iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit Review: Everything Your Tech Needs

When it comes to our gadgets and devices, nan unfortunate reality is things break. There are 102 points of nonaccomplishment successful your phone, gaming controller, and smart speaker, and almost immoderate 1 of them calls for a replacement. The iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit makes judge you're fresh for a elemental repair instead.

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

The Pro Tech Toolkit has everything from a Y000 spot for next-gen Apple products to nan Gamebit for vintage crippled consoles.

Weight 1.88lbs (0.85kg)

Tool Roll Material Polyester Canvas

Bit driver material Anodized Aluminum

4mm Bit Material S2 Steel

Pros

• Just astir each instrumentality you'd need
• Easy to shape and transport
• Effective connected each kinds of tech
• Premium build quality
• Magnetic mat to support way of parts arsenic you go

Cons

• May request to root parts connected apical of nan kit's price

Why You Should Care About Right to Repair

Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek

Every year, we throw distant millions of tons of electronics that extremity up hogging abstraction successful landfills and polluting our oceans. Many of these costly devices conscionable request a elemental 30-minute hole to beryllium perfectly functional again, yet they extremity up successful nan garbage anyway.

Unfortunately, immoderate of this e-waste is simply a consequence of planned obsolescence. But you paid to ain nan full device; why should it void nan warranty to unfastened it up yourself, aliases get it taken to a repair shop for experts to activity on? I reviewed Valve's Steam Deck successful January 2023, and while nan gaming goliath worked pinch iFixit to produce repair guides and waste spare parts, opening nan handheld gaming PC you purchased is still unforgivable successful nan eyes of nan hardware warranty.

It doesn't moreover person to beryllium damaged---you could simply switch nan SSD, and you would still beryllium near uncovered successful nan arena of a faulty show aliases trackpad down nan road.

Right to Repair laws opportunity nan products you acquisition are nan products you own. No much warranty reddish tape. They besides activity to protect you from nan monopolistic practices of withholding devices and parts for repair (meaning cheaper fixes, moreover if you return it into a shop and don't want to tinker pinch nan instrumentality yourself).

Unfolding nan kit, you're met pinch devices of each shapes and sizes. Of nan 13 different tools, nan 64-Bit Driver and 4mm bits will apt beryllium your go-to for astir projects. The anodized aluminum Driver has a magnetic extremity to clasp nan spot successful place, and nan bits themselves are magnetic, too. The backend features a bluish rotating portion for easy twisting. The full kit feels premium, weighty, and satisfying.

Looking astatine an unrolled battalion from near to right, you'll find an antistatic wriststrap, a Suction Handle, Opening Tools, Opening Picks, Reverse tweezers, a Spudger, Angled Tweezers, Blunt Tweezers, a Halberd Spudger, Metal Spudger, and a Jimmy. To nan correct of these individual devices are nan Flex Extension and 64-Bit Driver kit, sitting atop a magnetic surface. This aboveground is incredibly useful for keeping way of screws and different pieces that get mislaid successful betwixt repair steps.

After nan screws are loose, you'll astir apt scope for a Spudger aliases Opening Pick to get your instrumentality opened up. Then, rooting astir wrong nan gadget, you tin usage nan various tweezers to get successful tight spaces and prime retired nan component(s) you need. If you're moving connected a mobile handset, nan Suction Handle is cleanable for removing telephone and tablet show panels without scratching them.

Repairing my PS4 controller was a breeze, acknowledgment to nan devices astatine my disposal. As you'll read, nan only extracurricular thief I called connected was from family supplies for illustration isopropyl alcohol.

Fixer Upper: Get That Stick Drift Out of Here

Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek

I've been utilizing nan aforesaid Dualshock PS4 controller to play games for illustration Rocket League and DARK SOULS: REMASTERED for a fewer years now, and I was starting to announcement immoderate instrumentality drift connected nan near broadside and a fewer stiff buttons each around. Fortunately for me, iFixit created a written guideline connected fixing instrumentality drift and a video guideline that showcases an wide teardown and fastener cleaning.

So, I collapsed retired my Pro Tech Toolkit, on pinch a fewer different inexpensive family supplies, and sewage to work.

First, I studied some guides to get a bully thought of what I'd spot nether nan controller's outer shell. When I was comfortable cracking nan gamepad open, I sewage to work.

Tools used:

• Nitrile gloves (precaution, not necessary)
• 91% isopropyl intoxicant
• Cotton swabs
• iFixit 64-Bit Driver, Philips #000 bit, Flathead #1 spot
• iFixit Blunt Tweezers
• iFixit Angled Tweezers
• iFixit Metal Spudger

First, I utilized nan 64-Bit Driver successful conjunction pinch nan Philips #000 spot to region nan 4 screws connected nan controller's backside. Then, I utilized nan Metal Spudger to get successful betwixt nan beforehand and backmost covers and mildly pry them apart, keeping nan ribbon cablegram betwixt them successful mind. With nan ribbon cablegram safely detached and nan 2 covers separated, it's clip to region nan artillery pack.

I opted for nan Angled Tweezers successful this case, firmly gripping either broadside of nan artillery connector and pulling upwards to detach it from nan circuit board. The artillery past lifts correct out, though location mightiness beryllium a mini magnitude of adhesive keeping it unafraid (no other devices are required for this, conscionable propulsion consecutive up).

An absent artillery exposes different 6mm screw holding nan bracket successful place. Remove this pinch nan 64-Bit Driver to uncover nan circuit board. At nan apical of nan board, you'll spot different ribbon cablegram (this 1 is dedicated to nan controller's trackpad). I utilized Blunt Tweezers to drawback clasp of and disconnect nan cable. At this point, you tin now assistance nan full circuit committee and joysticks retired of nan beforehand shell.

Now, utilizing a barren fabric swab, I scrubbed nan pads of each fastener to cleanable disconnected immoderate trapped particulate aliases dirt.

With nan buttons taken attraction of, I moved my attraction to nan near joystick. The joystick that you interact pinch comes correct disconnected if you propulsion upwards, revealing nan components underneath.

At this point, you want to popular nan 2 greenish chambers unfastened to get astatine nan achromatic disks betwixt them. I utilized nan 64-Bit Driver and Flathead #1 spot to do so, wedging nan spot successful betwixt nan spaces of nan chambers and pushing inwards until they opened.

With nan achromatic disks exposed, I utilized nan Blunt Tweezers to return them out. Then, utilizing a fabric swab soaked successful 91% isopropyl alcohol, I cleaned retired each enclosure and fto them beryllium for astir 15 minutes to dry.

Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek

With nan chambers cleaned out, I was onto cleaning and reassembly. With different fabric swab, I sewage free of nan gunk and grime you wouldn't beryllium capable to scope without taking nan controller apart. Then, I placed nan 2 achromatic disks backmost into nan chambers pinch tweezers and utilized my fingers to pinch them shut. I popped nan near joystick backmost connected utilizing my hand.

Placing nan circuit committee and joysticks backmost into nan beforehand cover, I reconnected nan ribbon cablegram astatine nan apical of nan committee utilizing nan Blunt Tweezers. The artillery bracket has pegs that fresh into nan circuit committee to make judge it's aligned properly; I lined them up and replaced nan screw.

I put nan artillery backmost successful spot and reconnected nan wires. From this step, I was almost finished. Bring nan backmost screen backmost into nan image and link nan first ribbon cablegram to nan circuit board. With everything successful line, threat nan 2 shells backmost together, past switch nan 4 original screws.

That's each location is to it! Instead of buying a full caller controller and tossing nan different out, you tin consciousness nan consciousness of accomplishment that comes pinch redeeming money and repairing thing pinch your ain hands.

Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek

You don't person to beryllium a gadget guru to usage an iFixit kit, follow their guides, and travel retired nan different extremity pinch a like-new device. The iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit is an fantabulous finance for anyone who hates spending money to switch perfectly bully electronics.

The only downside I tin sanction has to do pinch sourcing parts for repair connected apical of nan kit's price. That isn't a sound astatine iFixit; they moreover waste nan repair parts required successful galore cases. It's conscionable nan reality of nan business for at-home repairs.

But, for almost each instrumentality you'll ever request to repair your tech, nan Pro Tech Toolkit offers premium value astatine a very reasonable value constituent of $74.99.

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

The Pro Tech Toolkit has everything from a Y000 spot for next-gen Apple products to nan Gamebit for vintage crippled consoles.