Tools
The list is a work in progress. Please add your suggestions
Essential: no more than £70 (excluding computer)
- A laptop, netbook or tablet plus 3G dongle (for when no Wifi is available)
- Spudgers or guitar plectrums or old credit/debit/hotel cards
- Screwdriver set for electronics
- Conventional sized cross-head and flat screwdrivers
- Compressed air
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Rags or paper towels for cleaning
- Electrical insulation tape
- Super glue
- Masking tape for taping extension leads to the floor
- Extension leads and multiplugs
- Multimeter
- Soldering kit (ask a Restarter to bring this)
- Bootable and installable OSs on USB and CD (ask a Restarter to bring this)*
- Egg cartons or pill boxes for storing screws
- Tweezers
- Pliers
- Knife, razor or cutting tool
- Magnifying glass
- First aid kit
Troubleshooting and opening
- A laptop, netbook or tablet plus 3G dongle (for when no Wifi is available)
- Headlamps, handheld torches or strobes
- Magnifying glasses
- Spudgers
- Guitar plectrums or old credit/debit/hotel cards (cut up in strips and plectrum shapes)
- Wire cutters and Wire Strippers
- Heatgun
Screwdrivers
- Set for electronics – the iFixit set is best, but others will work
- Robust cross-head and flat screwdrivers
- A "security" set with all shapes like torx etc.
- Screwdriver Extenders
Stuff in cans
- Compressed air
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- WD-40
Soldering
- Soldering Iron
- Solder
- Solder sucker
- Solder wick braid
- Flux
Adhesives and hacking materials
- Insulation tape
- Sugru and/or bluetac
- Super glue
- Gluegun
Safety
- Tape for taping extension leads to the floor
- Gloves
- PAT tester and stickers for PAT tested devices
- Anti-static wrist band
- Mask with vents for vacuum cleaner repair
- First aid kit
Software
- Bootable and Installable OSs on DVD or USB (e.g. Linux Mint,Puppy Linux, OS X, Windows 7)
- Bootable utilities on CD or USB (e.g. *PartedMagic*, SystemRescueCD, Clonezilla etc.)
- Bootable antivirus, recently updated (Kasperky Rescue, Sophos Bootable Antivirus)
- Install files for Windows maintenance and diagnostic utilities (Ccleaner, Speedfan)
(For a more complete list to aid in the assembly of a customised tool set, see CD/USB bootable tools.)
- Spare Fuses
- Variable Power supply (or Universal laptop power supply with ends)
- Multimeter (ideally with audible continuity tester)
- Extension leads and multiplugs (ideally with power indication light)
Data preservation
- Hard drive dock(s) to get data off failing machines
- Thumb drive for carrying data
Miscellaneous
- Egg cartons, pill boxes or magnetic mats for storing screws
- Pokey things for poking (e.g. Thin wire, such as an unfolded paper clip, to eject SIMs)
- Tweezers
- Pliers
- Knife, razor or other cutting tool
- Cleaning CD
- Rags or paper towels for cleaning