What are the best tools to get for repairing and advance Macs , iPhones , iPads and other Apple product ?
With the raw MacBook Pro range not precisely transport diehard Apple fan , many are investigating how to stick with their existing political machine – until next yr ’s models are released , at least .
We ’ve already explained how you canmax out your Mac ’s RAM and fit self-colored state storagein Holy Order to turn a slow , cranky Mac into something so quick that it ’s literally degenerate than fresh . Additionally , sites like iFixIt provideillustrated guidesto replacing every component of just about every equipment Apple ’s ever released .
However , to undertake Apple upgrade or stamping ground study so you ’ll call for a unique toolkit , which includes everything from the right screwdriver to antistatic precautions . The ridiculously secretive Apple does n’t make public the service guide for its production so cast together a suitable box of bits can be hard work . fortunately for you , I ’ve done just that forManc Mac Support , my Apple ascent and repair business ( quote MW36 for a 10 % discount ! ) , and I ’m here to tell you what ’s required to cover up just about any contingency .
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To be a Mac field engineer you ’ll need a complete toolkit , although it need n’t be expensive
Best Mac tools & iPhone tools for repairs, upgrades: Screwdrivers
I ’ll bet you never gain just how interesting screwdriver can be . Well , okay , mayhap they are n’t enough for a dinner political party conversation . Or any conversation . But the diversity of screws used in Apple product is a curiosity because Apple normally does n’t want you to get at the insides of their Cartesian product , so they usetamper - proof screws(a.k.a . certificate screws ) . These have different shaped heads equate to the flat and Philips screwdrivers used historically for just about everything .
If Apple existed in isolation tamper - proof jailer might bring home the bacon in their untitled aim but , in reality , unlicensed Taiwanese producer flood appropriate screwdrivers onto eBay and Amazon . Most be just a few quid .
There are many , many dissimilar types and size of security measures shtup but below are listed the types you ’ll need to not just start the typesetter’s case of most Apple products but also work with components at heart . Using the accurate sizing and type required is staggeringly important because the screw propeller Apple uses in its devices are notorious for strip , making them near impossible to remove .
company like iFixIt sell kits with standardised routine that can take on most Apple production
You ’ll findcomplete screwdriver kitson eBay and Amazon , design for use with small technology like Apple products . These include most of the types and sizes listed below via similar bits that magnetically bind to the driver handle . These certainly do the task but the heads have a habit of detaching in purpose , or becoming lost when not in usance . I favour using long - treat / long - brand screwdriver for each size and type wherever possible .
Pro tip : a neat improver to any screwdriver is asmall magnetattached to the sword by which you could safely hoard screws as you withdraw them .
Pentalobe
This is Apple ’s certificate screw of choice , used to attach the MacBook bottom case ( including Pro / Air ) as well to concord the iPhone together , and at multiple spots inside Apple products too . Apple apparently bear on to them as “ Pentalobular ” but the rest of the world calls them Pentalobe – although because the screw head consists of a five - channelize star , people sometimes call them Apple Star .
Wikipediareports that Pentalobe is almost exclusive to Apple products and because it ’s one of Apple ’s many trade secrets , there ’s no agree elbow room for third - party manufacturer to identify each size of it . However , in brief , you ’ll need P5 ( also bid TS5 or PL5 ) to open up the case of all forward-looking MacBook / Pro / Air fashion model , while the P2 ( or TS1 / PL1 ) is used to advance entry to most iPhones .
Getting a consummate set ofPentalobe screwdrivers(P1 to P6 ) is n’t a unsound idea . Be certain to include the all - novel PL2 if you may , which is the lilliputian screw used to attach Apple Watch bands to the lugs .
Malus pumila uses Pentalobe screw extensively to try and stop the great unwashed opening up its mathematical product
Torx
old and more established compared to Pentalobe , Torx security measures / tamper - proof prison guard heads have been in consumption for decades . To make issue more confusing , people sometimes call them Star screwdrivers because the screw head is a six - point star topology ( equate and contrast with Pentalobe , which look similar to the untrained optic but only has five points ) . There ’s also a version called Security Torx that ’s identical apart from a stud in the nitty-gritty of the screw head to forestall people get around the “ security ” by jamming a good - previous flathead screwdriver in there to change by reversal the screw . Security Torx screwdriver can be used with regular Torx screws , but because of that stupid scantling the opposite is n’t the case .
Torx fuck in Apple products are incur in various locating – everything from fix iMac screen in shoes , to hold down ribbon cables ( on both Macs and iDevices ) , to fixing portion to a MacBook Pro ’s logical system board . Basic Torx screwdrivers are numbered T1 upwards , but with the exception of a T25 for a single screw within the 5 K iMac , you wo n’t involve a size larger than T10 for work with Apple products . Security Torx use the TR terminology instead , and do n’t forget that a TR10 will make just fine with a T10 screw , for example , although the inverse is not the compositor’s case . This is why many kit with exchangeable magnetic bits include T3 , T4 , T5 , and T6 sizes , but then switch to TR7 , TR8 , TR9 and TR10 for the big sizes for supply the most flexibility .
Note that disassembling the Mac mini 2014 model requires a Security Torx TR6 screwdriver to open up its case , and this is n’t commonly supplied in such kits .
Search Torx screw sets on Amazon
Philips
The technology might be as erstwhile as the age , but Apple continues to utilize Philips - style shtup internally on advanced Macs . They were also used externally on older models of Macs that were intended to be exploiter - accessible so as to supercede the battery , random access memory or magnetic disc . The Philips - manner screws typically used in Apple products are PH00 – used to hold on non - retina MacBook Pro bottom cases – as well as the even small PH000 and the large PH0 and PH1 size , with the latter being used to release the memory approach gore in iMacs .
Curiously , it ’s potential that the Philips - style screw propeller used in Apple products are actually Japanese Industrial Standard ( JIS ) . This is a virtually identical screwdriver with a slightly different cross - shape caput , but they have the same nomenclature – J000 , J00 and so on – to correspond with Philips ’ size . Because of Apple ’s notorious privateness and also the tiny jailer sizes utilised in Apple product , I ’m not 100 percent sure JIS is used rather than Philips , but it would certainly make sense consider Apple devices are manufacture in the far E .
While blur Philips and JIS can make a deviation at larger size of it , where stripping of the screw head can occur , the petite sizing of screws used in Apple products do n’t invite the kind of turning force play ( torsion ) that makes this an event , so the two format are essentially interchangeable . Still , if you have a set of Malaysia Militant Group then you might use them instead of Philips to forfend any risk of strip or aesthetically marking the ass read/write head .
Search Philips screw sets on Amazon
Apple uses a salmagundi of security / tamper - proof screws to stop you open its products
Tri-wing
Not the Rebel Alliance but yet another type of surety / tamping bar - proof piece of ass innovation that ’s also call up Y - wing . At first glance it look almost identical to Philips / JIS but seem carefully and you ’ll see just a three - prong design , rather than Philips / JIS four .
Apple uses almost microscopic Tri - wing jailor in the Apple Watch but the most common usage when it comes to Macs is the Y1 tri - wing used to fix certain MacBook Pro battery in spot . To confound thing ( and why not ? ) , Apple also use a slight variation of the Tri - wing , refer to as the Tri - stage – the Y0 tri - point is again used with sure MacBook Pro batteries .
Search Tri - fender screw set on Amazon
Best Mac tools & iPhone tools for repairs, upgrades: Spudgers, suction and other essentials
Other than screwdrivers , your kit should comprise a fistful of other of the essence tools :
Spudgers
alfresco of screwdriver , a definite inclusion in any Apple tool case is a selection of spudgers , also known perhaps more accurately as pry / prise tool , or even jemmy . On eBay they ’re often sold as “ roving earpiece opening tools ” or simply “ opening tools . ” Spudgers number in a variety of conformation and sizing , and are constructed from plastic , or sometimes thin springy metallic element as in the case of tools likeiFixIt ’s iSesamo[sic ] .
As you might have guessed , a spudger ’s end is to slip between small gap between two surfaces for secern them , such as an iPhone or iPad ’s analog-digital converter from the typesetter’s case , a new iMac ’s video display chalk from the case , or remove the paste - in shelling in a MacBook Pro . They can also be used to lightly ease laurel wreath cable connective out of the system of logic panel . Spudgers are perhaps the detail in your toolkit most probable to cause serious damage and need to be used extremist - carefully , especially if removing batteries , which can literally explode into flaming .
Search spudgers on Amazon
Opening tool like the iSesamo are invaluable for getting into Apple iPhones and iPads
Suction cups
These come in various sizes and are typically used in co - cognitive process with spudgers to remove crank , such as the protective screen shabu of an iMac . Once you ’ve taken care of screws or fixings , and wiggled any necessary spudger(s ) , you but sequester the suction cup and then draw its handles to lift aside the glass .
Larger sucking cup tend to have a lockup chemical mechanism to make the necessary seal , whileLCD screen opening pliersface off two suction cup to provide a neat way of opening iPhones .
Heat tools
Apple is increasingly keen on glue to fix its twist together and heat can be used to make it tensile . AniOpeneris ideal if working on advanced iMacs that have the protective filmdom glass glued to the case , or iPad screen . Cheaper iOpener knock - offs branded uOpener are also available but regardless of which you order , you ’ll get a high temperature bag that you microwave and then rest on the glued surface .
or else , a low - wattage passion gunman will also do the business and provides unmediated heat you could simply direct at the glass . Unfortunately , these are typically design for task like stripping paint and therefore demand immense care so as not to overheat the glass . Misuse can also damage the screenland at a lower place .
Elbow tweezers
Elbow tweezersare utilitarian for either catching a screw as it ’s being undo , or hold up one in situation while it ’s secure . magnetize the tweezers is a good theme .
Elbow pair of pincers are right for holding shtup while you work – and also plucking eyebrows
Best Mac tools & iPhone tools for repairs, upgrades: Miscellaneous items and consumables
A good toolbox might expect a fistful of additional items and consumables , as follows :
Sticky pads/double-sided sticky tape
Fittingsolid - United States Department of State disks ( SSDs)to iMacs fills a batch of my professional life as a Mac tekki , and because these drives are notebook computer - sized ( 2.5 in ) rather than the common PC size ( 3.5 in ) , the iMac offers no method acting to hold them in place . Instead , received practice is to firmly attach them to the interior of the iMac ’s case via steamy pads . forked - sided tape can be used to re - stick the glass screen to an iMac , as well as in other situations .
product made by 3Mare pricey but also the most true , and you really do n’t want the stickiness to fail at any point in the time to come . Pro tip : ensure surfaces are 100 percent clean before applying the pads or tape .
Canned air
If a Mac is a few years old it will have collected an unlikely amount of junk inside the typeface , so much so that you wo n’t be able to ferment on it without getting rid of it . Canned airdoes the trick . ( Pro tip : always start spraying pointing the straw nozzle away from the gimmick , to minimise the peril or propellent vapour spray on to hardware . )
Microfibre cloths
talk of cleansing , I always aim to return Macs to clients as sporting as potential . moot most Macs I operate on are filthy to various degrees ( especially laptops ) , this is an leisurely to revolutionize customer gratification . Washable microfibre cloths are ideal for cleansing , and you might choose to add - in screen cleaner too . Be careful using cloths inside the caseful near element because they could fool stable electricity .
Spare CR2032 batteries
Some elder iMacs use standard CR2032 batteries to store the scheme management accountant ( SMC ) values when the power is turned off . Even if it is n’t eat up replacing this battery is a good idea if you ’re undertaking a task like conform to an SSD , where the customer might be anticipating several years more use out of the calculator .
CR2032 batteries on Amazon
The august CR2032 release electric battery was used in some older iMacs to store arrangement configurations
USB memory sticks
I have a keychain of memory sticks in my toolkit with the full installers for variation of macOS / OS X go back to 10.6 ( pro tip : never advance a client ’s operating system unless they specifically expect for it ) . Another USB stick contains the installers for distinctive apps users have on their system , such as Microsoft Office ( 2011 and 2016 ) , Dropbox , and Adobe Creative Cloud . A further USB stick contains symptomatic and malware removal apps , such asMaintenanceby Titanium Software , Etrecheck , andBitdefender Virus Scanner , all of which are free and I urge strongly .
In curt , you could never have too many USB sticks .
USB-to-SATA adapter (plus 3.5 hard disk power supply)
I contain around a 1 TB hard disk plus a USB - to - SATA adaptor for contract an emergency backup of any client ’s information , if expect . Additionally , I use the adapter to clone a Mac ’s existing hard disk contents to any SSD I ’m correspond for customer . The simplest way to get what ’s needed is to buy any external 3.5 in SATA hard disk tea caddy that include an external superpower supplying , and then deprive out the electronics . This can then be used for both 2.5 and 3.5 in cause .
Screw containers
Get used to collecting any spare screws , of any size , in typeface you drop off any while working on a Mac . Pentalobe piece of tail in especial arenot as flash as you might forestall , and all the petite screw used in Apple intersection vanish as soon as they meet carpeting .
USB keyboard and mouse
utilitarian if the guest ’s own keyboard and mouse are malfunction , or just scummy on battery , as often seems to befall . Any keyboard and mouse will do , with no requirement to get a Mac - specific role model ( remember that the Windows winder on a PC keyboard doubles - up as the Cmd key ) . A USB mouse can also be used as a diagnostic tool : if its optical maser spark when an otherwise non - booting Mac is power - on then the logical system circuit card is incur power and you could be sure that the Mac ’s great power supply is still at least part usable .
take more : Best Mac keyboards|Best Mac mouse
Cables
A short cat5e Ethernet cable television service can be used to attach a client ’s old Mac to his / her all - new model for clone one to the other usingMigration Assistant . Any short cat5e cable will do , and with Macs there ’s no need to get a special ‘ crossover voter ’ transmission line , although recollect that newer MacBook / Pro / Air model will require some kind ofUSB - to - Ethernet dongle .
The likes of a spare USB cable can also prove handy . For case , a client recently asked me to fix an treacherous wi - fi pressman beside her desk , and the root was but to bind it via USB .
A standard 3 - stick “ kettle ” power - lead ( recognise technically as IEC C13 ) is useful for obvious reasons , as is corrupt spare Magsafe 1 and Magsafe 2 adaptors for MacBook Pros ( ensure you get high - wattage charger for usance with 15 and 17 in model ; these will also work very well with smaller Macs ) . Nowadays a USB - C ability supply should be added to this tilt too .
Small LED torch and magnifying glass
Both are amazingly utilitarian for see things inside Macs . Cheap handheld miniskirt - microscopes can be useful for examining thing like Lightning ports for harm or dirt .
Non-slip mat
For see tools and screws remain on the control surface you ’re working on , rather than indulging in their womb-to-tomb desire to dive for the floor .
Non - slip mats on Amazon
Copper tape
When upgrading iMacs you might need to cut through metal tape that provides electromagnetic ( EM ) protection . Narrow copper tape recording of a case favor by gardener ply a relatively inexpensive mode to reseal the gaps .
Cu tape recording on Amazon
A small hand-held magnifier let you inspect computer hardware close - up to take care for obvious faults
Best Mac tools & iPhone tools for repairs, upgrades: Antistatic precautions
neglect even by many professionals , electrostatic discharge ( ESD ) guard are a requirement . Put simply , every human torso collects several thousand volt of static in various ways and you really do n’t want that to discharge through a RAM module or SSD that you ’re fitting to a client ’s computer .
Via anentertaining video from the 1980s(complete with bonus Woz appearance ! ) Apple explains what it require of its own field service engineers when it comes to ESD precautions . This is as relevant as it ever was ( the legal philosophy of physic have n’t changed since ) but put simply you ’ll postulate the following :
ESD mat
The item you ’re working on sits on this lustrelessness . ESD matsshould be as large as potential without being unwieldy or hard to lay in , and should be prevent clean via an alcohol - base dry cleaner . ( I pass over mine over withisopropanol . )
ESD wristband
Attaches to your radiocarpal joint to provide a conduit for motionless electricity by from your body . Thewristbandattaches either to the ESD mat , or to …
ESD grounding plug
The mat and wristband tie to theESD ground plug , and it then plugs into a standard mains socket to make an electrical land connection .
Rather than bribe each of the above items severally , manufacturers like LINDY sellinexpensive outfit . If nothing else these remove the requirement to decide upon whether you practice banana plug connectors to link everything together , or crocodile clips ( the latter leave you in extremis to earth yourself to something like a pig pee pipage but rarely impound securely ) .
static discharge ( ESD ) precaution such as this are a necessary if you desire to blow things up !
Notably , all the items above admit a one megohm [ sic ] resistor to avoid the risk of electrocution from a wrong socket or ring briny . However , if you find yourself frequently visit client premises then adding amains socket testerto the above kit is an staggeringly good mind . These hack into any socket and immediately tell you if the ring main has a fault .
If there is a mistake then just skip over using the ESD grounding male plug , while still using the gym mat and wristband , which should be attach to each other . In this instance avoid rival any other electric detail while working and rest components you remove or think of to put in only on the ESD mat and not on any another control surface .
All you ’re doing here is match your body ’s electrical potential with that of the hardware you ’re run on , while every other point nearby will have an alternative electrical potential – and therefore present the danger of sudden electrostatic release ( or , indeed , sudden electrostatic charge ) . This is why this gym mat and wristband alone do not provide an ideal routine work setup .
