Have you ever considered building your own electronic tool kit, but determined it was just too expensive or too complicated? That presumption could not be any further from the truth.
Like with any other type of purchase you most likely will have some kind of budget in mind. Just one bit of advice here; Do not let your budget keep you from purchasing quality tools, the investment you make now could save you hundreds of dollars in the future in replacing poor quality tools.
The first thing you should consider is how you are going to store your tools. Will you be using your tools on the road or will you be working in a service shop type of environment.
My personal recommendation is to have a tool case or tool bag to house your tools. It is a great way to protect and organize your investment. There are many choices of tool bags from wheeled tool cases, foam filled cases and aluminum tool cases. Your personal circumstance will warrant which tool case you should choose.
Now to the most important part of your purchase, which tools to buy? This will also be determined by some factors that you should seriously consider before making your final decision.
1) Will you need to have portability for your power tools and electronic test equipment? Then you will want to purchase items that can be operated with rechargeable batteries. A few examples of this are a good quality handheld oscilloscope or a rechargeable soldering iron.
2) Will you be repairing mechanical equipment equipment, electronics equipment or both? Electronics equipment may require tools like special torx screwdrivers to remove fasteners used to prevent end users from accessing internal components. You may also need special screwdrivers that are rated for working with high voltage. Consider carefully what you job will involve when making you tool choices.
3) Then of course there are specialized fields of Electronics. Telecommunications, Cabling, Home Theater Installation, Computer Repair and many others. Each of these areas requires special training and special tools. Of course there are tools that remain in common to all of these different fields of electronics.
You should also be looking at tools that offer you a warranty or total replacement of defective tools. Typically manufacturers will NOT offer a lifetime warranty on electronic test equipment. The warranty offered on most test type equipment is generally for a 1 year period and replacement or repair of the equipment is left to the discretion of the manufacturer. On the other hand, tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, and other types of tools will offer a lifetime warranty on these types of tools. It is best to inquire about any warranties before making any purchase.
Building your own electronic tool kit is a great way to put together exactly the tools and test equipment you will need for your particular field of electronics. You may also want to consider purchasing a tool kit and choosing your specific tools or test equipment to add to that tool kit as well. The key here is to have the right tools for the job when you need them.