Essential workshop tools and where to buy them

I always struggle to remember which solder I bought or where it was from so this list is as much a reminder for me as it is a recommendation of tools and consumables for you!

The list below has the best solder to buy, the best pliers and snips, and importantly — links to buy hookup wire!

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Soldering and Rework

• Leaded solder (red reel) 183°C melting temp
• Lead-free solder (green reel) 217°C melting temp
• Roadrunner enamelled wire dispenser

Crimping

• Crimping tool for common JST connectors
• JST XH Crimps
• JST XH Crimp Housing
• JST XH Crimp Header

Hookup Wire

This wire is 22 AWG so just right for breadboards. The reels are 100 ft or 30.5m in length. This is the best wire I have found for quickly building a circuit.

• Black
• Green
• Red
• White
• Blue

Jumper Leads

• Male to Male
• Female to Female
• Female to Male

Wire Stripping

• Good for most wire in small projects (although there is a delivery surcharge in the UK these are still my most reliable pair of strippers)
• Great for tiny wires

Wire Cutting

• Best for trimming soldered through-hole leads (these really are fantastic)
• Best side cutters you don’t need to care about
• Side cutters

Pliers

• Long nose
• Needle nose

Scrapers and Probes

• Just buy this when you want to splash some cash. The little hooks and picks have saved my sanity on a few occasions

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