DIY electronics repair · tools & parts shopping guides
Don’t buy the wrong kit. Don’t DIY the wrong job.
Shop quotes for a cracked screen or dead battery can feel predatory. Thin Amazon listicles count bits, not steel. FixKit Lab is for people who will actually open the device: which toolkit won’t round out, which parts are worth trusting, and when you should stop and pay a shop.
Start here
Best repair toolkits (2026)
S2 vs CR-V, P2/Y000 coverage, opening tools — ranked the way a fixer actually cares.
Pro Tech vs Essential vs budget
Who should buy which lane — and when a cheap N-in-1 is a trap.
Is it worth repairing?
Parts + tools + time + risk vs just replacing the thing.
Device jobs people actually search
Joy-Con drift
Toolkit + joystick module basket — and when cleaning won’t cut it.
MacBook battery DIY vs Apple
Cost math before you fight glued cells with a heat pad.
iPhone battery tools
Pentalobe, adhesive, heat, ESD — the checklist, not a fake teardown.
Apple SSRP vs iFixit
Genuine parts path vs owned tools — without “official partner” nonsense.
How we pick (short version)
Bit steel and the bits that matter for phones beat marketing “150-in-1” counts. Opening tools and adhesive matter as much as drivers. We say when to stop. Full criteria live on the toolkit methodology.