Cable Installation Tools – Getting the Job Done

While running a short length of coaxial cable and hooking it into a television isn't a major task for most people, serious cable installation can be much more complicated and require much more specialized consideration and even special cable installation tools. There is a plethora of different tools available that can make the entire process of installing phone and data systems of any size much easier to do. Simply put, they make the installation go much faster and easier and normally help create better results thanks to the precision that they provide. There are many different types of cable installation tools that can help get the job done with ease, some more common and useful than others.

The most basic cable installation tools include cutter and strippers, crimp tools, testers, and specialized staples. Specialized jobs will require specialized tools, of course. No cable installer will be found without their cable cutters/strippers. These are the basis upon which the entire job is built, and high quality cable cutters are preferred. Most cable cutters/strippers include a cutting area coupled with a series of differently sized notches. Each notch is designed for a different size wire and makes stripping the shielding off simple. There are cutters and strippers designed for flat phone cables, round communication cables, electrical cables, and many more. Heavy duty cables require a heavy duty cutter like the Greenlee Cable Cutter, a heavy duty forged steel cutter that can cut cables up to 2/0.

Of course, finding current cables is vital as well and things like the Greenlee Wire Finder or the Wire and Valve Locator make it easy to track down cables that have been buried or are hidden within a ceiling, wall, or floor. Compact models can save you money, but purchasing a high quality one will ensure that no wire is left unfound since they minimize background noise and feature a much greater range. Similar to finding the wire, finding out just how they're working is important as well and testing kits can quickly determine if there is a problem. Devices like the Fluke Networks MicroScanner2 Cable Verifier gives you multiple test modes and allows an installer to cut down the amount of time it takes them to finish a job and reduce errors in installation by delivering an accurate look at how a cable is functioning.

Securing cables is an issue as well during cable installation and one of the best cable installation tools is an insulated staple gun like an Arrow T59 professional Wiring Tacker. Whether you're stapling Category 5, Cat 6, fiber optic, or some other type of wire, insulated staples are preferred since they don't place as much pressure on the cable and ensure that no compression occurs due to tacking the cable into place. And once the cables are in, Network Identification Labeling Systems make it easy to ensure that future work goes smoothly since each cable will be labeled clearly as to what it is and what it does.

There are plenty of cable installation tools available, and you can even purchase full kits, tool bags, belts, and more that allow you to organize all of your tools in one convenient location. If you're just starting out, kits make the process of getting all of your tools at once easy. If cable installation is in your future, you'll be well served by making sure that you have all of the installation tools that you need before you begin the job.