If you’re considering becoming an electrician, it’s critical that you have the right tools for the job. This means having a great set of hand tools in your electrical supply. Apache Junction is home to many great stores that sell these tools, so you should have no trouble finding them. Even if you’re working with a limited budget, hand tools are not the place to start cutting costs. Keep reading to learn about some of the pieces that are crucial to keep in your inventory.
Tool Belt and Bag
This seems like a no-brainer, but these items are absolutely crucial to keep in your electrical supply kit. An electrician’s tool belt will need several pockets on one side for smaller parts and supplies and larger pockets on the other side for hand tools. You should also look for a belt with a space to hang electrical tape and a hammer loop. You don’t want too many pockets, however, as they can become a hindrance when you start weighing them down tons of tools.
Pliers
A great electrical supply kit will contain a few varieties of pliers. These include needle nose pliers, which are great for wire cutting, lineman’s pliers, side cutting pliers to cut nails and staples, slip joint pliers, and wire strippers. Wire strippers aren’t technically pliers, but they’re necessary on an electrician’s tool belt.
Screwdrivers, Nut Drivers and Allen Wrenches
Screwdrivers are essential tools for electricians. You’ll want to make sure your kit contains a large flat blade, a cabinet tip flat blade, #2 and #1 Philips, and a #2 square tip. For nut drivers, you’ll want a good set from1/4” to at least 7/16”. You’ll also need Allen wrenches in both large and small sets.
Levels
A good lever is a necessity; so don’t buy simply the cheapest one out there. A level with a 30 degree vial will likely be most useful to an electrician, so consider paying a couple more dollars for a nicer product. Plastic cases will loosen over time and result in poor readings, so this is really an area where you get what you pay for.
Extras
Many people forgot the basic items that electricians will need, like good quality measuring tape, pencils and markers, knives, and a calculator.
