Electricians' Essentials

When you’re an electrician, no two days are ever the same. Always having the right tools and equipment on hand will allow you to carry out electrical jobs safely and efficiently — whatever the day brings. In fact, a lot of electrical work can’t be done safely without the right equipment and there are certain essential tools that you won’t want to be without, such as pliers, combi-drills and screwdrivers.

Whether you’re a budding electrician or an old time experienced sparky, your tool bag is your trusty companion. But if you’re starting out as a professional electrician for the first time, getting together all the tools you need can be a costly business. At ToolStore UK we’re here to help you keep your start-up costs low while equipping you with all the tools an electrician needs.

We’ve got a wide range of tools for electricians from many of the world’s leading brands, including Stanley, Makita, DeWalt and Bosch. We’re here to help you stock up on trade essentials and, if you spend over £30 on essential hand tools, we’ll deliver your entire order for free!

Electricians Tool Checklist

Here at ToolStore UK, we equip electricians like you with the safe and efficient tools you need to do your job. Look below for a list of our most popular essential tools for electricians.

• Combi-drill
• Circular saw
• Multi-tool
• Pliers
• Levels
• Tape measure
• Hammer
• Screwdrivers
• Handsaw
• Safety goggles

Power Tools For Electricians

Hand Tools For Electricians

Find The Best Pilers For Electricians

Diagonal pliers are designed for cutting wires and can be fitted with wire-cutting blades either built into the jaws or on the handles just below the pivot.

Long-nose pliers, or needle-nose pliers, are used to bend, re-position and snip wires.

Tongue-and-groove pliers are commonly used for turning and holding nuts and bolts, gripping irregularly shaped objects, and clamping materials.

Wire strippers strip the electrical insulation from electric wires.

Accessories For Electricans

Best Power Tool Accessories For Electricians

Safety Equipment For Electricians

JOB SITE ESSENTIALS

Electricians FAQs

What do I need to become an electrician?

There are a few different ways to become an electrician. You could take a college course, such as Level 2 and Level 3 diplomas in Electrical Installation or a Level 2 Diploma in Access to Building Services Engineering (Electrical). You'll need some practical experience to become fully qualified but doing a college course may help you get an apprenticeship or trainee position. You could also apply for an apprenticeship that combines study and work to become qualified. If you've worked in the industry for over 5 years but don’t have a Level 3 qualification, you may be able to get your experience recognised through the Experienced Worker Assessment.

What brands are the best to provide electrician tools?

At ToolStore UK, we stock a wide range of power tools and hand tools that professional electricians love and trust. DeWalt’s power tools are built to withstand heavy use, increase your efficiency while mitigating risk when performing commercial electrical jobs. Bosch’s range of professional power tools and accessories are engineered for high performance, meeting the highest standards in speed, precision and robustness for great, professional work results. Stanley offer a range of high-quality hand tools, from pliers and handsaws, to spanners, sockets and wrenches —providing professional electricians across the globe with products that are smart, tough, pioneering and up to the task.

How long does it take to become an electrician?

There are several ways to become an electrician and it will depend on your personal circumstances which one will be best. To work legally as an electrician, you’ll need your level 3 electrical or electro-technical qualification – or an equivalent. You could take a college course, which if you focus solely on training and complete your course full-time, you could be qualified within 12 to 18 months. You may need to plan around existing commitments, whether that’s family life or another, so it could take a little longer. You could become an apprentice, combining study and work to become qualified, which usually take around three years to complete and become fully qualified. Whatever route you choose, motivation and hard work will be essential and it’s crucial to remain committed.

What test equipment does an electrician need?

When you’re working as a professional electrician, you’ll need to test a wide range of electrical functions in residential and commercial electrical wiring.

Non-contact voltage testers are one of the safest tester and are easy to use. Also known as inductance testers, a non-contact tester is a battery-operated device that lets you check for voltage in devices and wires without having to touch any part of them. You can read the voltage by pointing the small tip at the end of the device to an electrical outlet, electrical wiring, circuit breakers, light sockets, switches or any other object.

Neon voltage testers is similar to a non-contact voltage tester but this device requires you to touch the circuit wires, screw terminals or outlet slots with wire probes and therefore should be handled with caution.

Plug-in circuit analysers test ordinary electrical outlets. They are cheap and easy-to-use and can tell you about the functions of an electrical circuit when you plug them into an outlet.

Solenoid Voltage Testers, also known as ‘wiggies’, can test for both voltage and polarity.

Digital clamp meters combine both multimeter and current sensor functions that uses clamping jaws to grip wire conductors.

Continuity testers check to see if something like a single-pole switch is working correctly. It has a probe at one end and a cord with either an alligator clip or another probe at the other end.

Multimeters measure current, voltage and resistance — making them one of the most versatile of all the electrical testers. They provide precise readings of AC and DC voltage, resistance, continuity, frequency and capacitance.

Wand voltage meters are digital voltage testers that work in two ways — wire leads that measure voltage or continuity by touching bare wires or metal contacts and electrostatic wands that can detect and measure voltage by merely holding them in proximity to wires or metal contacts.