[antness]

I'm looking for some really nice tools, like diagonal cutters and pliers. Ones that will last forever, very professional, extremely sharp, won't dull. The Black Gates of tools. Anything I've used from Sears, Home Depot, doesn't hold up very well. Recommendations anyone?

 

[morsel]

I am using the same Xcelite pliers and cutters and Ideal T-Stripper I got about 25 years ago. Today there are many more models available than back when I was shopping. Check out Contact East, they have a big selection. You will need to order their catalog as their website suxors to browse.

http://www.contacteast.com/

 

[grinch]

klein makes some of the toughest tools in the industry, and can be found at home depot. there is a reason why a screwdriver from them costs $10 and dikes cost $20. hardcore stuff. beware the blue handled ****, you can probably cut doors off of cars with it.

this has been my experience in field work though, in fields including data cabling, fiber splicing, electrical, carpentry, etc. i'm not sure how they'll work for diy electronics, but i would imagine that if they work for an electrician who sues them for eight hours out of every day, they'll work for you. good luck!

 

[morsel]

Stick with real electronics tools as they are designed for delicate, repetitive work. The pliers and cutters you find at Home Depot for electrician use are heavy duty but typically lack finesse.

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by morsel Stick with real electronics tools as they are designed for delicate, repetitive work. The pliers and cutters you find at Home Depot for electrician use are heavy duty but typically lack finesse.

i've bought xcelite and t-strippers from home depot. i could understand wanting more delicate hardware for diy electronics, but he also said:
Quote:

[size=xx-small]I'm looking for some really nice tools, like diagonal cutters and pliers. Ones that will last forever, very professional, extremely sharp, won't dull.[/size]

klein makes the best pliers and diagonal cutters i have ever seen or used and they definitely fit into the description of what he wants. i have heard different feelings on their strippers, but i think it more depends on the size of the wire that you're stripping. heavy-duty klein strippers may not be the ones to buy if you're stripping kimber silver select hookup wire.

[edit] p.s. most electrical supply houses carry klein tools, and at much better prices than home depot. try finding one and checking out their selection.

 

[aos]

Local electronic shop (Future Active) sell Xcellite. Prices are sky-high, $30-40 US for just one cutter/plier/whatever. Some of those tools put up claims such as that when they cut they don't put a stress on the PCB which could screw up the solder junction (classic ones tend to twist the wire which could lead to this). I'm not rich enough to buy them so I wouldn't know.

 

[Whit]

Erem, Excelta, and Lindstrom. You can't find better pliers or side cutters than these. Erem is generally considered to be the top with Lindstrom in a close second and Excelta in third. Erem's top of the line range is the 2200 series while Lindstrom's top of the line is their RX series. Erem is made in Switzerland and Lindstrom is made in Sweden. Excelta is made in Italy. Erem was purchased by Cooper Tools a while back but the products are still made in Switzerland. They even make side cutters with Tungsten Carbide cutters. These tools do NOT come cheap however with the side cutters and pliers costing $50-60 each. Their tungsten carbide model is $140. Both Lindstrom and Erem can be purchased from Wassco, Contacteast, and Techni-Tool. Make sure you get either the 2200 serie from Erem or the RX series from Lindstrom as these have been designed to minimize stress on the hands during long sessions of work and will help preven repetitive strain injuries.

Lindstrom

Erem


Whit

 

[morsel]

Whit is right on. Erem et al. make beautiful stuff, albeit over many hobbyists budgets. Beware, Erem now has a cheap Pakistani line (EROP I-Series). I'm not sure how good that stuff is.

I had been trying to find Techni-Tool on the web for some time. (I didn't use a hyphen.) Now that Whit has spelled it, here is the URL:

http://www.techni-tool.com/

and Wassco:

http://www.wassco.com/