Quality soldering iron by far. Best money I ever spent. Don’t screw around with cheap hf crap on this tool.

A ratcheting screwdriver with interchangeable bits makes quick work of removing small screws/bolts.

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Working with a headlamp on comes in handy too.

A drill press is definitely a must for any workshop.

I bought one of these dewalt gyroscopic screwdrivers and I absolutely love it. Couple it with some magnetic hex bits and it makes stripping a playfield or putting one together much faster.

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My Hakko desoldering gun easily. Not super cheap up front, but if you are working on boards for any length of time it's the most clear cut case of "right tool for the job" I've ever seen. On the inexpensive side - headlamp all day!

Impact drill for leg bolts.

always thought about this...

what smaller bench style would you guys rec?

Magnetic 1/4" nut driver

By far the best purchase for tools I use ALL THE TIME, the HammerHead Cordless Screwdriver.

https://www.amazon.com/HAMMERHEAD-Rechargeable-Screwdriver-Patented-Innovative/dp/B01CTMEBRE/ref=sr_1_1

It's rechargeable with a standard micro usb cable, has lights in the front (not super bright, but good enough), and a live circuit detector. Standard magnetic hex bit. Battery life is great, I've broken down an entire playfield on one charge.

This thing is so useful I bought them for everyone as stocking stuffers last year.

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And, the Hakko cordless soldering iron, also SUPER handy for when you have a single component bomb out and don't want to pull out the soldering station / iron / extension cords to do some quick soldering work:

https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX-901-Cordless-Soldering-Iron/dp/B07BVV7F9G/ref=sr_1_4

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I've used a couple cordless smaller screwdrivers/nut driver, but my favorite by far is the Skil palm sized. Works great for screws and hex heads and definitely makes quick work for stripping playfields.

https://www.amazon.com/2354-07-Lithium-Ion-Palm-Sized-Cordless-Screwdriver/dp/B00O12GUNO/ref=sr_1_1

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My harbor freight magnetic parts bowls are life changing. I line them up along the siderails of the game I'm shopping, and I'm good to go.

Other than that, I bought a nice set of hollow nut drivers. The hollowed out ones let me unscrew longer posts (and those small center flipper posts) without having to use a box end wrench.

The tools I use the most by far are my Klein magnetic hollow nut drivers:

http://a.co/3cM1v2C

I second many of the other recommendations as well. My Hakko de-soldering gun and soldering station have been amazing. I can't believe I used a POS radio shack soldering iron for so long. I'm not going to even mention the de-soldering "pump" I tried to use before I got my Hakko. I also waited waaaaaaay too long to get a good magnetic screwdriver. I can't even count how many screws I have dropped over the years and had to disassemble part of the PF I did not need to just to get to the screw. I even resorted to making my own magnetic screwdriver with a car battery before I relented and bought one.

A good quality LED work light on a tripod is a must, as I get older my eyesight fights me.
A set of T-handle allen wrenches

Switch adjustment tool. Worth its weight in gold

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Honestly just go pick up the 8" or 10" benchtop from harbor freight, or any one of the WEN ones you can get on Amazon. That will fill your needs in a home shop.

I have a telescoping magnet with built in micro screwdrivers that my son gave me for father’s day like 15-16 years ago when he was in preschool. It was a school promotional item that I think cost $1. Man, has that thing been a life saver

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Top 10, in this order:

1. Magnetic 1/4 driver bit. Get a nice hardened one that fits into an impact driver.
2. Ratcheting screwdriver, I use a Wera that contains the bits in its handle, but often the above attachment is in it.
3. Quality soldering iron
4. Fluke
5. Impact driver
6. Desolder gun
7. Ultrasonic Cleaner
8. Rivet Press
9. Ratcheting box end wrench makes flipper adjustment a breeze
10. Air Compressor

Agree with several posts here; however, for me, it is a pair of screwdrivers I paid less than $5 for at Harbor Freight. What makes these special is they are about 2 feet long. If you work on EM's, you will immediately appreciate them. Removing stuff in the front of the backbox or in the bowels of the cabinet are a breeze since you can snake them through the maze of wires and parts. And since the are so long you can do so at an angle that allows enough contact with the screw head. Finally, since the handle is so far removed from everything, you can always get a full grip on the handle and bear down if needed. You don't have to remove the wire clips and other parts to get to right what you need or contort your arm/hand in weird ways.

This looks to be the new and improved version of mine: https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-super-long-screwdriver-set-34253.html

i just got a high power LED magnetic work light that has become the first piece of equipment i look for when im about to do a job. On arcade machines its great because there are tons of placed inside the cab that are metal. On pins its great because it also has a prop/stand that is still a small footprint but can be angled. Have used it for hours and have not done a single battery change. almost completely removes the need for flashlights or head lamps.

thanks
Blake

I don't get the impact driver that I've seen mentioned a few times. What on a pinball machine needs that much force? I have both a pneumatic and 2X18v Milwaukee impact drivers that I use when I do my own car maintenance but never thought about using them on a pin. The only thing I can think of is leg bolts but I have never had an issue with my 3/8" ratchet and 5/8" socket. Most of the janky leg plates out there would get instantly stripped out if I tried to use a impact on them. This I know for certain because I have had them strip out when ratcheting by hand. Maybe taking a leg bolt off? But I've never met a leg bolt that I was unable to remove with my ratchet.

I'll be buying this soon....
Hope to get a LOT of use out of it.

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Two tools:

- Rivet squeezer
- Hand powered drill (amazing for removing rivets and not melting plastics)

Yeah, I have a few of those lying about. They come in kind of hand for the occasional odd job.

Ratcheting screwdriver, and a 1/4" nut driver adapter for it
A high quality set of flush cutters, wire strippers, and needle nose pliers
Hakko or better desoldering gun and soldering iron

Most importantly, quality examples of all of those things. Harbor Freight/Aoyue/whatever other knock off trash from China/Amazon belongs in the dumpster, it's worth spending good money on the things you will use for every job.

I've got everything and more that I need to fix these wooden boxes of wires in my Snap-On roll cab.

Tools that go well and beyond making repairing these things like child's play.

Very intrigued by the cordless iron. Do you find it gets hot enough with that tip to heat up coil lugs and such? Adding to wishlist for later...

Long shank quarter drive and Kline small flat nosed pliers. These seem to get the most action.

LTG : )

1. My brain
2. The collective pinside brain

One I don't think I have seen previously mentioned is completely free (from a certain point of view.....), my cell phone. I very often take many pictures of things as I am working on them for reference later on (and not just for pinball but that is where the habit started). They have saved my butt on multiple occasions trying to remember how everything goes back together. I have learned over the years what types of photos are more helpful than others and that lighting and resolution can be the difference between seeing that little detail that you need to place something back in its correct location.

For pinball: Magnetic nut driver set
Out of every tool I own: Hakko FR-300 desoldering gun
Honorable Mention: A decent multimeter

I've also found the slow mo feature to be really helpful when trying to diagnose stuff too.

Aside from the obvious, two goofy thing that I really like are:
1) magnetic bowl to put screws, nuts and bolts in while working.
2) magnetic poseable flashlight.

Both are cheap and really useful

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telescoping magnet

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My wife got me one of these magnetic wristbands for Christmas a few years back, now I don't lift a playfield without wearing it. It only takes one dropped screw to ruin your day.

http://www.magnogrip.com/products/magnetic-wristband-black-22

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Leatherman. by far. nothing else even remotely gets as much use.

When working on EM pinball machines I have four favorites:
schematic
screw driver
soldering iron
continuity tester

One of these. Am I old?

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All these tools are great and I use all the time for repairs.

Tools

http://www.pinballsupernova.com/tools.html

Cleaning Supplies

http://www.pinballsupernova.com/cleaning.html

The consensus (and my own experience bears this out), is that for normal homeowner use, it is hard to beat the value and convenience of Ryobi 18v cordless tools. They have a wide variety of tools that all take the same batteries (once you pick one brand, you're pretty much stuck there so you can swap batteries around), and there are often very good deals on them. You can get a starter set with drill, impact driver, charger, and 2 batteries for around $99. Bare tools can go from $30–$80 if you find a deal. They just had a deal for hammer drill, the big 4ah battery, charger, and another free tool (or you could pick up 2 more 4ah batteries) for $149.

If you are doing commercial work, really using them hard, they may not be enough for you. I can say my drills, leaf blower, hedge trimmer, etc. have all been more than powerful enough, reliable, and the Lithium batteries are SO much better than older generations. They last a long time, and retain charge for months, so it's not like the old batteries that are always empty when you need them. For casual use, it is hard to go wrong with Ryobi stuff. Professionals or those needing more power may need higher-end (more expensive) or corded tools.