Field repair tools should be portable and flexible, it’s also important to find a good tool kit that covers all of our needs. I will review some of these options and share my thoughts with you which tool sets are worth spending money on.
Prop Nut Tool #1 – STP 8mm
After trying a few different sorts of simple wrenches for prop nuts, the STP wrench is the easiest to work with.
It has a compact, light weight yet ergonomic design for working with prop nuts on mini quad specifically. It works with 8mm (M8) nuts, suitable for modern 3″, 4″, 5″, 6″ and anything larger.
The round rod has a good grip but doesn’t hurt your hand. You can even push the rod to one side if you need a greater leverage.
Prop Nut Tool #2 – Ratchet Spanner
I love how easy and efficient ratchet spanners are for taking prop nuts on and off. You can turn the spanner back the opposite direction without turning the nut thanks to the ratchet mechanism. So you can basically fasten the nut without taking the wrench off and just keep going.
It definitely gets the job done quicker than the first prop nut wrench we introduced for long threads. But the fewer moving parts the more reliable it is and good to have a backup anyway.
Motor Grip Pliers
Buy: Banggood | Amazon | FPVModel
A pair of motor grip pliers come in handy when your prop nut is too tight to remove, they provide a good grip to the motor bell while releasing the prop nut. I don’t remember how many times I scratched my hands with the shape edges on the motor or propellers in the process of taking off the prop nut. It’s extra painful in the winter.
Some people complain about the rubber losing grip after a bit and it slips, one work around is to wrap the pliers with rubber bands or racket wrap.
RDQ Drone Racing Tool Kit
Buy from RDQ: http://bit.ly/2svUPME
I used to bring screw drivers and cutters all separately when I go flying. But since I got this tool kit from RaceDayQuad, I am so much more organized!
The tool set includes:
- Hex drivers: 2mm, 2.5mm (typically M2 and M3 screws)
- Hex nut driver: 8mm (prop nut)
- Philips/cross-point driver
- Flat-head driver
- Needle-nose pliers
- Side cutters
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Tool case
That’s basically every tool you would normally need for building and repairing a mini quad. With the case, you can take these tool with you when you go flying, which only weighs under 500g all together.
The quality of the tools is decent, all have either knurling surface or rubberized handle for a good grip. The tweezers and pliers have nonconducting handles that protect your electronics from static electricity.
However, I would replace the 8mm nut driver with a proper prop nut wrench. Because it’s not very effective when the prop nut is tight. Another missing tool would probably be a 1.5mm hex driver which is pretty commonly in micro quads.
TS100 Soldering Iron
I use the TS100 on my bench, and I also bring it with me when I go flying. It’s power, easy to use and portable. It can be powered by a LiPo battery (3S to 6S) which makes it really handy.
Electrical Tape
- Everyday use – 3M Super 35: https://amzn.to/2MrElgI
- Heavy Duty – Scotch Super 88: https://amzn.to/2tCCL3U
Conclusion
I will keep this list updated. What other tools do you bring to the field when you go flying? Let me know in the comment below.
Hex drivers: 1.5mm, 2mm (typically M2 and M3 screws :)
Ts100 portalble soldering iron :)
Yes!