See my video review for details on some of the changes and upgrades.
Update, things I've discovered since making my video review:
The steel used for the bits is 6150 (manufacturer's website), so it contains 0.5% C, 0.8% Mn, 0.9% Cr, 0.18% V making it a type of CR-V steel, commonly used for knives and swords. "6150 is a fine grained, highly abrasion resistant carbon-chromium alloy steel. Very good shock resistance and toughness are also key properties of this alloy in the heat treated condition." I'm still amazed at the machining quality of the bits.
Here is a list of applications I'm aware of for some of the special bits you won't find in other kits:
5.5mm Nut Driver - Printer and copier repair
Spanner/Snake-eye bits - Security panels, elevators, bathroom hardware.
Square/Robertson bits - Common in Canada/Australia
JIS /Japanese Industrial Standard - Used in cameras, remote control helicopters, drones and other electronics.
Torx Security. TR6 - Apple Mac Mini
TR8 - Xbox and some HP printers, other assorted electronics
TR10 - Playstation and HP/Compaq computers
T15 - HP/Compaq/Lenovo hardware
Gamebits 4.5 and 3.8 - Nintendo and Sega consoles/games
Y000 - Apple Watch
Y00 - Apple track pads
P2 - iPhone bottom screws
P5 - MacBook cases
P6 - MacBook Batteries
I've used a lot of toolkits out there, but none haven't I found that are as versatile and useful as this one. This toolkit can enable you to open up almost any device out there, but what's better is they also offer device repair teardown videos and detailed instructions with the very tools this kit comes with, so you don't have to wing it and potentially break the device you intend to repair.
As for the quality of the tools, this is by far the best out there. The driver piece is straight aluminum painted black with a really nice blue aluminum cap that twists so smoothly, like it's using ball bearings. The tip also has a really solid magnet built in so any tiny bolt wont fall off of the driver, which is super nice because I've spent way too much time searching for really tiny dropped bolts that are sometimes smaller than ants. This uses almost every driver bit and special tool you'll need to safely disassemble your devices. Also the cap of the driver set also has a raised internal grid to separate and store your bolts while you're working on a device.
I love iFixit a lot and I highly recommend this product, however the reason why I am giving this 4 stars is because the case's velcro strips almost don't line up at all, which means it's really difficult to close and usually doesn't stay closed.
I really like IFixIt's tools. This kit is pretty awesome. I bought it about 6 months ago and have used it daily! I also one the smaller kit with the smaller screw driver set, which I have had for over a year. I only have 2 complaints. In this kit I swear the metal the bits are made of is softer than the ones in the smaller/older kit. I have never bent or broken a bit from the previous kit, but with this one I was opening a laptop case a couple days after this arrived (a laptop that I have opened several times!) and somehow I bent one of the Phillips bits in this set! I was pretty bugged about that! Then a couple weeks later I bent one of the flat head bits too! What the heck! I now try to be MUCH more careful, but still why would this NEWER/MORE EXPENSIVE kit have poorer quality tools than the OLDER/SMALLER/CHEAPER kit?
My only other complaint is that I did have to bust out a sewing kit and add some more velcro, Once you open this and try to close it again, it BARELY closes all the way. If they had used like 1/4 inch more fabric, there wouldnt be a problem, but for me it is either I have to pull the material super hard to close it or risk it popping open in my bag - and the magnet lid to the screwdriver bits doesnt hold really strong, I dont think it will even stay closed if you tip box upside down!
Other than those 2 complaints, this is great and I really like it!
ORIGINAL REVIEW, JANUARY 2018:
Every gadget fixer and DIY-er should have something like this on hand. It's a rather specialized toolkit, a nice addition to your assortment of pliers and other tools.
UPDATE, A MONTH LATER:
The longer I have this kit, the more useful it gets. The screwdriver bit collection by itself is worth the price. The prying tools have become indispensible - no more screwdriver gouges from trying to pry open things, and no more banged-up fingernails. The reverse tweezers (squeeze to loosen, unsqueeze to grip) are immensely handy. And, back to the screwdriver bits, the screwdriver handle itself is very well designed. It's ergonomic, it allows you to keep pressure on the fastener at all times, it's got good manufacturing tolerances, and the extender is actually a useful accessory rather than an annoyance.
I’m gonna give this five stars even with a few flaws, and here’s why. I’ll start with the negatives: the packaging seemed to have seals broken on the box leading me to believe it was repackaged. I was thinking, here we go again as I’ve had a few items touted as new sent via AMZN which were obviously used. But to my surprised the inside showed no signs of use which was a relief. My second disappointing find was the lack of a 5 point security bit which I just assumed would be part of the offering, but alas that was my stupidity for not looking closely on product description. I can’t find a micro 5 point security bit anywhere! Now the good stuff, and this really hinges on ifixit itself. While product itself is nice, its not the quality of the components that impress me. The IFIXIT website is phenomenal. You are not just buying a bit set. You are buying into a company that provides a complete solution set to your problems. You never repaired an iPhone? Well with a little gumption, this toolkit and the ifixit website, it is now possible. I’m hoping this company continues on this awesome path of empowering people to DIY so those of us who cannot afford the big box Geeks can fix it ourselves.
Feature Product
- Developed over 5 years using the data from thousands of repair manuals to have all the right tools.
- All tools designed and manufactured by iFixit using the highest quality materials and methods.
- Includes the 64 Bit Driver Kit, the highest quality most comprehensive CNC machined bit set.
- Completely re-engineered to provide all the tools that you need, and none that you don't.
- Covered by iFixit's Lifetime Warranty
Description
The new Pro Tech Toolkit is the one thing every DIYer, fixer, hacker, hobbyist, and professional needs to tackle any job.
Every tool in the Pro Tech Toolkit has been re-engineered to be better. From the 64 Bit Driver Kit to the iFixit Opening Picks, every tool is specially designed and selected to maximize your repair capabilities.
At the core of this kit is the iFixit 64 Bit Driver Kit, designed with extensive research into what fastener types are currently used in the consumer electronics industry and which legacy fasteners are still in demand by consumers. From the Apple Watch with its new tiny Tri-Point screws to vintage Nintendo game consoles with gamebit fasteners, the 64 bit kit covers them all with the highest quality CNC machined bits. Even the sturdy case was carefully engineered, having no hinges or latches to break, and features a sorting tray inside the magnetically attached lid.
Kit Includes:
- Mako Driver Kit - 64 Precision Bits
- Anti-Static Wrist Strap
- Suction Handle
- 3x iFixit Opening Tool
- 6x iFixit Opening Pick
- Nylon Tipped Reverse Tweezers
- Angled ESD Tweezers
- Blunt ESD Tweezers
- Spudger
- Halberd Spudger
- Metal Spudger
- Jimmy
- Magnetic Pad
- Tool Roll
I struggled to justify spending the money on this when there are so many copies here on Amazon for way less than half the price. I finally decided that I wanted a kit with quality, durable tools. And I went for it. I’m so happy that I did. So far I have completely disassembled 2 Xbox One controllers and replaced the screen on my Son’s Kindle Fire HD8. The Xbox One controllers were mostly fixed with just a good cleaning. One had a sticky A button and both had D pad issues. But no more. I currently have a replacement screen on order for my Asus TF700 Transformer tablet. Theses tools have worked great for all these repairs! I highly recommend taking the plunge and getting these instead of the cheaper ones. You won’t regret it!
I get the feeling even without checking that many others have said what I'm about to for the iFixit kit: it is absolutely indispensable for anyone working with electronics. It's so well thought out and filled with useful pieces, and so lacking in worthless ones, that you can tell it was put together by people who work on electronics regularly.
Among professionals, these iFixit kits are practically ubiquitous because their utility is so well known. Watch just about any tech channel, for example, and you will hear a lot of "iFixit isn't actually a sponsor but..." as they pull out one of these tool kits. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you are about to work with a technician and they don't have one of these kits, you should consider their skills and/or experience somewhat suspect unless you know them or someone you trust can vouch for them. The kits reputation is that good.
You could probably save a few dollars by hunting for the components individually, but for whatever tiny amount you saved it wouldn't be worth the convenience of having it all in one place, imo. I would splurge for the Pro kit and future-proof your investment a bit, personally. Either way, I couldn't recommend one of these kits highly enough.
I only have two complaints: 1)The Velcro on the tool roll doesn't match up with the 64 bit driver kit inside - barely 1 mm from each strip makes contact. 2) There is a metal plate stuck to the bottom with some kind of adhesive and it keeps falling off; if I leave it off, then I'm going to have to scrub the rest of the adhesive off the bottom.
This appears to have everything I could want for working on phones etc... except a sim tray tool. Used a grocery twist tie in it's place as I don't remember where I put the boxes from my OnePlus One phones. The spudgers, tweezers and 00 screwdriver tip I used seem to be of excellent quality. I did NOT need this level of kit, but being an Automotive Technician used to buying Snapon, I kind of had to get it... I like the wrap, it works. The magnetic bit tray cover is nice, no damn clip to break off the 3rd time you open it. The use of a magnet in the wrap to hold the bit holder housing was a nice touch. Overall, very pleased with this purchase. Managed to rebuild my OnePlus One with a few problems that had nothing to do with the tools, just my inexperience opening a phone.
This is a great kit, heard about them on Linus Tech Tips, and figured I'd give it a shot. I have a couple precision sets already, and I was hoping this would have a stronger magnetic driver for the bits but alas it really doesn't. If you're not careful whatever you're unscrewing will dangle and fall right off. My solution has been to slap a tiny little neodymium magnet on the bit itself, and then the screw or whatever doesn't move, but I was hoping I didn't need to do that anymore.
The other things are great though, the pry bars are quality, and the little guitar picks and metal scraper/splitter thing work great. Also, having that set of tweezers really does help with removing ribbon cables in laptops (especially the reverse tweezers).
$50 is probably a little bit overpriced, especially considering the magnetic bits aren't the strongest, but I'm happy with it and it's better than the other two precision sets I have, so it wins I guess.
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