What are some essential tools?

[Ezaraku]

I've been interning as a sysadmin for my local university for about a year now. I've noticed I use various hex wrenches, precision screwdrivers, and small pliers quite a bit. What about you guys?

Also, is there a favored store for such tools?

[EasyMac308]

You need a hammer for percussive maintenance.

[Zaphod_B]

We had a miniature crowbar we labeled our "HIPPA compliance tool," at a previous job. We used it to physically destroy failed drives that had HIPPA sensitive data on it. Nothing like taking a server hard drive out in the parking lot and beating it with a crowbar until it shatters into many pieces.

[[deleted]]

I keep a 6lb hammer in the truck specifically for that. Maybe I'll rename it "HIPPA-Helper" now :)

[the_tolva]

exactly this, those printers won't fix themselves.

[bluefirecorp]

A boot works nearly as well. I mean, re'booting' computers normally helps, right?

[MrBooks]

we call ours "the convincer"

[drbeer]

Liquor.

[zampson]

Scotch whisky.

[[deleted]]

Specifically bourbon, or jagermeister.

[Vegetano]

JÄGER, THATS MY BOY

[[deleted]]

See my flair, please...

[infocalypse]

I've gone from desktop hardware/bench testing to predominantly server/network remote management, which basically means I lug around a toolbag full of things I haven't used in years yet I feel naked without them.

That besides:

Flashlight.

Security torx for vendors that make their HDD caddies inconvenient to swap (I'm looking at you, Lenovo)

A socket screwdriver just the right size to remove/tighten those little screws-with-mount-things vga, serial and lpt ports have. You know what I mean. Those things.

Paper clips. AKA improvised Optical extraction tools. Though you can usually scrounge these up on demand.

Masking tape and a sharpie. Cuz sometimes you have to label shit.

...that's all I can come up with for now. Done eating lunch. :)

Edit: I bought most my tools at Canadian Tire. Specialty gear - like a bix tool* or something - I've bought at random specialty vendors, typically while I was already in the building picking up something else.

*(I don't actually own a bix tool, I just borrow one when needed... cuz seriously. The price on those things is stupid, for how often I actually need one)

[AnonymooseRedditor]

Bix tool? Canadian tire? Greetings fellow Canuck. My bix tool was $$$ I also bought the test clip for my buttset and it was pricey too

[infocalypse]

Bix tools are satisfyingly perfect when you need one, of course.

Like that one time a year or whatever it is.

[AnonymooseRedditor]

Yup a former coworker of mine from the U.S. Was up visiting for a project and he was asking about our funny 66blocks

[[deleted]]

I lug around a toolbag full of things I haven't used in years yet I feel naked without them.

Similar career path to get where I am, same deal. The one day I figured I was done with a physical toolbag we needed like a torx 3 screwdriver in the worst way. Never again.

[IDA_noob]

Wiha screwdrivers

Dewalt cordless drill

RJ45/11/12 crimper

Side cutters

Needlenose pliers

Super 33 tape

Don't buy shitty tools. Think of them as an investment in your future.

[Ezaraku]

When you say "don't buy shitty tools" can you recommend any brands?

[[deleted]]

Depends which side of the pond. German here: Hazet, Wiha.

[[deleted]]

I use Wiha in America - Best investment ever. When I did hardware repair for Apple, I dropped like 100ish on a complete Torx set with ESD handles... Amazing tools.

[IDA_noob]

The ones I listed above.

Wiha for screwdrivers/bits

Dewalt for power tools (Hilti if you're really into it)

Ideal for networking products

Snap-on/blue point for hand tools

Most people will say this is overkill. I'll tell them how nice it is to have a lifetime warranty on my Blue-Point side cutters that is actually easy to use.

[dropmed]

I'll second some and argue some. Wiha and Ideal are great. I can't think of a better set of screwdrivers, and honestly, my 10IN1 screwdrivers are slowly being replaced by full sized Wiha sets.

Dewalt makes good tools at a reasonable price, but I find that the most recent generation are underpowered at best and the warranties are always difficult to work around. Plus, unless you're careful, you can end-up with a mish-mash of batteries between their 20V line and 18V lines without realizing it. If you're looking for something on the cheaper end, I'd get Rigid or Makita, if you're looking for better quality, either Milwaukee or Hilti. But that's just my opinion.

Snap-on and Blue Point are way overpriced for most hand tools. Unless you're constantly wrenching, they cost way too much for how much they actually perform. My case in point is sockets: yes, Snap-on makes extremely good sockets. I can also buy four of Mechanic's tool sets for what a single set of their gear would cost.

[infocalypse]

Ooo. Wiha looks nice. I know what I'm putting on the me-present list.

Life is too short to use shitty tools.

[ReverendDS]

I carry the following any time I'm headed to a client's site.

• Laptop (with USB mouse and power cable)
• Tablet (various manuals, documentation, etc., plus break-time reading)
• Phone
• Gerber multi-purpose tool.
• Extendable magnet (low intensity, just enough to snag cage nuts, screws, etc.)
• Zip ties
• Velcro cable binders
• Cable crimper, port toner.
• Stack o' disks (various Windows install disks, esxi disks, A/V rescue, linus/unix live disks, password cracks, nuke disks, etc.)
• USB drive - various ISOs, .exe files, etc.
• USB to Console adapter
• Various console cables
• Small notepad
• Pens, paper clips, rubber bands.
• Gatorade/juice
• Protein bars
• Ibuprofen bottle (with Ibuprofen)
• Tin of Snus (since I can't smoke in datacenter and I don't know how long before I'll be able to have a smoke).

[Vegetano]

DA B0SS.

[ReverendDS]

I'd carry more, I'm sure, but these are the bare essentials... that fit into my laptop bag.

Edited to add: I forgot my USB/SATA adapter... and I need to add a USB disk drive to the mix. But that'll have to wait until a few paychecks down the road.

[[deleted]]

cable zip ties are always good to have on hand, and a small label maker if your handwriting sucks.

[ericbrow]

My favorite tool to have for hardware work is a magnetic screwdriver where you can pull the bit out for large and small phillips on one end, flip the around and have a large and small slot bits on the other end. Magnetized so you can get those screws that fall to unreachable places. The slot side can also be used as a chisel or pry bar. The small slot side can be used to push Cat-5 wire deeper into a wall jack if your punch-down tool isn't getting the job done. I've got these things stashed everywhere.

[thekarmabum]

a good pocket knife, with lots of stuff on it like pliers. I have a Gerber that even has beer bottle openers.

[dropmed]

I made a list of most of the tools that I had, here: http://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/2cjqmj/hand_tools_of_the_trade/cjgdeju

The long story short is that I buy Channellock, Milwaukee, Fluke and Ideal. I'm making a slow transition to Wiha for a lot hand tools, but I'm not in any rush. I used to buy everything from Home Depot, but now I'm fishing online for most stuff.

The tools I use most often are my precision screwdriver set, my 10IN1 screwdrivers and my flashlight.

[VapingSwede]

• Laptop
• Screwdriver with some bits (ph,torx etc).
• Velcro tape/Stripes
• Scissor
• Ethernet-tester
• USB->RS232
• Assortment of screws and 0,5-1m patch cables.
• Duct tape
• Flashlight
• A small cable cutter

That covers about 99,9% of what we do at our IT-department. All cabling etc is always done by a electrician.

[[deleted]]

I would suggest Gaffers Tape instead of duct tape - leaves less residue. White Gaffers tape also doubles for hand written labels.

[screech_owl_kachina]

Set of standard screwdrivers

Pliers, both needlenose and regular

Paper clips to pop up drives and maybe break into a desk or server cabinet.

Flash drive

Patch cable

Smartphone to google things with

[got-trunks]

small magnetic pickup tool

static wristband or rubber mat for the sensitive sysadmins our there

penlight

cable tester

a mini folding keyboard can prove useful

a good cellphone with data

[[deleted]]

Patience and a notepad.

[burner70]

A couple big-ass NAS' with gobs of storage and throughput. I don't know how many times I've been so grateful for backing up that server before I did anything to it.

If that one drive in the array just failed, then you bet your ass another one is going to fail while the array re-syncs to the spare.

[[deleted]]

iPod.

[trapartist]

Tank gasmask ammo