Tradespeople are known to have a soft spot for their tools, and electricians are no exception. Five pros, from Apprentice to Master Electrician, told Kelly Patrick, Sr. Product Manager — Building, Construction, and OEM at Shurtape Technologies, LLC, about the tools that are always by their side.
Martin Flaherty’s
Shurtape® EV77 White Electricians Tape
“White electrical tape. I always have a roll or two in my pocket because I use it a lot in the pre-fab shop—for marking things, for bundling things and for wrapping wires. We all work for the same company, but the guys in the field are kind of our customer. The guys in the shop have to make sure things get to the jobsite in a way that’s easy to work with. White tape is a big part of that. A good white tape is very sticky so it won’t fall off, but it never leaves a residue when you remove it, so everything looks nice and neat.”
Martin Flaherty
Pre-Fab Shop Foreman
Bedford, MA
Matt Tilley’s
Klein® Universal Combination Pliers
“My Klein® lineman’s pliers. They’re just really convenient to use. You can side cut with them. You can crimp with them. And, of course, they are great pliers. They aren’t heavy or bulky to carry around, but they are tough and they last. Really, for an experienced electrician, that and a screwdriver will handle almost any application.”
Matt Tilley
Service Manager
Waco, TX
Steve Hajjar’s
Stanley® FatMax® 25’ Tape Measure
“My Stanley® tape measure. It’s a no-frills standard tape measure, but it’s the first brand I ever bought, and I’ve stuck with it. It’s durable and it has a long standout. In my role out in the field, a tape measure dictates everything for me. I’m always dealing with the measurements on blueprints or scaling off a print—measuring heights for ceilings and light fixtures. It’s the only thing I have on me all the time: my tape measure on my hip and a pen and a Sharpie® marker in my pocket.”
Steve Hajjar
Master Electrician, Construction Foreman
Canton, MA
Shane Carter’s
DeWalt® Cordless Cable Stripper Kit
“It’s not exactly something I can’t live without, but there is a new tool we’re using that I like. DeWalt® makes a wire stripper on a drill platform that you can set to a specified distance and it will strip each wire to the same length. It makes everything very uniform, but it also keeps you from working in a cramped area with an open knife blade. As Safety Director, a tool that is more efficient and cuts down on injuries is high on my list.”
Shane Carter
Journeyman Electrician, Safety Director
Houston, TX
David Culton’s
Klein® Wire Strippers
“My wire strippers. I spent more on that than any other tool, but I knew I would need it to last and be reliable. I use one from Klein® Tools. It has all the sizes I need right there so I never need to run back to my truck or my toolbox to get another.”
David Culton
Electrical Apprentice
Ephrata, PA
