The right tool used correctly is one of the fastest ways to improve your robot and your skills. This guide covers:
In VEX V5RC, you are building a real competitive machine under time pressure. The difference between a team that arrives at competition with a reliable robot and one that spends the morning scrambling usually comes down to three things: design, practice, and tools.
This is not about owning the most expensive gear — it is about knowing which tool to reach for and using it correctly.
One team with a well-organized $150 kit will outperform another with $500 of tools they do not know how to use. This guide builds the knowledge, not just the inventory.
These are the tools every student who builds should own personally — not shared team tools, yours. If you are reaching across the table borrowing a hex driver, you are slowing everyone down.
The single most-used tool in VRC. Nearly every VEX screw is #8-32, driven by a 3/32" hex. The T-handle gives you the torque to seat screws without stripping — an L-key is faster but gives you no feel for when to stop. You will cam out and round screw heads if you over-torque, especially with a power driver.
Technique: Keep the driver perpendicular to the screw face. Apply downward pressure before turning — this seats the bit and prevents cam-out. Tighten until snug + a quarter turn. On nylock nuts, stop when resistance increases sharply.
Used for smaller VEX set screws and shaft collar set screws. If a shaft collar keeps slipping, a stripped 5/64" set screw is usually the cause. Keep a fresh one — the tip wears faster than 3/32" because the screws are harder to reach and students over-torque them.
Technique: Set screws on shaft collars should be firm but not cranked — too much torque will snap the screw in the collar and you will need to drill it out.
Used for larger VEX structural screws and some motor mount hardware. Less common than 3/32" but essential when you need it. An L-key is acceptable here since you rarely need fine torque control.
Used constantly — holding nylock nuts while driving screws, routing cables, reaching into tight chassis gaps, and pulling zip ties through anchor points. Get a 6" pair with a fine tip. Cheaper ones have too much jaw play and slip off nuts.
Technique: When holding a nylock nut, grip it at the flat faces — not the rounded top — so it can't spin. Keep the jaw teeth clean; metal shavings embed in the serrations and scratch aluminum.
For cutting zip ties flush after tightening. A zip tie tail left at 5mm is a cable snag waiting to happen — it catches on other cables and creates shorts. Flush-cut means the tail is cut at the lock body, not above it. Regular side cutters leave a sharp point; flush-cut leave a clean, flat surface.
Technique: Position the flat face of the cutter against the zip tie body, not angled away — this gives the cleanest flush cut with no sharp tip.
Fits VEX nylock nuts perfectly. You will use this every single build session — every screw assembly that goes through aluminum needs a nut on the other side. A standard hardware store wrench is identical to VEX's branded version at a fraction of the price. Get a thin-profile one so it fits in tight chassis gaps.
Pro move: Tape the handle with electrical tape so you can find it in the toolbox by feel. Wrenches slide under parts and disappear constantly.
A socket on a screwdriver handle — faster than an open-end wrench for accessible nuts. Doesn't work in tight spaces but dramatically speeds up assembly when you have clear access. Especially useful on drivetrain builds where many nuts are in a row.
These tools live in the team toolbox or on the workbench. Every team needs them — missing any one of these during a pit repair will cost you a match.
Pack this the night before. If you are hunting for something 10 minutes before your match, you already lost the repair window.
These don't travel to competition but every student should know how to use them at the workbench.
Measures shaft lengths, spacer stacks, hole positions, and bracket thicknesses to 0.01mm. Essential for odometry pod calibration (measuring tracking wheel offset) and custom part design in Onshape. Once you learn to use calipers everything you build gets more precise.
Technique: Zero the calipers before measuring. Measure twice on both sides of a part — aluminum is rarely perfectly uniform. For shaft stacks, measure each spacer individually and add them up rather than measuring the assembled stack.
A pipe cutter scores and snaps axle shafts cleanly without a saw. The VEX shaft cutting jig holds the shaft at the correct length for a clean, repeatable cut. Measure your stack with calipers first, cut to length, then deburr the end with a file or sandpaper so it doesn't catch on bearings.
Common mistake: Cutting without deburring — a sharp shaft end will shave material off bearing blocks and create metal dust inside your robot.
Deburrs cut shaft ends, smooths bracket edges after cutting, and enlarges holes slightly when a screw doesn't quite line up. A basic flat file and a round file cover 90% of what you need. Keep them clean — metal filings in the teeth ruin a file quickly. File in one direction only (push stroke) for clean, even material removal.
For seating bearing blocks, tapping wheels onto shafts, and disassembling press-fit parts without damaging them. Never use a metal hammer on VEX aluminum — you will deform the channel walls and ruin the part. Rubber only.
A compact electric screwdriver spins hex or Torx bits automatically — far faster than a manual driver for builds and pit repairs.
A cordless drill is used for drilling holes in custom parts (Delrin, polycarbonate, aluminum angle).
| Bit Type | Size | Used For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hex driver bit | 3/32” | Standard VEX 8-32 socket screws — most used | Keep 2–3 spares — bits wear faster under power |
| Hex driver bit | 5/64” | Set screws on collars, motor hubs, gears | Do not use at high speed — very easy to cam-out |
| Nut driver bit | 11/32” | Keps nuts, lock nuts, standoffs | Excellent with ratchet or electric screwdriver |
| Torx bit | T15 | Torx-head button screws | More cam-out resistant than hex — preferred for power use |
| Torx bit | T8 | Small Torx hardware on sensors and brackets | Use low speed only — small bit, easy to snap |
| Drill bit (HSS) | #7 (0.201”) | VEX standard clearance hole | Matches the VEX hole grid for alignment drilling |
Both are legitimate sources used by competitive teams. Neither is always better. The right answer depends on what you are buying and how much you care about the handle quality.
| Tool | VEX Robotics | Robosource | Hardware Store | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/32" T-Handle Hex | ○ Good | ● Best | — N/A | Robosource — better handle feel and durability |
| 5/64" Hex Driver | ○ Good | ○ Good | ○ Fine | Either — both identical at this size |
| 11/32" Open Wrench | ○ Good | ○ Good | ● Best | Hardware store — same tool, half the price |
| Needle-Nose Pliers | — N/A | — N/A | ● Best | Hardware store — Irwin or Channellock only |
| Flush-Cut Side Cutters | — N/A | ○ Good | ● Best | Hakko CHP-170 from Amazon — $8, best in class |
| VEX Screws & Nuts | ● Best | ○ Good | — Different sizes | VEX — buy the bulk packs directly |
| Smart Cables | ● Best | ○ Good | — N/A | VEX — cables differ; don't substitute |
| Shaft Collars & Spacers | ● Best | ○ Good | — N/A | VEX — tolerances are tighter on official parts |
At this level the goal is one thing: never make a problem worse. A beginner who uses the right tool correctly and stops when unsure is more valuable than someone who forces something and strips a screw the night before competition.
A developing student builds consistently and is starting to diagnose problems independently. They know not just which tool to use, but why, and they can explain their decisions. At this level you are a real contributor to the build team.
An advanced student can run a pit independently. They can diagnose a mechanical failure under time pressure, make the repair correctly, and have the robot ready for the next match — without mentor involvement. This is the target skill level for any student who wants to be the pit lead at a competition.
Every section of Spartan Design — Design, Build, Test, Improve — depends on tools being used correctly. Good tool habits connect directly to the things that matter most at competition.
Tools organized, pit box ready — now check your robot hardware before writing any code.
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