Hand Tools Selection Guide

Hand tools fall into cable cutting and stripping, crimping, gripping and cutting, screws and bolts, and soldering; choose by the job at hand.

This guide covers the points to look at when choosing products in the Hand Tools category.

Hand tool groups and the jobs they are used for

• Cable cutting and stripping: Cable cutting tools are cutters for copper and aluminum conductors; some models are also rated for armored and steel-core cable. Cable stripping tools are divided by conductor cross-section or cable outer diameter.
• Crimping cable ends: Crimping and connection pliers are divided into separate subgroups for ferrules, lugs, terminals and connectors; cable tie tools are also in this group.
• Gripping and cutting: Under Pliers and cutters there are combination pliers, long-nose pliers, side and end cutters, adjustable pliers and circlip pliers.
• Screws and bolts: Screwdriver sets, wrench sets, Allen keys, socket sets, and adjustable, pipe and hook wrenches.
• Soldering and heating: Under Soldering tools and materials there are pencil soldering irons, soldering paste and thermal paste; also hot air and glue guns.
• Carrying: Fabric, plastic and wheeled tool bags, and filled electrician, plumber and mechanic sets.

How to choose crimping pliers

Crimping pliers are designed for a specific end type and cross-section range; first the part to be crimped, then the cross-section is determined.

• Ferrule: Used for cable ferrules, which gather the end of a stranded conductor before it enters a terminal block. The crimp profile varies by model (for example four-sided or six-sided); the profile and cross-section range are stated in the product name or the technical specifications.
• Lug: Pliers for insulated lugs and for standard cable lugs (SKP) are separate. For large cross-sections, long-handled mechanical or hydraulic pliers that make a hexagonal crimp are used; for hydraulic models the crimping force is given in kN.
• Terminal and connector: The dies differ for insulated and non-insulated terminals, RJ45 and RJ11 data connectors, and Molex and JST type connector ends. For pliers whose range is given in AWG, you can find the cross-section equivalent with the AWG – mm² conversion calculator.

In ratcheting pliers, the mechanism is there to ensure that sufficient crimping force is applied. A crimp made with pliers whose die does not fit the end does not give a mechanically and electrically reliable connection, even if it looks neat.

1000 V insulated tools and test pens

Not every pair of pliers with a plastic-coated handle is an insulated tool. The IEC 60900 standard covers hand tools used for work up to 1000 V AC and 1500 V DC; a tool conforming to this standard carries a double-triangle symbol, the 1000 V marking, the manufacturer's name and the year of manufacture. Combination pliers and side cutters whose product name includes "1000V Insulated" are in the pliers and cutters group; verify the marking on the tool itself. The insulation coating of an insulated tool is checked visually before every use.

An electrical test pen does not measure voltage, it only gives an indication; a multimeter or voltage and continuity testers are used for measurement.

Wrench, socket and Allen sizes

• Metric and inch: Wrench and Allen sets with SAE in the product name are inch-sized; they are not used in place of a metric set.
• Socket: The 1/4" and 1/2" values in the product name are not the size of the nut the socket grips but the size of the square drive that fits on the ratchet handle; the socket and the handle must have the same drive size.
• Allen: Hex, torx and ball-head sets are separate products; a ball-head bit allows approaching the screw at an angle.
• Adjustable wrench: The inch value (6", 8", 10", 12", 15") indicates the length of the wrench, not the jaw opening.

Brands in this category

• İzeltaş: pliers, side cutters, long-nose pliers, wrench and Allen sets, screwdriver sets, test pens and tool bags.
• Isıso and Konsan: crimping pliers for ferrules, lugs, terminals and connectors; Isıso also lists cable cutters and stripping pliers.
• Gwest: crimping pliers and cable cutters.
• In the soldering group, Hawcon, Soldex and Felder have soldering paste and Class has pencil soldering irons; Bylion is among the tool bags.

Ordering notes

For pliers and cutters, the length (mm) is in the product name; different lengths of the same model are separate products. For most Isıso and Konsan crimping pliers the cross-section range (mm²) is in the product name; the names of Gwest pliers contain the model code, and the crimping range is given in the technical specifications. You can reach products that carry a manufacturer code (for example FT-B6, HT-2430C, ZD407C-60) directly by typing the code into the search box. A small share of the products are listed as lead-time items; for these, the delivery time is confirmed before ordering.

Electrician Hand Tools Comparison Table

Frequently asked questions

Can ferrule crimping pliers and lug crimping pliers be used in place of each other?

No. Ferrule pliers compress a thin-walled ferrule around the conductor with their own profile; lug pliers crimp the neck of a thick-walled lug with their own die. The die shape, the applied force and the cross-section range are different. Those who do both jobs need two separate pliers; multi-function models with interchangeable jaws are also listed, and the jaw contents are stated in the technical specifications.

What is the difference between four-sided and six-sided ferrule crimping?

The difference is the cross-section shape of the crimped ferrule: a four-sided die compresses the ferrule into a square, a six-sided die into a hexagon. The hexagonal shape is closer to a circle. Which profile to use is determined by the shape and width of the terminal block entry the ferrule will go into and by the terminal block manufacturer's recommendation. The cross-section range of the pliers is also checked separately for both profiles.

Does a test pen measure voltage?

No. A single-pole test pen completes the circuit through the user's body and only gives an indication that voltage is present at the touched point. The lamp does not light below a certain voltage, does not reliably show the correct voltage, and in a bright environment its light may go unnoticed. For this reason, the lamp not lighting is not accepted as proof that no voltage is present. A multimeter or a voltage tester is used to read the voltage value.

What is the difference between an SAE wrench set and a metric set?

In SAE sets the jaw sizes are given in inch fractions, in metric sets in millimeters. Inch-sized bolts and nuts are mostly found on machines and vehicles made to the inch standard. The close-looking sizes of the two systems do not fit each other exactly; a wrench that does not fit snugly rounds off the corners of the bolt head. For this reason, the set is chosen according to the measurement system of the fastener to be removed.

Which cross-section is a connector crimper marked in AWG used for?

AWG is the American wire gauge, and the larger the number, the thinner the conductor. For pliers made for connector ends, the range is mostly given in AWG. Convert the mm² value of your conductor to its AWG equivalent and compare it with the range of the pliers; the AWG – mm² conversion calculator on the site does this conversion. The type of the connector end must also match the die of the pliers.