. Those sets do not use the space as efficiently, but are still pretty good. Most of my pliers and screwdrivers are stored in Toolbox Widget organizers, since I wanted more flexibility in changing / evolving the layout I use.
Robert
As a DIYer, nothing I make is really susceptible to damage from Foreign Object Debris (FOD) from tools. More likely FOD from fasteners. So the positive control of shadow boxes is not cost effective for me. Looks really cool, but not justifiable.
Ron
Unrelated – Just want to pass this on…..you can snag a Milwaukee heated jacket hoodie for $69 at Home Depot right now. No battery. Still an awesome deal. The quality of their clothing is very good.
fred
I was thinking along similar lines. In our fabrication business – with lots of aerospace sorts of customers – we liked to have tools arranged with a place for everything and everything in its place. This made it easy to see what was out on the floor versus what was back in the tool room.
In another business, if I asked our plumbers 9who mostly tossed tools into 5-gallon pails0 if they wanted foam inserts – they’d probably look at me as if I had two heads.
In my home shop – I have some jigs, instruments and measuring tools in cases with foam inserts. I like some of this for the protection and togetherness that’s provided. But when tools like Allen wrenches or sockets arrive packaged that way – the inserts just get trashed. IMO, they take up too much room, are not needed to protect the tools and provide only minimal organizational value. The Wiha holders (pictured) add value in keeping the wrenches organized and have a hole if you wish to hang them up. For me – the added cost of the foam tray is a waste.
Paulie
Yes, it’s something I want and have paid for. I get annoyed trying to find the correct tool or wrench size. I don’t want to search for a tool. I just want to reach over and pick up EXACTLY what I need quickly. It keeps my brain relaxed and focused on the project when I don’t have to search for the tool.
CMF
I got 1 of their first gen hoodies for about $70 special, wanting to try it and see how good it was. I didn’t find they made a big heat difference and the battery was cumbersome.
But the jacket was and still is fantastic. It is top quality and one of the best hoodies I have. I would probably buy another standalone jacket for that price, because I found the quality that good
MM
I generally don’t care for them. They look nice, but they waste space and they nearly always need to be custom made to accommodate one’s actual needs. Having all of one brand of tool looks nice in advertising photos and for those influencers who spend more time taking pictures than turning wrenches, but I don’t think it is very practical beyond that. I’ve never met a single tradesman, technician, or mechanic who had only one brand of tool. Sure people have their preferences, but even the most die-hard loyalist has some tools from other brands in their box. There’s also the fact that organization changes as people get new tools and old tools get lost or broken, and as Stuart mentioned tool boxes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes so what is the chance that your organizer happens to match your drawers perfectly?
That said, I think they are great for dedicated special purpose tool sets where the chance of changes or additions is low. When I used to manage a materials lab we had dedicated tools and accessories that went along with many of the test instruments. Had they existed back then I’d love to have assigned a dedicated packout organizer to each machine with a custom-cut foam insert for its accessories, like calibration weights, tools, etc.
John
No, waste of usable space. Most of these tools are not precious or delicate. Organization is one thing, but this is a matter of marketing and upselling than anything else.
eddiesky
I needed a thin set of wrenches and got a Capri tools set. This came as a foam drawer insert but my current GearWrenches are set on that wedge with slots to hold them horizontal. The Capri foam is nice and takes up less room but…I have no drawer for them. And if I reorganized and freed up space, I need custom foam for Wiha Nutdrivers.
I could see if a new setup was needed…like an entire tool chest of drawers but that Wiha just looks like too much space isn’t used.
Michael V.
My tools are for home uses. I’ve started to use dedicated wraps and foam kits. I use them for home and cabin areas where friends and neighbors come to me for certain tools. I like nice tools and I like to be able to find them, so now everyone knows if you take one of my tools it better be in the exact spot you got it from. It actually has helped. Brothers are the worst lol.
Doresoom
I’ve been designing and printing my own drawer organizers lately.
Gridfinity is a nice standard that a lot of people have adopted. It’s much more flexible for adding new tools, rather than needing to cut new foam if you want to rearrange a drawer.
DXE
Plus one on gridfinity and 3d printing tool organizers.
Dave C
Came here to say basically the same thing. I got a couple Husky tool chests with wood tops to make a workbench/storage area along one wall of my garage, and then 3D printed completely custom socket holders for my $99 Husky mechanic’s set from the orange store, plus a few other socket sets I had (a couple impact socket sets from Makita, a couple long reach hex bits from HFT, etc). I love how it turned out…nice and neat and organized and easy to find stuff and put stuff away
John804
The Gridfinity system is absolutely the way to go.
Joe H
Most people are always acquiring new tools so tool sets are always changing and space is usually a premium so even if one commits to foam organization, it’s hard to accommodate for future purchases without redoing things. Technology changes and new variations of tools get developed. Sometimes older tools no longer get used as technology changes or things shift in an industry. Such as using a timing light for figuring out the timing in cars. Many new mechanics probably don’t even own a timing light.
Jared
Yes, sort of.
I think working out of foam trays is awesome and I love it when I can buy something I need already in a custom-cut foam sheet. Buying tool foam is expensive and it’s time-consuming to DIY – so I think it adds value when a manufacture just sells it this way (and the premium is usually far less than even the DIY approach).
However, it does waste space and I’m not often buying large sets of tools, at least not at this point when my basics are all long since covered (and often upgraded). So it’s not as though I’ve got a huge socket set all done in foam.
However, I recently bought the Seattle Tools 7-piece autobody hammer and dolly set – and I picked it in part because of the nice foam tray. I can’t say it was the only factor – I also got a good deal on it and it had the hammer and dolly patterns I was looking for. I’ve got some ratchet sets in foam, some marking and layout tools…
As an aside – why is tool foam so freaking expensive? It CAN’T be that expensive to produce. I’ve even received it as packing material in other purchases and repurposed it (i.e. the multi-layer stuff you can cut and peel out sections). Yet it would cost quite a lot to do an entire tool chest with it.
Bonnie
Nope. All my shop tools live on a magnetic wall where I can see them. I don’t use drawers for any hand tools, and very few power tools.
Joe E.
They’re a waste of space. I’m a firm believer in tool box organization, but foam is for tool polishers, not guys who turn wrenches for a living. You won’t find foam in any of the tool boxes here in our heavy equipment shop.
processwrench
The folks who spin wrenches on my production line prefer them for one simple reason, if a tool is missing its easy to see. They build a lot of different assemblies, and often have a quite a few custom tools, shims or little fixtures to do that efficiently. It does take a lot of time to do and upkeep, but those are things that can be planned as opposed to trying to track something down or buy yet another one because you can’t find it and there is a deadline to make.
Our issue is that we don’t use toolboxes very much here, and the workstations are flexible. We looked at the tektron system but it hard to find pre-packaged stuff that doesn’t have a bunch of things you don’t need. So in the end we cut our own.
Jason T.
I don’t use foam trays due not only to the wasted space, but once a get a drawer setup, over the years I add other odd size similar tools that need to go into that same drawer. I have many one off oddball screwdrivers, different brands shapes, sizes. So foam would limit my ability to store all of my screwdrivers in the same drawer. The same can be said of sockets. I have many odd sockets for very specific tasks. Most of my toolbox drawers are packed very tightly, but I can find anything in them and I don’t have to dig to find what I am looking for. Some of the drawers look like a tetris puzzle, but it’s an organization style that works for me and also saves me from having to buy more toolboxes.
Scott K
I do not because most of my tools are on pegboard. Though, I think I’d like foam trays if I stored tools in shallow drawers. My only apprehension with foam would be the challenge of rearranging things. I have most of the tools I’d need, but there’s still room to fill in some gaps as needs arise. It’s also easy to move things around on a pegboard. Wanting to rearrange things in cut foam or add related items could get tricky or wasteful.
Bryan Sailors
Yes I do for Aviation tool control and my general engineering tools. For others they are spread across 3 Snap On boxes. I have looked at the Wiha 92100 but its way overpriced. Even though I have many Wiha and Wera for computer repair I wont pay $1200 for a basic engineering tool set. As for the unmentioned Milwaukee sets in the “pipeline” of their website they look interesting. They have several that haven’t been released all compatible with packout and a nice packout roll around cart. I am surprised they didnt drop any of those for the holidays. I think they will be a decent seller compared to Wiha foam sets and the insanely priced Snap On sets.
Jonathan OAF
I use foam for Makita Makpac tool boxes. $20 for (2) 1/2″ pieces of foam and (2) 2″ pieces precut in a grid pattern to fit power tools, batteries, blade & bit cases or accessories. Keeps everything together and safe. I use 1/2″ ply for the bottom in case of dropping it. Hand tools I use a tote bag or tool bag depending on the job. I can’t see using foam for hand tools traveling to jobs.
s
if i was ever in a spot where i had far more drawers than tools, the foam liners would make sense.
but i’ve always come up short on places to put tools instead, so foam doesn’t make sense.
many of the wrench and socket sets in foam really aren’t that bad on space utilization, so they’re a better potential option, but they need to fit my workflow, which they just don’t most times. i currently use the aluminum socket rails for sockets, which allow me to blindly grab an entire rail for the job at hand, which guarantees i have what i need without needing to un-stuck myself from where i’m at and walk to the ‘other’ side to guess another socket size that may or may not fit.
as far as wrench organization, i’ve fully migrated from “a pile of wrenches in a drawer” to the ernst manufacturing dividers. they hold the wrenches upright enough together to limit the spacing impact of the organization, while also allowing me to see at a glance which wrenches i left behind, but most importantly, they are detachable in different lengths, so i can make custom-lengths of wrenches for the drawer availability. it’s still not perfect, with multiple slots having double or triple wrenches(variants or doubles of common sizes) in them, but it’s slightly more efficient than foam would be, which would demand those duplicates either ride loose on top of the foam, or in another location altogether.
in your example image, those wiha allen sets are a horrific waste of space. those need to be broken out and have individual slots for each size to justify that much space.
the gearwrench screwdriver drawer is another great example. by staggering the blades in a pliers divider, they could fit all of those to the same space as the front foam section only, leaving half the drawer open for other related tools.
Michael Sandborn
I think shadow foam has its uses and drawbacks. As a DIY person, I like that it makes it look terrific, but as most have said, it takes up more space. On my boat, though, I am looking at buying a laser cutter and making the shadow trays myself, as I hate to use up the storage, as my primary tool storage is a 52″, 12-drawer Milwaukee toolbox. Still, the benefits outweigh the costs of having the tools flying around in the drawers while on passage (power boat, not sail).
Bill
Reminds me of this mst3k skit:
https://youtu.be/83U-FRlYBkA?si=zjtbhp-XOddB7BFi
Oarman
At work with shared toolboxes and lots of space, foam inserts are outstanding for quickly putting things back where others can quickly find them, and for doing quick inventories telling what needs to be found and put back. At least one employer paid the money to get the entire cabinet, specific tool list and drawer inserts as a single delivered unit, so everything was in the same place in the same drawer no matter which shop you were in that day.
At home I can live with my own mess and if not there’s Gridfinity.
Nate
They’re never dense enough. When I want foam organizers, I end up making my own, just to get the number of tools into the space.
If I went with their density, I’d need 3x or 4x more toolbox space, it’s atrocious.
Carabas Alintole
No. Magnetic bars do the trick. The HF ones that go on sale for $2 at times.
Jerry
Don’t use them either. Been several times I got a set of tools, only to need to add a couple more sized here and there to fill it out, and that means you have to modify the foam cutouts which kind of defeats the purpose of having them pre cut.
Not only that, space is at a premium at my shop, and they waste too much space.
In less drawer space than the hex set you have pictured, I have 4 sets of L shaped hex keys, a set of SAE and MM hex sockets, and a couple of the folding key sets. Might not be quite as quick and easy to grab, but with space at a premium, it is how I do it.
JR Ramos
These actually turn me off of a purchase – if there’s something comparable without the schmancy organizer, I’ll get that other product instead, assuming the prices are commensurate. There’s absolutely a place for foam organizers like this but for most people it’s just a nice-to-look-at. Incredible waste of space, too.
If I were to try to use foam layouts like this I would need about three times the amount of chests/drawers I have now – there’s just no way. I have made several foam inserts, including a couple elaborate ones, for mini kits and small portable cases, and several onesies for individual tools (boxes that protect…while they reside in a machinist chest for the most part). I do save lots of various foams that I come across for use in whatever case or project that comes about.
I’d much prefer brands drop the premium cost increase with sets like this or at least offer the tools and the tray separately in addition to the combo sku.
Johnez
Wasted space. It’s amazing how many different tools you can organize in Ernst pliers organizers. I see the benefit of foam trays for critical situations where a missing tool is extremely bad (food manufacturers, air plane mechanics).
jeff robbins
I decided to reorganize and do foam cut outs during COVID so I would have a project. There is something appealing to see everything neatly in its place, and I really like being able to identify missing tools. I think that foam is brilliant for traveling tool boxes (like a bike tool kit for parking lot before group rides) because it is super easy to identify what tool has not been put back yet. Once you have gone foam you are pretty committed to all the tools, and it is often difficult to slide in an additional tool when it comes into your life.
William Adams
No, but mostly because I pretty much have all the tools I need. If I were just starting out (and had space) it would be very appealing).
That said, I will occasionally make my own foam trays on a small CNC:
https://cutrocket.com/p/5bdcd4e31c403/
and will eventually get around to revisiting all tool storage and work out which tools go in what tool box located where (probably shortly after my retirement).
Jp
I find these wasteful and hate paying for things I don’t need. They are wasteful because I lack the space to keep these. I just need tools.
fred
I just looked to see if I could figure out what the “cost” is for a manufacturer to add a foam tray. I looked at Lisle. Their 13180 SAE Flare Nut Socket Set, 7 pc. – comes with a foam tray. They set the MSRP of the set at $181.45 – and list the tray as part # 13140 at an MSRP of $15.35. Walmart has a list for the set for $106.28 – so at the same ratio the foam tray might cost $8.99. If that represents even $4 more added to the price of the set – would you think it was worth it? For me it would represent a $4 thrown in the trash.
I for one, have bought some specialty socket sets as gifts – and much prefer what folks like Vim do – bundling the set on a rail.
JPMaddog
I prefer to store my tools loose in the drawer and spend 10 minutes searching for the size I need.
CMF
The short answer, I don’t actively look for them, but I do like them and would consider them over a set of tools without.
A bit longer explanation, I am anal, and having a place and organization for tools is something I like. I have multiple tool chests so space is not a problem.
The Gearwrench pic with the screwdrivers is very nice, unfortunately, most times the drawer I have and the tools + insert rarely fit so perfectly. I bought about 20 of the Kaizen foam inserts and I am slowly doing the drawers . Of course if when the tools come with it, if they charge outlandish prices, I won’t go for it. Also, the blowmold ones work quite well also, despite sometimes being a bit cheaper and not lasting long.
Overall, I like the organization these foam inserts give me.
Jim Felt
Two observations.
One: Halliburton et al led to many other brands of high end tech, camera and firearm gear to offer foam storage offerings.
In my rather long related experience all of these by degrees are prone to premature failure if they’re stored indoor areas heated by natural gas. There’s a component (as I recall a natural gas leak warning “perfume”?) that is the culprit.
Two: personally forever changing and intermixing tools, brands, placement preferences and hence layouts within any drawer or case too often to want any preconfigured version.
So: Hard No!
fred
Methyl Mercaptan – very effective as a natural gas odorant – because “the nose knows” and can smell it in parts per billion concentrations.
Jim Felt
Fred. Yes! Thanks for the facts.
JR Ramos
That sounds like an interesting tidbit. How did Haliburton play into this? Demanding the foam from some suppliers?
That’s a company that I never expected to shrink the way it has. I almost went to work for them as a purchasing agent about 25 years ago…kinda glad that one passed me by.
Jim Felt
Aluminum was too easily dented, broken handles, fussy rotary(?) locks and far less mechanically able to being adapted to the emerging market preference of both so-called (resin et al) hard cases, Tenba-like fabric cases and the entire Anvil (roadie) case explosion. .
We once had dozens of Halliburton’s and maybe kept an attaché and a couple of small standard cases for sentimental reasons.
fred
You often saw airline pilots carrying them – that that seemed to fade away. What was once trendy often morphs into something passe. I once had 2 Leica bodies and lenses stored in an Omnica leather case. Fully loaded it was almost guaranteed to bring on a bursitis attack in the shoulder on which it was hung. Now I carry a small Canon digital in my pocket on most trips.
JR Ramos
Well I learned something today…..the “other” Halliburton. I thought you were talking about the huge oil services company. I remember those carry cases but I guess I never knew who made them and never heard the company mentioned. 🙂
Brian
I don’t use much in the way of tool tray organizers and typically go out of my way to avoid buying tools where the price is marked up because of some fancy organizer. But I’m a Plumber/Pipefitter working in the field. A gang box and truck boxes are where I store my tools. I tend to use pouches and tool rolls more than most other types of organizers.
Having done work in a shop for heavy equipment I could see drawers and organizers being useful in a mechanical shop, but even then I hate the amount of wasted space just to make things look nice. In a small but busy shop space for toolboxes is at a premium so drawers tend to get loaded up.
Grover26
I’m 79 years old. Worked out of tool chests and boxes my entire working career. Never used an ‘organizer’ , nor did anyone of my of my generation that I worked with. The ‘organization’ is to keep similar tools together, keep most often tools in more easily accessible drawers, and know what’s in your box. I’m my opinion, as stated by others, organizers, in few exceptions, take up space and are more for ‘tool displayers’ than tool users……But an interesting read…..Art
Sam Sawyer
Waste of space, I have a drawer for sae wrenches 1 for metric 1 for flat and Phillips screwdrivers 1 for specialty drivers, torx etc. And for assorted pliers and vice grips and so on. 10 drawer box. Seems like the foam is more a matter of display than use.
ElectroAtletico
Foam is great but it is highly inefficient in its design and space footprint. I prefer to 3D print my own tool storage.
MFC
No, it’s never in the configuration I want unless they pack it in tightly. Usually I am adding to existing sets so I have to make my own if I want it. Most hand tools go into a slotted system for easy access and compact organization. Foam is great for certain things, but takes up a lot of room if badly organized. If you have a ton of drawers, like in a shop, then it would make sense.
Jett
We use the foam inserts at our work, it’s nothing hugely technical just a workshop. Yes they are inefficient in using the space adequately (more on that later) but they do 100% save time, money, and lost tools. We have a rolling toolbox with shallow drawers, only the one for wrenches was space well used from the start.
We like that you can pick up the tool you want and know where it is, you can see data glance if something is missing, it’s easy to grab the tools with oily hands (were not precious about keeping the foam pristine), and it stops the tools from jumping around in the drawers when we push the toolbox around.
To solve the ineffective use of space issue, we’ve kept the worst culprits as they are but taken a knife and soldering iron to them to add spaces for more common tools that weren’t part of the set. I.e. centre punch, vernier callipers, a section for the drill bit boxes, circlip pliers etc. Thus the space is used up quote effectively.
There are a couple of deep drawers in this box which didn’t have foam, they were for storing our Milwaukee M12 gear. But we’ve another solution for M12, so these deep drawers are going to get the foam treatment for our aerosols – paint (3 colours) zinc primer, aerostart, penetrative oil, drylube and some others.
TL;DR we’d never go back to foamless.
Daniel
No foam trays for me. They waste too much space, plus I don’t keep most of my tools in drawers. My tools need to be mobile. They are all in different Veto Pro Pac tool bags.
My daily carry as an electronic technician bag,
Then my DIY/Handyman bags,
One each,
Carpentry
Electrical
Plumbing
Household
Hobby specific bags
Even a bag for the wife
All organized and in the bags they would be needed.
Wayne R.
A winning Lotto ticket would lead to a spacious new shop with lots of fancy tool storage. That might lead to elaborate new tool sets in luxurious foam trays. Just an absurd indulgence, but that’s the only way it’d happen for me…
Rick
Let’s you know if you left a tool out!
Amatts
Cork and felt lined drawers in my Kennedys for measuring tools for fifty years now mag socket holders and wrench racks .for woodworking tools like chisels etc made my own holders out of hardwood.also wrench rolls are ideal for punch/chisel sets🔧
Amatts
Additional note the cork liner in a 20”x48” roll is about $8 at most grocery stores Kennedy used to sell ruberoid cork rolls at even then was extortion felt is found at most fabric stores the Gerstner stuff is a rip off
Jimmie
For me, storage space is at a perpetual premium. The factory foam tray layouts look pretty but only work if you have space to sacrifice.
eddiesky
A bit unrelated but DeWalt came through on replacement of a Storage System 2.0 2-drawer unit that one drawer failed to open, or easily. I do wish these boxes didn’t wobble and had some liner included. Oh well. Soon my setup will be complete.
JayS
In most cases for myself, foam takes up too much real estate, but I could see using it for packouts when traveling to locations other than home so that I don’t forget an item. It would mostly be for inventory control.
SteveP
Add me to the waste-of-space votes. Nice, but I can’t spare the room. I try and keep my sets of tools – plumbing, electrical, mechanical car, mechanical bike, etc. In small tool bags inside larger tool bags. My air tools and ratchets and sockets go in a proper tool chest, and the hammers and squares and most screwdrivers hang on the wall rack. I think foam inserts and tools in drawers are for dedicated workshops and workers that really just do one thing (probably very well)
Leo
My business is mobile and I couldn’t imagine what my tool box would look like without foam organizers. 100% required if your to box is mounted in a trailer.
Donny
Depends on the foam. Some foam traps moisture. I prefer drawer liner and VCI to stop rust. Sockets of course in a holder, but not foam.
John L
Im gonna be that guy and point out that the use of EVA foam is bad for the environment.
Its non biodegradeable, so is a burden on landfills. The chemicals used to stabilize it are toxic on their own, let alone the petrochemicals the basic product is made from. Finally, if it catches fire, all kinds of nasty fumes are released.
So use it if you must but if tool companies are enclosing it just to keep up with brand X and half of consumers are throwing it out, well thats a problem.