Dual Helping Hands with Magnifier

by Parts Express

Product Description

Perfect for soldering, the helping hands can hold small components, PC boards, or anything that requires soldering or fine assembly. Includes magnifier. Will adjust to any angle. Net weight: 1-1/4 lbs. Dimensions: 5" x 5".

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0002BBZ2Y
• Item model number: SE.MZ101
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,555 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars handy-bot, January 17, 2009

By 

Victor H. Olvera "DudeOfX" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dual Helping Hands with Magnifier (Misc.)

I am speaking as a newbie in soldering... I got this device on a "just cause" basis, but right off the bat I could tell how useful it is. Its a must have device. My very first project was to fix a set of headphones and it keeps the wires right were you want them. Its also kinda cute, it looks like a little bot, its not so bad as a shelf decor. My only complaint is that its base is a little small, if you don't have the weight distribution right it'll tip over. I am thinking it be nice if it had little holes so I could attach it to a more permanent base but its alright as is.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's decent, but hard to adjust, June 10, 2007

By 

Nathan Robinson "DIY Trial & Error" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dual Helping Hands with Magnifier (Misc.)

These helping hands work, and I do use them daily, but it's a trial. The wing nuts don't hold anything tightly enough unless you tighten them with pliers, the magnifying lens is difficult to maneuver, and the base isn't heavy enough.

Bottom line: it's the thrift store price, don't expect name-brand quality.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice idea, unfortunetly more often than not it's more trouble than it's worth., February 18, 2008

By 

Uncle Sam - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dual Helping Hands with Magnifier (Misc.)

I picked one of these up at radio shack thinking it might help modify a circuit board.

Unfortunetly, over all the unit is too cumbersome to use effectively. The actual item is completely adjustable, in that you can move the arms and the magnifying glass in order to see something better, but most of the time, the positions that made the most sense to me (I.E. Glass at a 45degree angle to board, arms ready to hold wire etc) would cause the base to tip over - Once it hit the side of the board when I wasn't expecting it.

The glass it's self works, just not well. It's adjustable, but more often than not, I simply moved it out of the way since I could get a more accurate/reliable view with the naked eye than I could with the glass.

As for the arms, well, to be blunt, they aren't long enough to be very effective.

I suppose you could use this to hold a board up and use the glass to solder the board while looking through the glass, but overall once again, it's more trouble than it's worth.

The idea seems good, but as-is, it's cumbersome and bulky.