The best electrician tools are not always what most people think of. Side-cutting lineman pliers, insulated screwdrivers, and various voltage testers are standard tools for the average electrician. As you become more proficient in the trade and learn from others, you pick up some unique electrician tools to make the job easier and better.
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In addition to the standard electrician tools, many others can make electrical work easier though they are not always used daily.
Below are tools in my collection that I have found valuable and time-saving as well as helping to contribute to a professional-looking job.
ELECTRICIAN TOOLS
I bought a Thread Restoration File many years ago when I was working on a job cutting lots of threaded rod (All Thread). Using the file I was able to clean up the cut ends so that they threaded easily into nuts, and rod couplings. I keep it in my electrician tool bag as it comes in handy fixing the threads on bolts, especially after cutting.
Having seen the Fein Multi-Tool on TV many times, I thought that I should try this type of tool on one of my jobs. I initially purchased a cheap electric imitation Multi-Tool. To my surprise, it worked very well, so I eventually bought a better model and love them both.
The Protractor Level was originally purchased to help me with bending electrical conduit. It was useful for that however there were other ways it was used on the job site such as: Determining the angle of a pitched ceiling, or a roof.
I got my Burndy Wire Mike as a gift from a sales rep that I did some work for. It measures all different wire types and sizes. I have used it a few times and would have used it more if it was non-conductive.
Electrician Tools
| Tools for The Electrician or Tradesperson Who Likes to Have The Correct Tools for the Job | |||
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| Protractor Level with Magnetic Base for determining angles | Burndy Wire Mike for identifying wire sizes | Thread Restoration Files for repairing damaged threads on screws, bolts, and pipe. Metric bolt; .80, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.50, 3.00 mm. Regular bolt; 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24 Threads Per Inch. Extra-fine/extra-coarse bolt; 9, 10, 12, 16, 20, 27, 28, 32 TPI. Regular pipe; 8, 10, 11 1/2, 14, 16, 18, 24, 27 TPI. | Oscillating Multi-Tool for cutting things with ease and control. Can also be used for sanding, scraping, and grout removal. |
I used a come-along puller as an electrician tool for many years when I was younger and often worked alone. It was much cheaper than the cable pullers available at the time and worked very well. I bought a 200-foot spool of 5/8″ truckers rope to pull into the conduit.
Truckers’ rope is not the best for pulling large conductors as a lot of tension can build up before it intermittently pulls the wire through the conduit. That is why double braided rope is recommended for pulling wire.
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| An electrician uses the Lineman Pliers for cutting, grabbing, twisting, and hammering. This 9.5" pair of pliers is also good for crimping and wire pulling. | Before I purchased my first cable puller, I used a Come Along. It worked well. I also found it very helpful in pulling out old wires. | When I started working in the electrical trade in the 1960s, my circuit tracer was an ammeter with a pigtail light socket, a flasher button, and a rough service light bulb. The new circuit tracers are much easier and safer. | This six-in-one tapping tool is very handy for cleaning out threads that have gunk in them or were not tapped properly at the factory. It is also good for re-tapping holes to the next size. |
When choosing an electrical tester or multimeter to be part of your electrician tools, be sure to get one that is at least labeled for Cat IV 600 volts, Cat III 1000 volts. This is indicated on the front of the tester.
Cat II is not suitable for testing electrical circuits unless you are 30 feet (10 meters) from the main electrical panel and 60 feet (20 meters) from the electric meter. Don’t even think about buying a Cat I Multimeter even though the price is quite appealing. Click here for a better understanding of the electrical tester ratings.
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| I bought a different brand of circuit analyzer many years ago. It worked, but it had some bugs and is no longer manufactured. The above Ideal Analyzer is proven and has many good reviews. Cat III, 300 volts. | Now that tamper resistant receptacles are prevalent, electricians can no longer use a non-contact voltage tester to check outlets. A plug-in tester is great to check polarity and to test GFCI's. This is Cat III | For professional electricians looking to buy a Multimeter, make sure that the labeling on the front of the meter says Cat IV 600 volts/Cat III 1000 volts. | I have used a few other non-contact voltage testers. I like the Fluke model the best. Less false readings. This one is Cat IV |
If you do service, repair, and maintenance work in a manufacturing facility or other industrial complex you will want to have some electrician tools that are good for working on energized equipment.
Don’t forget your arc flash wardrobe.
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| Insulated torque screwdriver set. All screws must be torqued to factory specifications. | Insulated torque wrench. All nuts and bolts must be torqued. Always torque bolts, nuts, and screws before energizing. | Insulated socket set. | Insulated electrical gloves. |
Click here to see all of my blog posts pertaining to tools.
ELECTRICAL LABELING
The service disconnect and emergency disconnect stickers below are required by article 230.85 in the National Electrical Code. Main electrical disconnects must be labeled. Click the link for different size labels.
Below is a sample of some of the images from my Redbubble Shop that are available printed on products such as tote bags, masks, stickers, magnets, pillows, photos, clocks, mugs, water bottles, tee shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, caps, and more.
The three-way and four-way switch wiring diagram STICKERS are useful electrician tools when working in electrical construction.
The original watercolor paintings are available on many trendy gift items and merchandise.
 | This set of switch wiring diagrams is available for purchase on various colored tee shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, iPad cases, magnets, stickers, and more. CLICK HERE to see all of the items that are available with these wiring diagrams printed on them |
More electrician-related merchandise available on Redbubble can be seen by clicking here.
You can read about 3-way switch troubleshooting and installations on my blog post here.
For my personal opinion about specific electricians tools, visit my Tool Reviews by clicking here.
Klein Tools makes many tools for electrical professionals.
