TOOLS......

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Didn't know where to post this really.....

Anybody got reccomendations for where to buy networking tools online, you know like RJ crimps, punch tool, wire strippers etc etc.

I searched google but seem to be getting lots of links for cheap stuff from Hong Kong on ebay , I assume cheap ain't good.

All help appreciated.... ta muchly

Also cable testers and multi meters.

ta

 

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I am not sure about online but do you have this shop near to you I also think you can order online. It may help I hope

 

I would second the advice of going to Maplin. My cable testers came from them. They work well.

Harry.

 

Maplin also.

 

Which one did you get Harry, they got a few...? www.maplin.co.uk

We got one only 10 minutes away so I'll have a look-see. I seen RJ45 crimps from 8quid upto 156.00

Any other suggestions welcome for cabling, connectors etc....Is maplins competative for these also.???

cheers

 

I have something like N59BY (it was bought a long time ago) and N74CC (bought recently).

On the crimping tools, all the cheap ones have a very limited life. It rather depends on how much you are going to be using it.

I never bother to make network patch cords - they can be bought readymade so cheaply!

Harry.

 

You get what you pay for, personally I never buy cheap tools as I intend to use them and keep them for many years.

 

This is very true. That's not saying go out and buy the most expensive tools you can find, but rather "buy quality tools". Any time you work with your hands quality tools make a difference in several ways.

First, they make the job easier. A dull pair of sidecutters or wirestrippers make you work twice as hard as you need to just to get the tools to work, and then they will sometimes make you do the operation twice because the quality of the job they did was so poor--deformed wire, insulation left on the wire.

Second, quality tools are designed to not hurt you hands when you use them several hours a day. They are comfortable to work with.

Third, quality tools last much longer than cheap tools. The quality of the steel and the manufacturing processes create a much more usable and long-lasting tool.

Fourth, when you are buying multimeters quality really counts. A well-designed, properly made multimeter will withstand a tremoundous amount of accidental abuse and still function. A cheap one may very well quit the first time you drop it or get it wet. I've dropped Fluke multimeters off 8 foot ladders and rooftops with no damage. I've also forgotten them on a rooftop on a Friday afternoon and had it rain all weekend before I realized my meter was missing on Monday morning. All I did was dry the meter out and it worked fine. No cheap meter will stand up to that kind of abuse. In 17 years of HVAC service work I only had to buy two multimeters. The second one was purchased because the first one was crushed when a drunk t-boned my parked service van at about 80 mph while it was parked in my driveway.

I still have Klien hand tools that I purchased at the very start of my hvac career. In fact, the only Klien tools I ever replaced were the ones I lost, someone stole, or I shorted out on live electical wires and the short burned chunks of steel out of them making them unusable. In other words, I never wore one out using it on a daily basis.

 

Not used this company myself but they do have a lot of stuff:

www.homestead.co.uk

 

This is the best meter I ever used...

 

Personally I don't think you need to spend a fortune on tools. You don't need industrial grade tools to work on PC's. I bought my crimper off Ebay from China and can say it's sturdy and just as good as the expensive ones that cost several times more. On the otherhand for things like multimetres you are probly best off buying good ones from a place like Maplin's.

I buy my cable ties from poundland and the best screwdriver toolset I have is one I bought for £1 from poundland. The screwdriver was crap and I threw it away but it came with about 20 heads in a case which I use with a good screwdriver that was only a few quid and has lasted me years. The moral of the story is you don't need to spend a fortune on tools IMHO.

 

<giggle> Yes - one of the best - but not sure of how suitable it is on micros in some places!

I had one of the first AVO digitals. A *very* short life and a bad purchase. My AVO minor still works perfectly though.

Harry.

 

Thanks for the info guys, I just ordered a set of crimps from HK from ebay... only 8 quid inc post, if they're rubbish then its only 8 quid.

Nice meter Harry.....steam powered , is it

 

So please ffreeloader (or any other forum member) of the many Fluke meters on sale in Maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=multimeters&doy=21m3&source=15

....what is a good buy?

More importantly, I'm just buying some kit to do some practicle lab work for the A+ exam, I want to carry out some real examples, using the A+ files from skillstrain/schiedegger, so that it sticks in my memory (memory leakage)

There are 30 odd multimeters for sale, they all look good quality, they all do various things, I can't decide, any clues as to what to consider when making a purchase?

 

To be honest if your only gonna use a multimeter for the a+ you dont need a fancy all dancing one. The most your gonna use it for is to measure voltages, resistance, continuity and current. Theres not much else you need to do, no capacitence measurements, no frequency tests, transistor testing, etc etc that some of the better meters do......

One thing to bear in mind is how much can you afford to pay (like with everything else). I wouldnt pay £300 on a meter if i was gonna use it once a month and could only afford £150 anyway. I'd buy a good meter at £150.... If i was going to use it for more than A+ then i'd get one at £150 that can do all i want.. (btw i did have a decent meter as an electrician until i blew it on a strobe light...had it set to wrong settings!!)

Also some meters come with calibration certificates and can be sent away each year to be recalibrated, tho that all adds to the cost. Only get one of these if you intend to use it professionally and use it for very accurate measurements.... Any meter will do for indication purposes even if they may be 1volt out on a reading....

 

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that for most people who aren't using a meter 24/7 then a cheap one will do well.

The chips that go to make these are now amazingly good - you just don't get the individual calibration stuff. However, for most PC work you don't need the last word in accuracy, as a wrong volrage on a line is usualy obvious!

My favourite for my toolkit meter is N49AB at the vast price of £12.99. Obviously for a full workbench you will have something nearer £50, but you had better be sure that you are actualy getting something for this extra - the Maplins info doesn't provide this info!

Harry.

 

You might also think about investing in one of these gadgets..

ATX Power Supply Tester

Or another brand. They are a quick way of determining if the PSU is causing a dead PC. They don't put the PSU under normal operating load but they do work for a lot of common missing output voltage issues.

 

Im just wondering if any one has heard of snap on or MAC tools here. They do nearly everything that you could use forPC stuff, even though i was a mechanic when i discovered them.

Word of warning they are not cheap , but they are really good tools to use and come with a lifetime gaurantee.

 

Yep heard of them when on the tools - okay!!

 

I'd agree wholeheartedly on this. I have one of these (actualy not this one but a similar one) and it has shortened diagnostic time considerably.

Harry.