A lot of the times I find myself in need of a few tools to use on any DIY project I have in mind. As an engineering student I would love to put my hands on some of those professional and expensive tools to play around but for DIY purposes I have to settle for the affordable side since it works just fine. Here is a list of tools every hobbyist needs to have when trying to develop an electronics project:

Arduino Starter Kit An Arduino starting kit is essential for almost any project since you’ll be in need of a microcontroller all the time. Besides it’s an easy and cheap way of learning to program and work with basic elements of a circuit/prototyping. Link to product

Soldering iron Soldering irons/stations are what links your project together. You’ll need one no matter what. You can start with a cheaper one with multiple tips and the ability to change the temperature. Soldering stations are probably the best but they do not fit in the affordable area, however I must link you to a soldering iron that is just as efficient as a soldering station and half of it’s price. It’s called TS100 and it’s definitely a bit more expensive than the other products on this list but it’s worth every penny. Link to TS100. It’s also open source! Link to product

Multimeter I think the most expected item on this list is a multimeter. You’ll also need this in your DIY electric but also most likely around the house. This one is a pretty affordable multimeter that includes an interesting number of measurements that range from the basic resistance, current, voltage to the more unique ones like temperature and frequency. Later on this can be upgraded. Link to product

Mini Oscilloscope A mini oscilloscope is not a must for a beginner hobbyist but it’s definitely a must for the cool projects. You will use one whether you want to build a drone, robot or other circuits. Oscilloscopes can get really expensive. A decent full DSO usually starts from $400. This one is a MINI version and it’s price is totally justified. Besides the fact that it’s small makes it portable which can be helpful sometimes. Link to product