Tools & Bench
Everything we publish about tools, bench machines and consumables sits under this guide. Work through the routes for hand tools, machines and consumables, then the sections on how to choose between them.
Three routes, and you only need one of them
Take the route that matches what you are equipping: a bench, a machine purchase, or a consumables order.
Start a bench
Take this route when you are setting up. Beginners overspend on machines and underspend on the small items that decide whether a repair succeeds.
Choose a machine
Take this route before spending on equipment. A separator or a heat press pays for itself only if the model mix justifies it, and the spec sheets do not say that.
Restock consumables
Take this route when the bench is built and you are choosing what to keep on the shelf. These are the items that quietly decide the quality of the finished repair.
What the guides cover
The topic splits into two halves, and each has its own guide with the full article list.
Bench machines and stations
This half covers the equipment that costs real money: separators, heat presses, pressure holding machines, polishers, laser desoldering and X-ray testers. The reviews are written from a repair shop’s point of view rather than a specification sheet, so they answer the question that matters before a purchase: which jobs does this machine make faster or safer, and what volume does it take to justify the price. Several of the machines only pay back on a specific model mix.
Hand tools and consumables
This half covers the small items that decide whether a repair looks professional: the right driver bit, the right adhesive, the right heat source and the right mat. It also covers the opening kits and the preparation checklists that stop a screen being cracked on removal. If you are setting up a bench, start here rather than with the machines, because the consumables are cheaper and they affect every job rather than the occasional one.
What actually decides whether a tool earns its cost — four things
Four variables, and the first one is the reason most benches end up with machines they do not use.
Your model mix
A machine pays back on the models you repair weekly, not on the ones you see occasionally. Volume decides the purchase, not the specification.
What it removes from the job
The useful question is which risk a tool takes away: a cracked panel on removal, a lifted pad, an inconsistent adhesive result.
Consistency between batches
For consumables, batch-to-batch consistency matters more than the headline specification. Adhesive and cells both behave this way.
Bench flow
A tool that only works in one corner of the bench slows the job. Layout and access decide whether equipment actually gets used.
Where to go from here
Tools support the repairs, so these guides are the ones that use them.
Tool and bench questions
The short answers, each linked to the article set behind it.
What should a new repair shop buy first?
Hand tools and consumables before machines: drivers, opening tools, a controlled heat source, adhesive and an anti-static mat. Those items affect every job and cost far less than a separator. Machines come once the model mix justifies them.
Is an automatic screen removal machine worth the money?
It depends on the models you repair and how often you remove intact panels. If most of your work is cracked-screen replacement, the machine saves time; if you rarely need to preserve the original display, a suction cup and the right heat source cover most jobs.
Do I need ESD-safe tools?
Where you work on boards or open a device near exposed circuitry, ESD protection reduces the risk of damage that shows up later as an unexplained fault. A grounded mat and wrist strap are the cheap part of that; ESD-rated drivers and tweezers complete it.
Which adhesive should a shop standardise on?
Pre-cut adhesive for models you service regularly, because it is consistent and fast, and liquid adhesive for the rest. T7000 and T8000 behave differently, and the choice depends on the joint and the material, not on which tube is cheaper.
How do I know if a TBK machine is right for my bench?
Match it to a job you do often rather than to its feature list. The machine reviews here describe which models and workflows each one suits, including the cases where the cheaper alternative does the same job adequately.
Tell us your model mix and we will suggest the kit
Send the models you repair most and what you currently struggle with. You will get a tooling recommendation that matches your volume, from consumables through to bench machines, without paying for capability you will not use.
Ask about bench kit