5 Must-Have Tools for an Electrician to Start Their Own Business

The 5 Basic Tools

Wire cutter/stripper

When working as an electrician you will come across many jobs where you will have to strip and cut wires. A wire stripper can do both. Although the basic structure and function remain the same, you can find variants of these depending on the wire gauge, and the presence of additional functions like self-adjustment.

Multimeter

A multimeter is essential for analyzing circuits, testing connections, and troubleshooting. While you can do the testing with a basic tester, the features offered by a multimeter are unmatched. With it, you can measure voltage, current, resistance, and many other parameters in varying ranges, all these features are dependent on the multimeter, so it is advisable to invest in a feature-rich multimeter.

Similar to multimeters are clamp meters, they are slightly less accurate but are easier to use. You can pick the meter for you based on your use case.

Tester

Yes, you will need a tester even when you have a multimeter. To utilize a multimeter you need the use of both your hands, and it is bulky, hence you might not use it for most residential jobs. But a voltage tester is a completely different story, because of its ease of use and high portability, you can always carry it on your person, further encouraging you to use it often.

Apart from the basic test pen which requires you to make contact, it is recommended to get a non-contact tester for more safety and added features.

Screw Driver

These are essential for any electrician, you will need high-quality flat head and Philips screwdrivers, throw in a torx screwdriver for good measure. Consider getting a screwdriver set, because of its versatility it might come in handy in a pinch. Remember to buy insulated screwdrivers before you discover their wonderful use with a nasty shock.

Pliers

Your go-to tool for twisting, bending, gripping, and cutting wires. While there are plenty of pliers to pick from, the Linesman pliers, Needle nose pliers, and Crimping pliers are bare necessities. Although the Linesman pliers will be what you will be most of the time, you will need Needle nose pliers for cramped spaces, and crimping pliers while terminating or making connections.

Extras

Don’t neglect safety, invest in insulated gloves, safety glasses, insulated matting, and a hard hat (if necessary). These should suffice for residential purposes, if you plan to work on high-voltage lines, you will need safety equipment capable of handling that.

Once you have these basic tools, you could consider getting a fish tape, it will help you pull wires. And don’t forget the electrical tape, you will need it a lot.

A flashlight or a worklight will come in handy considering you will be working with the main power supply of the house turned off.

It also doesn’t hurt to care about a few spare parts like switches, sockets, plugs, circuit breakers, screws, and of course wire. These will help you when you are doing minor repairs at a client’s place.

These are some essential work tools for an Electrician, consider using an invoicing app to make interaction with your clients easy.