Phone repair tools list: what a repair shop bench needs, and how to set it up

How to read this list

• Day one: you can’t do common screen, battery and charging port jobs without these.
• As you grow: they save time or open new kinds of repairs.
• After training: board-level tools. Buying them early doesn’t make you a board tech, and a mistake at that level can turn a repairable device into a dead one.

Opening and disassembly (day one)

• Plastic opening picks and spudgers. Several thicknesses. Plastic first, because it’s less likely to scratch a frame or short a contact.
• Metal spudger and thin metal pry tool. For stubborn adhesive and shields. Use with care near cables and batteries.
• Suction cups or a suction handle. To lift a screen or back glass enough to slide a pick in.
• Tweezers. Straight and angled, ideally anti-static.
• Plastic cards or thin shims. To keep adhesive from closing up while you work around the edge.

Screwdrivers and screw control (day one)

• Precision screwdriver set with the bits your devices use: Phillips, Pentalobe, Tri-point, Torx and small flat heads.
• A magnetic project mat or a screw tray with labeled spots. Phones often use screws of different lengths in nearby holes. Putting a long screw in the wrong hole can damage the board or display under it, so lay screws out in the order they came out.

Replace worn bits. A rounded bit strips screws, and a stripped screw turns a quick job into a long one.

Heat and adhesive (day one)

• Heat plate or heat gun to soften adhesive under screens and back glass. A heat plate gives more even heat for routine jobs.
• Replacement adhesive pre-cut for the models you service, plus general-purpose adhesive strips.
• Isopropyl alcohol and lint-free wipes to clean old adhesive before the new one goes on.

ESD protection (day one)

• Anti-static (ESD) mat grounded properly.
• Wrist strap connected to the mat or a ground point.
• Anti-static bags for loose boards and parts.

Static damage is easy to miss because the part may work at first and fail later. Make the strap a habit, not an occasional step.

Light and magnification (day one, then upgrade)

• Bright, adjustable bench light.
• Magnifier or head loupe for connectors and small parts.
• Stereo microscope (as you grow). Essential for board work and very useful for inspecting connectors, port debris and liquid damage.

Testing and measurement (day one)

• USB power meter. Shows what a phone draws while charging, which helps separate a bad cable, port, battery or board.
• Multimeter. For continuity and basic checks.
• Known-good cables and chargers, labeled and kept only for testing.
• Known-good test parts for common models, such as a screen or charging port you know works. Label them so they never end up in a customer repair.
• SIM tool and a test SIM to check calls and data after a repair.

To put these tools to work, see how to diagnose phone problems.

Cleaning and liquid damage (as you grow)

• Soft anti-static brushes for ports and boards.
• Isopropyl alcohol in a dispenser bottle.
• Ultrasonic cleaner for liquid-damaged boards, once you know how to use it safely.

Soldering and board work (after training)

• Temperature-controlled soldering station with fine tips.
• Hot air rework station.
• Flux, solder wick and solder.
• Board holder and a fume extractor.

Battery safety (day one)

Swollen or punctured lithium-ion batteries can catch fire. Keep a fire-resistant container on or near the bench for damaged batteries, and never pry a swollen battery with a metal tool. For disposal, the US EPA advises taking used lithium-ion batteries to separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points, not the regular trash or recycling bin, and taping terminals or bagging batteries separately to prevent fires (EPA: Used lithium-ion batteries). Outside the US, follow your local rules.

Computer and console extras

If you also fix computers or consoles and other electronics, add:

• Larger driver bits, including Torx and the security bits some consoles use.
• SATA and NVMe to USB adapters to test drives and copy data.
• A bootable USB drive with your diagnostic and install tools.
• Thermal paste, thermal pads and a blower or compressed air for cleaning fans and heat sinks.
• Known-good laptop chargers in the common connector types.

How to set up a repair bench

A good bench is organized by step, so a tech never has to stand up to find something:

Keep one customer device per tray, with its ticket next to it. Mixing two phones of the same model on one bench is how screws, parts and SIM trays go home with the wrong customer.

Tools that aren’t on the bench

Paperwork is a tool too. A device intake checklist records what works before you open the device, a repair ticket keeps notes and parts with the job, and a price worksheet makes sure your tool and part costs are covered in what you charge.

Where RepairAmigo fits

RepairAmigo is free software for cell phone, computer and electronics repair shops, built inside a busy repair shop that has processed more than 50,000 tickets. Techs can update tickets and count stock from a phone browser right at the bench, with the same rules and prices as the front counter. It runs on a computer in your shop with no ticket or user limits, and setup takes about an hour. See cell phone repair shop software or read what “free” means here.

Frequently asked questions