Common hand tools and what they are used for

The tool assessment that follows the EIAT covers naming common hand tools, choosing the right one for a described job, and reading measuring instruments. You are not expected to be a tradesperson already — but you are expected to recognize the basics. This guide covers the tools most likely to come up and the ones people most often confuse.

Striking and driving

• Claw hammer — drives nails, and the curved claw on the back pulls them out.
• Ball-peen hammer — has a rounded head instead of a claw, used for metalwork such as striking punches and shaping metal.
• Flat-head screwdriver — for screws with a single straight slot.
• Phillips screwdriver — for screws with a cross-shaped recess. Using a flat-head on a Phillips screw damages the head.

Turning nuts and bolts

• Combination wrench — an open end on one side and a closed ring (box end) on the other.
• Adjustable wrench — a jaw you open and close to fit different sizes. Convenient, but more likely to slip than a wrench of the right size.
• Socket and ratchet — interchangeable sockets on a handle that turns the fastener without having to be lifted off each time.
• Allen key (hex key) — an L-shaped bar for screws with a hexagonal socket in the head.
• Torque wrench — tightens a fastener to a specified tightness, instead of by feel. Used wherever a manufacturer gives a torque figure.

Gripping and cutting wire

• Lineman's pliers — heavy pliers with flat gripping jaws and a cutting edge, for twisting and cutting wire.
• Needle-nose pliers — long, thin jaws for reaching into tight spaces and bending wire.
• Wire strippers — remove insulation without nicking the conductor underneath, which a knife can easily do.
• Crimping tool — squeezes a connector onto a wire so it grips permanently.

Cutting and holding

• Hacksaw — a fine-toothed saw in a frame for cutting metal: bolts, rods, conduit.
• Tin snips — heavy scissors for cutting sheet metal.
• C-clamp — holds parts together, for example two plates while you drill them or a bracket while the fixings go in.
• Twist drill bit — the standard bit for drilling holes in metal and other materials.

Measuring and checking

• Tape measure — read to a sixteenth of an inch on the tool assessment. See how to read a tape measure.
• Spirit level — a bubble in a vial shows whether a surface is level, and a vertical vial shows whether it is plumb.
• Plumb bob — a pointed weight on a string that hangs straight down, giving a true vertical line. Plumb matters in an elevator hoistway, where guide rails have to run true over the full height.
• Caliper — measures outside and inside dimensions and depths precisely.
• Micrometer — measures small outside dimensions, such as a shaft's diameter, more precisely than a caliper.
• Feeler gauge — a set of thin blades of known thickness, for measuring a narrow gap between two parts.

The look-alikes people mix up

• Level vs plumb bob: both can check vertical, but a plumb bob gives a true vertical line over a long height; a level checks a surface it is placed against.
• Caliper vs micrometer: both measure precisely; the micrometer is the more precise for small outside dimensions.
• Flat-head vs Phillips: a slot versus a cross.
• Lineman's vs needle-nose pliers: heavy and flat for gripping and cutting, versus long and thin for reaching.

Practice

Our tools and measuring practice covers tool identification from drawings, choosing the right tool for a job, instrument knowledge and tape-measure reading.