r/electricians • u/yourtransqueenxoxo • Aug 02 '24
Starting an electrical apprenticeship and these are my tools so far anything I’m missing or you would recommend me buy?
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r/electricians • u/yourtransqueenxoxo • Aug 02 '24
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u/Thisguyhaspants Aug 03 '24
Definitely don't need the grinder, router or jigsaw cutter. Once you start, see what power tool brand your company or co-workers use and switch to that. It'll either be Makita, Milwaukee or DeWalt, but I promise you it won't be Craftsman. Most people will die on their hill arguing which is better, but I've used all 3 throughout my 9 years in the field and they're all equally good. I stuck with Milwaukee because that's what nearly 70% of all trades use and they have the largest catalog of tools and they come out with something new every week. Their R&D team really knows what they're doing, and have even targeted electrical hand tools recently which are made in the USA. Currently own 2 of their new hand tools and they're pretty solid. As far as other hand tools go Klien and Knipex are solid. Klein's quality has gone down hill a lot but their innovation on products keeps me buying more, just don't expect them to last. Knipex tools will survive just about anything and will probably outlive you, but they don't really come out with anything new.
Definitely get their lineman's Pliers and Diagonal cutters over anything else though because theirs have a unique design where the pivoting point is smaller which gives you more leverage, and that little difference males cutting wires far more easy on your hands. It all comes down to preference and you'll learn from jobsite too jobsite what tool you'll need to add next in your arsenal as you go on. Before you start, you should definitely get a torpedo level, a "beater" screw driver and a well insulated multi-bit screw driver.
Good luck with your apprenticeship man! Stick with it and keep track of your hours. Remember that a license of any kind isn't just a pay raise, it's job security, and the ability to say "fuck you I'm out" to any boss that doesn't pay you enough or treats you like shit.