I friend of mine doesn't have hand tools and every time we have had to repair something at his house it has been with "wrong tools". With wrong, I mean, spoons, forks, butter knives, scissors, etc. They usually either can't get the job done or the results are really bad. Here I'll show you a video I made of what it is to strip and solder a cable with the wrong tools:

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leosmith You're really kidding aren't you?

Oxyacetylene torch for soldering surface mount components.

By far the absolutely worst tool to use in electronics is my Brother, i cannot even count the amount of things he "fixed" for me growing up. He was convinced that he could take anything apart and make it better, gameboys, our SNES, even my mothers work laptop one time. Still to this day he believes that he is a whiz with electronics.

This past spring out at my mother-in-law's house we were trying to charge a battery on her lawnmower and there was an intermittent short in cables from charger to the battery terminal clamps. After messing with the cables I assumed the short was in the wires near or at the board of the charger. After 10min to get the charger case apart, it is all good. Then looking at the clamps I see the all the wire strands are broke on one clamp and only the insulation is holding the clamp on. Luckily the other side of the clamp is the same and can be crimped onto a frest end of the cable but I dont have a proper tool to crimp this big of wire. So I used vise grips to fold the tabs into the wire strands then tried using my cheap soldering iron to solder the connection for security. My iron cant put out enough heat to make a good joint, so in a last resort option, I grabbed a propane torch (to sweat copper pipe kind) and heated the back side of the clamp. Shockingly it worked.

a drill bit in the fingers when you can't find your vero board track cutter.

koudelad  wrote:

 

For all who hate wire strippers... This is the last tool you will buy

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOvL76Dn8r4

Those automatic wire strippers are great!

I first saw one when my mechanic nephew used one to fix some wires on a car. Previously I was only aware of those cheapo sketchy ones mentioned above

I then immediately bought a cheapo automatic stripper off eBay, but it wore out very quickly.

I love this Jokari one I received from element14 as part of a shopping cart once:

https://canada.newark.com/jokari/t20050/automatic-wire-stripper-super4/dp/33P8621

Comparing it to the eBay one, you definitely get a whole lot more quality with the Jokari. I use it all the time.

For heavier wires, like automotive/boat and house wiring, I have a similar tougher one I got at Canadian Tire a few years ago. It's not as nice, but good for the big stuff.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-automatic-self-adjusting-wire-stripper-0584570p.html#srp

Cheers,

-Nico

I once had someone who tried to "help me" sort their computer out before I got there with glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth on the internals.  I guess they didn't know about static electricity and what it does to silicon chips. Not to mention not unplugging it so the motherboard was still partially powered whilst spraying water on to it.

I've never felt so bad explaining to someone how everything they did cost them a few hundred bucks.

shabaz  wrote:

My mum would say the worst tool tool for electronics is her dressmaking scissors : ) Or nail clippers : ) I've ruined a fair few dressmaking scissors cutting wires as a kid I expect..

I have also ruined few scissors and a nail clipper . But my brother have ruined many nail clippers by cutting wires and I still have some of these from our school days.

the WORST tool to use for an electronics-related task

General soldering: Lighter

Fine soldering: an overrated soldering iron (and viceversa)

PCB storage: boards over boards in a box

• Reflow Oven: Kitchen oven (not microwave of course)

• PCB or component holder while soldering: Your hands/fingers

• Solder paste application over stencil: Debit/Credit card

Cutting/stripping wire: Teeth, nails, nailclipper, scissors, lighter

PCB cleaning: water, acetone

BONUS: WORST use for an electronics-related tool: