Ironically, working on small tasks like soldering, electronics repair, and other crafts require more helping hands. Intricate details that require precision might need one hand to hold the tiny project in place, another one to hold the lens for magnification and one or two more to work on the details. It is a good thing, therefore, that we could have extra hands with helping hands magnifier stations.
Identifying which one is most likely to work best for you among all the products available in the market could be quite tricky, though. To help you make informed choices, this article summarizes the top 5 helping hands magnifier stations that were tried and tested.
Best Helping Hands Magnifier Station Comparison & Rating
Helping Hands Magnifier Station | Features |
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1. AORAEM LED Light Helping Hands Magnifier Station
Brand | AORAEM |
Magnification | 2.5X, 7.5X, 10X |
Dimensions | 6.8” x 4.7” x 3.6” |
Weight | 21.44 ounces |
Undeniably, the best feature of this helping hands magnifier station is its powerful magnification along with bright lighting which aids scrutiny and working on the intricate details of small projects like crafts and models. I would suggest putting some cotton or cloth on clips to ensure they won’t scratch your project. Nonetheless, the capability of combining auxiliary lenses is quite nice. Finally, the product could use two power sources. If you opt for an external power source, the built-in batteries will automatically be disconnected.
2. Elenco Helping Hands with Magnifying Glass
Brand | Elenco |
Magnification | 2.25X |
Dimensions | 7.5” x 5” x 1” |
Weight | 14.4 ounces |
For a very low-cost product, this item is quite solid and works as intended. If you are working on light items like small electronic circuit boards or miniature paintings or crafts, it works just fine and the heavy base holds well enough. It is also quite easy to reinforce the base’s stability with a magnet or metal bar. Further, the product has a very nice grip with its adjustable clips. To cap it all, you don’t need to worry that your soldering might melt the body or the base of the product because this helping hand magnifier station is solid metal. It really gives great value to your money.
3. Ram-Pro Helping Hand Magnifier Glass Stand with Flexible Neck LED Flashlight
Brand | Ram-Pro |
Magnification | 3X |
Dimensions | 5.98” x 5” x 2.01” |
Weight | 13.4 ounces |
If you are looking for a good grip from your extra pair of hands, this helping hands magnifier station is a good option to consider. The little grippers in this product are good at holding your pieces in place as you work on the details of your model. To cushion the project from the teeth of the clips, however, we would suggest you use some cushion-like thin cloth or cotton so it won’t scratch your work. Further, this is also a good product to consider bolting on your workbench to assist you on little tasks requiring heat because the iron material used for its construction could better withstand the heat as you work on your project.
4. Fancii LED Light Helping Hands Magnifier Station
Brand | Francii |
Magnification | 2X, 4X |
Dimensions | 8.3” x 3.3” x 6.7” |
Weight | 13 ounces |
If you are working on small or lightweight projects like crafts and miniature paintings, this would be a nice helping hands magnifier station that you could try working with. It has one primary lens which zooms to 2X and an auxiliary lens that zooms to 4X. The clamp also opens to half an inch. You would appreciate the way you could actually thumb screw the clips into position so they would be locked into the position you want them to be in.
5. Zega Crafts Helping Hand Magnifier
Brand | Zega |
Magnification | 4X |
Dimensions | 5.04” x 3.43” x 2.95” |
Weight | 11.7 ounces |
With its cast-iron base, this helping hand magnifier station is an extra pair of hands that you might want to look into for soldering projects because the body of the helping hand station could withstand the heat as you work. It holds wires well enough and is stable for small and lightweight projects. Further, if you decide that your project does not have much need for a magnifier, the lens could be easily detached.
Best Helping Hands Magnifier Stations - Buyer's Guide
The first thing that you need to take into consideration when picking your helping hands magnifier station is the nature of the project you plan to use it for. If your tasks require soldering, you might want to consider a helping hand station that would be more likely to withstand heat as you work. Your project would also affect the size of the clips and the weight of the helping hand station that you should purchase.
You won’t probably want a helping hand magnifier station that constantly tips over. Hence, you should look into the base in terms of the materials used and design. Even if the base is not as heavy as you want it to be, you could always look for a design that would permit easy bolting or drilling into your workbench.
One of the things that you might want to check out in the helping hands station that you would pick is its grip. You should verify how strong does it grip a project so it would remain stable as you work on the intricate details.
You should probably check into the adjustability of the product as well. This is important to ensure versatility in the jobs it could assist you with. The clamp, magnifying lens, and LEd lamps should be adjusted to support the demands of the project you need to work on.
This item is intended to aid projects that require precision. Hence, you might want to look at a helping hand that would give you a good view of the tiny details in your project. The kind of details you need to work with would dictate whether you should look for a magnifier that zooms to 2X or higher.
Best Helping Hands Magnifier Stations - FAQs
The helping hands station provides clippers to hold your model or project in place so it would remain stable as you work on the details. Because the projects that require this station usually require precision, it often comes with a magnifier to help you see the tiny and intricate details of your work.
Most helping hands stations are designed for lightweight projects. However, to reinforce the stability of the product, you could add weight to the base or drill it into your workbench. This would save you from the worries of having the whole thing tip over while you’re working.
If the clips have sharp teeth, which you believe might scratch your model or project, you could easily add some cushion to the grippers to protect your project. These cushions could be rubber, cotton, or thin cloth.
The best helping hands magnifier station for a soldering project should be a product that could withstand the heat that would be generated as you work. Hence, you might prefer a product that has a more solid metal build. Furthermore, it should have clips that would provide tight grips on your project so it would stay in place as you work.
