Top 8 Electrical Tools Reviewed by Expert Electrician Konor (@purple_lightning__)
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We sat down for an interview with experienced electrician, Konor (aka @purple_lightning__) to discuss a video he made featuring some of his favourite Rack-A-Tiers electrical tools. Let’s jump in and explore these eight must-have tools for electrical work!
Exploding Garbage Can
Rack-A-Tiers: Thanks for connecting with us to talk about your video! Tell us about the first tool you listed.
Konor: It’s the exploding garbage can. Basically a site essential if you’re an electrician, especially because we don’t particularly like using brooms or vacuums. It entices us to clean up our messes and be tidy on the site because it’s definitely convenient. I feel like for most Sparkys, the issue is there’s no garbage can around or we’re just lazy, so if you have that around and it’s always with you, then there’s really no excuse. You should clean up after yourself.
Rack-A-Tiers: It doesn’t get much simpler than that, for sure.
Check out the Exploding Garbage Can
Stud Ball
Rack-A-Tiers: Next on your list was the Stud Ball Magnetic Stud Finder, what stands out to you about that tool?
Konor: I like that one because you don’t have to get a stud finder out and throw batteries in it. It’s quick and easy. Find your stud and you can get to mounting your devices or whatever it is that you need to do, whether you’re just trying to mount something to a wall and trying to find a stud or put a plug in. Definitely more handy than carrying around a stud finder in the bag. I’ve never had one. Stud Ball is so small. So perfect. You can literally have it on your keychain.
I’ve noticed I go into some industrial places and it’s just on my tool bag and I’ve had it sometimes where a bunch of metal dust gets stuck to it so I’ve had to clean it off, but otherwise, it’s great.
Rack-A-Tiers: Yeah, I’ve seen some of the guys wrap it with a Ziploc bag and then they can use the bag to collect the shavings, which is like a pretty cool hack.
Konor: No, that’s super. And then if it is covered in crap, it’s not going to get all over the drywall either.
Mark-My-Wire
Rack-A-Tiers: Next on your list was the Mark My Wire phase coloring system. Have you been liking those more than just using tape?
Konor: I love those things. It’s way faster than taping. You can’t even argue with me about it. It’s faster than taping a wire. I guess you could say it’s slower in a way because you’ve got to give it a dry time, but if you plan your job out, you can phase your wires and then finish a different part of the task on your job and then come back and tie your wires in and they look great.
Rack-A-Tiers: So, I guess for you the time-saving factor is the most important draw of the tool?
Konor: Honestly, presentation I would say more so. It just looks better than tape. Some people think, “Oh, they taped the wires, they made a mistake”, unless they’re sparky and they know, oh, he’s just phasing it. But yeah, it just looks better.
Rack-A-Tiers Wire Dispenser
Rack-A-Tiers: You can’t have an essential electrical tool list without a wire dispenser. It looks like you went for the classic Rack-A-Tiers.
Konor: That was the classic, yeah, the Rack-A-Tiers. If you’re a sparky in Canada, all our wires come on spools. If you’ve ever had to just pull wire off a spool while it’s not on a Rack-A-Tiers, it’s a nightmare. The wire curls on you and you’re going to be pulling your hair out before you pull that wire off a spool.
Rack-A-Tiers are a necessity as a sparky, especially if you’re in Canada or even in the States with bigger spools of wire. I know the smaller Rack-A-Tiers are only rated for 300 pounds, but in that video, I have well over 300 pounds on that rack and it’s doing fine.
Rack-A-Tiers: I don’t know if you saw our video of the Rack-A-Tiers XL, that one’s rated again for 500, but we have seen it do more, of course. You have the option to have both.
Konor: Yeah and having both is great. We did an underground service with bigger spools of wire. They’ll just bottom out on the smaller ones, but because Rack XL is taller, even if you don’t need it for the weight, the fact that you can just put a large-sized spool on a Rack that you can easily store in your van is great. You don’t have to carry those big A-frames like Greenlee stands, you can just use the Rack XL. Plus, they’re way easier to organize.
Get the Rack-A-Tiers Wire Dispenser
Q-Bit
Konor: The Q-Bit cutout tool for the multi-tool, that thing is fantastic. It saves a lot of time but only works in drywall though, I wouldn’t recommend using any other material because it doesn’t like it.
And you guys disclaim that on the tool as well, but some people still ask, “ooh, can I put it through plywood?” No, don’t, unless you want it to have no teeth, then don’t do that.
I did actually cut through cupboards with it though, it cut through a cupboard decently.
Rack-A-Tiers: Like a melamine cupboard?
Konor: Yeah, like a kitchen cabinet, it was an island receptacle. It was an inch thick and I went through more than half of it. I just buried the bit out and then just knocked it out with a knife after, but yeah, I did it. It dulls teeth a little bit on the top and bottom.
A lot of people complain because multi-tools are loud, which was a weird complaint to me. You’re doing construction work! If the customer is complaining that you’re being too loud, then that is a weird complaint. And then the other complaint I remember on the one video was, “well it creates too much dust.” It’s like, man, it creates the same amount of dust as your drywall knife. So just another complaint, there’s really nothing bad you can say about this tool when used correctly, it’s awesome.
Try the Q-Bit Encolsure Cutter
Staple Shark
Rack-A-Tiers: Continuing the trend of unique tools that change the way you do residential work, you put Staple Shark on your list at #6.
Konor: I was talking to somebody about that the other day, and they were like, “is it really worth it?” I’m like, well, yeah, it pulls out plastic staples, metal staples, can act as a pry bar, it even has measurements on it. You can use it to quickly measure something if you need to. But more importantly, it quickly pulls staples out so you don’t have to get your side cutters in there and try and get leverage on them. And you guys have it at a super good price, too!
Rack-A-Tiers: Yeah, totally, I don’t think you can argue with that. If you’re working in resi and you’re doing this all day long, save your side cutters for other things.
Konor: Yeah, our residential manager at our company used my code and he bought Staple Sharks for all the guys on resi. And I’ve got him to get some other things using my code. I think he got more of the Exploding Garbage Cans because he wanted the hard bottom ones because he just had the soft ones. I think he ordered a Rack XL as well.
Tie Lips
Konor: Next is the Tie Lips. I think we need to make more reels about this guy, because people always ask me when I’m using it, “what is that? I need that! That’s just holding your zip ties? how does that work?” You don’t have to waste a tie wrap to hold your tie wraps. I’ve had it for a year and it’s pretty beat up now, but it’s still going strong and still holds tie wraps. I just clip it to the outside of my pocket.
I guess one little gripe I would have on that, though, I wish the locking mechanism was a little stronger.
Racky Folding Utility Knife
Rack-A-Tiers: Just one tool left: The Rack-A-Tiers Folding Utility Knife. How does it compare to your usual knife?
Konor: You know, I like it more than my regular knife. I haven’t been impressed with mine at all recently, but that’s a separate story.
I like it better than my Klein one. It’s got a nice build quality. It’s sturdy. The only gripe I have with that knife is that when you close it, sometimes it sticks when you want to take it out, but otherwise, I like the knife.
Enjoy the Rack-A-Tiers Folding Utility Knife
Conclusion
These tools don’t just make work easier—they also keep you safe and help you do things right. Each of these unique tools is a gamechanger that any electrician should be excited to try. So, grab them using the code below and get ready to change the way you work. We also want to give a special thanks to Konor for chatting with us. You can find him on Instagram: @purple_lightning__
