Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/07/great-price-on-a-set-of-precis.html
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Having previously purchased a recommended set of similarly tipped bits (that have standard hex barrels to fit into any number of bit drivers)…
…only to discover they were made of disappointingly soft metal, I am reluctant to take up this offer, even though I am in need of such tools. :-/ (fool me once…)
I like that these are individual drivers with narrow shafts. Small screws like this are often recessed fairly deep so the kind where you have one handle and a bunch of interchangeable bits are often too fat to fit down the hole.
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Personally, if I’m going that route, I’m going with a known brand. Buy Once, Cry Once.
Cheap? Not at $320 plus shipping. But good quality items are hardly ever cheap, and Wiha is good quality.
Depends on the use case IMHO. Someone who is going to open up a small handful of devices in their lifetime doesn’t need the expensive bulky professional gear. Those are the tools you buy because you’re opening up your electronics repair shop. But if I’m just replacing the battery in one old phone that $10 set makes a lot more sense. Or maybe I’ll do it a few times, but even if the first set breaks and I have to buy a replacement I’ll never even get close to spending as much as one would on that Wiha set.
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I fell for the same scam. Those bits are worthless. Wiha is the only way to go if you want to use them more than once
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Definitely. If I worked on electronics professionally, I’d totally spring for the expensive stuff. For hobbyist/home use I’ve had really, really great success with the iFixit toolkits.
I spent $60 on their ProTech toolkit some 7 or so years ago and I love it (it’s since been updated and is even better). I use it at least a few times a month for various electronics disassembly projects. The more heavily used hex bits are a little worse for wear but still very much usable, and I’ve managed to break most of the spudgers due to overuse but all in all it’s held up nicely and I would say it was definitely a good purchase. These toolkits definitely strike a good balance of value and usability in my opinion.
Plus, iFixit just seems like a good company that does a lot for for the right to repair community that I have no problems supporting. (I fully recognize that much of what they do is at its core an elaborate advertisement for their products, but I’m willing to give them a pass on this.)
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+1.
Admittedly, I’ve managed to get some decent usage out of really crappy tools; But if one is doing this for a living? Good tools are an investment. (Just don’t buy them from Snap-on or Mac- they tend to be massively overpriced for what they are…)
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With the iFixit tools I feel like I’m supporting their teardown articles when I buy the hardware. Having a detailed teardown article makes it much much easier to fix something without breaking it more in the process. Just the knowledge that yes, you’re supposed to be pulling on this part now even though it feels really tight is enormous.
FWIW, I’m still using the tools I bought to mod a backlight into an original model Gameboy Advance. They’ve given me no problems even though they were no-name stuff I bought off of some really shady hardware mods site.
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