SE MZ101 Dual Helping Hands with Magnifier

by SE

• Holds item securely, leaving hands free for soldiering, etc.
• Built-in magnifying glass aids in minute detail work
• Can hold small components

Product Description

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

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

By Victor H. Olvera

Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

13 of 14 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

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.

17 of 20 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

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A bad copy of an already heavily copied tool June 2, 2011

By James Q. Smith

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 2.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 2.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 1.0 out of 5 stars   

This Amazon purchase was the worst clone I've ever seen, so I had to return it. It was so badly made, it was comical and at least made me laugh. Its is not the item pictured on the link. I've posted comparison photos of the 'original' versus the bad Amazon vendor sold copy so future buyers can beware. I rarely return Amazon purchases, but for this item, I had too.

In a nutshell the key problems shown in the photos are:

1. Alligator clips are friction held rather than tightened by thumb screws, so they are easy to dislodge. The original design could hold firmly with a simple thumbscrew + wingnut. Squeezing the metal won't help; repeated movements of the clip will fatigue the metal, and it will inevitably dislodge again.

2. The metal is thinner than the original, increasing its rate of fatigue. The thinner metal reduces the weight further of the original design. The diameter of many parts are even smaller including the already small thumbscrew and wingnuts of the original design, that was already inconvenient to use.

3. The base weight has been reduced by ~ 1/3, and is so poorly cast, metal flakes were flaking off it.

4. The magnifying glass was of similar quality as the original, no optical aberrations, but the frame was of thinner metal that I half expected the lens to fall off.

Note, the original design is still worth buying, but make sure the clips are held by thumb screws, and the base metal weight is cast smoothly at all corners, and not uneven as photographed.

I've used helping hands for over 20 years. Its so cheap, that whenever I think I need another, I pick one up. Its ranged from $3-10, and the 'originals' had made in Taiwan stamped on them.... I frankly don't know who invented these, but its been copied by so many manufacturers, the main difference is the quality of whatever clone construction you pick up.

An advantage it has over Panavise PanaVise Model 201 "Junior" Miniature Vise beyond price, is that its small enough to put inside some equipment under repair, its metal so when soldering there is no risk of melting plastic parts as in some Panavises, and multiple cheap helping hands can do what a large Panavise is meant to do and more.

If you need more weight pick up a $3 5# weight plate Olympic-Style Plates - 5 Lb. (EA) from any sports store and zip tie it to the base, to provide more leverage and stability. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Came short one clip... August 6, 2009

By cpu_nurd

Amazon Verified Purchase

The unit showed up short one alligator clip with ball joint, so I guess it's not a 'Dual' unit after all. Amazon couldn't provide the missing part although they did suggest I return it for full credit or get partial credit for loss, but since it wasn't theirs they could not provide the missing part. Thanks Amazon, but the need was urgent and so I took it and the partial credit and kludged an alternative solution. The Magnifier is sort of useless and smaller then I thought it would be, maybe with a longer arm, but the rest did the job with some kludging of a second clip.

5.0 out of 5 stars Such a useful little tool... May 8, 2013

By Aja

This little item is so utterly useful. I only have two hands and far too often I find I need a little help holding something.

I use it a lot for working with fine chain mail, and it keeps the item I am working on firmly and steady in front of me. The magnifying glass all too often is needed for the real fine work.

It is strong, sturdy, can point every which way I need it to and can hold a few pounds of weight.

If I would have any complaint (and I really don't) it is that the base is a bit small, which means that the whole thing can tip over if I don't watch the center of gravity. But adding a little wooden base could easily prevent that.

For just a few dollars, I have save so much time with this little helper on my desk.

Very much recommended!