GT Tools

This page explains the usage of the Gregtech tools and their interactions with various blocks and machines. If a tool is not listed here, then it is only used in crafting recipes.

There is a tutorial covering how to craft your first tools if you need it.

Branch Cutter

 * Left click
 * Guarantees sapling drop from most tree leaves.

Butchery Knife

 * Left click
 * When used as a weapon, guarantees mobs and creatures do not explode when dealing the killing blow.

Crowbar

 * Right click
 * Removes covers from machines/blocks/pipes.
 * Can repair a maintenance issue on multiblocks ("That doesn't belong there").

File
Only used for crafting

Hammer

 * Left click
 * Breaks placed ores into crushed ores.
 * Right click
 * Toggles Auto-Input/Output on most GT blocks. Only really affects blocks with an item inventory that can accept/extract items.
 * Prospects ores in a very small range
 * Can repair a maintenance issue on multiblocks ("Platings are dented").

Hoe

 * Right click
 * Tills grass/dirt blocks near water source blocks.
 * Turns grass into dirt and has a chance to find a vanilla, Natura, or Witchery seed.
 * Doesn't do anything the Tinkers Construct mattock doesn't do.

Plow

 * Left click
 * Breaks a 3x3x3 area of snow.

Plunger

 * Right click
 * Voids 1,000L of liquid or gas from a GT machine or block.

Saw

 * Left click
 * Harvests ice

Sense

 * Left click
 * Harvests non-IC2 crops in a 5x5 area. Also breaks IC2 crops if they are in that 5x5 area.
 * Right click
 * Harvests IC2 crops in a 5x5 area.

Scoop

 * Left click
 * Breaks Forestry beehives to get bees.

Screwdriver

 * Right click
 * Increases the output stack size of item filters and buffer chests, when used on their output side.
 * Toggles the Input Filter of most GT machines and hatches/buses that have an input slot.
 * Allows input on the output side of GT machines, when used on their output side.
 * Sets output restrictions on output hatches. Restricted output hatches have higher priority over non-restricted hatches.
 * Increases the voltage of the 512V Creative Energy Buffer.
 * Increases the output amperage of Energy Buffers.
 * On multiblock controllers, toggles input bus separation. Useful for separating programmable circuits into separate input buses or setting up multiple input hatches on Processing Arrays for different colors of lenses or extruder molds.
 * Toggles settings on covers such as pumps, conveyers, and robot arms. Better to use the GUI if it is available for the cover (shift-right click with an empty hand).
 * Toggles voiding overflow mode on Super/Quantum Chests.
 * Changes the work area of single-block and multi-block miners and pumps. May not actually do anything for multi-blocks.
 * Toggles the working mode for World Accelerators.
 * Displays the Radiation Shutter Control GUI on Radio Hatches.
 * Shift right click
 * Decreases the output size stack of item filters and buffer chests, when used on their output side.
 * Toggles "Input allowed on output side" of most GT machines. Useful for placing ME Interfaces on machines so they can auto output back into the Interface when crafting is finished.
 * Increases the amperage of the 512V Creative Energy Buffer.
 * Toggles settings on covers such as pumps, conveyors, and robot arms. Still better to use the GUI.
 * Toggles Sorting and Limiting modes on input buses.
 * Toggles the working radius for World Accelerators (does not work in TileEntity mode).
 * Can repair a maintenance issue on multiblocks ("Screws are loose").

Soft Mallet

 * Right click
 * Enables/disables singleblock machines and multiblock controllers.
 * Inverts the power conversion mode on transformers.
 * Causes a deliberate recheck on the structure of Long Distance Pipelines (both item and fluid.)
 * Can repair a maintenance issue on multiblocks ("Something is stuck").

Soldering Iron

 * Held
 * Makes GT cables, wires, and pipes appear tiny so you can see around them.
 * Causes decorative covers (plates, foils, AE2 facades) attached to pipes and wires to stop rendering visually, allowing you to see the wire or pipe underneath.
 * Right click
 * Toggles strong/weak redstone output on a GT machine side. A strong redstone signal will pierce through a block, allowing the signal to be picked up on the other side.  Useful for putting howler alarms or lights adjacent to multiblock controllers.
 * Toggles void excess mode on GT++ multis.
 * Can repair a maintenance issue on multiblocks ("Circuitry burned out").
 * Note: Each use consumes the first piece of soldering iron or tin material in your inventory. Use nuggets, fine wire, or bolts to use the least amount of material.
 * Shift right click
 * Toggles "Multi Stack Input": If a singleblock can accept multiple stacks of the same item. See also: Limiting mode on input buses with a screwdriver.

Wire Cutters

 * Left click
 * Safely breaks GT wires and cables.
 * Right click
 * Connects/disconnects cables and wires to each other and to machines.
 * Toggles input separation on Alloy Blast Smelter
 * Shift right click
 * Enables batch mode

Wrench

 * Left click
 * Safely breaks most GT machines, blocks, and pipes (check WAILA to make sure).
 * Safely breaks the AFSU and deletes all of its stored energy (don't do this; right-click instead to keep most of the energy).
 * Right click
 * Changes the output face of GT machines.
 * Changes the input/output face of GT hatches/buses for the multiblocks.
 * Connects and disconnects GT fluid and item pipes.
 * Changes the speed for a World Accelerator.
 * Safely breaks the AFSU when used on its output face and keeps 80% of its currently-stored energy.
 * Shift right click
 * Changes the rotation of GT machines.
 * Toggles input blocking on a GT fluid pipe side. This is useful to make fluid only go in one direction, which increases pipe throughput and reduces lag.
 * Can repair a maintenance issue on multiblocks ("Pipe is loose").

Stone age

 * Iron (the first tools you can make)
 * Salt/Rock Salt (higher durability but lower speed than Iron; can't make some tools with it)
 * Diamond (really high durability, but don't do this)

Steam

 * Bronze
 * Steel (higher durability than bronze; has Sharpness II for when you panic and hit a zombie with a wrench)
 * Thorium (same durability as steel, found in the Nether)
 * Alumite (higher durability than steel, but expensive; better once you hit LV and get a mixer)
 * Firestone (higher durability than Alumite; technically doable, but highly discouraged)
 * Nether Star (insane durability; technically doable at this tier, but you'd be insane to do this)

LV (pre-EBF)

 * Amber (bad durability but has silk touch, if you really want to put silk touch on an axe or shovel or something)

LV (post-EBF)

 * Ardite
 * Damascus Steel (higher durability than Ardite; also has Sharpness V)
 * Vanadiumsteel (highest durability you can get at this tier, not counting nether star and manasteel)
 * Sterling Silver (poor durability but has Disjunction IV, if you want to do enderman hunting)
 * Manasteel - (same as nether star durability; definitely worth the effort to make tools from it; also butchery knife has looting III modifier. This however requires twilight and a little bit botania gameplay to actually get manasteel) - this is literally mvp of all materials (in manufacturing difficulty and useful properties comparison for a long period)

MV

 * Not really any good choices here; stick with Vanadiumsteel or Manasteel for the durability

HV

 * Manyullyn (slightly higher durability than Vanadiumsteel, and you weren't doing anything with all that ardite anyway, were you)
 * Galgadorian (more than double the durability of Vanadiumsteel but requires ender eyes and diamonds; probably not worth it)
 * Manasteel (still good option, almost the best in this tier)
 * Ademic Steel (has more durability than manasteel but requires implosion compressor and vacuum freezer)


 * Shadow (even higher durability than Ademic Steel but requires Thaumcraft and a decent amount of warp; super fast mining speed)

EV

 * Tungstencarbide (Sharpness V but otherwise not really worth it)
 * Oriharukon (supreme durability, but has a long EBF time)

IV

 * Stick with Oriharukon unless you want to make Ichorium for some insanely durable tools.

LuV+

 * Draconium and Trinium are much more durable than Oriharukon but probably not worth it.
 * A Trinium wrench will more or less break anything instantly, but has the side effect of breaking multiple blocks at once if you're not careful. Be careful with one.
 * Tritanium has the second most durability of any material (after Infinity), but at this point, your tools aren't really being used for anything except crafting.