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Essential RC helicopter tools
By Paul Walsh Last reviewed
Good tools make helicopter work quicker and save the screws, parts and knuckles that bad tools destroy. You don't need much, but what you have should be decent quality.
The essentials
| Tool | Why |
|---|---|
| Hex drivers (1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0mm) | Most helicopter screws are hex head |
| Nut drivers (4.0, 5.5, 7.0mm) | Nuts on blade bolts, the head and links |
| Ball-link pliers | Pop links off without breaking them |
| Small Phillips driver | Servo arms and toy helicopters |
| Medium-strength thread lock | Stops metal screws vibrating loose |
| Needle-nose pliers | General use |
| Side cutters | Cable ties, trimming |
| Sharp hobby knife | Trimming, cleaning up parts |
Buy hardened-tip hex drivers from a known brand. Cheap ones round off and ruin screw heads.
For collective pitch helicopters
| Tool | Why |
|---|---|
| Pitch gauge | Set zero pitch and collective range |
| Swashplate levelling tool | Level the swashplate quickly and accurately |
| Blade balancer | Balance main blades |
| Ball-link sizer | Ease tight new ball links |
| Digital calipers | Measure links and parts |
How to use them is in swashplate levelling and blade tracking and balancing.
Electronics tools
- A servo tester to check servos away from the helicopter. See RC servos explained.
- A battery checker to read individual cell voltages.
- A soldering iron (60W or more, temperature controlled) for connectors and wiring.
- Heat-shrink tubing in a few sizes.
Nice to have
- A magnetic parts tray, so screws don't vanish.
- A work mat with a lip.
- A head-mounted magnifier for micro helicopters.
- A small bearing puller for larger helicopters.
What you can skip at first
Expensive tool kits full of sizes you'll never use, specialist pullers, and anything you can borrow at the club. Buy tools as each job needs them.
When a job's beyond your tools, see RC helicopter repair. Back to the RC helicopters hub.
Frequently asked questions
What size hex drivers do RC helicopters use?
Most use metric hex sizes: 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.5mm cover the majority of small and mid-size helicopters, with 3.0mm on larger models.
What thread lock should I use?
Medium-strength (blue) thread lock on metal-to-metal screws. Never use it on screws going into plastic, as it can crack the plastic.
Do I need a pitch gauge?
For collective pitch helicopters, yes. It's how you set zero pitch and the collective range accurately.
Related guides
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RC helicopter repair
When a repair is worth doing yourself, which jobs need a specialist, what repairs typically cost and how to post a helicopter safely.
RC helicopters
Swashplate levelling
Level the swashplate, set servo arms and zero pitch correctly on a collective pitch helicopter, with or without a levelling tool.
RC helicopters
Blade tracking and balancing
How to check and adjust main blade tracking, balance blades properly, and cure the vibration that out-of-track rotors cause.