Tools For DIY Solar Projects

[Pink7]

Im not the most experience handyman and have a minimum of tools at hand, so now Im looking into what i need to buy, without to much wrong buying. ( tools who not suitable for the jobs etc..) I already bought a MC4 crimper.. Next im looking into now is Cable cutter who i can use for 4mm2 solar cable and 25mm2 and 50mm2 Battery cables. I found THIS on Lazada, will it do the job? Feel free to suggest better options. Do i need a cable stripper? Or just use a knife?

 

Pink

[Crossy]

Yeah, that looks the business.

 

I hate to admit it, but I actually use a pair of Madam's old pruning secateurs and a sharp knife, I just never got around to buying proper cable shears

 

You will also need a decent cable crimper if you are going to make up your own battery cables.

[carlyai]

A sharp knife is always good to have. I have a couple of solid 'cutters' (what they call them over here). Stanly knives with a few blade packs. Gotta keep the blades in protective oiled packs as they tend to rust quickly in humid places.

I think those side-cutters in the picture are good to have, but may need a smaller pair for finer work.

Really you can use anything, it's just what you get used to using.

[IAMHERE]

Do you have access to youtube video's?    " Will Prowse tools" would get you some helpful info.

Edited December 26, 2022 by IAMHERE
spelling

[BritManToo]

Like @Crossy, no special tools required just use what you have around the house.

If you're building your own battery packs maybe a wire stripper and soldering iron.

[Crossy]

Assuming you already have the "normal" DIY electrical tools I would suggest: -

• The correct MC-4 (solar panel connectors) crimp tool.
• A decent cable crimp tool if you are making up "big" battery cables (my tool does up to 50mm² cables, it wasn't terribly expensive).
• Cable shears (or those old secateurs).
• A decently watty soldering iron, say 100-150W (and resin-cored solder).
• Heat gun for heatshrink - Madam's hair-dryer isn't up to the job although I've used the gas stove in the past.

If you are assembling DIY battery packs, I strongly recommend insulating your socket set / spanners / drivers with heatshrink. Dropping a spanner across a 200Ah lithium cell or (worse) battery can get spectacular fast!

 

If you don't already have one, a clamp-on ammeter that does DC current.

 

Luckily, the majority of what you need is available from local Lazada / Shopee sellers, so getting the right tools won't delay your project too much.

 

[Muhendis]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

secateurs

Well done Crossy. It would have taken me ages to get that spelling right. 

[Peterphuket]

I like to give you only one advice, when using MC4 connectors, male and female, be aware they are from the same brand.

The connectors from different brands are inside not always the same, for example shorter or longer, and can cause problems in the long run.

See also this: 

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Peterphuket

[Crossy]

Yeah ^^^, definitely buy enough (plus spares) to complete the job from the same source at the same time. A bag of 50 or 100 pairs isn't going to break the bank.

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Peterphuket said:

I like to give you only one advice, when using MC4 connectors, male and female, be aware they are from the same brand.

The connectors from different brands are inside not always the same, for example shorter or longer, and can cause problems in the long run.

Would point out the PV panels come with MC4 connectors already fitted, so nothing you buy will be connected together. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by BritManToo

[Peterphuket]

20 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Would point out the PV panels come with MC4 connectors already fitted, so nothing you buy will be connected together. 

I agree with that, that's the problem that I also have and has been bothering me for some time.

But if you buy the solar panels it is easy to cut the plugs and mount the new ones from the same brand.

[BritManToo]

Just now, Peterphuket said:

I agree with that, that's the problem that I also have and has been bothering me for some time.

But if you buy the solar panels it is easy to cut the plugs and mount the new ones from the same brand.

Invalidating your 25 year guarantee ...........

[Crossy]

Even the panel manufacturers use slightly different MC4 connectors.

 

Generally, you can feel if your chosen MC-4 brand are going to be loose (not good) or tight (hard to get apart) with your chosen brand of panels. I certainly wouldn't cut the connectors off a new panel.

 

I wouldn't get overly stressed out, just don't buy the cheapest of the cheap.

[Pink7]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

Assuming you already have the "normal" DIY electrical tools I would suggest: -

• The correct MC-4 (solar panel connectors) crimp tool.
• A decent cable crimp tool if you are making up "big" battery cables (my tool does up to 50mm² cables, it wasn't terribly expensive).
• Cable shears (or those old secateurs).
• A decently watty soldering iron, say 100-150W (and resin-cored solder).
• Heat gun for heatshrink - Madam's hair-dryer isn't up to the job although I've used the gas stove in the past.

If you are assembling DIY battery packs, I strongly recommend insulating your socket set / spanners / drivers with heatshrink. Dropping a spanner across a 200Ah lithium cell or (worse) battery can get spectacular fast!

 

If you don't already have one, a clamp-on ammeter that does DC current.

 

Luckily, the majority of what you need is available from local Lazada / Shopee sellers, so getting the right tools won't delay your project too much.

 

Thanks for the info Crossy.

- What you soldering on diy battery?

 

Pink

 

 

[Pink7]

5 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

I like to give you only one advice, when using MC4 connectors, male and female, be aware they are from the same brand.

The connectors from different brands are inside not always the same, for example shorter or longer, and can cause problems in the long run.

See also this: 

 

Yes i decided on this some time back and made a tread on it. I have buy LINK solar cables and LINK MC4 connectors, who i will use with the connectors on the panels.

 

Pink

[Crossy]

7 minutes ago, Pink7 said:

Thanks for the info Crossy.

- What you soldering on diy battery?

 

One may wish to solder the BMS sense wires to the cell interconnect links (big lumps of copper), some people are less than confident in their crimping ability (or have a carppy crimp tool) and like to run some solder into the crimped joint too (don't do this if you have any vibration e.g. a mobile set-up). 

[Pink7]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

Yeah ^^^, definitely buy enough (plus spares) to complete the job from the same source at the same time. A bag of 50 or 100 pairs isn't going to break the bank.

 

I have been calculating exactly then added 1... i will order some more of them.. Stop working process is much bigger issue than have 10+ stock, thanks Crossy.

 

Pink

[tjo o tjim]

I would get a good digiital AC/DC multimeter with milivolt readings, and a DC shunt.

[TronxII]

And a nice to have tool is a DC clamp Amperemeter. Not an AC clamp Amperemeter!

They start from 35$. This saves you the hassle to disconnect cables to measure current.

[carlyai]

9 hours ago, TronxII said:

And a nice to have tool is a DC clamp Amperemeter. Not an AC clamp Amperemeter!

They start from 35$. This saves you the hassle to disconnect cables to measure current.

Can't you buy a clamp meter with AC and DC current sensing functions?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/27/2022 at 3:45 AM, Pink7 said:

Im not the most experience handyman

Not wanting to be a wet blanket, but assuming the panels and assorted accessories are expensive, is it false economy to try and DIY if not an experienced handyman?

I learned everything I did by making mistakes the first time, but not normally anything too expensive or not easily fixed.

I learned a lot by observing people that did know what they were doing the first time.

[Pink7]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not wanting to be a wet blanket, but assuming the panels and assorted accessories are expensive, is it false economy to try and DIY if not an experienced handyman?

I learned everything I did by making mistakes the first time, but not normally anything too expensive or not easily fixed.

I learned a lot by observing people that did know what they were doing the first time.

What Im missing in handyman skills i compensate in project management skills and by research ability. Im not progress on anything before i have a solution i can stand back. So i take its kind of slow. Next plan now its making some cables ready for testing temporary mounting together  for test purpose and learning.

 

Pink

[Crossy]

4 hours ago, carlyai said:

Can't you buy a clamp meter with AC and DC current sensing functions?

 

Yes, but you have to verify it does do DC current, many don't and do AC only.

[Pink7]

9 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Yes, but you have to verify it does do DC current, many don't and do AC only.

Yes that was a good point mention by both of you that i was not aware of that cheapest units did not measure DC current, so that would have been wasted money and time until i have discover it could not do the job. I found a good unit on Lazada, look to be same unit as in the given photo too:  HT206D

 

Pink

Edited December 29, 2022 by Pink7

[Pink7]

I also need some wrenches or maybe a wrench set. Should i get mm or inch version?

 

Pink

[Crossy]

13 minutes ago, Pink7 said:

I also need some wrenches or maybe a wrench set. Should i get mm or inch version?

 

Metric, although there are imperial fasteners on sale in some places the closest metric size spanner usually fits OK.

 

Get a set of combination spanners 

 

 

Or

[Pink7]

17 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Metric, although there are imperial fasteners on sale in some places the closest metric size spanner usually fits OK.

 

Get a set of combination spanners 

 

 

Or

I need some socket wrench set i think to rich inside the Growatts battery mount bolts.

 

Pink

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, Pink7 said:

I need some socket wrench set i think to rich inside the Growatts battery mount bolts.

 

Yeah, good idea.

 

In order to manage any job you really need both a 1/2" square drive and 1/4" square drive set (a decent 3/8" square drive set may do the trick).

 

Have a look in your local DIY places, quality varies vastly and you really don't want the cheapest of the cheap.

 

[Crossy]

I would add that wrenches/spanners, socket sets, screwdrivers, hammers, files, power drills (and drill bits of various formats) etc. etc. would come in my bracket of "normal DIY tools" rather than being specific to solar.

 

But if you don't have them, now is a good time to go shopping ???? 

 

[Crossy]

If you are making up your own battery packs I would also invest in some Uni-Seal jointing compound.

 

A quick rub over with emery on the terminals followed by a smear (you really don't need much) of this stuff will ensure a good and long-lasting contact. Use it on all your high-current joints.

 

It's definitely not cheap, but one tube will last you a lifetime, shake well before use.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i2156648662-s7185722295.html