Which Screwdrivers a Phone Workshop Actually Needs

Most repair work comes down to four screw heads, and a bench that has those four covered properly will open almost anything that lands on it. Buying a sixty-piece bit set is not the same as having the right four drivers in good condition: worn or soft bits round out screws, and a rounded screw in a charge port bracket turns a twenty-minute job into an hour.

Driver	Where it is used	Notes
Pentalobe	The two external screws either side of the charge port on iPhone.	The first screws on almost every iPhone job. Wears fastest, so keep a spare.
Tri-point (Y000)	Internal brackets: battery connector covers, Taptic Engine, screen brackets.	Very small and easy to damage. A poor-quality Y000 is the classic cause of a stripped bracket screw.
Phillips (PH000 / PH00)	Internal screws across iPhone, Samsung and most Android devices.	The most-used driver on the bench. Worth buying properly.
Torx / Torx security	Samsung and other Android chassis, some tablets and consoles.	Needed as soon as you take work beyond Apple devices.

Add a set of plastic and metal opening tools, fine tweezers for flex cables, and something to keep screws in position order, and that is a working bench. Everything after that is about speed and doing harder jobs.

Beyond the Basics: Soldering, Cleaning and Consumables

The tools that separate a screen-and-battery shop from a shop that can quote board work are soldering equipment and cleaning supplies. Charge port replacement, tail flex work and board-level repair all need a controlled iron, decent flux and the patience to use them. It is the highest-margin work in the trade and the equipment cost is recovered quickly, but it is worth being honest about the learning curve before buying the kit.

The unglamorous categories matter more than they look. Consumables — adhesive, tape, wipes — are what a workshop actually runs out of mid-job, and running out mid-job is what turns a same-day repair into a next-day one. Screw mats and trays pay for themselves the first time a stripped device sits overnight and still goes back together correctly in the morning. Cleaning supplies are what makes liquid-damage work viable at all.

Buying Tools for a Workshop

If you are equipping a bench from scratch, start with the four drivers above, a prying set, tweezers and a screw mat, then add soldering once the volume justifies it. If you are replacing tired kit, replace the drivers first: they are cheap, they wear, and they do the most damage when worn. And if there is a tool you need that we do not list, get in touch — we will look for an alternative or order it in where we can.

We price-match on tools and kits: if you find the same item cheaper elsewhere, tell us and we will aim to match it. Orders on stocked items placed before the 5:45pm cut-off are dispatched the same working day from Swansea, with free UK mainland delivery over £100. For the parts to go with the tools, see iPhone screens, iPhone batteries and mobile phone parts.

Repair Tools FAQs

What tools do I need to start repairing phones?▾

For screen and battery work on iPhone: a Pentalobe driver for the two external port screws, a Tri-point Y000 and a Phillips PH000 for the internal brackets, a set of plastic and metal opening tools, fine tweezers for flex cables, and a screw mat so screws go back where they came from. Add a Torx set as soon as you take on Samsung and Android work. That covers the large majority of jobs. Soldering equipment comes later, when charge port and board work justifies it.

Do you price match on repair tools?▾

Yes. If you find the same mobile phone tool or kit cheaper with another supplier, let us know and we will aim to match the price. We would rather match it than have you order the same item elsewhere, and trade accounts get volume pricing on top of that.

Can you source a tool you do not stock?▾

Often, yes. If you cannot find the right tool or kit on the site, contact us and we will either suggest an alternative we hold or look at ordering it in. It is worth asking, particularly on equipment for newer devices where the tooling changes faster than the catalogue does.

Why do my screwdrivers keep rounding out screws?▾

Almost always a worn or soft bit rather than the screw itself. Phone screws are tiny and the internal Tri-point and Phillips heads have very little metal to grip, so a bit that has lost its edge slips and takes the head with it. Drivers are consumables, not lifetime tools: replace them when they start to feel vague rather than waiting until they fail on a customer's device, and keep a spare Pentalobe and Y000 on the bench since those two wear fastest.

Do you supply tools to repair shops on trade terms?▾

Yes. iParts4U is a UK trade supplier: repair shops get volume pricing, priority stock access and dedicated support, and most shops order tools alongside their regular parts so it all arrives together. Retail customers are welcome too, at the same quality standard. Stocked items ordered before 5:45pm are dispatched the same working day.

Phone Repair Tools & Kits

Everything that goes on the bench rather than in the phone: screwdrivers, prying and opening tools, tweezers, soldering equipment, cleaning gear, consumables and workshop organisation. Stocked for UK repair shops at trade prices, with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 5:45pm and free UK mainland delivery over £100.

Trade and Retail Buyers Welcome