Electronics tools
November 7, 2015 9:51 AM Subscribe
What goes in an electronics technician's tool bag?
My son is in school to be an electronics engineer (a freshman), and I want to get him started with a tool bag.
He was an aviation radar technician in the Marines (worked on comm equipment also) and a cellphone chip R&D test technician after that, so he knows for sure that electronics is the life for him. He's interested in working on anything electronic, old or new. (He lost his shit completely over the old tube radios at a vintage store.) He and I assembled one computer and disassembled another one, and I know he's interested in doing more of that too. Right now he doesn't have any projects he's working on, so I was thinking of giving him a broken electronic something as part of the gift.
Here's what I have so far:
Fluke 115 Compact True-RMS Digital Multimeter
Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station
Belkin 36-Piece Demagnetized Computer Tool Kit
I already have a clamp lamp and an enormous anti-static mat at the house he can use. I have this tool kit myself, and it's fine, but the Belkin kit seemed more legit. If the things I have are not what you would recommend, I can return them.
Price is not much of an object here. He's had some hard times recently and I want to delight him to the maximum that material objects can do, and give him tools that will last him through many projects. Thanks for any help you can give me!
My son is in school to be an electronics engineer (a freshman), and I want to get him started with a tool bag.
He was an aviation radar technician in the Marines (worked on comm equipment also) and a cellphone chip R&D test technician after that, so he knows for sure that electronics is the life for him. He's interested in working on anything electronic, old or new. (He lost his shit completely over the old tube radios at a vintage store.) He and I assembled one computer and disassembled another one, and I know he's interested in doing more of that too. Right now he doesn't have any projects he's working on, so I was thinking of giving him a broken electronic something as part of the gift.
Here's what I have so far:
Fluke 115 Compact True-RMS Digital Multimeter
Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station
Belkin 36-Piece Demagnetized Computer Tool Kit
I already have a clamp lamp and an enormous anti-static mat at the house he can use. I have this tool kit myself, and it's fine, but the Belkin kit seemed more legit. If the things I have are not what you would recommend, I can return them.
Price is not much of an object here. He's had some hard times recently and I want to delight him to the maximum that material objects can do, and give him tools that will last him through many projects. Thanks for any help you can give me!
You'll definitely want/need a good pair of wire cutters. I have these and highly recommend them. The matching pliers are also really handy.
Also I have found this brass sponge more effective for cleaning the tip of one's soldering iron than the typical sponge you get with your soldering station.
posted by igowen at 10:26 AM on November 7, 2015
Also I have found this brass sponge more effective for cleaning the tip of one's soldering iron than the typical sponge you get with your soldering station.
posted by igowen at 10:26 AM on November 7, 2015
Also, get some really good curved-tip tweezers, especially if you'll need to deal with SMD components.
posted by igowen at 10:29 AM on November 7, 2015
posted by igowen at 10:29 AM on November 7, 2015
If money isn't a huge issue you want a temperature-controlled soldering iron instead of the red Weller, which will be roughly 2x the price for any brand. I'm partial to this Hakko digital iron but the equivalent (blue) Weller is also nice.
posted by range at 10:34 AM on November 7, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by range at 10:34 AM on November 7, 2015 [5 favorites]
So it's not clear if you've already bought the stuff in your list, or if it's a shopping list. But if you haven't spent the money yet, seriously consider getting the Weller WES51 soldering station instead. Yeah, it's more expensive, but it is much, much nicer to use for electronics because it's temperature controlled. The cheaper iron you linked has a power control, but not a real closed-loop temp sensor. You really want that temp control.
edit: that hakko looks nice too
posted by ryanrs at 10:36 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
edit: that hakko looks nice too
posted by ryanrs at 10:36 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Needlenose pliers
diagonal cutters
jeweler's screwdrivers and wrenches:
__straight edge (i.e. "minus")
__phillips head ("plus")
__torx
__allen
Electrical tape
cable ties
soldering iron
solder
a tube of RTV
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:37 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
diagonal cutters
jeweler's screwdrivers and wrenches:
__straight edge (i.e. "minus")
__phillips head ("plus")
__torx
__allen
Electrical tape
cable ties
soldering iron
solder
a tube of RTV
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:37 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, an anti-static wrist strap.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:38 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:38 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I had several recommendations like polymide/capton tape, a certain type of connector crimping pliers, and so on. Then I realized I was just going to be linking to Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools website for descriptions of all of them. So I would recommed just going there and doing a search yourself. Obviously, "electrical" would be one of the first search terms you would use. I like the website because all of the recommendations have actually been used by someone for a long time, and there is a comments section so you can see if the recommendation has a consensus behind it, or if the author left out an important flaw or maybe there is an alternative tool.
posted by seasparrow at 10:41 AM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by seasparrow at 10:41 AM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
Soldering Arm.
Electrical Tape.
Wire caps.
Cable crimper (ethernet, etc).
Socket tester.
Logic probe.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:42 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Electrical Tape.
Wire caps.
Cable crimper (ethernet, etc).
Socket tester.
Logic probe.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:42 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Kester 2331-ZX flux pen
Cheap and makes a huge difference in soldering. It's definitely something I have on my bench, but a lot of beginners and hobbyists don't (which is why their soldering is not as good as mine, heh).
posted by ryanrs at 10:46 AM on November 7, 2015
Cheap and makes a huge difference in soldering. It's definitely something I have on my bench, but a lot of beginners and hobbyists don't (which is why their soldering is not as good as mine, heh).
posted by ryanrs at 10:46 AM on November 7, 2015
I keep a small roll of baling wire (stiff iron wire) in my tool kit. It's a lot more useful than you might think. It's one of those things like duct tape and cable ties which can be used to repair nearly anything.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:49 AM on November 7, 2015
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:49 AM on November 7, 2015
Oooh yeah good call on the flux pen. Also, desoldering braid and a pump-type solder sucker are good things to have around. You won't need them often, but when you do you'll be glad you have 'em.
posted by igowen at 10:51 AM on November 7, 2015
posted by igowen at 10:51 AM on November 7, 2015
electrical tape
No. Shrink tubing, RTV silicone*, and orange kapton tape. When's the last time you took apart some electronics and found black electrical tape inside?
* Electronic grade RTV silicone only, the other stuff outgases acetic acid will corrode your circuit.
posted by ryanrs at 10:51 AM on November 7, 2015
No. Shrink tubing, RTV silicone*, and orange kapton tape. When's the last time you took apart some electronics and found black electrical tape inside?
* Electronic grade RTV silicone only, the other stuff outgases acetic acid will corrode your circuit.
posted by ryanrs at 10:51 AM on November 7, 2015
You can never have too many soldering irons. If he's ever going to be doing work in the field or on boards mounted inside vehicles or other big things he should have a butane-powered model. It's not great for fine PCB work but is a godsend when you're walking around or crawling into awkward spots to solder a few leads at a time and don't want to worry about dragging an extension cord and a big brick of a soldering station around with you.
The Fluke is essential, but if you want to get a little extravagant you might consider also giving him a Mooshimeter to go with it.
posted by contraption at 10:54 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Fluke is essential, but if you want to get a little extravagant you might consider also giving him a Mooshimeter to go with it.
posted by contraption at 10:54 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
If he's doing any kind of digital work, I'd recommend a Saleae Logic.
It's a tiny USB device that can turn a PC into a 4,8, or 16 channel sampling scope with both analog and digital capabilities. It can take a block of digital signals and decode a number of common protocols (RS232, I2C, SPI, CAN, etc)
It's been priceless when debugging circuit boards and systems. The Logic4 can be had for around $100, which is an amazing price. It's a very high quality product.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:09 AM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's a tiny USB device that can turn a PC into a 4,8, or 16 channel sampling scope with both analog and digital capabilities. It can take a block of digital signals and decode a number of common protocols (RS232, I2C, SPI, CAN, etc)
It's been priceless when debugging circuit boards and systems. The Logic4 can be had for around $100, which is an amazing price. It's a very high quality product.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:09 AM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
You can make sure they can open up anything and do a lot of the stuff the belkin kit has with ifixit kits especially the pro one https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Pro-Tech-Toolkit/IF145-072-1
posted by dstopps at 11:19 AM on November 7, 2015
posted by dstopps at 11:19 AM on November 7, 2015
Xcelite handle and blade sets. One handle, many allen, torx, nutdriver, screwdriver blades. Don't forget extensions and T-handles.
posted by H21 at 11:24 AM on November 7, 2015
posted by H21 at 11:24 AM on November 7, 2015
Nting the recommendation for a temperature controlled iron. I'm a big fan of Hakko, though the next level Wellers are also great.
If you're looking to save cash (or spend it on other things), I'd consider an Keysight / Agilent DMM instead of a Fluke - in the recent past they were half the cost of a Fluke and in my opinion just as good. The only reason to get a fluke instead is if you're sharing tools with other people who are used to flukes and will be annoyed by having to find buttons in a different place. Around holidays you can often get a deal on free accessories. (On rereading the question - I see you've already bought the fluke. Might as well stick with it then - it's a great meter - but I'll leave this here for reference should anyone search for it.)
A good arm mounted magnifying glass / low resolution microscope can be really nice. (Alternatively, head mounted magnifying glasses are portable.) A nice vice to hold things is essential - panavice (mentioned above) and palmgren are the go-to standards for adjustable light duty and less-adjustable heavy-duty ones, respectively. A big roll of fine, rosin core, 63/37 (or 60/40) lead tin solder is essential, and throw in a roll of solder wick and perhaps a pump-action solder remover. It may be redundant with the kit you've got, but the Wadsworth ratchet set mini driver kit is great for getting into tight spaces.
Two of the big items that may be excessive for this kit, but could be worth considering for a future gift are an oscilloscope and a good adjustable DC power supply. Rigol scopes are great and quite cheap compared to competitors at the same level - but they'll still run you a few hundred bucks for the cheapest units. Working out what he's likely to work on and what the actual specs he needs are (analog, digital, mixed; minimum bandwidth) will be important. Rigol has open-box / refurb direct sales on their website. Personally, I find the usb-interface software oscilloscopes much too annoying to be worth the money saved, but many disagree.
For power supplies, a refurbished professional grade supply would be my choice over a cheaper new hobbiest unit. BRL Test and Lab Equipment Depot often have useful deals on things, as do Ebay and even Amazon used sales. Agilent/Keysight are quite expensive but rock solid and will last for thirty years, but there are other brands that offer comparable quality, including Rigol. (BK Precision is worth running away from in my limited experience.) Also note that a build-your-own bench top power supply kit can be a great way to ease back into electronics. It would be my first choice if I were nudging someone in that direction with a gift.
But, do note that a lot of these recommendation are specific to the kinds of projects he's likely to work on. (I've never in my life needed a cordless soldering iron or a flux pen. . . but clearly others find them useful.)
posted by eotvos at 11:34 AM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you're looking to save cash (or spend it on other things), I'd consider an Keysight / Agilent DMM instead of a Fluke - in the recent past they were half the cost of a Fluke and in my opinion just as good. The only reason to get a fluke instead is if you're sharing tools with other people who are used to flukes and will be annoyed by having to find buttons in a different place. Around holidays you can often get a deal on free accessories. (On rereading the question - I see you've already bought the fluke. Might as well stick with it then - it's a great meter - but I'll leave this here for reference should anyone search for it.)
A good arm mounted magnifying glass / low resolution microscope can be really nice. (Alternatively, head mounted magnifying glasses are portable.) A nice vice to hold things is essential - panavice (mentioned above) and palmgren are the go-to standards for adjustable light duty and less-adjustable heavy-duty ones, respectively. A big roll of fine, rosin core, 63/37 (or 60/40) lead tin solder is essential, and throw in a roll of solder wick and perhaps a pump-action solder remover. It may be redundant with the kit you've got, but the Wadsworth ratchet set mini driver kit is great for getting into tight spaces.
Two of the big items that may be excessive for this kit, but could be worth considering for a future gift are an oscilloscope and a good adjustable DC power supply. Rigol scopes are great and quite cheap compared to competitors at the same level - but they'll still run you a few hundred bucks for the cheapest units. Working out what he's likely to work on and what the actual specs he needs are (analog, digital, mixed; minimum bandwidth) will be important. Rigol has open-box / refurb direct sales on their website. Personally, I find the usb-interface software oscilloscopes much too annoying to be worth the money saved, but many disagree.
For power supplies, a refurbished professional grade supply would be my choice over a cheaper new hobbiest unit. BRL Test and Lab Equipment Depot often have useful deals on things, as do Ebay and even Amazon used sales. Agilent/Keysight are quite expensive but rock solid and will last for thirty years, but there are other brands that offer comparable quality, including Rigol. (BK Precision is worth running away from in my limited experience.) Also note that a build-your-own bench top power supply kit can be a great way to ease back into electronics. It would be my first choice if I were nudging someone in that direction with a gift.
But, do note that a lot of these recommendation are specific to the kinds of projects he's likely to work on. (I've never in my life needed a cordless soldering iron or a flux pen. . . but clearly others find them useful.)
posted by eotvos at 11:34 AM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
For holding, clamping, clipping and carrying weird shaped bits and pieces NiteIze has a bunch of innovative little gadgets that can really come in handy. And if he's doing any field work check out Setware for pouches and gloves and stuff.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 11:36 AM on November 7, 2015
posted by WalkerWestridge at 11:36 AM on November 7, 2015
I have the Fluke 115 (LOVE it!) but the test leads are sorely missing alligator clips. These Flir clips fit the test leads that come with the Fluke perfectly. They're about $40 less than the Fluke ones and are the same high quality.
posted by PSB at 12:53 PM on November 7, 2015
posted by PSB at 12:53 PM on November 7, 2015
The RTV you want is Dow 3165.
Most electronics now-a-days are surface mount, and he'll need a hot-air reflow station to deal with them. Luckily, they are available for about the price of a good soldering iron! The Aoyue 899A+ has a temperature-controlled iron and a hot-air gun for only $170. And the 850A++ with just the hot-air is $100 and really robust. They aren't really "tool bag"-sized, but you really can't do anything modern without them.
posted by flimflam at 12:58 PM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Most electronics now-a-days are surface mount, and he'll need a hot-air reflow station to deal with them. Luckily, they are available for about the price of a good soldering iron! The Aoyue 899A+ has a temperature-controlled iron and a hot-air gun for only $170. And the 850A++ with just the hot-air is $100 and really robust. They aren't really "tool bag"-sized, but you really can't do anything modern without them.
posted by flimflam at 12:58 PM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
How about a kit of through hole or smd resistors and capacitors of various values. And copper tape and insulated wire of various diameters and colors. Depends a lot on what he'd be doing.
posted by geekBird at 2:10 PM on November 7, 2015
posted by geekBird at 2:10 PM on November 7, 2015
A good set of wire strippers. I really like the ideal Stripmaster. It has replaceable jaws and different sets handle different ranges of wire gauges.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 7:02 PM on November 7, 2015
posted by ArgentCorvid at 7:02 PM on November 7, 2015
If money is no object, here are a few tools that I have that have lasted me years and stay in my toolbox for every job:
Lindstrom Flush Cutters: These have outlasted any other cutters I have had and they are the most comfortable for constant use.
Klein Wire Strippers: Again, quite comfortable to use and they last forever. There are two sizes in this series and I've got them both.
Bondhus Ball-Tip Allen Wrenches work great for getting hex-head screws out of tight areas.
Wiha Torx Key Set: I like the individual keys better than a fold out set.
posted by vansly at 7:49 PM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lindstrom Flush Cutters: These have outlasted any other cutters I have had and they are the most comfortable for constant use.
Klein Wire Strippers: Again, quite comfortable to use and they last forever. There are two sizes in this series and I've got them both.
Bondhus Ball-Tip Allen Wrenches work great for getting hex-head screws out of tight areas.
Wiha Torx Key Set: I like the individual keys better than a fold out set.
posted by vansly at 7:49 PM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Seconding the Weller WES51 and the Saleae Logic.
posted by silentbicycle at 8:03 PM on November 7, 2015
posted by silentbicycle at 8:03 PM on November 7, 2015
T&B stripper/crimper. Excellent crimper--better than the crush type.
posted by H21 at 8:14 PM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by H21 at 8:14 PM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Going against the grain a bit - a lot of what has been suggested would be better chosen by the user themselves (personal preference), is dependent on the style of work (bench use vs portable/field toolkit), or is dependent on your location:
posted by Pinback at 8:22 PM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
- Soldering irons/stations - the Hakko 888D is great deals if you're in Japan or the USA; elsewhere, they're grossly overpriced. Either way, beware of fakes (90% of the ones on eBay, & lots of ones on Amazon). Outside Japan / USA, the previously-mentioned Weller WES51, the Pace ST25/PS90, or Ersa Nano are possibly better buys for electronics. Or, for a step up regardless of location, consider the lower-end Metcal/OKI & Thermaltronics stations or Hakko FX-951.
- Hot air stations - every cheap one I've seen (e.g. WEP, Yihua, Atten, Youyue, etc) … uh, let's say, 'needs modification' to be considered safe. I'm talking repairing poor safety earthing, replacing self-disintegrating switches/fuseholders, etc. Same goes for the cheap '2-in-1 rework stations' of the same / similar brands.
- Multimeters - very much personal / intended use preference. Nobody's going to knock back a Fluke, but (to pick an example) the 115 might be a bit limited in some ways (e.g. min 1mA resolution) for some electronics purposes. Others (e.g Brymen/Elma BM-257s & equivalents) may be a better choice depending on the user's requirements.
- Cutters / pliers - Lindström are the gold standard, & are priced to match. Knipex, Engineer (brand), Bahco, Wiha are good upper-mid range brands. Some surprisingly good quality & deals to be found amongst some of the cheaper brands like Pro's Kit e.g. I just bought these locally at a knock-down price (half the Amazon US price in AU$)
- Screwdrivers - a good quality set of proper-sized screwdrivers is a joy to use. 3 separate sets of Phillips, Pozidriv, & JIS in 000, 00, 0, 1, & 2 sizes would be welcome anywhere even if the owner didn't previously know the difference - all 3 look similar but aren't, and choosing the right tool can make a hell of a difference to recalcitrant screws!
- Nutdrivers - Another 'everyone uses the wrong tool (pliers) and doesn't realise how handy the proper tool is' suggestion. A couple of suitably-sized sets of deep socket / hollow shaft nutdrivers in both metric & imperial sizes would be useful anywhere from antique radios (just dug out my imperial set to work on a 1941 Philips set I bought) to computers (much easier than using pliers to hold the little tiny mounting nuts used on DB ports, some heatsinks, etc.)
posted by Pinback at 8:22 PM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
You should get some great probes to go with that multimeter. These are amazing, super fine point: http://en-us.fluke.com/products/all-accessories/fluke-tl910.html
posted by RobotNinja at 10:49 PM on November 7, 2015
posted by RobotNinja at 10:49 PM on November 7, 2015
Things around here have migrated from electronics to computers over the years, but there's still some overlap.
A nice flushcutter like the Xcelite 170M is very handy. Diagonal cutters just don't do as clean a job.
For work involving lots of screws, a power screwdriver such as the Milwaukee M4 2101-22 is a great investment. This new modernized version of an old venerable tool (the Milw 6547-22) which I'd used for decades is actually an improvement, a rarity in this day. The new 20 position clutch includes auto shut off so you get a very consistent result, and the new quick-change chuck is real slick.
I also happen to love using things in unusual ways, and since a lot of the screws I need to work with are in the depths of a computer, I have a bunch of Senco EA0128 Replacement Bits. These are actually for a Senco drywall screw gun, but they are basically just 9 inch long #2 Phillips bits. I lightly(!) magnetize the tips of them. Very handy for all sorts of things, including abuse as miniature crowbars, picking up dropped screws in a tight spot, etc.
posted by jgreco at 7:54 AM on November 8, 2015
A nice flushcutter like the Xcelite 170M is very handy. Diagonal cutters just don't do as clean a job.
For work involving lots of screws, a power screwdriver such as the Milwaukee M4 2101-22 is a great investment. This new modernized version of an old venerable tool (the Milw 6547-22) which I'd used for decades is actually an improvement, a rarity in this day. The new 20 position clutch includes auto shut off so you get a very consistent result, and the new quick-change chuck is real slick.
I also happen to love using things in unusual ways, and since a lot of the screws I need to work with are in the depths of a computer, I have a bunch of Senco EA0128 Replacement Bits. These are actually for a Senco drywall screw gun, but they are basically just 9 inch long #2 Phillips bits. I lightly(!) magnetize the tips of them. Very handy for all sorts of things, including abuse as miniature crowbars, picking up dropped screws in a tight spot, etc.
posted by jgreco at 7:54 AM on November 8, 2015
A good screwdriver/nutdriver is this Klein 11-in-1 multi-tool. It packs inside itself so it doesn't take up much space, but it's all handy for when it's needed.
posted by bookdragoness at 10:36 AM on November 8, 2015
posted by bookdragoness at 10:36 AM on November 8, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your very helpful responses!
I am returning the soldering station and getting the Hakko, as well as the Saleae and some of the other tools you recommended. Based on other AskMes, I also got him an Arduino robotics kit and the Art of Electronics, 3rd Ed. Full disclosure, I busted out the Arduino kit early -- and he was just over the moon. He let me help him make the robot last night! He was stoked to learn, as I learned from AskMe, that Arduino has a whole community of ethusiasts with whom he can make stuff and share ideas, now, even though he's still slogging through prerequisites in school and is two years out from the good stuff.
I can't tell you how good it feels to think how happy he's going to be Christmas morning, and from now on, with all of these tools. I bet something special is going to happen with the Christmas lights, too. Thank you again.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 7:45 AM on November 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am returning the soldering station and getting the Hakko, as well as the Saleae and some of the other tools you recommended. Based on other AskMes, I also got him an Arduino robotics kit and the Art of Electronics, 3rd Ed. Full disclosure, I busted out the Arduino kit early -- and he was just over the moon. He let me help him make the robot last night! He was stoked to learn, as I learned from AskMe, that Arduino has a whole community of ethusiasts with whom he can make stuff and share ideas, now, even though he's still slogging through prerequisites in school and is two years out from the good stuff.
I can't tell you how good it feels to think how happy he's going to be Christmas morning, and from now on, with all of these tools. I bet something special is going to happen with the Christmas lights, too. Thank you again.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 7:45 AM on November 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I've also seen magnetic mats, which are great for not loosing screws and stuff and I'd get some sort of compartment storage for spare components, nuts, etc.
posted by KernalM at 10:21 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]