ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area what are your must have tools??

I bought a set of those when I was working at the inlaw's (NM heaven). I keep 'em in the Romex bin with the staples and plastic boxes.

Don't use 'em a lot here in pipeland (Chicago area), but when I need 'em, they're great.

My Continuity tester. Simple little thing with AAs, and LED (was an incandescent bulb), a probe and an alligator clip. Second, my cordless drill.

1. gloves!

2. 18v sawzall

3. for makeup and pulling underground subfeeds: gel filled kneepads

4. ~10 foot length of broken steel fishtape
(saves getting out the 240-footer 80% of the time)

Honorable mention:

1. sunflower seeds (healthier than cigarettes but probably messier)

2. ear plugs- tools and jobsites are NOISY, I prefer to preserve my hearing for music and my golden years

3. military issue boonie hat & sunscreen for outside work

Wish list:

skeleton key to open/operate any lift/pettibone/tractor on the job and to open any panel/roll up door/man door on the site (yeah right!)

A full lunch-box.

Bob, I got a guy who spends an equal time tuning in bad AM stations than working sometimes. - I swear, I'm gonna take a saws-all to it someday....

Interesting to note, that several people put down hand trucks and carts, I too will ditto that for commercial work. Oh, pure bliss pushing around 1/2 a gang box worth of stuff from one point to another, or from the truck and up the elevator. Unfortunately, Resi framers are far to messy to make any area accesible for one. And if it is clean enough, I will pull it up a few flights of stairs....

Anyway,

• A decent right-angle drill
• Impact driver
• A good tape measure (Magnetic tips are better)
• Grennlee torpedo level
• A good laser level (If you know how to use one, save so much effort in lay-out.)
• Chalk line
• A box of disposable mechanichal pencils, one behind the ear at all times.
• Band saw (let the laziness begin... I get mine out for 1/2" emt, best $300 you can spend if you have a use for one. )
• roll of jet line, or nylon string, and
• 2 rare earth magnets. (Use as stud finder by finding screws and nails, fish walls just tie on string, retrieve tools dropped in wall in same way, keeps all the screws and staples in nice tight ball in pouches reducing spillage, find that lost unique purpose screw you dropped from ladder into debries on floor, etc.)

[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 04-26-2006).]

On the serious side of things, these tools spring to mind:

• Telescopic Hot-stick and various attachments.
• Insulated Gloves and Outers.
• Modiewark Non-Contact HV tester.
• Duspol Voltage Indicators.
• Safety Glasses.
• 1,000,000 C/Power Spotlight.
• Road Cones.
• Fluoro Vest.

e57, what do you use the impact driver for? I have a free one on the way for purchasing a new lithium powered drill and I was wondering what I'd use it for.

I am sure that just like myself you do not put up with that for long.


I cut one of my own radios in half with a deep cut band saw.....it just could not stay on a station and I can't stand static.

I would also like to mention that I do not allow the radio to be 'blasting' it will be kept at a reasonable level and if it interferes with work it gets shut right off.

I have three different rolling carts, one is just a two wheel dolly that also converts to a four wheel dolly. Added a thin sheet of plywood to it and it is handy to keep in the van for service work.

Also have one open rolling shelf unit one lockable rolling shelf unit.

I have added hooks on the open rolling cart that will hold a 6' ladder up right, the cart with ladder will fit through standard doorways no problem and is very handy for commercial work as long as there are elevators.

Bob

My pen.