Tools

Here is a fairly comprehensive list of the tools and consumables you might need to run a repair event, whether brought by your repairers or as part of a tool set you can gradually build up.

Essential: no more than £75 (excluding computer)

  • A laptop, netbook or tablet plus 3G dongle (for when no Wifi is available)
  • Spudgers or guitar plectrums or old credit/debit/hotel cards
  • Screwdriver set for electronics
  • Conventional sized cross-head and flat screwdrivers
  • Compressed air
  • Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Rags or paper towels for cleaning
  • Electrical insulation tape
  • Super glue
  • Masking tape for taping extension leads to the floor
  • Extension leads and multiplugs
  • A residual-current device (RCD)
  • Multimeter
  • Soldering kit (ask a Restarter to bring this)
  • Bootable and installable OSs on USB and CD (ask a Restarter to bring this)*
  • Egg cartons or pill boxes for storing screws
  • Tweezers
  • Pliers
  • Knife, razor or cutting tool
  • Magnifying glass
  • First aid kit

Troubleshooting and opening

  • A laptop, netbook or tablet plus 3G dongle (for when no Wifi is available)
  • Headlamps, handheld torches or strobes
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Spudgers
  • Guitar plectrums or old credit/debit/hotel cards (cut up in strips and plectrum shapes)
  • Wire cutters and Wire Strippers
  • Heatgun

Screwdrivers

  • Set for electronics – the iFixit set is best, but others will work
  • Robust cross-head and flat screwdrivers
  • A "security" set with all shapes like torx etc.
  • Screwdriver Extenders

Stuff in cans

  • Compressed air
  • Isopropyl Alcohol
  • WD-40

Soldering

  • Soldering Iron
  • Solder
  • Solder sucker
  • Solder wick braid
  • Flux

Adhesives and hacking materials

  • Insulation tape
  • Sugru and/or bluetac
  • Super glue
  • Gluegun
  • For a complete list, see Sticky Stuff

Safety

  • Tape for taping extension leads to the floor
  • A residual-current device (RCD) for mains devices
  • Gloves
  • PAT tester and stickers for PAT tested devices
  • Anti-static wrist band
  • Mask with vents for vacuum cleaner repair
  • First aid kit

Software

  • Bootable and Installable OSs on DVD or USB (e.g. Linux Mint,Puppy Linux, OS X, Windows 7)
  • Bootable utilities on CD or USB (e.g. *PartedMagic*, SystemRescueCD, Clonezilla etc.)
  • Bootable antivirus, recently updated (Kasperky Rescue, Sophos Bootable Antivirus)
  • Install files for Windows maintenance and diagnostic utilities (Ccleaner, Speedfan)

(For a more complete list to aid in the assembly of a customised tool set, see CD/USB bootable tools.)

Power-related

  • Spare Fuses
  • Variable Power supply (or Universal laptop power supply with ends)
  • Multimeter (ideally with audible continuity tester)
  • Extension leads and multiplugs (ideally with power indication light)

Data preservation

  • Hard drive dock(s) to get data off failing machines
  • Thumb drive for carrying data

Miscellaneous

  • Egg cartons, pill boxes or magnetic mats for storing screws
  • Pokey things for poking (e.g. Thin wire, such as an unfolded paper clip, to eject SIMs)
  • Tweezers
  • Pliers
  • Knife, razor or other cutting tool
  • Cleaning CD
  • Rags or paper towels for cleaning