Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
My Workshop: electronics lab and technology repair edition
52
items I’m an IT professional. This is my inventory—past, present, and future.
Sections
8
General Tools
Specialty Tools
Opening
Cleaning
Inspection
Electrical
General Tools
Hand tools you should probably have. Or tools you shouldn’t have as hands.
Regular size and precision size screwdriver and bits. Comes with 112 bits! Handle everything from precision electronics repair to home DIY projects.
iFixit | Manta Driver Kit
Wire Strippers, Flush Cutters, and Needle Nose Pliers are your 3 main pliers you will use in electronics repair.
iFixit | 3-Piece Plier Set
Specially designed jaws firmly grip screw heads, bolts, or nuts allowing you to twist out even the most damaged fasteners.
Screw Extracting Pliers
Before you resort to the rotary tool or super glue, give these little guys a try.
Precision Screw Extractor Set
Push the plunger to reveal the prongs. Release the plunger to grab and retain small parts! More control than tweezers and works where magnets can’t.
Screw Grabber
Pointed (extra fine) - For ultimate precision; Angled - For ergonomic accuracy; Blunt - For heavy lifting; Made with stainless steel and a protective coating that prevents ESD damage from harming sensitive electronics.
iFixit | Precision Tweezers Set
9/10 dentists recommend.
Great for precision poking, prying, scraping, cleaning, probing, o-rings, springs, and other small jobs.
Probe and Pick Set
Just the right amount of spring to pop out components and pry up against sticky adhesive.
Spudger Set
Great for modifications, repairs, enlarging holes, and fine finishing work. Assorted styles and shapes. Scotch guard is a great little pad to use for sanding too.
File Set
Magnetize your screwdrivers to allow them to grab small screws. Demagnetize your screwdrivers to safely work on sensitive electronics.
Magnetizer / Demagnetizer
I’m sure you have your own scissors, but these are cheap and strong.
QUINN | Assorted Scissors, 3-Piece
Amazing multi-bit screwdriver—has a precision screwdriver inside a regular screwdriver, and has bits for both.
Kobalt | 24-in-1 Screwdriver
Specialty Tools
Hand tools you only need if you work with certain tech.
Working with small springs can be difficult and frustrating. This handy little tool has hooks for both pushing and pulling small springs into place. Reaches into places your fingers can't, and won't damage springs like pliers or tweezers often do.
Spring Hook
These specialized pliers are an E-ticket ride for mechanical tinkering. Robotics, printers, or tape dispensers... any device with small rotating shafts will have a few pesky E-ring clips. Never lose another E-ring, no more prying tiny clips off with ...
E-ring Pliers
Use this tool to safely remove the physical SIM card from your phone. Or use a paper clip.
SIM Card Eject Tool
Designed to easily remove a broken 3.5mm headphone plug from a headphone jack.
Headphone Plug Extraction Tool
Great alternative to stacking books on top of your phone after replacing the screen.
Screen Vise Clamps 6-Pack
The Scout Pro 3 Tester Starter Kit is a versatile cable tester that locates and tests voice, data and video cables. Identify multiple cable runs with included location mapping remotes.
Klein Tools | VDV501-851 Cable Tester Kit
Measures from .0005in to 6in and comes with a Lifetime Guarantee
iFixit | Digital Caliper
Opening
These are technically specialty tools, but there are so many I made them their own category. Because I’m grown and I do what I want.
One of my favorite opening tools. A thin sheet of springy steel, designed to slide easily between panels and into microscopic cracks. An expertly curved tip, perfected to get the right angle on electronic casing clips. And with a no-slip grip, this t...
iSesamo Opening Tool
Jimmy’s got an extensive vocabulary: slide, cut, twist, poke, slice, part, uproot, divide, lift, dissect, separate, and pry. Whatever your word is for opening up an electronic device, he can do it.
Jimmy - The Ultimate Device Opener
Blade measures in at 0.2 mm thick so will fit in your wallet if you need it to. Also comes in a plastic version.
iFlex Opening Tool
Use these suction cups to safely lift and remove glass and display assemblies from devices.
Heavy-Duty Suction Cups (Pair)
Consumable items because they are plastic, but highly needed and ESD safe. This tool assortment includes the most sought after Picks, Spudgers, Prying Tools, and more for electronics opening and component manipulation.
Prying and Opening Tools Assortment: Picks, Wedges and Hooks
A reusable, microwave-ready heat pad that loosens stubborn phone and tablet adhesives.
iOpener
The CPB Pro 320 heat mat is an uncompromising solution to your smartphone and tablet screen removal problem. With a large heating surface, you can quickly and efficiently warm and loosen the adhesive holding screens and back panels on electronic devi...
CPB | Heating Pad
Remove screens with the turn of a crank.
Anti-Clamp: Suction Cup Pliers
Variable temperature control and it can stand on its own. Also has accessories available.
Wagner | Furno 500 Corded Heat Gun
Cleaning
Keeping things clean is very important for electronics. Cleanliness will affect performance.
Seems expensive at first, but cheaper than continually buying air cans in the long run. This product is an environmentally friendly alternative to canned air dusters and boasts more continuous power than its canned competitors. Purchase one nontoxic ...
Hurricane | ESD Safe Canless Air Duster
ESD safe Anti-Static brushes in assorted sizes. Great for dusting and detailing delicate and not-so delicate components and parts.
Anti-Static Brush
No more worn out toothbrushes with bent bristles, these economic professional tools will do the job faster and better, fitting into more places, and don't require handle bending pressure to do a good job. These bristles are ready to scrub and clean w...
Detailing Brush
You will be surprised at how much a dry microfiber cloth can get something clean.
Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
Manual labor version of the hurricane blower.
Bulb Dust Blower
ESD safe and safe to use to vacuum toner.
Atrix | Express Office Vacuum
Inspection
Essentially if magnification or lights are involved then it’s in the inspection section.
Sharp tweezers ensure a precise grip and the magnifying glass ensures you always grasp just what you meant to.
Magnifying Tweezers
Magnifying scope for quality control inspection. Better than a simple magnifying lens.
10x magnification; Bright white LED illumination; In-scope ruler; Tool slot for tweezers
Inspection Scope
Unlike most magnifying lamps that require to be clamped to one edge of your desk and are difficult to position, this lamp is conveniently compact and easy to move where you need it.
Illuminated Magnifier Table Lamp
When you want to be high tech. Get a close look at small objects on the attached 7 inch display or connect to any display with an HDMI input. Perfect for inspecting solder joints and other repairs.
Desktop Digital Microscope
This is the same as a standard #5 dental mirror, but is as great at showing out of sight ZIF connectors as it is cavities.
Inspection Mirror
Electrical
This is my “current” list. Try not to be “shocked” with how great it is.
Use this USB power meter to test chargers and device charging functionality.
3v-9 Volts; 0-3 Amps
USB-A Mini Voltmeter
A multimeter with a lifetime guarantee.
iFixit | Digital Multimeter
3 different sizes for your workspace. Ground yourself and your work surface to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD). Heat resistant, an excellent surface for soldering.
Anti-Static Mat
Great for staying ESD safe as a field tech. Or traveling to your parents’ house to fix their phone.
Portable Anti-Static Mat: ESD-Safe with Grounding Strap
8 different power supply connections can be tested
Kingwin | Digital LCD Power Supply Tester
Soldering
If heavy metal is to welding then alternative rock is to soldering.
Soldering iron in my wife and I’s favorite colors. Just kidding, one of the best brands in soldering.
Hakko | Soldering Station
Fits the soldering station I recommended (FX888DX)
Hakko | Hot Tweezers
Soldering iron for travel—uses AA batteries
Hakko | Cordless Soldering Iron
Similar to a pair of Helping hands but more geared toward wires instead of circuit boards.
Soldering Splint
Great pair of hands with a magnifier, light, and a soldering iron holder.
Helping Hands with LED Light & Soldering Stand
Parts Organization
Organisation if you’re British.
FixMat features two ways to keep track of screws and small parts: lay them on the magnetic, gridded, dry-erase surface, or drop them in the easy-access sorting bins. Tackle more complex projects thanks to upgraded surface graphics and an included 0.5...
Magnetic/Dry Erase Screw Mat with small parts compartments
Thinner than my other magnetic mat recommendation so works better for travel. Organize all your small parts while you work on a device. Dry erase surface lets you keep notes and location sketches.
Magnetic/Dry Erase Project Mat
Keep your tiny screws in tiny compartments.
Anti-Static Project Tray