Pliers are important for electricians who regularly work with and cut wire. Every operation has its favorite tools. While many trades primarily use “general” tools, such as saws and drills, professional electricians have a few favorites. These tools are designed exclusively for the job.
This is because they have to measure what cannot be seen, in units that are difficult for non-professionals to understand, in quantities that can be frankly deadly. Sounds like fun, right? Well, most electricians certainly find the job rewarding. If we consider the skill needed to harness and distribute gross electrical energy, it's really surprising. That's why, with the help of professional electricians Danny Carey and Ben Parker, we've put together a list of the 10 best tools every electrician needs.
Like any other home repair or improvement project, electrical work requires tools. For most residential electrical projects, you'll mostly use basic hand tools that you already have, such as a hammer, a measuring tape, a laser level and a flat tip, as well as Phillips screwdrivers. There are also some special power tools that come in handy from time to time, and are available at most home centers, hardware stores, electrical supply stores, and online retailers. Things like voltmeters, duct tape, and flashlights can be useful when you're doing a project at home.
As with the purchase of any tool, you'll get a longer lifespan and better performance with higher-quality tools. The best electric hand tools, such as wire cutters and line judge pliers, have insulated handles to help protect against shocks. A standard measuring tape is used for all types of field measurements, such as adjusting the height of the switches and sockets, centering the luminaire boxes and marking the surfaces for cutouts. A hammer is used to fix electrical boxes equipped with nachable supports to wall posts and other elements of the structure of a house.
You'll also need one to nail wire staples when you anchor a new electrical cable to the elements of the structure. A small level, such as a torpedo level, fits easily in a tool bag and is used to ensure that the work is level and at ground level. A large installation starts with level boxes and straight receptacles for switches and outlets. A torpedo level should be part of every homeowner's standard tool set; it will have many uses beyond electrical work.
Electrical repair and improvement work involves many dark places, from attics and basements to cavities in walls and ceilings and inside electrical boxes. A tactical flashlight is needed for both safety and convenience. A pair of hand flashlights and a headlight are good additions to a DIY electrician's tool box. A multipurpose knife, or box cutter, is useful for cutting the coating of a non-metallic cable (Romex), cutting electrical tape and opening cardboard boxes.
As with Phillips screwdrivers, you'll likely need more than one size of straight-tip screwdrivers. If you have to choose just one, choose a medium blade; it fits most projects. Electricians use a lot of hand tools and accessories, such as screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, wire strippers, levels, and even multimeters. These usually include waterproof and non-conductive bottoms, hard cases for multimeters, and plenty of storage space for all the tools mentioned above, and much more.
This tool is most commonly used for plumbing work, but a pair of machined pliers also have many uses for electrical projects. Along with a voltage meter, this is perhaps the most important specialized power tool you can have. Harnessing this energy requires the use of tools, electrical tools that allow us to build efficient circuits that transfer this energy from one place to another within a building or structure. As an electrician, it will always be necessary to take measurements such as the length of the cables, the length of the ducts, the length of the walls, etc.
It will be frequently used to remove holes in metal electrical boxes, tighten cable clamps and adjust expansion-type ceiling fan boxes. Klein Tool's Lineman pliers are so synonymous with side-cut pliers that they are often referred to as “Kleins”. Another essential specialized power tool is a pair of fine-nose pliers (also called long-nose pliers). A hammer may seem like a strange tool when it comes to wiring a building, but it has many uses when it comes to carrying out these projects.
Some types are combination tools that can also be used to crimp cables and remove the vinyl cover from the NM cable. Batterie-powered, non-contact voltage testers are the simplest and safest types of testers because they can detect electricity just by being close to an electrical outlet slot or cable. .
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