DIY Electrical Tools
DIY and Pro Help With Your Home Projects
 Pliers And Needle Nose Needle nose are the best tool for bending the wire in a loop so it can be attached to an outlet. The pliers are the best tool for twisting sets of wires together before you wire-nut them., Multimeter A good multimeter will measure voltage, current and resistance. It works on both AC and DC current. It is a universal tool that can make trouble shooting and circuit easy. Voltage Tester A voltage test is a good tool because it can test outlet on the front and the back. The down side is that they are dangerous. If your hand slips, you can contact the AC power get a life threatening jolt. Outlet Tester w/ GFI Test Outlet tester have 3 lights that tell you if the outlet is wired right or wrong. If the outlet is wired wrong, it tells you what is wrong. This tester also includes a button for testing GFI. Just push the button to test the GFI outlet or breaker. Wire Cutters, Stripper, and Crimpers The picture shows 3 different types of cutter/strippers. The yellow handle stripper/ cutter is very sharp and make quick work of most wire insulation. The black handle Stripax strips the wire in a single press. It is amazingly fast if you doing a lot of stripping. The red handle tool also includes a crimper for connecting DC wires with a crimp. This tool is great for wiring a car stereo. Electrical Handbook You don?t want to take any chances with AC power. This handbook includes good information about more advanced wiring projects. Sheathing Cutter This is the cheapest and best invention when you are installing new Romex cable (like 12-2, 14-2 and 14-3). The tool cuts along the length of the cable removing the insulating sheath without cutting or even scratching the insulation on the wires inside the sheath. It make quick work of trimming back the sheathing when installing new outlets. Dykes Dykes make quick work of both wires and Romex. They can also be used to cut off a ring that gets stuck on your wife's finger when she is pregnant and her fingers get fat. Cable Cutters Cable Cutter are design for cutting larger wires and cable that would squirt out of a pair of dykes or regular wire cutters. Screw Drivers The green handle screw driver has the most need 4 bits, is easy to change between bits and has a square handle so you can get a lot of torque on larger or seized screws. The small slotted head screw driver is the perfect size to insert into outlets to release a wire captured under a spring loaded contact. The smaller Philips head screw driver has a loose yellow cap that means you can really turn it fast with one hand. I think it almost as fast as a screw gun. Head Lamp A head lamp is a great safety tool. I prefer to turn off the power at the main breakers if there is any doubt about which breaker will remove the power from the circuit I am touching. This would leave me in the dark a lot if I did not have the head lamp. Electrical work is highly dangerous. Let us help you find a great Electrician to do this job for you. Need More Information? Check out our other articles on home wiring and electrical projects. The information on this site is provided for reference only and is provided "AS IS", "AS AVAILABLE" with no guarantee of accuracy. Information comes with no warranties, express or implied. Use the information from this site at your own risk. See our disclaimer for more details. |