11 MUST HAVE TOOLS EVERY TECHIE SHOULD OWN

SOLVE COMMON TECH PROBLEMS BY KEEPING THESE HARDWARE TOOLS HANDY

- JARED NEWMAN

Some of my favorite tech tools are the ones I don't use on a daily basis. I don't pry open my laptop too often, for instance, but I'm glad to have the right tools at hand when the need arises. The same goes with various adapters, extension cords, cables, and battery backups.

In the same way you might have a toolbox for handiwork, you might consider keeping a tech toolkit for maintaining, fixing, or improving your gadgets. That way, you don’t have to run off to an electronics store or wait for an Amazon order to arrive in your time of need.

Here are seven tech tools I’m always happy to have at my disposal.

1. GADGET REPAIR KIT 

For less than $20 on Amazon (fave.co/ 3UEOACY), you can buy a small screwdriver with dozens of attachable bits, capable of fitting practically any screw you’ll come across on consumer electronics. Many of these kits also come with plastic picks and pry tools for pulling gadgets apart.

When a button on my Nintendo Switch controller failed, for instance, the repair kit allowed me to open it up. I’ve also used the pry tools to replace the battery on an old Chromebook (fave.co/3A1Aodq), and I’ve inspected the innards of several laptops while reviewing them for PCWorld (fave.co/ 3qL4oHf). And when the battery on my Lenovo laptop starts to run down, I know its T5 Torx screws won’t be able to keep me out. The repair kit is an indispensable tool for any gadget that isn’t held together with glue. (For that, you’ll need a heat gun, fave.co/3mwIasR.)

You might also consider a pricier kit (fave.co/40dEQjY) with small tweezers, pliers, and a wire stripper if you don’t have those on hand already.

2. CANNED AIR