The Easy Trick That Will Let You Magnetize Your Sockets

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Sockets and their accompanying wrenches are perfect for all kinds of tasks. From removing a stuck nut to unscrewing a series of bolts, odds are they can make such jobs as easy as can be. Not to mention, if you're determined to only source your tools from American manufacturers, you'll be delighted to know that there are a few socket set brands still made in the United States. At the same time, they aren't without their flaws. A major one is that sometimes, loose nuts and bolts can fall out of your sockets mid-job, sending you on a scavenger hunt to see where they've rolled off to.

Fortunately, to mitigate losing bolts or nuts while working, you can enhance your sockets with magnetization. This way, through the power of magnetism, your fasteners will be more effectively held by your sockets and less likely to be impacted by gravity. All you have to do is run to your local hardware store, such as Harbor Freight, and look for the small, circular magnets. Simply glue one to the end of the wrench adapter or within your sockets, let the glue dry, and assemble the tool as usual. The magnet is strong enough to hold the bolts and nuts you're working with, saving you the time and effort needed to find runaways.

If this solution doesn't strike your fancy but you are willing to spend more money, you can consider another option. A magnetic socket set is an excellent alternative.

While it's not the most intense modification one can make to their socket wrench, adding magnets does take time and effort. Not only do you need to get hold of some strong glue and magnets that will fit onto your existing tools properly — without inhibiting the connection of the sockets to the wrench — but you have to take the time to actually assemble this makeshift tool. If time is of the essence, you can't find the right pieces, or you just don't want to DIY your wrench or sockets, you can always look around elsewhere in the hardware aisle. Pre-magnetized sockets and wrenches aren't hard to find from the best and worst of the major socket set brands.

Looking around at some of the biggest names in tool sales, magnetic socket sets are all over the place. They can be found on Amazon, Home Depot, and more with a bit of searching. Like any other socket set, these allow for a range of fastener sizes, so you don't have to worry about nuts and bolts of any measurement getting lost on the job. Naturally, the added cost is a downside to this route over paying a few dollars for some magnets and glue. In many cases, a reasonably-sized set will cost you well over $30, so that's worth keeping in mind before taking this route instead of the modification one.

Meanwhile, there's yet another option on the table for adding grip strength to your sockets. As it turns out, a little tape goes a long way.

Unless you use them constantly and on a high level, sockets will last you a long while before needing to be replaced. Thus, it's reasonable that you might not want to drop money on a new set just for the added magnetism. Still, if you don't want to replace them entirely, and you don't want to glue on some magnets to improve their grip strength, what are you to do? As it happens, there's a third option that involves simply adding a bit of tape to your fasteners. The adhesive will hold onto the nuts or bolts just fine while creating a tighter grip within the socket so they don't fall out.

Using tape for socket scenarios is quite simple. All you have to do is take the nuts or bolts needing more traction within the socket, wrap their heads with some tape, and push them into the socket. The key is to use just enough tape that the fastener fits snugly into the socket without being unable to fit at all. Once its screwed in, remove the socket like normal and remove the tape. A little bit of duct tape will work just fine here, but ideally, you'll want to use masking or painter's tape. It's thinner, making it easier to layer without going overboard, and comes off without much of a struggle. Not to mention, it's great for one of the few methods of cleaning your iPhone's speakers.

Applying or removing nuts and bolts with a socket set can be tedious in awkward or otherwise tight spaces. Fortunately, magnetism and tape are perfect for mitigating disaster in the form of unexpected fastener scavenger hunts.