Trade Equipment

Trade Equipment is vital in any industry. Actually anyone can be a tradesman with the proper equipment. Even average Joe the home owner can work properly with the correct tools and a little training to complete those household chores. However specialist tradesmen need specific tools to do those things which Joe would normally have trouble doing.

Electrical contractors and electricians have special tools for their trade. The tool box needed for an electrical contractor typically will be require the following trade equipment:

Safety Equipment
Basic wiring tools,
system installation tools
Testing equipment.
General all purpose equipment.

Otherwise the tool kit of the electrician will typically contain many tools common to mechanics, plumbers, other tradesmen and the do it yourself householder.

Safety related equipment is vital for the electrician who is handling dangerous appliances and getting into precarious positons. Working with electicity can be highly dangerous. The potential for loss of life or bodily function makes safety equipment the primary part of any electrician's tool kit. Safety equipment includes electrician's gloves,eye protection and tagging equipment to insure that equipment is disconnected while work is being performed.



Trade equipment required by all tradesmen are screwdrivers, wrenches and combination wire stripper/cutter. For the electrician the wire stripper is used in the preparation of wiring. The stripper should have grooves for most common wire sizes. The end of the wire is inserted in the groove. Upon closing the stripper the electrician is able to pull the wire out of its' insulation
with ease. The insulation will be removed leaving the previously covered wire exposed. The combination wire cutter makes working with wire much easier.

More expensive than your typical toolbox are installation tools Included in the installation kit are flexible cutting conduits. There are also proper tools for breaking through wall surfaces and other coverings to provide a space for the conduit to be inserted. Another group of contractor tools, the cable pulling or fish tapping equipment, allows the electrician to pull wire through enclosed areas.

Testing is an important part of the electrician's role and therefore it is important that he/she has the best equipment to be able to do this. There is a wide variety of testing equipment. The most common is the Digital multimeter. This popular tool used to be something to be wondered about by onlookers, however it is now quite common to see them in many home tool kits. The most common function of the multimeter is to test circuit integrity. To do this involves disconnecting power from an appliance and placing the negative and positive probes of the multimeter to each end of the circuit. Hopefully the resistance will read zero thus indicating that the circuit is intact and will manage a current flow. There are a variety of appliances that can be tested in this manner such as the common light bulb and other household appliances. However in the hands of the competent electrician it can be very effective in testing not only household but also industrial appliances.

There are a number of good suppliers of electical trade equipment on the market. It is important for an electrician or any other tradesman to buy wisely for the health of their business. Not only should a supplier be able to ensure that the best trade equipment is made available, but also be able to give the best advice to the latest and most effective equipment available. When choosing a supplier customer relations is of primary importance. A good approachable supplier will make the working life of the electician or other tradesperson so much easier.