Which Types of Pegboard Hooks for Which Tools? A Quick Cheat Sheet

There are many types of pegboard hooks. If you’ve visited the local Home Depot or the neighborhood hardware store, you’ve noticed that pegboard hooks come in a gazillion shapes and sizes. In fact, it gets a bit overwhelming as to which hook you should use for which tool.

The thing I love most about pegboard is its versatility. You can move hooks around at any given time, decorate your pegboard and hang about anything from your board. There are no clear-cut rules. That being said, there’s a few hooks that are more convenient to hang certain tools from, and other hooks that match better with different tools.

 

The J Hook

The J Hook looks just like its name suggests — the letter J. Among pegboard hooks, this is perhaps the most common. A J Hook is designed so that whatever tools you are hanging from it, they don’t fall off. The tool loops around the upward curve of the bottom of the J shape and sits at the bottom of the hook.

Most companies offer J Hooks that are 1/4″ pegboard hooks, designed to fit with a versatile pegboard hook set. J Hooks also come in different sizes, from as small as 0.5″ to as large as 1.5″ — all of which hold up to roughly 10 pounds.

J Hooks are great for hanging paintbrushes, small rope, storage bags and keys, to name a few items.

 

The Angled L Hook

The Angled L Hook is similar to the J Hook in terms of the types of tools that it is designed to hold. The major difference, of course, is the shape of the hook itself.

As you probably have guessed already, the Angled L Hook is shaped like the letter L. The best version of these pegboard hooks is angled so that the end of the hook easily attaches to the pegboard, giving you the most amount of space on the actual pegboard hook to hang items in your garage.

Much like J Hooks, Angled L Hooks are great for paintbrushes, storage bags, small rope and other odds and ends. Which one of these pegboard hooks you choose depends on the shape of the item you’re looking to hang.

 

Ring Tool Holder

Ever need a long flat head screwdriver but simply can’t find one in your pile of tools? Or ever want to bang your head against a wall after searching for 10 minutes for that specific socket wrench you know you have?

Tools can easily be misplaced in a messy garage. You likely have a lot of them, and so many of them look alike. The key to any garage organization project is figuring out the best way to organize your tools so that you can easily and quickly find what you need when you need it.

A Ring Tool Holder is one of the best types of pegboard hooks you can use to get this done. These pegboard hooks have a U-shaped end that attaches to your pegboard, and then a two-ringed prong that sticks out from it. These are great for lining up all your screwdrivers, pliers, files, paintbrushes and any of the other hundreds of tools you have in your toolbox.

No longer will you have to search through a pile of sharp tools with your bare hands looking for the one specific tool you need. By using a set of Ring Tool Holders on your pegboard, you’ll be able to see every tool that you have. It’s also a great way to showcase your garage organization project.

 

Plier Holder

As great as Ring Tool Holders are, there are still some tools that don’t fit into them too well. The ring attachments are great for screwdrivers, for example, but other tools are shaped differently and don’t quite fit into them.

If you have this common problem, then Plier Holders are a great option for pegboard attachments. These pegboard hooks are shaped like an elongated U. The prongs easily attach to a pegboard like your other 1/4″ pegboard hooks, with the U sticking out. You can then easily place your pliers face down into the hook, securing them against your pegboard.

 

Multi-Tool Rack

If you don’t want to buy a separate Ring Tool Holder for each of your tools, you can choose to go with a Multi-Tool Rack instead. This is one of the more popular pegboard accessories, as it allows you to line up multiple tools on one bar.

Most of these racks are 9 inches wide and fit into your pegboard just like other 1/4″ pegboard hooks. A bar goes horizontally across your pegboard, with U-shaped hooks coming out of the bottom of the bar. You then secure whatever tools you want to these hooks.

Some people prefer to have their garage organization arranged by type of tool, and so they opt for a Multi-Tool Rack for all their screwdrivers, for example. Because of the shape of the pegboard hooks on these pegboard attachments, you aren’t limited to what types of tools you use.

 

Shelf Bracket

Not everything in your garage will fit snugly into one of the pegboard hooks described above. Some things such as paint cans, a box of nails or screws all need a shelf to live on.

Luckily, you can get a shelf bracket that would fit your need for more pegboard accessories. These Shelf Brackets come in a variety of lengths, but most are either 4 inches or 8 inches deep. The U-shaped pegboard hooks attach to your pegboard like normal, and then a metal bar stretches out away from the wall.

This allows you to build a shelf in your garage with ease by simply placing a wooden board overtop.

 

*Important* Before you hang your tools: Not all types of pegboard hooks are created equal.

While the shape of pegboard hooks might be pretty consistent between manufacturers, it is important to note that not all hooks can bear the weight of heavy tools.

Many hooks have a 1/8″ thickness and are made of low-quality steel or even plastic. Hanging heavy shovels or axes from these hooks will often cause them to bend or break. I recommend you to only use 1/4″ steel pegboard hooks if you have standard 1/4″ holed pegboard. Heavy duty stuff.

To save you some time, we’ve assembled a 60 pieces set with different types of pegboard hooks that covers most DIY work spaces. It comes with three storage baskets as well. Exclusively 1/4″ hooks and heavy-duty pegboard accessories that are guaranteed to hold your heavy equipment. And – won’t fall out of the board!