Tools

• Tool for on the road
• Tool for home
• What is needed

Screw yourself

Again and again we get questions about the right tool, which one can be recommended or what do you use.
One thing in advance, tools can never be good enough and good tools are not available for 10,- at the discounter around the corner. This phenomenon is no different in model making than in crafts - if you buy cheap, you buy twice.

But we want to differentiate here, once the tool for on the road for a repair in the forest or building models at home in their own hobby workshop. The quality of the blades on a hexagon socket of 1.5mm can already differ significantly. This starts with the grinding of the blade and ends with the steel that was taken for this. Also, the handling of tools should not be underestimated, the feel of a handle makes a big difference, as well as the diameter.

Screw on the road

Here, everything important should find space in the backpack. Huge tool bags no one wants to drag 5 hours on the back along with drinks, etc.
Here, interchangeable blade systems, such as those sold by the company Traxxas®, are ideal. Everything that could become important in any form is stored in a bag in the format 22cm x 10cm x 3cm. In the set is a handle, plus double blades with different sizes on both sides. If you need a different blade, it is changed in the handle. The whole is the ideal set for screwing in the quarry or in the forest.
Price-wise we move and here around the 22 euros, money which is well spent. I think that everyone who drives a lot at some point had to screw something on the road.

Tool for on the road

• Minimalists tool
  Who generally does not want to spend money can live without problems with the enclosed tools from Traxxas®, but comfort and friends is really written very small here. But you have everything for 0 euros to disassemble the car.
  So in short, the perfect set for the thrifty among the modelers - where is there such a thing in this area? No, honestly, please get a decent tool!
• Tool bag Traxxas®
  Perfect tool for on the road to make minor repairs on the road. Very good price-performance ratio.
  Tip: pack the ball head hexagon from Traxxas®, which is included with the model, in the bag.

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Screw at home

As good as these sets are for on the road, they are then impractical in your own workshop.
I personally find it more like annoying to constantly change the blade in a rather thin handle when I assemble a complete car. Here I would like to have a separate handle on each tool, which then please also so that I can immediately recognize the size. Also, for this type of work I have a different demand on the haptics. The handle should lie perfectly in the hand and it should be light.
Anyone who has spent a few hours screwing a completely new model knows what I mean. A handle with 10mm diameter is nice but not really for continuous work.

Tools for home

• Tool bag Traxxas®
  Who really rarely screws, or rather has the best friend who does it most of the time, which really comes with the Traxxas®kit.
  For about 22 euros you have everything you need, even if it would be much more comfortable, especially since the handle for large hands is very thin and therefore little grip. In addition, I never trust these rubber loops in the long run, at some point they just tear out when it is constantly reis and rausgeschoben.
• EDS-Tools
  Very good and relatively inexpensive tool with high quality and aluminum handles with nice feel, markings on the handles to immediately recognize the size of the blade.
  The range includes all tools needed for model making. The EDS tools are in stock in almost every well-stocked model shop.
  The blades are made of specially treated spring steel and are individually replaceable.
• Arrowmax Honeycomb
  High-end tool for the highest demands with an ingenious finish and feel. The tools are extremely good in the hand due to the honeycomb handle and give a very good feeling when working. Price-wise, the Honeycomb is in the upper price range, but this is then relativized by the joy of screwing..
  The tools include the gesammt spectrum in the car RC area. (Blades can be purchased individually)
• Arrowmax Black Golden
  High-end tool for the highest demands in a noble finish and ingenious feel with blades made of tungsten with perfect service life.
  Extremely well finished but also extremely expensive. For all those who want more like the Honeycomb Set.
  Also in the Black Golden Edition there is every conceivable tool, but also quickly a few hundred euros disappeared from the account. (Blades can be purchased individually)
  For frequent screwdrivers one of the best investments!
• Hudy Tools
  Here, too, we are in the top league in terms of quality and price.
  The tool should be known to most from the combustion scene, here you see it very often.
  As with Arrowmax, there is an all-round carefree package with everything you think you need.
• Proxxon MICRO Screwdriver MIS 1
  12Volt operated torque screwdriver with a tightening torque of 0.35 to 1 Nm. In the last stage 6, the slip clutch is then out of function at about 2Nm.
  Anyone who has ever screwed in twenty 27mm long screws in a row knows how great an electric screw can be. The small torque is very well suited to not destroy the threads in the plastic. Nevertheless, always work with feeling, the plastics in the vehicles do not always have de same strength.

What do I use:

At home on the RC operating table I use the tools from the company Arrowmax from the Honeycomb and Black Golden series. The tools that I use constantly (hexagon socket, ball head and socket wrench) I have in the Black Golden Edition, the rest in the Honeycomb version.
On the road I use from Arrowmac the Mulitool in Black Golden, in the handle you have everything important directly in your pocket and zero weight, in the vehicle I also have a tool bag from Arrowmac in the Honeycomb version.

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What is needed

There is certainly never too many tools and even less there are too good tools, but what is the one I should really buy or what should a tool set include. I am of course limiting myself here to the TRX4 and also the metric screws associated with it.
If you already buy the tool selected, pay attention to the blade length. I use blades with a length of 120mm. Some screws are quite far away and a tool with appropriate length simplifies the uncomplicated and fast reach.

Hexagon socket tool: 1.5mm - 2mm - 2.5mm
Hexagon socket ball end: 2,0mm - 2,5mm
Socket wrench: 5.5mm - 7mm

Things like a Lexan drill, damper pliers etc are then great accessories, but not what you really need to have our little guy on the operating table someday.

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Important notes

I always see people using a ball head hex for extreme tightening of screws - people a ball head is just not meant for that. To loosen tight screws or to really tighten the screw, please use a normal straight hexagon socket. Your tool will thank you with a long lifetime and also the Allen screws will be happy.

Preparation and on the road

If you want to take your little one into the field, you should do a function test at home. Are all functions working, is the servo horn really screwed tight and do all electrical components work as they should.
It is damn annoying when you meet with your crawler group and then have to repair the car for 30 minutes before the start. Take also always for safety the most important tools with means here in the backpack and not in the car have lying, (if necessary the original of Traxxas®), everyone should already be able to carry out small repairs themselves.
Replace the plastic servo horn with the metal one, if you don't just take your crawler for a walk in the woods, you will destroy it at some point.

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Notes:

Of course there are other brands, there are certainly some good ones, but I do not know everything. The addressed here I currently use, or have used.