I finally caved and bought the $6 magnetic screw tray after dropping a screw inside a dryer for the third time

Ruby Shah · 2026-10-10T12:05:04.043715+00:00

I always figured those little magnetic trays were a gimmick for guys who watch too many tool videos. Last month I was pulling the front panel off a dryer in a client's basement in Kalamazoo and a hex screw rolled into the blower housing, gone forever. I spent 20 minutes fishing with a bent coat hanger while the homeowner watched me from the stairs. Next day I grabbed one of those cheap round trays at a hardware store for 6 bucks, mostly to shut my buddy up. First job with it, I popped 14 screws in there and none of them moved, even when I tilted the thing sideways. The tray also sticks to the frame, so it holds itself in place while both my hands are free. I felt pretty dumb for waiting this long, honestly. Now I want to know what else I've been writing off as a gimmick that actually saves time, so what's the one cheap tool you use on every single call?

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I finally caved and bought the $6 magnetic screw tray after dropping a screw inside a dryer for the third time | Appliance Repairers - Babble Community