Tool kits are every electrician’s trusty companion, you take them with you to every job and rely on the tool to apply your hard-won skills and deliver reliable and safe solutions. We've asked engineers what tools they keep in their kit and pulled them all together to create this guide to the best electrician’s tool kit essentials.
1. Wire strippers
Wire
strippers are plier-like tools used to remove the insulating outer
sheath from cables in order to attach terminals or connectors to the central
core via crimping or soldering. Some strippers also allow electricians to cut
right through the copper or conduit in a wire or cable.
Types of wire strippers
Multiple models and designs are available, including:
Adjustable strippers - these combine stripping with crimping and
wire-snipping abilities.
Triple action wire strippers – these strippers are made for thicker
cabling with tough insulation and can use a unique spiral cutting motion.
Wire stripper pliers – these feature V-shaped stripping jaws for
thicker, multicore cables.
Sheath stripper – these use a rotary action and produce a neat ring
cut.
Pistol wire stripper – these strippers have a self-adjusting blade
and use a compound stripping action with a firm grip.
Automatic wire strippers – these use a mechanism to remove
insulation and cut wire rapidly, with a single application of pressure
Manual wire strippers – these are the standard, hand-operated
model, but usually, include a spring-loaded handle and safety lock.
Alternative names:
- Cable
strippers
- Cable
wire strippers
2. Insulated screwdrivers
Screwdrivers are one of the most traditional of tools but
are still indispensable for most electricians who frequently require access to
electrical containers sealed with screws. There are multiple sizes and shapes
available for compatibility with the abundance of screw designs.
Screwdrivers work through the simple application of torque – rotational force –
when the head of the screwdriver has been inserted into the slot on the screw.
Electrician’s screwdrivers feature carefully designed, insulated handles to
provide protective electrical resistance. This will be indicated by VDE
approval.
3. Insulated pliers
Pliers are another tool that has been with us for a long
time. Their versatility means they can be used to accomplish a multitude of
tasks requiring ‘torque’, working in a much more robust manner than would be
possible with the use of bare hands alone.
Nowadays pliers are usually made from steel to provide
additional strength to the grip exerted by the jaws.
Types of pliers
Pliers are available in a variety of designs for different
specialist tasks. These include:
Long
nose pliers- these have long tapered jaws making them ideal for
gripping small objects.
Combination
pliers– these feature a design that combines wire cutting, insulation
stripping and gripping functions in a single tool.
Water
pump pliers– also known as slip joint pliers, tongue-and-groove pliers
and adjustable pliers (among other names), these tools feature a movable lower
jaw, allowing the span of the grip to be adjusted. They are ideal for use with nuts,
bolts and fasteners.
Side-cutting
pliers– also known as wire cutters, these are typically used with wire.
A variant called diagonal cutters applies different finishes to the cut wire.
Mole
grips/ locking pliers– these are ideal when working with metal.
Pliers are ideal for:
- Gripping
- Twisting
- Clipping
4. Electrical tape
Electrical
tape is used to insulate wires or other items that conduct
electricity. Also known as insulation tape or electrical insulation tape, it is
self-adhesive and pressure-sensitive, built to resist abrasion, heat and
liquids in order to protect the sensitive conducting core within electrical
wiring.
It is also made from different materials, including PVC,
vinyl, copper foil and glass cloth. Different varieties feature varying
colours, widths, thicknesses, temperature tolerance, adhesion strength and
insulating capabilities.
The colours help electricians select the correct type and
also enable them to colour code the wires they are working with.
Black tape is the most widely used colour - for general
insulation and in order to indicate the low voltage neutral point in a circuit.
Meanwhile, in the UK green and yellow tape typically indicate the protective
earthing point. Blue tape is usually used to colour code low voltage neutral
wires and red marks low voltage AC wires.
5. Hacksaws
Hacksaws are
fine-toothed saws designed primarily for cutting through metal. The thin blades
are held at tension in an adjustable frame, between the head of the saw and the
pistol grip handle. These blades can break or become blunt but are easily
replaceable.
Full sized hacksaws typically feature 12-inch blades.
Meanwhile junior hacksaws are typically much smaller, with even finer teeth
designed for more precise work.
6. Cable cutters
Cable
cutters are a staple of every electrician’s tool kit. These
versatile tools feature steel blades and cut through standard wiring easily.
Stronger cable shears will make short work of even thicker cabling. They also
provide a handy way to strip off insulation for crimping and similar operations
quickly.
Different models enable cuts of different kinds, from
straight multi-purpose designs to those made especially for flush cutting or
diagonal slicing. Fully insulated models are suitable for use with high voltage
wiring, electrical equipment and environments high in electrostatic discharge,
making them an ideal choice for electricians.
Look for models with an ergonomic grip to improve ease of
use and try to avoid using particular models on material that is too hard. Look
for their cutting capacity, which ranges from 0.4mm to 600mm.
7. Spanners
Spanners will almost certainly be an essential inclusion in
your tool kit if you regularly need to loosen or attach nuts, bolts or similar
fixings.
With so many different sizes of bolt and nut, a similar
variety of spanner designs are available to ensure a close fit between the head
which applies torque and the fixture in question. Size is equally important in
order to achieve a tight grip.
Common spanner models include:
Adjustable
spanner -As the name suggests, these feature a moveable jaw which
can be adjusted to fit different-sized bolts or nuts. The monkey wrench is the
best-known form of an adjustable spanner.
Open-ended
spanners -These spanners have a double C-shaped clamp in different
sizes at either end and are useful when space is limited.
8. Voltage tester
These are another toolkit standby with a relatively
self-explanatory name. Voltage
indicators, or ‘multimeters’, are handheld devices used for – you
guessed it – testing whether a live current is present in a particular
location. They are primarily employed for safety purposes when checking
cabling, switches, junction boxes or similar equipment.
The presence of voltage is indicated by the illumination of a light-emitting
diode. If this light appears, electricians know to shut down the current before
beginning work. This is a vital safeguard and one required by health and safety
legislation. Most voltage indicator models feature redundant circuits and
resistance to electrical surges for additional safety.
9. Safety knife
Safety
knives are not just a specialist professional tool – they are in
fact familiar to most of us. We may know them as Stanley knives, utility
knives, pen knives or box cutters. The principle remains the same whatever name
is used: the knife blade is shielded for safety at most times and only extended
when in the tool is actually in use, thereby minimising accidents and injuries.
Some models feature spring-loaded sliders that automatically retract the blade
after use.
Like all tools, safety knives come in a variety of shapes
and sizes for use in different situations. Professional safety knives suitable
for use by electricians typically feature handles made from aluminium, plastic
or steel, and the blade itself will be stainless, carbon or tool steel for
maximum cutting power. Blades are usually replaceable when they break or go
blunt.
10. Hex keys
Hex
keys take their name from the hexagonal fasteners and fixings they
are used to adjust. Another common name is Allen key or Allen wrench. They can
be made from steel, or nickel and sometimes bronze or copper alloys. There are
four principal types: straight hex keys, L-shaped ones, folding hex keys and
T-handles.
Straight
hex keys are used as extensions to screwdrivers and allow these to
apply torque to hexagonal fastenings.
L-shaped
keys have identical heads at either end so they can be used either
way round, but with differing leverage: the shorter end provides more while the
longer end allows access to more confined spaces. As the name suggests, folding
hex keys can be stored easily.
Finally, the handles on the T-handle variety
are more ergonomic, allowing a firmer grip to be applied.
11. Claw Hammer
Claw
hammers feature a standard hammer on one side of the tool,
primarily used for inserting fixtures like nails, and a dual steel claw at the
other end, which is designed to enable the easy removal of the same nails or
similar fixtures by applying a robust grip.
Claw hammers are useful to gain access to sealed spaces – for example, fuse
boxes hidden behind the panelling.
12. Chisel
Chisels are
another ancient tool that have lost none of their power or utility in the
present day, providing a powerful and time-honoured method of breaking through
wood, stone, brick, concrete and similar materials. Modern chisels are made
from various steel alloys.
Electrician’s chisels are a specialist variation used to cut channels in walls
during installation procedures. Popular sizes to keep in your tool kit include:
- 5mm
- 10mm
- 16mm
- 18mm
- 20mm
- 50mm
13. Torch
Torches are
another common item that are always handy to keep in the tool kits of
electricians and other professionals. Many different designs are available but
smaller torches powered by LEDs rather than traditional bulbs are typically
favoured by professionals: they are lighter and easier to carry without
sacrificing illumination.
The job of the torch to electricians is a simple one: they allow work in
darkened areas, for example, a building in which the lighting has failed or the
power is switched off. Head torches attached to helmets or hats may be required
if both hands are needed for precise work.