Reviewer:
Owen Marshall
from West Chicago, IL United States
I purchased the Make: Electronics book in order to brush up my skills, but I was woefully bereft of the tools. What to do? Fortunately, Maker Shed came to the rescue with this kit! While the word "deluxe" might be a stretch, I find that everything here is useful not only for the projects mentioned in the book, but for general use.
I like the fact that the case contains more pockets than the tools included. It is a reminder that this kit is not the alpha and omega, merely a first step on what can be an interesting and rewarding path.
The multimeter, the wire stripper, and the helping hands are the parts that I use the most. And while I am aware that when I progress to more difficult projects, I shall need a better meter, I am quite satisfied with the one I have for now.
Are there better components available? Certainly. But the ones included in this kit are great for people who are just starting out and will enable them to get what they need in one convenient place.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
OK for getting started
January 10, 2012
Reviewer:
david
from New Mexico
Big bag of cheap tools for a low cost!
Included multimeter is ~$25 online- works fine
Soldering iron is ~$10 online- sucks, I bought a better one after only a couple uses.
stand- really light, slides around easily, sponge for cleaning iron slides out.
Tools don't fit in the case nicely.
Components pack 1a comes with spools of wire. 1b comes with 1 tube of solder. You'll probably use it all eventually.
The rest of the stuff is fine but cheap. You'll already own or want a nice set of small screwdrivers.
Ordering this kit is a good way to get started right away and that is probably the only reason for anyone to buy it.
Buy the book first. It will tell you what to get and where. You'll have to decide for yourself how much you're willing to spend and for what. You could get the same soldering iron and multimeter for under $35. A top of the line soldering iron or fancy multimeter or pretty nice iron and meter cost about the same as this kit.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
A good value
October 30, 2010
Reviewer:
Christopher Dahle
from Del Norte, CO United States
Electronics is a remarkably cheap hobby. Whittling, I suppose is cheaper, but compared to sewing, or radio controlled airplanes, the cost is cheap.
To get started in electronics you do need a few good tools, but mostly what you need is a wide variety of 15 cent parts that you've never heard of before. To move forward, you need to plan on spending a couple of bucks a week.
Or, you can avoid the nickel and dime routine and get a volume discount by buying these kits up front. The kits give you quick, organized access to the parts that you do not yet know you need, but that are indispensable and maddeningly unavailable at the moment you need them.
As a bonus, many of the parts and tools in these kits are also called for in Arduino projects and are specified in the Forrest Mims book I am working through concurrently.
In short, for a very reasonable price, these kits have provided me with the tools and parts I need, and more importantly tools and parts I didn't know I needed.
Everything you need, relatively cheap! 
OK for getting started 
A good value 
