The Beginner’s Guide to Electronics: Tools—What to Buy First, Part 4The Beginner’s Guide to Electronics: Tools—What to Buy First, Part 4
Once you have the basic tools, you can turn your attention to more sophisticated items, like an electronic load, for example.
January 25, 2025

At a Glance
- A 20 W hot glue gun is good for most hobby tasks, but a more powerful 100 W device comes in handy for prototyping.
- We all need help on occasion. Fortunately, there are options available, like four flexible arms and a 10X magnifying glass.
- A programmable electronic load can be used to test power sources, such as batteries, power supplies, or solar panels.
As I mentioned when we first commenced this mini-series, I often receive emails from people starting out in electronics inquiring as to what tools they should buy.
This series of columns gathers some of my responses. As a reminder, although I offer links to potential offerings on sites like Amazon, I should note that I don’t have any affiliation with any of these companies and I don’t make any money off these links, which are provided only to give us something to think about.
In Part 1, we discussed masking tape and permanent markers, safety glasses, antistatic protection (pad, wristband, etc.), a digital multimeter (DMM), and an electric soldering iron.
Later, in Part 2, we considered a utility knife, a set of small screwdrivers, a set of small pliers, a set of small open wrenches (spanners) and/or nut drivers, cutters, wire strippers, and a bench power supply.
More recently, in Part 3, we added a pocket tape measure, electronic digital calipers, a heat gun and heat shrink tubing, and a crimping tool (along with housings and pins).
Thus far, all the tools have fallen into one of three categories: “Suggested,” “Recommended,” and “Mandatory.” In this column, we are going to add a “Wish List” category for when a rich relative foolishly inquires what you’d like for your birthday.
Hot glue gun (recommended)
Like the pocket tape measure mentioned in Part 3, this may seem a bit off-topic for a column that purports to be focused on electronics, but I think a hot glue gun is an invaluable item in anyone’s arsenal of tools.
You can get cheap-and-cheerful versions, like this 20 W unit that takes 0.25-in.-diameter glue sticks for only $8.99 from Amazon (you can also get these from Walmart and Hobby Lobby). You could go for a slightly more robust option, like this 60 W/100 W unit that takes 7/16-in. diameter glue sticks for $25 from Amazon. Or you could be really bold and opt for a more professional offering, like this 150 W unit for $40 from Amazon.
In the case of my hobby electronics, projects, I use my 20 W glue gun 99% of the time. Occasionally, like when I’m mocking up an enclosure out of wood, I use my 100 W gun. I’ve never had the need for a 150 W device, but I could easily be tempted to indulge myself.
Helping hands (recommended)
One of the best “First Contact” science fiction novels is The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. As part of this tale (which I now find myself wanting to re-read), we meet an alien species known as the Moties who have three arms: one large, powerful arm used for heavy lifting and tasks requiring strength, and two smaller, more dexterous arms used for fine manipulation and delicate tasks.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been working on a project and found myself thinking, “I wish I had one or two more arms.” My wife (Gina the Gorgeous) is always willing to offer a helping hand but—just when I need her to hold steady—something always seems to distract her (“Squirrel!”).
There are many “helping hand” tools available on Amazon. When I started as a beginner deep in the mists of time, I opted for the cheapest one going—one with two adjustable alligator clips and a 5X magnifying glass, like this one for $9. On the one hand, this can be useful; on the other hand, it could be more useful.
There are more sophisticated offerings, like this one with four flexible arms for $18 or this one with six flexible arms for $22. If the truth be told, my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be for close-up work. So, I might be tempted by this offering with four flexible arms and a 10X magnifying glass with light (I’ll have to add this to my “Birthday Wish List”).
Electronic load (wish list)
As you may (or may not) recall, earlier in this series I mentioned that a new hobby project I’m working on requires 9 V at 1.5 A. Rather than investing in yet another fixed power supply for $25, I opted for a very tasty hobbyist bench power supply, which is currently on offer for $44.

Bench power supply. CLIVE “MAX” MAXFIELD
This little beauty can supply 0 to 30 volts at 0 to 10 amps. Of particular interest for home use in limited spaces, it’s only around 6 inches tall by 3.5 inches wide by 7.75 inches deep.
The reason I’m mentioning this power supply here is that my project actually requires two supplies levels: 50 mA at 9 V and 1,450 mA at 5 V.
Thus, in addition to setting the output to 9 V and using this to drive part of my project, I’m also using it to drive a DC-to-DC converter that I purchased for $7.50 (well, two for $15) on Amazon.
This is claimed to accept 9 V to 36 V in and return 5 V out, with the capability of supplying up to 5 A. Since I require less than 1.5 A, this seemed like a safe bet.
Having said this, my friend Joe Farr in the UK is also constructing his own version of this project. Joe purchased similar DC-to-DC converters from another vendor. Like mine, Joe’s devices claimed to be capable of supplying 5 A at 5 V.
Unfortunately (for the converter manufacturer), Joe is less trusting than me. Also, Joe’s tool stash includes an electronic load. This is a programmable device designed to simulate electrical loads on a power source, such as batteries, power supplies, or solar panels, under various conditions. Instead of using resistors or other passive components to draw current, electronic loads actively control the amount of current or power drawn, allowing for precise and dynamic testing.

Joe’s electronic load. JOE FARR
When he sent this picture to me, Joe added a note saying, “You can see two brass bars with 4 mm sockets soldered in (lower right) so I can connect my standard 4 mm plugged test leads to the load.”
When Joe applied his electronic load to the output of his DC-to-DC converter, he found it held steady at 5 V up to a load of ~1.7 A. When the load reached ~1.8 A, the output sagged to 4.7 V. By the time the load reached ~2.1 A, the output started to fall off rapidly (a.k.a. collapsed), sagging to 4.4 V.
Do you need an electronic load? It depends on what you are doing. I’ve survived thus far without one. Having said this, following our DC-to-DC converter fiasco, I must admit that I’ve added this 180 W electronic load for $80 to my “Retirement Wish List” (fear not, I won’t be retiring for many years to come).
I know, I know. I’ve been promising to talk about oscilloscopes, and I will… next time… along with logic analyzers, laser cutters, and 3D printers. Until that frabjous day, as always, I look forward to casting my orbs over your captivating comments, insightful questions, and sagacious suggestions (you can email me at [email protected]).
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