Tools Required For Cell Phone Repairs

If you are a cell phone repair technician or a DIY type of person and want to repair a cell phone, you will need to know the entire set of tools and/or toolkit you need to have to fix phones and tablets. Without a proper set of tools you will not be able to open and then fix the handset.

At the same time, it is very important to buy tools of good quality. For this you also need to know the best companies manufacturing this stuff. Hence, we are providing the entire list of the tools and equipment required for cell phone and iphone repairs. You can also use all these tools for fixing tablets as well.

It is not necessary to buy all of the mentioned tools. Instead you can get only those which you need, as many of them are required only if you are going for advanced troubleshooting and recommended only for master technicians. For example, you will need soldering station and all other soldering related stuff only if you want to perform soldering. Otherwise you can just carry on with the basic tools.

 

The List of tools and equipment needed for cell phone repairs are as follows

 

A. Opening tools

 

  1. Screw drivers: This is the first thing you will need to open/ dismantle a cell phone. Screw drivers are of many types. The most common ones used are a Phillips screw driver whose head is of plus (+) shape. The pentalobe screw drive is also needed to dismantle iPhones. The other most common one used is the one with a star shaped head called torx. In torx type, the T6 is the most common size thats used. These screw drivers are of various sizes depending on the size of their head. Its best to buy the entire set, which will contain all types of screw drivers used for opening handsets.
  2. Openers: Openers are used to open the housing/casing as it is locked. They come in various shapes and you can use the recommended or the most convenient ones. A suction cup is also included in openers.
  3. Tweezers: Tweezers are needed to hold or lift electronic components and whenever needed to hold any other spare part.

 

B. Cleaning and servicing tools

 

  1. IPA: The recommended cleaning solutions for mobile phone’s printed circuit board (PCB) is IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) also known as PCB cleaner. You can also use spirit or thinner as a substitute. The main job of these liquids is to clean the PCB and then evaporate immediately.
  2. Brush: The brush is used to remove and clean any dirt or dust inside the phone or on the PCB.
  3. Ultrasonic Cleaner Machine: An ultrasonic cleaner is used for deep cleaning of the PCB. It is also used to service the motherboard if it is short-circuited.

 

C. Testing and checking tools

 

  1. Multimeter: A multimeter is used for checking and testing of various spare parts and components. It is used to check the battery, mic, spearker, loud speaker, etc. It is also used to check broken tracks on the PCB. Multimeters are of 2 types. Digital multimeter and analog multimeter. It is preferable to use a digital multimeter because of accuracy and ease.
  2. LCD repair tools: In smartphones, as you all know sometimes just the LCD cracks, while sometimes just the touch (glass) cracks. As both the LCD and glass are fused, if you want to replace, you will have to buy the entire set of both. So many people just change only the glass if its cracked to save money. So you need to separate the glass from the LCD and remove it carefully. Hence the need of the glass separator machine arises

 

D. Soldering and desoldering

 

  1. Rework Station: A rework station is used for heating and replacing ICs (Chips) on the motherboard. It is also used for removing or mounting of soldered parts and components on the PCB.
  2. Soldering Iron: A soldering iron is used for soldering and de-soldering of the parts and components which are soldered on the PCB. It is also used for making jumpers i.e bridging of broken tracks.
  3. Soldering Flux: It is used  while heating and removal of ICs. It is applied on the edges of the IC when heating and removing them.
  4. Solder wire: A solder wire is used for soldering components. The ratio of tin/lead in most solder wires is 60:40. As lead is hazardous to health, you can also use lead-free solder wire.
  5. Jumper wire: It is a copper wire which is used for winding in motors. It is used for making jumpers from one point to another if a track is open (broken).

 

E. Miscellaneous tools

 

  1. Nose Pliers: You will need nose pliers to cut wires or to gently remove any part which is not coming out smoothly.
  2. PCB holder: It is also called PCB stand. While working on a PCB for soldering, you will need a PCB holder so that the PCB does not move.
  3. Lamp: A lamp is used to illuminate the repair place more better so that you can see very clearly. It is not necessary if you do not need it.
  4. Magnifying glass: It is necessary to see all the minute components and to view the PCB clearly.
  5. DC supply: A DC supply is also called as battery charger, battery booster and battery eliminator by repair technicians. In south Asian countries, it is also called jhatka machine. Its work is to convert AC current into DC current. It is used to charge a battery very fast. It is rarely used by cell phone repair technicians.

 

In addition to the above mentioned tools, there are some more tools that are used. We have not mentioned them as they are not frequently used like the ones above. Technicians can also visit these cell phone repair blogs to get latest updates and tips on cell phone repair.

You can also learn mobile phone repairing by join any of the best mobile repairing institute. A training institute gives proper training on how to repair mobile phones and tablets professionally.

Note: It is preferred to buy all the tools which are ESD safe. Also buy them from good vendors so as to not compromise on quality. We prefer websites like www.ifixit.com www.ipmart.com and www.ucables.com although we do not recommend any company.