So as an answer to Dave's lab equipment video I thought I would set myself a challenge to make a very useable lab for under $100. Sorry can't be done. So I went for the minimum I would consider as a well equipped enough lab and it can come under $250 delivered to your door!
Now I know that there are many people who would not go near
www.dx.com but I have had only a couple of less than acceptable things from them and they have always compensated for my problems. They sell some relatively good stuff, some OK stuff, and some outright junk. I hope to guide the beginner here to buying a complete lab from at least OK stuff from them. I have not touched everything I am going to list but I am fairly confident that it won't be junk.
What is my idea of a minimum lab for a beginner? Well it might be a bit higher than what some people started out with but the price is not that high. If you exclude one of the items that people might not think is necessary, a USB oscilloscope, then you end up with much less than $180 shipped to your door. If you omit the second DMM, then it drops to less than $160 shipped to your door. If you want to drop the USB scope, then that is up to you. I sincerely believe that the second DMM is very much worth having. Here is the list in links to the dx.com listing:
http://dx.com//p/128293 Uni-T UT136B DMM with capacitance $20.80
http://dx.com//p/168367 Uni-T UT136C DMM with temperature $21.70
http://dx.com//p/1874 Kada 936D soldering station $45.70
http://dx.com//p/39508 0-15V variable power supply $43.90
http://dx.com//p/107293 Helping hands with magnifier $11.60
http://dx.com//p/173773 Desoldering pump $3.10
http://dx.com//p/145819 Desoldering wick $2.30
http://dx.com//p/4643 0.6mm solder $9.99
http://dx.com//p/19908 Flush cutting side cutters $3.39
http://dx.com//p/3552 Tweezer set $2.32
http://dx.com//p/7066 Small needle nose pliers $3.03
http://dx.com//p/30601 31 piece screw driver set $10.14
http://dx.com/p/830-point-solderless-breadboard-118354 Experimenter breadboard $5.40
Total $183.37
http://dx.com//p/201072 48 MS/s USB oscilloscope $70.70 (optional)
Total $254.07
>A suggestion from AG6QR, an Elenco power supply kit:
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/elenco/power-supplies/xp720.htmwhich is especially good for those in North America. $50 plus shipping.
Now I know this will open a hornet's nest of opinions and comments, but this is what I think a good beginner's lab could use. Keep in mind this is from the viewpoint of a starved student, or a spouse nagged beginner, or a teen spending from an allowance or a part time fast food job. I am sure someone will have a problem with one, or even all of my selections. Too bad! This would make a really useful beginner's setup IMHO. I would have killed for something like this when I was 15. Just don't use the multimeters suggested here in the wall socket.
If you are reading this, then you have a computer already to use the USB scope but almost all of the experienced electronics people here started out without an oscilloscope. Having said that an oscilloscope is very useful even if it is a cheapo USB one. I would also strongly push having two meters so you can measure volts and amps at the same time.
P.S.
This list is not meant to represent the pinnacle of quality. It is a list of useable gear that is available world wide at the same price for everyone, shipped to your door. The power supply and soldering station are for 220VAC.
Edit:
Added an incredible oversight! I added a solderless breadboard that is an obvious need. It pushes the end price to over $250 by $4, but it is almost necessary.