Tools For Beginners

Builders with years of experience often find themselves in need of a new tool or device to build or run their robot but there are a few things that all builders, even people using robot kits, will need. If you don't already have some of these tools you should strongly consider getting them.

Weller Solder Station

Soldering Station
Mastering soldering can be difficult but if you don't have the right tools, even with many hours of practice you'll never become proficient. There are a lot of beginners guides to help you with the basics. There are a lot of inexpensive and worthless soldering stations out there. You don't need to break the bank but you should get a quality tool from a manufacturer like Weller or Hakko or X-Tronic. There are a lot of online guides comparing soldering stations.
The heat from soldering can sometimes damage components. One of the best ways to avoid this is to use leaded 60/40 (60% tin, 40% lead) rosin core solder. Some places will advocate for using lead-free solder but it's melting point is much higher and is much more difficult to use. Another thing to consider getting is a pair of Helping Hands. Typically you will need to hold onto three or four pieces (wire, motor, solder, iron) to solder and this can be difficult with two hands. Helping Hands will hold the pieces you are soldering together for you so you can concentrate on just getting a good solder joint.

Wire Cutters - Strippers

Wire Cutter / Stripping tool

For smaller robots you can get by with a pair of scissors to cut your wires and a sharp knife to strip off the insulation but it can be difficult to strip the insulation without damaging the underlying wire. Things will be much easier if you have the right tool for the job. There are several different varieties but you can get a fully functional pair for just a few dollars. The 'automatic' wire strippers tend to work better for larger gage wires plyer style can work better for smaller wires.

Drivers / Wrenches
Nearly all bots use some fasteners to hold things together. Hex key or Allen key fasteners are the most popular since the fastener heads aren't as susceptible to damage as phillips head fasteners. These come in many different styles and lengths for different uses. If your bot design requires you to remove a lot of fasteners to access the internals, consider getting a set that can attach to an electric drill or screwdriver.

Drills
Whether you are drilling through-holes o fasten pieces onto your bot or drilling holes to tap for fasteners you'll need an electric drill. The quality and price of drills cover a huge range. Cheap drills can work ok, especially if you are only drilling aluminum or plastic but they don't tend to last as long. If you are going o be drilling into steel or titanium you should get a higher quality drill from a brand name company. Nothing sucks more than having your drill run out of batteries during an event so consider getting one that comes with a spare battery. Drills can also be used to insert or remove fasteners from your bot but a large drill can be awkward to use with tiny robots so consider getting an electric screwdriver.

Cutting tools
Being able to cut material is important when creating and repairing your robot. There are so many different manual and electric options that are suitable for cutting different materials. One cutting tool that is useful for all robots of all sizes is a rotary tool or Dremel. Although rotary tools have many different cutting tools, rotary disks are particularly useful for building and repairing robots but don't do a good job cutting aluminum.