DIY Home Shop Electrical Tool List

[richfinn]

Does a beginner really need a Fluke? I mean a $2.99 Harbor Freight DVM will work just as good to start. I have several voltmeters, including a Fluke and the HF one gets the most use. Probably because I can afford to damage it and throw it away.

No one mentioned not to use electrical tape *inside* the car. After a while, the heat will cause the bundle to become a gooey mess. They make non-adhesive tape.

He doesn,t need a Fluke, but I would imagine he is looking for something half decent if he has bothered to seek out GJ for advise.

If he wanted El Cheapo he would be doing his research elsewhere

 

[bcradio]

He doesn,t need a Fluke, but I would imagine he is looking for something half decent if he has bothered to seek out GJ for advise.

If he wanted El Cheapo he would be doing his research elsewhere

Pretty much hit the nail on the head. I do also want auto ranging which i would suspect Harbor Freight models do not have.

 

[Motor-Mechanic]

Pretty much hit the nail on the head. I do also want auto ranging which i would suspect Harbor Freight models do not have.

Auto ranging is good, but not always, get one with a manual override option.

If you're going to be doing any componant testing, such as throttle potentiometers, get one with an anologue bar graph or a scope

 

[Brownsfan]

Does a beginner really need a Fluke? I mean a $2.99 Harbor Freight DVM will work just as good to start. I have several voltmeters, including a Fluke and the HF one gets the most use. Probably because I can afford to damage it and throw it away.

No one mentioned not to use electrical tape *inside* the car. After a while, the heat will cause the bundle to become a gooey mess. They make non-adhesive tape.

I use electrical tape inside the car every day. If quality tape is used it will not come apart. I have installed thousands of remote starts over the years and have never had good 3m tape unravel into a goo mess. Oems use tape to bundle harness wires and to insulate splices.

 

[battmain]

I use electrical tape inside the car every day. If quality tape is used it will not come apart. I have installed thousands of remote starts over the years and have never had good 3m tape unravel into a goo mess. Oems use tape to bundle harness wires and to insulate splices.

I guess it depends where in the country you are. It is a RPITA to clean up. Good thing goo gone works well.

 

[mrjaw14]

Buy good high quality tools. Don't cheap out on hand tools. They really make all the difference in the world. If you have cheap tools, start replacing them one at a time as you are able, and take the old and make a tool box for your car. I am always fixing something for someone, so having tools at hand is always a plus. for BASIC tools I recomend:

Linesman pliers (for twisting multiple solid conductors together, cutting, etc)
Long nose pliers (lg and sm)
insulated screwdrivers
regular and stubby screwdrivers
Klien side cutters (other brands say to use on Al and Cu only. Kliens don't)
wire strippers
klien or channelock crimpers
ratcheting crimper with insulated and non-insulated dies
GOOD multimeter - and learn to use it
expanded test lead set with aligator clips
non-contact voltage tester
assortment of wire nuts
assortment of terminals
electrical tape
heat shrink tubing assortment
soldering iron + good rosin core solder
other basic hand tools

 

[crewchief888]

a good test light

cheap (parts store brand) test lights are exactly that... cheap

i've had my SO test lights for almost 20 years

new or used fluke with autoranging

 

[bcradio]

Auto ranging is good, but not always, get one with a manual override option.

If you're going to be doing any componant testing, such as throttle potentiometers, get one with an anologue bar graph or a scope

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have any particular models you like with these features?

 

[SantaAna12]

Some OEMs use a friction tape depending on how close to heat it is, but I agree with you on 3M only. I like the 88t tape, and use snips instead of pulling the end if I want it to stay.

 

[theoldwizard1]

For many, many years the "standard" in the auto industry was plastic tape with no adhesive, finished off with friction tape. Friction tape is still used to finish off convoluted tubing. That stuff stays sticky forever.



In the "great debate" of terminating stranded wires, I prefer uninsulated connectors, crimped, not soldered and heat shrink tubing. Neat and strong.

 

[otis66]

I would get a Power Probe 3 master kit.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163454&page=3

 

[Brownsfan]

For many, many years the "standard" in the auto industry was plastic tape with no adhesive, finished off with friction tape. Friction tape is still used to finish off convoluted tubing. That stuff stays sticky forever.



In the "great debate" of terminating stranded wires, I prefer uninsulated connectors, crimped, not soldered and heat shrink tubing. Neat and strong.

Solder can get brittle and break. What is described is ideal most times but not always practical. I install remote starters all day and when tapping into(splicing) a existing wire in the car I always poke a hole in the wire feed the wire from the RS into it wrap it then solder and tape it with 3m 700 or 33. It would take far too long to cut each wire I was tapping into and then crimp and heat shrink. Not to mention my hand would fall off at the end of the day after installing 10 remote starts. The method I described is the fastest and is VERY reliable if done properly.

 

[illmatyk]

I hope by crimpers you mean

this

and not

THIS! I had 2 of the bottom ones( 1 was free and the other I bought as I was on tight budget ) and they do get the job done sometimes but not as great as the one in the top picture. I also have 2 blue point wire strippers that I use and recently got the crimper in the top picture. The top crimper set me back $30 or so but is well worth the money, I got Klein version but I know Channellock has one also.