iFixit Gift Guide
Finding really useful gifts for the tool junkies in your life isn't easy. For years I'd resort to a case of beer to thank the friend that helped change my oil or re-wire my trailer lights. Boring! To help you think beyond that box of cans, iFixit has assembled a list of cool gifts for those repair minded people in your life.
Pro Tech Base Toolkit ¶
Our featured gift or the serious repair tech, the Pro Tech Base Toolkit is loaded with the most important tools for a great electronics workstation, and can be added onto later with our toolkit expansion packages.
Pro Tech Base Toolkit Includes:
- 54 Bit Driver Kit Carefully designed to include the most common bits needed for repairs on all small electronics.
- 2x Plastic Opening Tools Made of soft plastic, these help you pry open the trickiest enclosures scratch-free.
- Spudger Handy tool for all types of poking and prying at tough to open enclosures, delicate components, and opening ZIF connectors. We made it heat-resistant so you can use it in soldering applications. You may have also heard of this Spudger referred to as Apple's "Black Stick" tool.
- Metal Spudger Set Assortment of metal poking and prying tools for when plastic just doesn't cut it.
- Precision Tweezers Set 4 pairs of stainless steel precision tweezers for handling small wires, screws, and working in places your fingers can't.
- Anti-Static Wrist Strap Protects delicate circuits from harmful static electricity while you work.
- Small Suction Cup Makes quick work of safely lifting glass front panels off of phones and media players.
- iFixit 6 Inch Metal Ruler Makes measuring parts easy. Handy for hardware store trips too!
Stocking Stuffers Under $25 ¶
Look no further for those goodies to bulk up the socks on your mantle or to fill out the gifts for all eight crazy nights.
Helping Hands ¶
For the person who could really use some help, give 'em a hand, or two very small hands and a magnifying glass. These Helping Hands are just the thing for folks who work small miracles in electronics, models, and grain-of-rice art. Two spring clips hold small stuff steady for soldering, painting, and nit picking while the magnifying glass gives a clear view.
Jeweler's Loupe LED Magnifier ¶
While we're on the subject of clear views, take a look through our Jeweler's Loupe with LED illumination. It will make things look twenty times larger while shedding some light on the subject with two bright white LEDs. Folks who work with electronics will get a close look at those tiny components and cold solder joints. Flip the small switch and the ultraviolet LED will thrill rock hounds and forensic sleuths as it reveals the fluorescent secrets in minerals and important documents.
Thirsty Bag ¶
Water damage, a leading cause of electronic device death, ruins the lives of up to 40% of cellphone owners. Left untreated, that dunk in the toilet or splash of coffee can kill all those irreplaceable contacts, photos, videos, and emails. The Thirsty Bag dries out your phone fast and completely, giving it the best chance to work again. Time is of the essence when fixing a wet phone, so keep a Thirsty Bag on hand for your electronics first aid kit or gift wrap one for the gizmo fanatic who is all thumbs.
26 Bit Driver Kit ¶
We packed in the 26 most common screw driver bits needed for electronics repair, combined with a grippy magnetic driver handle, extension, and tweezers in our 26 Bit Driver Kit.
Even the case this set comes in is cool. Release the push button latch, and a minor engineering feat of spring loaded unfolding lifts the lid and raises the bits up into an easy to access position.
54 Bit Driver Kit ¶
If 26 bits isn't enough, our 54 Bit Driver Kit will thrill your lucky tool junkie with more than twice the bits! A snazzy swivel top machined aluminum driver handle with o-ring grips, a 6" flexible extension, and enough bits to tackle everything from specialized pentalobe or Torx security screws to good old slot and phillips screws.
Home Tech Toolkit ¶
Our popular Home Tech Toolkit includes all the hard to find tools needed for most basic DIY iPod, iPhone, & laptop repairs. On sale from $29.70 to $24.95! All wrapped up in our "What can You Fix?" bag, the Home Tech Toolkit comes to you ready to stuff stockings.
- Home Tech Basic Toolkit Includes:
- 26 Bit Driver Kit 26 bits to fit the most common screws used in modern electronics, a magnetic bit driver handle, extension, and metal tweezers.
- Two sets of Plastic Opening Tools Made of soft plastic, these help pry open the trickiest enclosures scratch-free.
- Spudger Apple's "Black Stick" tool, is ESD safe, great for all types of poking, prying at tough to open enclosures, manipulating delicate components, opening ZIF connectors, and is heat-resistant for soldering applications.
- Small Suction Cup Makes quick work of lifting front panels off of phones and media players.
- Metal Spudger Metal poking and prying tool for when plastic just doesn't cut it.
Electronics Skills Kit 101 ¶
Perfect for the electronics beginner on your list, the Electronics Skills Kit 101 together with iFixit's free online guide will help them learn essential soldering skills and the functions of some basic electronic components. If they are just starting out and need the tools of the trade, consider adding iFixit's soldering tools to your list: the Soldering Station, Solder, and Desoldering Braid.
Soldering Station ¶
It took us forever to find a good soldering station that wasn't hundreds of dollars! Packing lots of power for it's size, this soldering station features an adjustable temperature range that handles lead-free solder perfectly. We use these same stations in the shop at iFixit for everything from building robots to refurbishing electronics. Bonus—they'll think you spent at least three times as much on this little gem!
Polypus ¶
What's it for? What does it matter! The instant you laid eyes on the polypus you thought of that one person who needs it. They're always struggling to get something tiny into or out of a really tight spot. It could be a ship in a bottle or a pea in a pod, but you know who they are.
Dust Blower ¶
It's a tool… it's a toy… it's our Rocket Dust Blower! (When you follow the link, look for the "Pro/Black" model.) Cool rocket ship design allows it to stand tall on your workbench with a minimal footprint (warning, can also create workplace distractions, launching you into daydreams of space exploration). One-way valve at back quickly fills bulb with air to be forced out the smaller nozzle at great velocity.
Made from Silica Gel, a non-toxic enviromentally friendly material that is strong, tear resistant, and withstands hot and cold environments well.
Digital Multimeter ¶
This multimeter is the just right size with all the right features. Easy to read display with backlight brings the hidden world of electrons to light. Continuity tester with buzzer makes testing circuits quick and easy. This Digital Multimeter even has a transistor test function for the more advanced technician or electrical engineer on your list.
Digital Caliper ¶
An indispensable tool for the serious technician on your gift list. With our Digital Caliper, your favorite splitter-of-hairs will measure things down to .001" (.01 mm). Those are some really small hairs to split and all for under $20. Slip this sleek black case in their stocking and measuring their gratitude will run way off the scale of this caliper.
Field Notes 3-pack ¶
Sometimes it's the simple gifts that have the most meaning. Triple that feeling with our three pack of field notebooks; one blank, one lined, one graph, and all perfect pocket size. Treat the scribbler on your list to some old school note taking... no batteries needed!
iFixit "Fix It Yourself" T-Shirt ¶
People deserve to know when a self-repair genius with mad iFixit skills enters the room. Gift this to the best DIY'er in your life. You never know when or where a repair emergency might pop-up, and the iFixit "Fix It Yourself" T-Shirt makes sure people know who to ask to save the day!
Available in men's and women's sizes.
iFixit Exploded iPhone 4 T-Shirt ¶
Dress your electronics buff in a T-shirt scattered with all the doodads inside an iPhone 4, and tell the world to fear not... here's someone who can put things back together.
Available in men's and women's sizes.
Pocket Reference ¶
Like a DIY encyclopedia, our Pocket Reference includes information for almost everything. Ohms's Law? Yes! The nominal strength and working load for 6 strand x 37 wire? Yes, it's right after the formula for load capacity loss due to line angle. The former 1-800 number for now bankrupt Sabena Belgian World Airlines? Yes! Heimlich Maneuver on an infant? Yes! Mineral tables sorted Alphabetically? yes! Also by hardness, by density, or by color? of course!
The lucky person who opens this gift will gain insight into types of glues, solvents, and paints. They will learn about World Television and electrical standards, ASCII Codes, the insulation R-value of Sheep's Wool, and pounds per cubic foot of Rosewood... is that Bolivian or East Indian Rosewood? And that's just the beginning.
Available in hard or soft cover, and printed in the USA.
Haul Out the Big Guns, gifts for $30 and up ¶
Looking for a swell gift for that special someone who fixes your stuff all year long? Below, you'll find gifts for $30 and up that will make your favorite tool nut speechless.
Screw Extracting Pliers ¶
These pliers will delight the real tool nuts on your list. They look like so many other pliers but they have a secret super power, with special teeth on the jaw tips they can grip screw heads like no other plier. This power is so revolutionary it spawned a series of cartoons featuring Neji-Saurus, the screw extracting dinosaur. Made in Japan by folks with a real fetish for fine tools, any of the three sizes of Screw Extracting Pliers will bring joy to those with stubborn screws.
Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit ¶
The Xbox is an awesome console, but it's plagued by an all-to-common overheating issue. When the Xbox overheats, it drives home its unhappiness by displaying a glowing RED RING OF DEATH. Give the gift of life to someone whose XBox has seen better days, and help them resurrect that dead Xbox 360 with this fix-it kit! Includes a tube of Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal paste, screw and washer set, new thermal pads, two stick-on heat sinks, an Xbox 360 opening tool, a small flathead screwdriver, a 6-in-1 bit driver, a T8 Torx screwdriver, and a T10 Torx screwdriver.
PlayStation 3 Yellow Light of Death (YLOD) Fix Kit ¶
The PlayStation 3 gets unhappy too, but it shows its displeasure with the dreaded YELLOW LIGHT OF DEATH. We've got just the thing for that too. The PlayStation 3 Yellow Light of Death (YLOD) Fix Kit offers a chance at a new life for that jaundiced game console.
Lock Pick Set ¶
If your youngster has a penchant for jimmying and prying their way into places they shouldn't go, then skip this gift and move on down the list. On the other hand, if you have a budding IT professional, automotive repair professional, or locksmith in the family this is the gift that will open doors for them. Our Lock Pick Set comes packed with a wild variety picks, pokers, and a tension wrench to defeat all sorts of locks. Seriously folks, only give this thing to someone you trust and don't let them walk the streets with it in a coat pocket. The powers that be will not be pleased.
Oak Gerstner Toolbox ¶
Want to make the tool junkie in your life proud? Give them a desk top Oak Gerstner Toolbox to hold all their small tools. Engineer, machinist, artist, luthier, or lepidopterologi