Electronics Tools

Best budget oscilloscope for beginners

TLDR; The HANMATEK 110Mhz DOS1102 Digital Oscilloscope is a good budget option for hobby project. If you’re more comfortable with an option from a well-known brand, the Siglent SDS1104X-E 100Mhz Digital Oscilloscope is a great scope with a lot of high-end features. Having an oscilloscope is a must when you start doing more advanced electronics…

What is the best hot glue gun?

TLDR; The Gluerious Mini Hot Glue Gun is a great small hot glue gun that’s easy to hold and use. On the other hand, if you want a glue gun built for heavy duty jobs, the BSTpower 100W Full Size Industrial Hot Glue Gun is the one to get. The good old hot glue gun…

What is the best soldering iron for electronics?

TLDR; The Weller WE1010NA Digital Soldering Station is my favorite soldering for its ease of use and quality. The LONOVE 90W Digital Soldering Iron Station is also a good choice if your budget is more limited. A soldering iron is one of the first things you’ll to buy to go beyond the breadboard and build…

Best hobbyist budget multimeter

TLDR; The Morpilot 17B Digital Multimeter is a solid budget meter that will give you the most features for the price. If you don’t need temperature measurements or extra leads, the Etekcity MSR-A600 Digital Multimeter is also a great option with its build quality and simplicity. A multimeter is the first tool you should purchase…

Best Soldering Helping Hands (and other circuit board holders)

TLDR; The PanaVise 350 Multi-Purpose Work Center is a great step up the traditional helping hands for soldering circuit boards and will hold PCB of most sizes. On the other hand, if you want a tool that can also handle other tasks like holding two wires close together, the QuadHands WorkBench Helping Hands is the…

Best hobbyist benchtop power supply

TLDR; The KORAD KA3005D Variable DC Linear Power Supply is my favorite power supply for its ease of use and multiple features. For projects that require up to 60V/10A (or multiple outputs when you don’t need that much power), the Dr.meter 30V/5A Triple Linear Variable DC Power Supply is also a good choice. A benchtop…

The 5 Best Wire Strippers for Electronics

TLDR; In my opinion, the best wire stripper is the Hakko CHP CSP-30-1 Wire Stripper. If you don’t need to work with really small wires such as ribbon cable or wire wrap, you can also get the ZOTO Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper (or get both!). You’ll want the best wire stripper you can afford to build…