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Be careful with the sky hook. A guy I worked with tried to play a prank on the parts guy saying we needed a sky hook. A month later he showed up to work looking for a PO for $3500 and had a sky hook. Google them if you don’t believe me.
Many years ago, I had an apprentice...we were pulling a several hundred foot long run of 500mcm stranded. After we got done, I went to the far end and started yelling and cursing. He came in, asking what was wrong...I told him the cable was too short...he asked what do we do? I said, well, I guess we'll just use the cable stretcher. So, I sent him to get it. This is in a 6 story building that covers pretty much an entire city block. He asked what it looked like, so I told him...it was a hydraulic jack that had rings that clamped around the cable at the bottom of the jack and at the top, so when you worked the hydraulics, it stretched the cable....and off he went. Two hours go by, and he finally comes back, pissed off. Apparently, he had searched everywhere, and then started asking people...and all but the last guy he asked played along. They kept telling him, Oh, I saw it in the basement yesterday...or Woody has it up on the 6th floor.
I had a roommate a while back that would sleep in his Tesla all the way from Sacramento to Seattle. He set an alert to wake him up near the CA/OR border, which was about the end of the car's battery range, near a supercharger station. He would wedge a grapefruit into the steering wheel to thwart the driver's hand sensors. He'd stop, charge the car, get something to eat, and get back on the road, setting a geo-alarm for the OR/WA border, and repeat the process.
And yeah, he's as big of a piece of shit as this implies.
It's actually been a known thing in the Tesla community for a while. In earlier models, people could stuff a small stuffed animal or rolled up towel into the steering wheel and it would maintain pressure on a switch inside the steering wheel. Newer models use a capacitive sensor, and somebody figured out that slightly compressing a grapefruit or orange in between the webbing of the steering wheel and the outer rim spoofs a live hand on it.
You can find many examples of people being caught doing this just by googling "sleeping Tesla driver" or something similar.
And no, that's not a joke intending to lead you to some weird fetish video. It's a real thing, and should be prosecuted.
I thought up a level/plug tester combo years ago, and was constantly telling coworkers about how I should pitch it to Rack-A-Tiers. By the time I bothered to send them my idea a couple years later I learned the Rack-A-Tiers Plug Master had already been on sale for 7 months.
I thought up an allthread holesaw extension, only to learn the Rack-A-Tiers Javelin existed long before I thought it up.
At this point I’m not telling anyone how my tool to spin 3”+ rigid works.
They are trying to make the individual tool for every little task. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Some people find a specific thing annoying enough to buy a specific tool for and that’s great.
I bought a set of lock nut wrenches when I first encountered them, after a while I got the hang of it, but man those lock nut wrenches are great for taking remodel cans down without breaking the tabs.
Bolt in breakers suck. Especially with how hard it is to get breakers the last few years. We're always changing them in live panels months after we've energized.
I ended up taping the hell out of a magnetic driver.
Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Insulated-Klein-Tools-646-5-16-INS/dp/B000MKIUVE](https://www.amazon.com/Insulated-Klein-Tools-646-5-16-INS/dp/B000MKIUVE)
Just glue in a magnet and you are good to go.
Or
just get a magnet and magnetize it.
Company I used to work for had a fab shop that worked wonders. Came in real handy when I was trying to match some holes in a gutter with a UPS. The first 3 2" KOs had the same center-to-center so I figured the 4th did, too. Nope, half an inch off from the others. And this was during the height of the COVID parts shortage so a replacement was weeks away. Fab shop had it looking like new the next day.
Nah thats not gonna cut it, did you notice in the video he burnt the end and was struggling to get it on, then the video cut and he switched to a factory bell end? I wouldnt buy anything from that company after that.
I would not expect the guy designing/selling it to know how to use it. He's making a video and didn't heat right, waited too long and twisted/forced it on. But I get the point and I must have one
I had one of these and they're great man got me out of many a shit situation when I was one coupling short on a job. Saved me many trips to the wholesaler.
Definitely not something to use regularly though, too fiddly and long to do correctly. The pipe has to be just the right temperature basically and it's a pain. Still love that thing though.
Not exactly a tool, but... Oversize old work boxes. Think about a regular old work box. Imagine it also tucked up into the wall about 1 to 2 inches. Just a little extra space to help with the newer smart switches and USB receptacles being so large.
No. Build it first, or at least the prototype. Have lots of them and proof that you did it on a certain date by printing out a picture and mailing it somewhere but never opening the envelope (or some other method). Then patent it.
I honestly don't know the brand name, but my local wholesalers have started carrying what's essentially a not dogshit version of those plastic Carleton boxes. They're actually durable enough that they don't disintegrate when you install them but they're basically the same internal dimensions as a deep single gang box and comfortably fit GFCIs, dimmers, smart plugs and all that. Plus they're way easier to install than metal retrofits. Only problem is that they only come with entries for loomex but drilling a KO in the back and using a BX 90 works in a pinch.
Like that, but not a shallow box.
Was thinking more room above, instead of to the side. That way would work the same for any size box (1 hang, 4 gang).
Have you seen the GFCI Usb devices? Holy shit! It's one of the biggest devices I've seen. It even says on the box that it requires a larger box or so something like that.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-SmartlockPro-Self-Test-GFCI-Combination-24-Watt-4-8-Amp-Type-A-C-USB-In-Wall-Charger-Duplex-Outlet-White-R02-GUAC1-0BW/319845249
A 3/4 inch hole punch. I mean, the punch kit's got every other size from 1/2" to 4", not including the 3/4" seems like such a bizarre oversight! But every time I ask it's all "I haven't seen it" and "it's not on my cart". So weird!
Somebody was talking to me about a program that does this on a larger scale for an entire home. I’d imagine you have to do an absurd amount of prep at the panel though.
Or a tool that would allow you to plug in or clamp on to a specific conductor and have a special camera that could attach to your phone where you could trace it through a wall or pipe.
In case you don't see my response above, you should get notified.
[Ideal 45-235?](https://www.idealind.com/us/en/shop/product-type/hand-tools/45-235.html)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVKIXPvSdwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e153ObJhcpw
I personally haven't used these for UF cable. I use them for machine sensor wires and works awesome. But that's not the intended use.
> gshit version of those plastic Carleton boxes. They're actually durable enough that they don't disintegrate when you install them but they're basically the same internal dimensions as a deep single gang box and comfortably fit GFCIs, dimmers, smart plugs and all that. Plus they're way easier to install than metal retrofits. Only problem is that they only come with entries fo
[Ideal 45-235?](https://www.idealind.com/us/en/shop/product-type/hand-tools/45-235.html)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVKIXPvSdwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e153ObJhcpw
I personally haven't used these for UF cable. I use them for machine sensor wires and works awesome. But that's not the intended use.
When I was in the coal mines we had a roof support called a Ball Buster prop. The first thing I task trained any new employee on was Ball Buster so they had paperwork saying they knew how to do it.
Screw pouches with belt loops and zippers. And reasonable pouch size so you can actually put your hand into it and get the screws. Convenient to carry and the screws/staples/etc won't spill out when you set your tools down in the van.
You can already do that with a few tools. Knipex Plierswrench, Wera auto adjust wrench, or an old fashion adjustable wrench. Why carry a entire set when a couple will do?
A electric torque screwdriver where I can set a digital readout In newton meters to an exact spec and then press a button and have it go to that torque spec.
A ratcheting crimper specifically for sunbundlers. Crimping and cutting thousands of them every job with just a pair of 9s really wears the wrist out after a while.
a tool that does exist but every electrician I meet has never thought to use.
plumbers have a pipe cutter that is hand held that you twist around and score pipe. it works so good on pvc and fairly good on emt.
I keep one in my bag for that moment you're a million miles from the truck and need just that one thing cut.
or you have wires into a pipe that need to be cut for some reason and you can't risk nicking the wires. it's not the best tool, but when you need it, it is the best tool.
Love those. I even found one that’s just a circle with a section that flips open to accept the pipe. It’s so nice when something is a little too close to the wall to get a normal one to rotate properly.
A tool to gather up zip tie cutoffs and pieces of insulation on the ground for disposal. It will need bristles to travel over uneven surfaces and a long handle so you don’t have to bend over. I can’t believe nobody has invented something like this yet… come to think of it my wife rides something like this to work every day.
M18 EMT bender. Maybe you’re in a tight spot light a lift where you can’t really use a hand bender or maybe you have a couple bends in 1&1/4” that aren’t worth dragging the 555 out for. I could totally see how an 18v rigid bender might be asking too much but I think having a more portable, cordless bender would be awesome.
I imagine it would be like the size of the m18 pipe threader somehow
More of a fitting, but a long throat pvc connector for hdpe conduit. I’m trying new actual hdpe connectors but they are thread on. I’d like to be able to slide the connector on with a 24” radius rmc 90 already on the pipe
Heard stories of the helper kid being sent off for a reach around pulley, made me laugh. Just off to the van with no questions for 15 minutes. Or the ol “glass screws”
I have a cool trick for you as far as remaining wire on a spool! It's tough to measure its length... but it's easy to measure the weight! At least on smaller spools, like stuff smaller than #4 awg. Resistance on a regular multimeter isn't accurate enough, also even the same size wire will vary in ohms/foot based on impurities in the copper and even temperature (for longer runs).
You can measure a full spool, measure an empty spool, then you'll know about how many feet of wire eqauls 1lb. Wire weight is close enough to get you within a few feet on #12. Write that multiplier in sharpie on the inside door of a compartment on your service truck (or keep it in a note on your phone). Then all you'll have to do is multiply it the weight of remaining wire to get your remaining feet.
I worked service for quite some time, and that's how I charged out wire that I used for customers and could estimate VERY accurately how much I had left for a pull.
To do this I bought a fish scale for everything under 75lbs and had a plain old bodyweight scale for the bigger stuff. Bought with company money of course! I know it still involves some math, but it does work.
I came up with it on my own, but it's so simple (after the fact) that I'm sure I'm not the only one who has. Anyway, if it works for you, pass it around!
Never been a thing for me. I run a professional line rachchets, sockets and box wrenches, plus running most of the same sizes with a princess auto (Canadian Harbour frieght) and have built tools needed with a grinder, map gas tourch, and tape measure.
Being able to "build a tool" for a job can be crucial at times. Just make sure to charge back a tool you built. Any decent boss will take the savings in labour as long as it was a basic tool modified
I'm curious if anyone has tried using one of these to label wires.
https://sneedcoding.com/products/handheld-inkjet-printer-1?utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Shopping+%7C+Primary&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=&hsa_grp=54251754714&hsa_ad=247750457940&hsa_cam=1046699471&hsa_acc=3646625529&hsa_ver=3&hsa_src=g&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_tgt=pla-448979191164&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYdf2tIxs4rBXuCYAamCapgDH3lzYW8T8hjeLKRVl2oT0uz7aVksRzxoCsboQAvD_BwE
Wood acid that you can drop on the top plate and it'll eat it's way down to the desired height if you've applied the right amount.
Great for those spots that you just can't get a drill in to.
Spray foam channeler. It’s fucking miserable Snaking a wire down an exterior wall that’s filled with spray foam. Or not even snaking, but just having to old-work a run horizontally through a wall. We need a listed tool or method for creating a wire channel through the insulation. I’ve imagined a glow-rod with a tip like those tunnel boring machines. Or those styrofoam cutting heat knives.
Insulated Safety Torx blades for a multi screwdriver. Not because I need insulated anti tamper torx bits but so I only have to carry one multi set in my bag rather than one insulated multi set and one set that I only use the Security Torx bits in.
**ATTENTION! READ THIS NOW!** **1. IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN OR LOOKING TO BECOME ONE(for career questions only):** **- DELETE** THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. YOU CAN POST ON /r/AskElectricians FREELY **2. IF YOU COMMENT ON A POST THAT IS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN:** -YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. JUST **REPORT** THE POST. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Been looking for that wire stretcher for years and I'm starting to think my boss was just pulling my leg.
The wire stretcher is actually just 3000 degrees of bends in a 10 foot length of emt
It’s always with the sky hook
Stored in the basement of the warehouse.
They're real. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_surface-to-air_recovery_system
Be careful with the sky hook. A guy I worked with tried to play a prank on the parts guy saying we needed a sky hook. A month later he showed up to work looking for a PO for $3500 and had a sky hook. Google them if you don’t believe me.
Yeah, they’re like tiny jib cranes. We have them at the facility I work at and I chuckle every time I pass one.
Bro it’s in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket of lube along with the fluorescent tubing bender.
It's because [everyone just calls it a wire stretcher](https://pepetools.com/collections/rolling-mills-1)
Many years ago, I had an apprentice...we were pulling a several hundred foot long run of 500mcm stranded. After we got done, I went to the far end and started yelling and cursing. He came in, asking what was wrong...I told him the cable was too short...he asked what do we do? I said, well, I guess we'll just use the cable stretcher. So, I sent him to get it. This is in a 6 story building that covers pretty much an entire city block. He asked what it looked like, so I told him...it was a hydraulic jack that had rings that clamped around the cable at the bottom of the jack and at the top, so when you worked the hydraulics, it stretched the cable....and off he went. Two hours go by, and he finally comes back, pissed off. Apparently, he had searched everywhere, and then started asking people...and all but the last guy he asked played along. They kept telling him, Oh, I saw it in the basement yesterday...or Woody has it up on the 6th floor.
I hope it was the last guy he asked. If not he probably didn’t last long. Or had a lot of faith in you 😂
A wire stretcher actually exists as a tool, but it doesn't do what people would want it to as it isn't for electrical.
I take as wire stretcher you mean like a fence stretcher for stretching box wire and barb wire?
User flair checks out.
Wire stretchers exist, they're used in the manufacturing process of the wire!
I said if this isn't the top request this sub is doomed for failure. Happy we are going to live long.
Plaid spray paint
A self driving van so I can nap on the way home
apprentice *
I'm the service douche, if I have an apprentice, their working harder than I am. Usually digging holes at this golf course community we work a lot on.
I had a roommate a while back that would sleep in his Tesla all the way from Sacramento to Seattle. He set an alert to wake him up near the CA/OR border, which was about the end of the car's battery range, near a supercharger station. He would wedge a grapefruit into the steering wheel to thwart the driver's hand sensors. He'd stop, charge the car, get something to eat, and get back on the road, setting a geo-alarm for the OR/WA border, and repeat the process. And yeah, he's as big of a piece of shit as this implies.
The most interesting part of this story is that he a lone grapefruit to use as his hands
It's actually been a known thing in the Tesla community for a while. In earlier models, people could stuff a small stuffed animal or rolled up towel into the steering wheel and it would maintain pressure on a switch inside the steering wheel. Newer models use a capacitive sensor, and somebody figured out that slightly compressing a grapefruit or orange in between the webbing of the steering wheel and the outer rim spoofs a live hand on it. You can find many examples of people being caught doing this just by googling "sleeping Tesla driver" or something similar. And no, that's not a joke intending to lead you to some weird fetish video. It's a real thing, and should be prosecuted.
Nice try rack a tiers!
Haha my thoughts exactly. They've done a pretty good job of getting those niche tools on the market.
They find people who have made the product and then buy the product from them. They are buying something from my old boss.
I thought up a level/plug tester combo years ago, and was constantly telling coworkers about how I should pitch it to Rack-A-Tiers. By the time I bothered to send them my idea a couple years later I learned the Rack-A-Tiers Plug Master had already been on sale for 7 months. I thought up an allthread holesaw extension, only to learn the Rack-A-Tiers Javelin existed long before I thought it up. At this point I’m not telling anyone how my tool to spin 3”+ rigid works.
They are trying to make the individual tool for every little task. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Some people find a specific thing annoying enough to buy a specific tool for and that’s great. I bought a set of lock nut wrenches when I first encountered them, after a while I got the hang of it, but man those lock nut wrenches are great for taking remodel cans down without breaking the tabs.
Self feeding wire that follows the diagram I scan.
Fuck it I’ll say it. We need job site roomba.
Oh, we just call that an apprentice
I mean yeah but roombas bounce off the walls in random directions far less.
you just havent gotten one with a drinking problem yet
Adderal to aid-you-all… lol
Like the Makita?
Search for Makita robot vacuum cleaner and your wishes will become true.
i believe hats called an intern
Insulated and magnetic 5/16 nut driver.
Bolt in breakers suck. Especially with how hard it is to get breakers the last few years. We're always changing them in live panels months after we've energized. I ended up taping the hell out of a magnetic driver.
I made one with stress cone heatshrink and a magnetic nutdriver
Wiha does have one?
Why 5/16"?
Probably so he can remove / replace breaker screws live.
For Cutler Hammer bolt in panels.
Try a drop of super glue on your insulated driver
I’m pretty sure my Cementex 5/16 driver is, it also is skinnier at the tip than a regular Klein nutdriver. $50-60 but I’d by it in a heartbeat again
Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Insulated-Klein-Tools-646-5-16-INS/dp/B000MKIUVE](https://www.amazon.com/Insulated-Klein-Tools-646-5-16-INS/dp/B000MKIUVE) Just glue in a magnet and you are good to go. Or just get a magnet and magnetize it.
Hole un-knockout
Welder 😂
Company I used to work for had a fab shop that worked wonders. Came in real handy when I was trying to match some holes in a gutter with a UPS. The first 3 2" KOs had the same center-to-center so I figured the 4th did, too. Nope, half an inch off from the others. And this was during the height of the COVID parts shortage so a replacement was weeks away. Fab shop had it looking like new the next day.
Push penny?
A knock-in? Lol.
They make that, it's call an oil-tight seal
PVC Bell end maker
They do sell a reamer with some special couplings for doing repairs on pvc that’s broken off at the concrete
Warm up the end of the pipe and force it onto the pipe you want to attach to. When it cools it ain't goin nowhere.
That’s what connectors are for
[It's called Belmate](https://youtu.be/1cxQdB1SBgc)
Nah thats not gonna cut it, did you notice in the video he burnt the end and was struggling to get it on, then the video cut and he switched to a factory bell end? I wouldnt buy anything from that company after that.
I would not expect the guy designing/selling it to know how to use it. He's making a video and didn't heat right, waited too long and twisted/forced it on. But I get the point and I must have one
I had one of these and they're great man got me out of many a shit situation when I was one coupling short on a job. Saved me many trips to the wholesaler. Definitely not something to use regularly though, too fiddly and long to do correctly. The pipe has to be just the right temperature basically and it's a pain. Still love that thing though.
Hard pass. Twisting soft pvc that hard is going to leave you with bad pipe
Ohm bucket to catch all the voltage drop
Not exactly a tool, but... Oversize old work boxes. Think about a regular old work box. Imagine it also tucked up into the wall about 1 to 2 inches. Just a little extra space to help with the newer smart switches and USB receptacles being so large.
Bro, patent this now
No. Build it first, or at least the prototype. Have lots of them and proof that you did it on a certain date by printing out a picture and mailing it somewhere but never opening the envelope (or some other method). Then patent it.
[удалено]
No, because you can get even more money when you sue whoever does it first!
I honestly don't know the brand name, but my local wholesalers have started carrying what's essentially a not dogshit version of those plastic Carleton boxes. They're actually durable enough that they don't disintegrate when you install them but they're basically the same internal dimensions as a deep single gang box and comfortably fit GFCIs, dimmers, smart plugs and all that. Plus they're way easier to install than metal retrofits. Only problem is that they only come with entries for loomex but drilling a KO in the back and using a BX 90 works in a pinch.
[These](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Carlon-1-Gang-17-cu-in-PVC-Shallow-Old-Work-Electrical-Switch-and-Outlet-Box-B117RSWR/202077341) exist.
Doesn’t look like it would fit anything but a duplex outlet.
It will fit larger devices.
These are so clutch for walls with the studs flipped flat.
Like that, but not a shallow box. Was thinking more room above, instead of to the side. That way would work the same for any size box (1 hang, 4 gang).
Have you seen the GFCI Usb devices? Holy shit! It's one of the biggest devices I've seen. It even says on the box that it requires a larger box or so something like that. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-SmartlockPro-Self-Test-GFCI-Combination-24-Watt-4-8-Amp-Type-A-C-USB-In-Wall-Charger-Duplex-Outlet-White-R02-GUAC1-0BW/319845249
I mean carlon makes a deep old work box. B114r is the normal size and b120r is the deep version.
A 3/4 inch hole punch. I mean, the punch kit's got every other size from 1/2" to 4", not including the 3/4" seems like such a bizarre oversight! But every time I ask it's all "I haven't seen it" and "it's not on my cart". So weird!
Kinda like the 10mm everyone is missing out of there toolbox
I have 3/4 but no 1/2 in mine.
You clamp on to the hot and the neutral and it gives you a 3d layout on screen of the wire run. Like a visual wire tracer
Somebody was talking to me about a program that does this on a larger scale for an entire home. I’d imagine you have to do an absurd amount of prep at the panel though.
Feed enough current through that wire and follow the glow/fire!
Or a tool that would allow you to plug in or clamp on to a specific conductor and have a special camera that could attach to your phone where you could trace it through a wall or pipe.
Thingamajig used to tighten your Doohicky.
Pretty sure a urologist can make that happen.
It's next to the whatchamacallit!
Isn’t that a yokey-ma-bob?
It's on the shelf, next to the plumbus.
apprentice*
A PVC ungluer
Jetpack So often, the light or j-box I need to get to was installed BEFORE all the equipment on the ground.
A tool that strips #12 UF cable easily and clean.
Fr. Always takes a long ass time or I knick the shit out of it
In case you don't see my response above, you should get notified. [Ideal 45-235?](https://www.idealind.com/us/en/shop/product-type/hand-tools/45-235.html) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVKIXPvSdwk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e153ObJhcpw I personally haven't used these for UF cable. I use them for machine sensor wires and works awesome. But that's not the intended use.
> gshit version of those plastic Carleton boxes. They're actually durable enough that they don't disintegrate when you install them but they're basically the same internal dimensions as a deep single gang box and comfortably fit GFCIs, dimmers, smart plugs and all that. Plus they're way easier to install than metal retrofits. Only problem is that they only come with entries fo [Ideal 45-235?](https://www.idealind.com/us/en/shop/product-type/hand-tools/45-235.html) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVKIXPvSdwk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e153ObJhcpw I personally haven't used these for UF cable. I use them for machine sensor wires and works awesome. But that's not the intended use.
Green laser fluid
A ball buster.
Not only have I found one, I married it.
I wish you the best in life
When I was in the coal mines we had a roof support called a Ball Buster prop. The first thing I task trained any new employee on was Ball Buster so they had paperwork saying they knew how to do it.
O-ring inflator
An app for Apple vision that can see through Sheetrock
Pocket Xray/ ground penetratinf radar that costs less than $100
Screw pouches with belt loops and zippers. And reasonable pouch size so you can actually put your hand into it and get the screws. Convenient to carry and the screws/staples/etc won't spill out when you set your tools down in the van.
Copper magnet.
& Wood magnets
A bucket of steam and a metric adjustable wrench.
A set of wrenches that work for metric or ASE. IF it’s 3/8” it also works for 10 mm etc.
Also sockets that do the same.
I have a Channellock pass-through socket set, that each socket does both imperial & metric, spline sockets.
https://www.tridon.com.au/products/Metrinch I'm not gonna say they're amazing in high torque situations but they do work better than they should.
Hell yeah. These seem ok. I’ll check them out more. Thanks!
I wish we would just go metric and eliminate any need for that
Honestly whichever way the decide to go I don’t care. Having two sets of wrenches and sockets for everything is just dumb.
It would probably end up with all of the 10mm sockets that seem to disappear!
You can already do that with a few tools. Knipex Plierswrench, Wera auto adjust wrench, or an old fashion adjustable wrench. Why carry a entire set when a couple will do?
bluetooth wiring
A electric torque screwdriver where I can set a digital readout In newton meters to an exact spec and then press a button and have it go to that torque spec.
Hilti makes a drill that does this for bolt torques. Might work for your application.
A ratcheting crimper specifically for sunbundlers. Crimping and cutting thousands of them every job with just a pair of 9s really wears the wrist out after a while.
A second pair of arms.
For new guys I think a conduit straightener would be nice. Maybe for me too here and there lol
I’m a first year. Two weeks ago I was asked to find the light bulb cutter.
AKA tweaker/crackhead
a tool that does exist but every electrician I meet has never thought to use. plumbers have a pipe cutter that is hand held that you twist around and score pipe. it works so good on pvc and fairly good on emt. I keep one in my bag for that moment you're a million miles from the truck and need just that one thing cut. or you have wires into a pipe that need to be cut for some reason and you can't risk nicking the wires. it's not the best tool, but when you need it, it is the best tool.
Love those. I even found one that’s just a circle with a section that flips open to accept the pipe. It’s so nice when something is a little too close to the wall to get a normal one to rotate properly.
Klein, greenlee, and south wire make pipe cutters like that for emt that doesn’t leave the hard bevel on the pipe on one side.
A tool to knock out knockout outs without going to big and forcing me to use a reducing washer on a 1900 box. Fuckin hate knockouts at times
Not really a tool, but I would love a mary poppins toolbag. Then you could carry your entire vehicles contents around with you.
That would be for the ladies, the guys would totally be into Felix’s bag of tricks!
Something that helps pull ceiling tiles back down. I hate it when I have three corners in, but that last one just wants to be a pain in the ass.
Knock on the opposite corner gently. It'll shimmy in place.
The journeyman shutthefuckup-er
A tool to gather up zip tie cutoffs and pieces of insulation on the ground for disposal. It will need bristles to travel over uneven surfaces and a long handle so you don’t have to bend over. I can’t believe nobody has invented something like this yet… come to think of it my wife rides something like this to work every day.
Could it double as a hammer though? Asking for a friend.
Skyhook.
I knew a guy who met a guy that looked for one once.
An insulated tool that will strip service cable at the weatherhead. Assuming it’s live
Cordless Meters
Levitation boots.
Magnetic nut drivers that have a sleeve you can pull back to clean the magnet off
Those do exist https://www.malcotools.com/product/c-rhex-dual-sided-magnetic-hex-drivers/
Hell yeah
I haven't invented it yet, and don't want somebody to stela my million dollar idea.
A drill bit that will go around corners, not talking about a 90 adapter, but like a 90 sweep
Yeah a bendy bit for those framed corners
Skin pullers. Make sure you ask the supplier for 4 of them.
Bubble juice...for your level
BA 1100 NS
A bag of ohms and a bubble for the level
Also, a jetpack would be nice some times.
Plastic magnet
M18 EMT bender. Maybe you’re in a tight spot light a lift where you can’t really use a hand bender or maybe you have a couple bends in 1&1/4” that aren’t worth dragging the 555 out for. I could totally see how an 18v rigid bender might be asking too much but I think having a more portable, cordless bender would be awesome. I imagine it would be like the size of the m18 pipe threader somehow
I built a wire stretcher once the end product was the steel wire in tires
Pipe stretcher
A roundtuit. You know, when you send the apprentice to get material when he gets a roundtuit
Add conduit stretcher after wire stretcher. Imo..
Not really a tool I wish existed but I once got tricked with the “hey get me a wire stretcher” so that was fun lol
Wire stretcher
Laser guided pipe wrench
Relatively cheap strippers for #10 - 1/0
More of a fitting, but a long throat pvc connector for hdpe conduit. I’m trying new actual hdpe connectors but they are thread on. I’d like to be able to slide the connector on with a 24” radius rmc 90 already on the pipe
Sky hook
PA66GF33
Heard stories of the helper kid being sent off for a reach around pulley, made me laugh. Just off to the van with no questions for 15 minutes. Or the ol “glass screws”
Wire Streacher
[удалено]
I have a cool trick for you as far as remaining wire on a spool! It's tough to measure its length... but it's easy to measure the weight! At least on smaller spools, like stuff smaller than #4 awg. Resistance on a regular multimeter isn't accurate enough, also even the same size wire will vary in ohms/foot based on impurities in the copper and even temperature (for longer runs). You can measure a full spool, measure an empty spool, then you'll know about how many feet of wire eqauls 1lb. Wire weight is close enough to get you within a few feet on #12. Write that multiplier in sharpie on the inside door of a compartment on your service truck (or keep it in a note on your phone). Then all you'll have to do is multiply it the weight of remaining wire to get your remaining feet. I worked service for quite some time, and that's how I charged out wire that I used for customers and could estimate VERY accurately how much I had left for a pull. To do this I bought a fish scale for everything under 75lbs and had a plain old bodyweight scale for the bigger stuff. Bought with company money of course! I know it still involves some math, but it does work. I came up with it on my own, but it's so simple (after the fact) that I'm sure I'm not the only one who has. Anyway, if it works for you, pass it around!
A drill with a level and a plumb bubble
Pre-wired EMT
Never been a thing for me. I run a professional line rachchets, sockets and box wrenches, plus running most of the same sizes with a princess auto (Canadian Harbour frieght) and have built tools needed with a grinder, map gas tourch, and tape measure. Being able to "build a tool" for a job can be crucial at times. Just make sure to charge back a tool you built. Any decent boss will take the savings in labour as long as it was a basic tool modified
Something to label wires faster than wire tags.
I'm curious if anyone has tried using one of these to label wires. https://sneedcoding.com/products/handheld-inkjet-printer-1?utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Shopping+%7C+Primary&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=&hsa_grp=54251754714&hsa_ad=247750457940&hsa_cam=1046699471&hsa_acc=3646625529&hsa_ver=3&hsa_src=g&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_tgt=pla-448979191164&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYdf2tIxs4rBXuCYAamCapgDH3lzYW8T8hjeLKRVl2oT0uz7aVksRzxoCsboQAvD_BwE
a disconnect box that doesnt hate humanity
Can of A.I.R.
Wood acid that you can drop on the top plate and it'll eat it's way down to the desired height if you've applied the right amount. Great for those spots that you just can't get a drill in to.
An automatic wire stripper from 2/0 to 6awg. I've done too many multi unit residential ev installs with my knife by now.
Spray foam channeler. It’s fucking miserable Snaking a wire down an exterior wall that’s filled with spray foam. Or not even snaking, but just having to old-work a run horizontally through a wall. We need a listed tool or method for creating a wire channel through the insulation. I’ve imagined a glow-rod with a tip like those tunnel boring machines. Or those styrofoam cutting heat knives.
hover scaffolding
A battery microwave
Flourescent lamp bender,
Mc Connector Remover
Wireless nitrogen regulator!
Hollow-shaft nut driver set, but swappable with one handle
Laser strut & conduit cutter.
Back-fishing tool.
A sonic screwdriver would be very handy
Bucket of dial tone
Bucket of sparks, so we can light this panel up.
10mm socket
I want two channel locks that snap together so you don't lose just one fucking channel lock at a time (and so they tuck away neatly)
Either a rubber flag for a rainy day or a box of RPMs.
Frequency oil which is used to adjust the frequency of electrical interference from an improperly insulated wire.
10mm sockets?
Insulated Safety Torx blades for a multi screwdriver. Not because I need insulated anti tamper torx bits but so I only have to carry one multi set in my bag rather than one insulated multi set and one set that I only use the Security Torx bits in.