Quick verdict
Four spring steel clips made in the USA from 1050 annealed steel, vinyl coated where they touch the handle, that screw to a wall or a stud and snap round a tool handle of 3/4 to 1 1/8 inches, holding a rake, a shovel, a hoe, a broom or a length of pipe upright and off the floor until it is pulled out with one hand. Plastic clips crack and the spring goes out of cheap steel ones; these are the industrial pattern that holds for decades. Four does a row of long-handled tools on a strip of plywood.
Strengths
- Holds handles from 3/4 to 1 1/8 inch with a firm spring
- Spring steel that keeps its tension for decades
- Vinyl and chromate coated; no rust, no handle marks
- Screws included; mounts anywhere
- Made in the USA and used in industry
Weaknesses
- Four clips; a full tool wall wants several packs
- Handles over 1 1/8 inch need the larger size
- Steel spring is firm; a light grip to pull a tool out
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
One Clip Per Tool, Forever
Long-handled tools lean in a corner until they fall, and plastic wall clips crack the first winter. The clip that industry uses is a spring steel gripper. Gibson’s are four clips in 1050 annealed spring steel, vinyl coated where they touch the handle, that screw to a wall and snap round any handle from 3/4 to 1 1/8 inches, made in the USA with the screws in the pack.
This review is based on the maker’s specifications and on how spring steel grip clips perform in tool storage generally. We have not used these clips ourselves.
Fitting
Screw a strip of plywood to the studs at shoulder height, or use the studs directly, and screw a clip every six inches. Push a handle in and it snaps round; pull and it releases. Four clips take four tools, and more packs extend the row along the wall. The inside of a shed door is a good second row.
What Goes In
Rakes, shovels, spades, hoes, brooms and mops, the pole saw, the hose wand, a bundle of canes, the squeegee. The range covers wooden and fiberglass handles and most steel ones. Thicker handles, a sledge or a maul, want the larger Gibson clip.
Why Spring Steel
A clip is opened and closed every time a tool comes out and goes back, thousands of times over its life. Cheap steel loses its spring and plastic cracks in the cold. Annealed 1050 spring steel is chosen because it keeps its tension through all of that, which is why the same clip holds pipe and cable in factories.
Coating
Black vinyl on the gripping faces keeps the steel off the handle, so wood is not marked and fiberglass is not scuffed, and chromate under it stops rust in a damp shed.
Value
Four clips cost more than a plastic rack and outlast ten of them. The pack is the price of one broken plastic clip’s replacement, twice.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone with tools leaning in a corner.
- Shed and garage organisers who want a wall that lasts.
- People replacing cracked plastic clips.
Common Owner Complaints
Only four in a pack. Buy two packs for a wall.
Technique Tips
Mount the clips at the height of the balance point of the longest tool, so the heads hang clear of the floor and the handles do not kick out at the top.
Alternatives to Consider
The larger Gibson clip for handles over 1 1/8 inch. A slatted rack with hooks for mixed tools. A plastic clip strip, which is what this replaces.
Verdict
For long-handled tools held upright for decades, spring steel grip clips are the answer and Gibson makes them properly. Screw them to a stud, push the handle in and forget the corner pile.
Full specifications
Gibson Gripper Clips 225-HL, Spring Steel Grip Clips for 3/4 to 1 1/8 Inch Handles, 4 Pack with Screws, Made in USA FAQs
Screw each clip to a stud, a strip of plywood on the wall or the inside of a shed door, spaced a hand apart, at a height where the tool heads clear the floor. Push the handle into the clip until it snaps round.
Rakes, shovels, spades, hoes, brooms, mops, a pole saw, a hose wand, garden canes in a bundle, lengths of pipe and conduit. Anything with a round handle in the range.
The vinyl coating on the gripping faces keeps the steel off the wood and does not mark fiberglass.
A clip that is opened and closed thousands of times needs a spring that does not tire. Annealed 1050 steel is what industry uses for exactly that.
