The right tools and the skills to use them are at the heart of AV and control installation. Professional installers take their tools seriously, and those of the male persuasion are often inclined to add to their tool kits at every opportunity. One of my former co-workers was so fond of his tool collection (he lugged three suitcase-sized tool boxes with him to job sites) that when tool vendor catalogs arrived in the mail we would tease him at every opportunity. “Hey Mike,” we’d yell. “Your PORN just arrived!”

There are certainly plenty of specialized tools that are particular to our industry, and I’ve often lamented that at industry trade shows tool vendors often get very little press for their booths and wares compared to display makers, speaker companies and automation brands, an injustice that I always seek to rectify when I’m covering a trade show.

In that same spirit, in this column we’re going to spotlight some tools for installers that are neither new, nor exciting (despite really liking tools I stop short of labeling them as “sexy”), yet are indispensable and quite possibly overlooked by some installers.

Keeping the jobsite clean and tidy is an often underrated best practice. In a world full of slovenly contractors one sure way to gain positive word of mouth from your clients is to be fastidious on the jobsite. These tools will help you do that:

Hand vacuum cleaner: It’s entirely likely that the brand of electric drill you favor has a whole line of hand tools that use the same rechargeable battery. If so, there’s likely a hand vac available. Buy one, keep it in your tool kit and clean up your debris after sawing drywall and boring holes.

Drop sheets: They’re not just for high traffic areas; in retrofit installs you should put all of your equipment boxes on them when you’re unpacking product.

Painters Tape: More than one installer I know uses it when roughing out on-wall TV and speaker locations, and use it on the corners of furniture that they’re working near.

Then there are tools that actually get the job done. The following tools are indispensable.

A digital multimeter: If you invest in a rugged, expensive one, it will last you forever.  Multimeters can be used to pin-point the exact issue with a circuit, whether it be a fault, distance, bad output or input and should always be in your tool kit.

4-inch high quality wire snips and 4-inch precision needle nosed pliers: It’s actually quite astonishing how much you can get done with just these two tools.

A high grade ratcheting, self-adjusting pair of wire strippers: Treat yourself to an expensive pair. Don’t think you need to spend the money? Use a crummy pair and a good pair one after the other and you’ll be convinced.

Precision screwdriver set, often known as jeweler’s screwdrivers: From adjusting DIP switches to terminating phoenix connectors, a good quality set makes all those little jobs easier.

Multi-bit high quality screwdriver with Robertson, Philips, flat, torx, and hex bits in multiple sizes: Don’t be stingy; buy a high grade one from Klein Tools, or another premium brand.

A utility knife, like an Olfa or similar box-cutter: A sharp knife is a tool you don’t always need, but when you need it, you really need it. It’s essential that it’s easy to make safe, and that you do so after using it.

A ladder: Ladders aren’t just for small guys and satellite installers. There is always a need for a ladder, especially when going to a site you have not been to before. Some ceilings are very high; some things are “just out of reach” others “need to be moved higher for reception.” You never know when you will need one and that’s why you should always have one in your truck.

Now that you know (or have had your knowledge validated) how crucial not just tools, but good tools are to getting the job done there’s you’re justification to go to the hardware store or the websites that cater to installers and treat yourself to some new ones!

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com