Tools I wish I'd bought years ago

moxhamj

New Member
When starting out in electronics there are always the tools you have to have (wire cutters, long nosed pliers etc) and there are the tools you want but can't afford.

And then there are the ones that would have saved so much time over the years.

Two tools I have just bought: A nibbling tool http://www.futurlec.com/Tools-Nibbling.shtml

And an IC pin straightener http://www.futurlec.com/Tools-IC.shtml

The nibbling tool is fantastic for panel work. (Other handy tools are a dremel or similar and a good old fashioned flat file.)

The IC pin straighener does more than just straighten. It sets the pins up so they go into a socket. Something I've never worked out is why IC pins are splayed out slightly wider than a PCB DIP package. Anyway, this tool solves the problem.

(I've already got an IC extractor tool also on that page and use that on a daily basis).

I'll bet there are other suggestions people can add to this list...
 

westaust55

Moderator
A good wench ( er wrench) :D (or a whole collection of them :confused: ) could have saved me heaps of time!

I have a right angle screw driver for flat and Philips head screws and bolts in hard to get at places. May not be needed too often but worth its weight in gold when the need arises.


Items I have bought in more recent times include:
- An entire set of miniature sockets including torx head bits.
-A "third hand" support tool with magnifying glass to hold the printed circuit board while holding wires, solder, and iron can be a god send. Akin to http://www.ipmart.com/main/product/Thirdhand,Tool,with,2x,Magnifier,,L316228,55351.php?prod=55351

While often spoken of here, an oscilloscope is still not in my collection. Have always managed to work out the problems without one.
 
Last edited:

Dippy

Moderator
"I'll bet there are other suggestions people can add to this list..."

- yes Doc, you are teasing us into listing Our Favourite tools :)

... so I'll bite.


A 10 pound lump hammer for difficult surface mount circuits is useful.


One General Comment.
When I were a lad I always had cheap tools and things.
As my wasitline expanded I started getting good quality stuff instead - sometimes second-hand.
Yup, the wallet took a beating BUT the difference in how-fast-and-well-things-could-be done between cheapo and quality is really noticeable.
I would suggest, if the hobby is taken seriously and not a mere fad, that people should consider paying a bit more for quality.

This applies to everything from screwdrivers to Multimeters.
A good quality tool will, barring accident or operation by a total muppet, last much longer - saving money and reducing landfill in the long run.
Good quality stuff is usually more pleasant (and sometimes less frustrating) to use.
 

boriz

Senior Member
Mole grips are always surprisingly useful.

And I like my desklamp-with-large-built-in-magnifier.

I use my old CRO fairly often. Once you go CRO, you'll never look back.

I also have two unit’s from Peak Atlas. An LCR meter and a Component analyser.

And a small ‘edge of the desk’ vice is dead handy too.

I used my digital camera as a tool once. I was trying to find out if a spark jumps from +ve to –ve, or vice-versa. My solution was crude but fairly effective. I glued a mirror to the middle of a PC fan, and in a dark room, took photographs of the sparks reflection in the rapidly spinning mirror. The idea being that I could stretch out or smear the spark event on a photo and get a clearer idea of what’s happening in the time-domain.

Got some pretty good pictures, but although I did learn some stuff, my mirror was not spinning fast enough to answer the original question. If you’re interested HERE’S a picture.
 

lanternfish

Senior Member
Everything I sold about a decade ago when the wife thought it was "all a waste of space..." - Scope, Temp Controlled Soldering station, Desk Lamp/Magnifier, a huge assortment of tweezers (from super fine to wide), waveform generator.

And now I am starting to try and restock the same.

Would be quite depressing if I wasn't having so much fun with the PICAXEs.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Top of my list ...

A bench-top PSU with current limiting
A hole cutter for vero-board / strip-board
Old fashioned, hand-cranked, drill for working with plastic boxes

The PSU has definitely paid for itself. In terms of batteries otherwise used, saving PICAXE and chips from damage, for testing 'junk' I pick up with no PSU, and for charging SLA batteries.
 

demonicpicaxeguy

Senior Member
hmm my list of things i wish i bought many years ago....

lathe - getting one as soon as i've got the space
Milling machine - got one now and wish i got one many years ago
temperature controlled hot air + soldering iron -got one now
Cro - got a digital usb one
current limited benchtop power supply
decent set of un stealable cutter pliers and screwdrivers
 

gengis

New Member
I'd add a hand punch for metal working. Got mine years ago and wouldn't trade it. The one I have says "Whitney Jenson" (I bought one at work that had "Whitney Roper") on it.

It has punches and dies from 3-32" to 9-32" Makes perfect, distortion free holes in pretty much anything that will fit in it - circuit board material is OK, tin cans, sheet aluminum and steel, even the spring steel used for banding lumber. The small points on each punch will align the tool with center punch dimples for perfect placement. No need to get out the drill and clean and de-burr holes. It will also make some pretty thin slots by placing the holes in a row and using a needle file to clean them. A nibbling tool also does that but requires a ~3/8" starting hole to make 1/4" slots.

I notice that "Harbor Freight" is selling something that looks identical except it has a deeper throat and larger punches. Next time I'm down there . . .
 

Andrew Cowan

Senior Member
One of my most useful tools is my cable cutters (like scisors with curved blades and long handles). I actually bought them for cutting hardened steel wire, but found theY can't do that. However, they are great when cutting thick mains cable etc. Yesterday I needed to cut some 8AWG wire, and my regular diagonal cutters wouln't do it.

IC extractors, chip straighteners, tweezers, crimpers, solder station, electic desoldering iron (brilliant!), needle tipped isopropynyl bottle, magnifying lamp, function generator, USB PC scopes, current controlled PSU, automatic wire strippers, solder dispenser - it's great working with correct tools. Oh, and the dremel. Can't leave that out ;).

I also bought a very old and very cheap bench mulitimeter off eBay recently - it saves me having to get the multimeter out every time I want to check to see if a fuse has blown or if a battery is dead. Saves a lot of time. Next on my list is an analogue scope - USB PC ones work well, but take a while to set up and get going.

A
 
Last edited:

Dippy

Moderator
"Next on my list is an analogue scope - digital ones work well, but take a while to set up and get going. "

- save your pennies, get a Tek and locate the button marked "Autoset" ;)

But I don't know where you get the impression digital ones 'take a while'.
Maybe the Ebay ones do ....? :)
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Not quite a 'tool', but having somewhere suitable to work in comfort with everything at hand really helps. Also a good storage system which saves having to dig through the contents of the garage, loft, basement when you need something.
 

Andrew Cowan

Senior Member
Sorry, digital was the wrong word. I meant PC. The hastle of getting the laptop, booting it up etc.

I didn't mean a digital scope in the sense that is normally used.

I'll edit that post.

Another thing to add is: a box/drawer for each value of coommanly used resistors. Makes prototyping so much faster.

A
 
Last edited:

slimplynth

Senior Member
Hot glue gun is my favourite, fixes everything.
glued a DIY third arm/light & battery holders to a wooden board.. much easier when working on the couch.
 

bgrabowski

Senior Member
Amongst the most handy specialist tools/equipment I possess are: a taper reamer for enlarging holes in plastic boxes; 0.8 to 1.0mm tungsten carbide drill bits for drilling PCBs; a PCB guillotine which also crops thin sheets of plastic and plywood; a disc sanding machine for shaping PCBs, MDF, acrylic etc.

At school I have access to a laser cutter and CNC routing and milling machines. My school is one of an increasing number which allows members of the local community (usually senior citizens) to use the workshop facilities under supervision by prior arrangement.
 

Andrew Cowan

Senior Member
What PCB guillotine do you use? I've been unable to find any for less than £150 (way too much!).

I either use the school guilotine, or just score and snap 'em.

A
 

bgrabowski

Senior Member
I bought one on ebay it was the 12" model. It was fairly expensive at £70 but the condition was as new and the catalogue price was over £200.
 

AndyGadget

Senior Member
Magnet on a stick - Always useful.

I was recently was introduced to the step drill. Makes really neat holes in thin metal.

A nibbler will be my next tool purchase . . . and a 'scope when a suitable one comes along.
(I used to be able to drive a Tec 465b entirely by feel in my circuit testing days, many years ago.)
 

fernando_g

Senior Member
A Dremel Motor Tool.
I bought the single (high) speed one, which is a mistake, as for plastic work it spins way too fast causing the plastic to melt and leaves streak marks. I'm planning to make a speed controller, and you can bet it will be PICAXE based!

An isolated VARIAC is a must, if you repair/design mains-powered equipment.

A good sinewave oscillator for audio use. I was lucky to find a used Hewlett Packard one on a radiofest, dated circa 1970, built like a tank and still works like a charm after all these years.
 

premelec

Senior Member
Did anyone mention a hack saw and tapered reamer? Having been at it for many decades I have several hundred tools - temperature controlled soldering iron was a big advance from the old burn it up unit... and I use an eye loupe 5x for close work and inspection.... and I love double alligator clip leads and have some I made 55 years ago still in action... :) So much fun - so many tools - hemostats, rat tail files, flat files, needle files, shoemaker's file, bench vise, drill press... oxy-acetylene - yikes!
 
Last edited:

SgtB

Member
My newest favorites are a dremel vice and a copper brillo pad. The vice is nice because it has notches in the jaws that hold a board perfectly, and the brillo pad is for cleaning my tips. I don't know how I was using a sponge before. I also bought the dremel drill press for my pcb's and it works pretty good.
 

Rickharris

Senior Member
Just to settle your mind - electrons being negative travel from the negative side of the power source to the positive. But you knew that anyway! :)

Nice experiment to see if it's right though.
 

westaust55

Moderator
A good quality tool box.

My large and old faithful of 50 years age (was my fathers before I took it on but I have 3 smaller others) had the leather strap handle fail today. :eek:
Off to look for a new larger tool box.

Wonder if I will get 50 years on the next one :rolleyes: !
 

Dippy

Moderator
Polishing cloth, darnit, I knew I'd forgotten something....

Re: Tool-Box- "Wonder if I will get 50 years on the next one"
- doubt it. The next one will be from Ebay and Made in C.
:)
 

kollinsb

Member
Not really a tool but I've found proper storage and organization of components to be invaluable. My most valuable tool recently has been pebble. Outside of that, it just having the right tools to do what you do, whatever it is. And the space to do it.
 

Rickharris

Senior Member
I agree with kolinsb- already I miss the neat draws of resistors and components we had at school - and someone to keep them stocked and in order.

At my age the desk magnifier is a god send. On the few occations I have wanted a scope (and I was trained to use one as a first resort) I have downloaded one of the free samples from the web and used the PC.

A good pair of pliers are worth their weight in gold. A sharp knife. A pencil and paper to try working out the ideas on paper befor I screw up a lot of components or spend ages writing software that just doesn't do what I want it to do.
 

manie

Senior Member
1. Ribbon Cable, IDC plug, crimping tool. Makes fitting the plug to ribbon cable so easy, saves a little time and LOTS of frustration when you break the lock pins otherwise.

2. Diptrace Lite is a nice tool for me and

3. Picaxe Forum REALLY IS A WINNER, its comes VERY cheap and is INVALUABLE in practice for me.
 

Dippy

Moderator
Surely the best tool for beginners is this Forum?

It can save you:-
A) ... thousands of Pounds/Dollars/whatever in consultancy fees.
B) ... having to ask your teacher.
C) ... having to read books or Data Sheets.
and
D) ... having to do your homework from scratch.
 

manie

Senior Member
I found the web in general a good tool, imagine wanting the specs of an obscure transistor twenty years agao, start the car, drive to an electronic store (one that sells books also) and find a data book that spec's THAT tranny, pay for the book (because you saw something else in there), drive back, use said tranny (without book because you've looked in the store) and hope the book does not go out of date....

Data Sheets (free !) on the web is really a usefull tool for me !
 

BeanieBots

Moderator
Agreed manie, twenty years ago we didn't have such a large diversity of components. Most was covered by data BOOKS rather than datasheets.

Each manufacturer would have a book of their products and anyone in the industry with a little buying power could obtain one free. For the hobby user it could be very difficult let alone expensive to obtain such books.
 

atharvai

Senior Member
yep THIS Forum is amazing and definitely more educational than those books!

the tools i've got are simple, screwdrivers, wire cutters, teeth (for wire stripping), soldering iron without stand, IC remover, 60/40 solder.

my wishlist:
multimeter, long nose pliers, scope (either digital/pc or analog), bench supply.
I can also do with a handheld digital oscilloscope meter :) from Fluke which costs just over a £3k quid. http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=4809823

but i can get any of these until i prove to my parents that i can actually make something. they say if u buy it and don't use it for more than a couple of projects its waste of money :confused::mad: but they don't understand its important to get anything working unless u r a magician
 

BeanieBots

Moderator
Hmm... for many years I used to use my teeth as wire strippers.
It worked well.
These days though, the damn things just pop out whenever I try it:mad:
 

Rickharris

Senior Member
Hmm... for many years I used to use my teeth as wire strippers.
It worked well.
These days though, the damn things just pop out whenever I try it:mad:
Aggh NO Agggh NO! I post this on behalf of a nephew who is a dentist :)

On the tools list a logic probe - they don't cost much and can often replace the expense of a scope.
 
Top