Tool Sets - Question and Recommendations

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

OK so I'm sort of sick of scrambling around for tools everytime I do a build so I'm going to buy a R/C specific set or sets if I can.

What do you guys use?

I thought Associated or Reedy sold a nice massive set, but I don't see any.    I can't find any comprehensive TRF sets, though I know that those existed at some point.

I really like Wiha tools they are a german company and I think I'm going to pick up some of their sets b/c I can get more for less than R/C specific sets.

Anyone know, are Associated kits all metric hardware standard or is it a mix of SAE and metric sizes?  I can't tell.

Thanks for any tips in advance.

[Anthroxoid 189]

41 minutes ago, JeffSpicoli said:

OK so I'm sort of sick of scrambling around for tools everytime I do a build so I'm going to buy a R/C specific set or sets if I can.

What do you guys use?

I thought Associated or Reedy sold a nice massive set, but I don't see any.    I can't find any comprehensive TRF sets, though I know that those existed at some point.

I really like Wiha tools they are a german company and I think I'm going to pick up some of their sets b/c I can get more for less than R/C specific sets.

Anyone know, are Associated kits all metric hardware standard or is it a mix of SAE and metric sizes?  I can't tell.

Thanks for any tips in advance.

You cannot go wrong with all Wiha or Wera tools, though I’ve found that using their offerings for specialty drivers particularly in smaller sizes are worth the cost. Grab yourself a silicone assembly tray with tool holes, or make one for organizing tools vertically on your bench, then grab any of the variously branded aluminum handled hex drivers. Similarly, the generic nut driver sets are fantastic to have alongside those and they’re hardened well enough for dozens of builds. You won’t see quite the longevity that your Wiha or Wera drivers will lend but it really is much more affordable for a pit or bench set of gear. 
 

spend a few bucks on small vise-grip or other quality locking jaw plier, very crucially you must invest in a widely varied surgical tweezer assortment, and similarly, the broadest range of X-Acto knife box asst. plus a pack of 100 #11 blades. A few smaller chisels from Marples are really handy for paring spru in tandem with a high quality flush nip. Also add in the finest needle nose plier and a baby slip jaw plier. 
 

For body work a pin vise with loads of different bits from twist bits to rat tail files is a must-have. Next, spend the forty dollars on a  low-angle block plane from Stanley or another good hand plane manufacturer. I always make my final dressing of straight edges of polycarbonate and ABS shells using the block plane. It must be kept razor sharp, and for smaller adjust,ent a 2-3” long hobby plane or bullnose plane can aid if you’re a perfectionist when it comes to working your models. 
 

Naturally, pit parts and tool organization is a huge aspect of our hobby so find some good parts organizers on Amazon or a home improvement store. I prefer the style with removable clear bins that are also held captive one the case is closed—about briefcase sized. Any small tackle box or top chest is nice for a pit kit giving you the deep bay for spares and precious items stowed in servo boxes. You can make an insert for your driver sets in one billion different ways, though the top-opening style of tool case can be sweet if you’re on stable surfaces, safe from running kids or pets. If not, go with a three or four-drawer top chest and add a drawer closure tab to each level. Make your inserts as needed and this will greatly aid in keeping one’s sanity.

Here are my favorite parts organizers available online here. They’re really ideally sized for most everything in our hobby. The longer boxes can also hold driver sets, though I’ve found that I need three of these cases to keep a dedicated bin for each vehicle’s spares whilst also serving as general organizer for anything from motors to fans to XT-90 sets, etc. 

Briefcase Bin.

Generic RC hex drivers.

Generic nut driver set.

Precision Tweezers. That’s the set I like and is also likely found under various brands. If you’re doing any home repair with electrical you may want heavier insulation but these are very nice for fin hobby and small electronics work.

A good X-Acto knife assortment.

Don’t forget to get a Tamiya hobby tool to complement your X-Acto set. It is partially redundant but the fine-tooth blades and longer handle can be rather helpful for odd detailing cuts and adjustments down in tight spots.

A timeless low-angle hand plane from Stanley. That sweetheart plane is extremely useful for all forms of fine planing needs. If you even dabble in woodworking you’ll be astonished thst you can now plane end grain with ease. Nice investment, and if only working on hobby parts perhaps get a rip-off for a few bucks less.

You’ll be fine in metric on your AE cars.

—XOID

PS—there are so many other things that I can think of essential but you’re already making really nice models, so I’m assuming thst you’ve got your painting and masking gear already covered, and the silicone mat and tool chests are really subjective so I’d shop around for both as well as cutting mats suitable for your workspace.

Lastly, eyes struggle with tiny parts so I use a desktop magnifying lamp despite my shop being very brightly illuminated. I find that the gooseneck is rather useful for viewing small assemblies using both hands freely. There are quite a few shops making these as well. Complement that with a flip-up magnifying visor if not already in your inventory. A tiny parts bin should likewise also be added in suitable quantity to your tool chest for standard hex head spares,  odd clips, spacers, washers, and so forth.
 

It’s fun getting setup! It’s like a hobby inside of our hobby so take your time and add nice things as needed so that you’re only picking up an Allen key at the rarest moments.  

Did I mention a good fiskars small scissor assortment is great for the bodywork?

—XOID

[Anthroxoid 189]

Oh I forgot to recommend a Dremel tool with carbide mill bits added to the normal bit selection. Polishing stuff, cutting off hardened steel parts, I mean rotary tools are sold in so many differing sets now you sorta need to make your own bit set from smaller offerings. I have personally never seen a bulk attachment set that provided good balance in its offerings. They tend to always be short of fiber reinforced cutoff wheels, and never have good carbide mill bits. Some have diamond coated bits but again, the better offerings are specifically tailored for the bit type such as mill and endmills.

in all it seems like no company is offering a truly comprehensive model car tooling offering unless you’re looking just at a type of driver as you’re already pondering. On that note do share what your setup ends up looking like once you’ve settled on kit. I can’t be the only one who appreciates learning from others’ workspace and gear choices. 
 

—XOID

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

I do own a dremel.  I ante'd up for one of those a few years ago.  I have a high end soldering iron.   The main thing I'm looking for is drivers - hex/nut drivers.   I ended up just ordering the Associated kit even though it's only 5 pieces.   I was hoping to find something larger with more but we'll see how this set goes building the RC10 and if it covers most of what I need.

Amazon sucks b/c it's all Chinese made crap - no name brands, with quality that could be all over the place.  I ended up using Tower Hobbies and for the Associated tools.  

I'm trying to get away from Amazon 100%.

 

 

[Anthroxoid 189]

Well, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3mm hex drivers should cover you. Perhaps just grab a single nut driver for your wheel nuts? 
 

Nice job avoiding Amazon. I wish that we had another resource out here in the Pacific capable of providing the assortment and free shipping. FWIW most everything in our hobby is Chinese. It’s unavoidable unless you somehow manage to get only Taiwanese or Japanese manufactured kits, perhaps with a dash of Vietnamese and Korean odds and ends thrown in for good measure. It irks me to see the “Designed In U.S.A.” embossing on everything 🫣

[Sir Crashalot 265]

5 hours ago, JeffSpicoli said:

Anyone know, are Associated kits all metric hardware standard or is it a mix of SAE and metric sizes?  I can't tell.

Their modern stuff is all metric. Older kits are SAE.

 

[No Slack 520]

Be sure that there are always JIS screwdrivers in your set if you are building Tamiya kits.

[Badcrumble 4418]

My tired old paws like a ratchet screwdriver so as well asy standard Tamiya set, 74085, I have a little Rolson stubby ratchet handle (the Tamiya one is big and expensive) with Tamiya

Tamiya box wrench

Tamiya screwdriver

and MIP  speed tips.

MIP speed tips

I think you can also get a set of JIS 'ends' from Wera or someone similar for the ratchet handle

[gkatz 58]

10 hours ago, Anthroxoid said:

You cannot go wrong with all Wiha or Wera tools, though I’ve found that using their offerings for specialty drivers particularly in smaller sizes are worth the cost. Grab yourself a silicone assembly tray with tool holes, or make one for organizing tools vertically on your bench, then grab any of the variously branded aluminum handled hex drivers. Similarly, the generic nut driver sets are fantastic to have alongside those and they’re hardened well enough for dozens of builds. You won’t see quite the longevity that your Wiha or Wera drivers will lend but it really is much more affordable for a pit or bench set of gear. 
 

spend a few bucks on small vise-grip or other quality locking jaw plier, very crucially you must invest in a widely varied surgical tweezer assortment, and similarly, the broadest range of X-Acto knife box asst. plus a pack of 100 #11 blades. A few smaller chisels from Marples are really handy for paring spru in tandem with a high quality flush nip. Also add in the finest needle nose plier and a baby slip jaw plier. 
 

For body work a pin vise with loads of different bits from twist bits to rat tail files is a must-have. Next, spend the forty dollars on a  low-angle block plane from Stanley or another good hand plane manufacturer. I always make my final dressing of straight edges of polycarbonate and ABS shells using the block plane. It must be kept razor sharp, and for smaller adjust,ent a 2-3” long hobby plane or bullnose plane can aid if you’re a perfectionist when it comes to working your models. 
 

Naturally, pit parts and tool organization is a huge aspect of our hobby so find some good parts organizers on Amazon or a home improvement store. I prefer the style with removable clear bins that are also held captive one the case is closed—about briefcase sized. Any small tackle box or top chest is nice for a pit kit giving you the deep bay for spares and precious items stowed in servo boxes. You can make an insert for your driver sets in one billion different ways, though the top-opening style of tool case can be sweet if you’re on stable surfaces, safe from running kids or pets. If not, go with a three or four-drawer top chest and add a drawer closure tab to each level. Make your inserts as needed and this will greatly aid in keeping one’s sanity.

Here are my favorite parts organizers available online here. They’re really ideally sized for most everything in our hobby. The longer boxes can also hold driver sets, though I’ve found that I need three of these cases to keep a dedicated bin for each vehicle’s spares whilst also serving as general organizer for anything from motors to fans to XT-90 sets, etc. 

Briefcase Bin.

Generic RC hex drivers.

Generic nut driver set.

Precision Tweezers. That’s the set I like and is also likely found under various brands. If you’re doing any home repair with electrical you may want heavier insulation but these are very nice for fin hobby and small electronics work.

A good X-Acto knife assortment.

Don’t forget to get a Tamiya hobby tool to complement your X-Acto set. It is partially redundant but the fine-tooth blades and longer handle can be rather helpful for odd detailing cuts and adjustments down in tight spots.

A timeless low-angle hand plane from Stanley. That sweetheart plane is extremely useful for all forms of fine planing needs. If you even dabble in woodworking you’ll be astonished thst you can now plane end grain with ease. Nice investment, and if only working on hobby parts perhaps get a rip-off for a few bucks less.

You’ll be fine in metric on your AE cars.

—XOID

PS—there are so many other things that I can think of essential but you’re already making really nice models, so I’m assuming thst you’ve got your painting and masking gear already covered, and the silicone mat and tool chests are really subjective so I’d shop around for both as well as cutting mats suitable for your workspace.

Lastly, eyes struggle with tiny parts so I use a desktop magnifying lamp despite my shop being very brightly illuminated. I find that the gooseneck is rather useful for viewing small assemblies using both hands freely. There are quite a few shops making these as well. Complement that with a flip-up magnifying visor if not already in your inventory. A tiny parts bin should likewise also be added in suitable quantity to your tool chest for standard hex head spares,  odd clips, spacers, washers, and so forth.
 

It’s fun getting setup! It’s like a hobby inside of our hobby so take your time and add nice things as needed so that you’re only picking up an Allen key at the rarest moments.  

Did I mention a good fiskars small scissor assortment is great for the bodywork?

—XOID

@Anthroxoidi believe your links do not work...

[BuggyDad 5416]

@Anthroxoid I'd be interested to know how you're using a plane on something as flexible as a polycarbonate body shell?

[magnumb 124]

I've always enjoyed using Hudy drivers. Their spring steel offers the best feel i've found and the lightweight handle are nice use when building a kit for hours on end. People tend to like MIP, but the feel isn't there for me and handles are too heavy and don't balance well. Sold my set off. The only thing i don't like about the Hudy are the handles are not marked, but a silver marker fixed that.  

 

Hudy profiTOOLS Complete Tool Set w/Carrying Bag [HUD190006] - AMain Hobbies

 

 

[Anthroxoid 189]

5 hours ago, BuggyDad said:

@Anthroxoid I'd be interested to know how you're using a plane on something as flexible as a polycarbonate body shell?

Set the depth of cut very shallow and have a razor edge on a low-angle plane. After you’ve scored and removed the flashing use the block plane skewed about 45° to direction of push or pull to shave off spirals of polycarbonate until the bottom edges of the body are perfectly straight. Hold the body with fingers spread wide supporting the edge that you’re straightening out. Not very tough to do unless you’re forming a convex curve, then that can take a bit of practice, but planing lexan can be confusing to look at in that the protective film doesn’t always shave and can leave a finger that looks just like a splinter of polycarbonate! Use your fingers to feel the true, and reference the lines against a surface if needed. 

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

On 5/13/2024 at 1:56 PM, magnumb said:

I've always enjoyed using Hudy drivers. Their spring steel offers the best feel i've found and the lightweight handle are nice use when building a kit for hours on end. People tend to like MIP, but the feel isn't there for me and handle too heavy and don't balance well. Sold my set off. The only thing i don't like it the handles are not marked, but a silver marker fixed that. 

 

Hudy profiTOOLS Complete Tool Set w/Carrying Bag [HUD190006] - AMain Hobbies

 

 

those are pretty s******* man.  i'll have to keep these in mind.

[F-150 541]

I have all MIP and protek(A-main hobbies house brand) I decided to invest major coin last year in real RC car and hobby tools, because I'm into racing now and plan to keep this hobby forever.

[TenzoR 65]

I have bought/used TRF tools, HUDY, Team Associated (AE) tools, and MIP tools. By far my favourite and the ones I kept were the MIP ones. They look uglier compared to the other brand but the fit was much better/tighter. 

As for JIS tools, I just bought the Tamiya ones. 

[Rinskie 862]

1 hour ago, TenzoR said:

I have bought/used TRF tools, HUDY, Team Associated (AE) tools, and MIP tools. By far my favourite and the ones I kept were the MIP ones. They look uglier compared to the other brand but the fit was much better/tighter. 

 

Dude no, MIP tools are straight sexy! 

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

So are the MIP speed tips, like a ratchet, where you you can twist backward and crank forward for faster tightening?

 

I'm trying to find the speed tips I need, it looks like .035 .050 1/16 and 3/32.....

 

Thanks!

[Badcrumble 4418]

30 minutes ago, JeffSpicoli said:

So are the MIP speed tips, like a ratchet, where you you can twist backward and crank forward for faster tightening?

 

I'm trying to find the speed tips I need, it looks like .035 .050 1/16 and 3/32.....

 

Thanks!

You need a ratchet screwdriver to take the MIP bits.

I have a little stubby one like this

Tamiya do a bigger, more expensive one that is probably better quality

Tamiya 74152

and comes with a useful JIS bit.

You can also get little mini JIS bits to go on there (don't have a link for those)

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

10 minutes ago, Badcrumble said:

You need a ratchet screwdriver to take the MIP bits.

I have a little stubby one like this

Tamiya do a bigger, more expensive one that is probably better quality

Tamiya 74152

and comes with a useful JIS bit.

You can also get little mini JIS bits to go on there (don't have a link for those)

Does speed tip just refer to the fact that you can swap them out of the handle?  (referring to the MIP tools...)

[Badcrumble 4418]

I believe so. They never actually explain the trade-marked 'speed tip' term.

MIP speed tip

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

I ended up ante'ing up for 3 of the MIP drivers.  3/32  1/16 and 0.50.   $57 USD out the door.    Eeek. For this sort of money the customer shouldn't have to put the size labels on the drivers.   But no biggie.

 

[F-150 541]

7 hours ago, JeffSpicoli said:

Does speed tip just refer to the fact that you can swap them out of the handle?  (referring to the MIP tools...)

I think it's a speed tip, cause it is made to go into a power tool chuck....like a mini electric driver made for RC.  Not sure, but that is what I think.

They can be put into a hand driver as well like you have shown. 

I was on the bench on if I should just get a handle and the speed tips, or buy all the separate drivers. 

I mean with the speed tips, you can switch them in the handle(have a couple of handles) with an option to put them in a power driver.

Makes me wonder why anyone would buy the separate tools.  

 

[JeffSpicoli 1522]

7 minutes ago, F-150 said:

I think it's a speed tip, cause it is made to go into a power tool chuck....like a mini electric driver made for RC.  Not sure, but that is what I think.

They can be put into a hand driver as well like you have shown. 

I was on the bench on if I should just get a handle and the speed tips, or buy all the separate drivers. 

I mean with the speed tips, you can switch them in the handle(have a couple of handles) with an option to put them in a power driver.

Makes me wonder why anyone would buy the separate tools.  

 

I guess my thought is, power tools and R/C probably aren't a great mix unless we are talking about low speed low torque drivers, but even then, if you're off or tilted at all going into the nylon, you're going to miss thread the nylon part and that's not good.  I do like the idea of a handle type ratchet that is faster than hand tightening, gives you some torque, and doesn't really risk damaging, stripping, or misthreading a part.   That Tamiya piece looks like a good investment even at $30.   

One thing I did notice is MIP is letting you build your own set, that's a cool idea.  

[Frog Jumper 3820]

I have been window shopping for new tools.  My Dynamite hex driver set has been perfect and I will keep them around.  But they are getting worn out.  Reading this thread got me motivated…

My new setup:


Milwaukee 8-in-1 ratchet driver with 1/4” insert bit extension (2”), a longer 6” extension, a 3-pack of Vessel #1, #2, #3 JIS insert bits, and Wera hex insert bits 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0mm.  All found at the local Home Depot and online.

The tools this new setup will replace:

I don’t know if I have ever used the 3mm or 4mm hex drivers.

Bit storage in handle:

Shorty with JIS #3, which will probably never get used.

 

The Long One with the 2mm.  Dynamite tool for size comp.

The Long One with the Tamiya #2 JIS driver for comparison:

Now I need to find something to wrench on!

[Wooders28 4874]

As with most things, you get what you pay for..

I got a set of the Arrowmax hex drivers, but kept snapping the 1.5mm. Replaced with an MIP 1.5mm (single driver, was 2/3 the cost of the full Arrowmax set..), and been fine since.

I've built my set up, as and when I've found I needed tools.

 Small bent nose pliers are handy (sometimes have them in my pocket, when marshaling , although there's mixed views on that..🫣), shock pliers are a tool I didn't know I needed, until I borrowed a pair, and ,yeah they're brilliant.

Of course, the Tamiya 'T' always has a place 💪