$15 Brother label maker: amzn.to/2PmI17v Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.

I started doing this exact same thing several years ago. It was an absolute lifesaver when I moved house. I literally do this with every electronic device I get. One more tip for you Adam, if your label maker has different text sizes, print one example of each size, with the text being the size (eg. A label "large" in large text, a label "small" in small text, etc.), and stick them all on the back of your label maker. So next time you need a label, you can physically see what the best size text to use is.

*I have another label maker life-hack that will change your life.* Print out multiple labels using all the different font sizes that your label maker can do. Make the label text be the font size you used. "8pt" "12pt" etc. Then stick them all to the underside of the label maker!!! Now you always have a quick reference to see what font size you need. (This can also be done with other font styles and settings too)

Another labeler hack: Most labelers waste a lot of tape when feeding a single printed label. Instead, print as much text for multiple onto a single labels and then print that, later cutting them using a scissor. Much less waste

OK, the whole “hit the return key to make the text smaller” thing... Why not put text on both the upper and lower lines and make the label even shorter?

"GO OUT AND LABEL EVERYTHING"

0:18 the sound of the dymo labeler's ghost still haunts the shop...

A similar thing I've recently started doing is labelling cables and power cords for the various things that plug into my computer and behind my desk. It has made it so much easier to figure out which USB cable plugged into the back of my computer goes with the thing I actually want to remove, rather than just trying to follow the cable from my desk down to the computer.

okay, label makers are a problem. You will want to label everything....I literally labeled my dogs bed, "dog bed" on the floor in front of my dogs bed...I think I might be the one with the problem, actually.

I have a Brother P-Touch P1000, that I must have bought nearly 15 years ago to parts bins and tools. I now have not only wall-warts labelled, but also all the mains plugs in my kitchen, and some switches which need to stay on (broadband router, NAS boxes, network switches, fridge, BT YouView box). I'm now old enough to need such reminders! I've also found that 6mm tape with the smallest font can make labels for my USB sticks. I also have a stack of hard drives in USB caddies for running backups and they all have labels on the front so I know which ones to turn on. He is right about how much difference such labelling makes. You no longer have to trace out wires to find out what you just unplugged! I also worked out how to make flags to label all my network cables. These are genuine life-hacks when you start to develop a flakey memory.

I do something similar; I write the voltage and amperage on the labels - that way I know which ones can safely be repurposed. I have no idea what they belong to, but it doesn’t matter.

Best thing with my label maker is it will do heatshrink tubing. So handy when doing electronics to be able to safely label something. Especially if its going into a warm environment where most other labels will lose their adhesive and fall off. Tho the wall wart thing. All of them have the voltage, polarity, and current written on them, if not the manufacturer. And all the sockets on the devices they are for also have that information (at least 99% of them do). I just have a big box (well, two of them) full of wall warts and I just pick one out with the correct ratings.

I keep several silver sharpies around for this same purpose. The labels are a lifesaver.

Dymo the maker of that old school label maker, still makes label makers they just evolved into the thermal printer kind

Tip for wall warts, you need one with: 1) A plug that fits your device (polarity can matter but in my experience that's rare) 2) Correct voltage 3) Sufficient amperage

I grew up using a dynamo label maker to appease my OCD, and I started doing the same thing with all my plugs and cables when my mom got a nice label printer for Christmas one year. Lifechanger

I've used the "label the wall wart" option a LOT in the past...until I ran out of label cartridges. So now I just take a silver sharpie and write on the wall wart what device it's made for. I've also started putting the Volt and Amp output on USB wall adapters in sharpie. Yes most USB adapters are 5V but the Amps can vary widely!

Great minds think alike! As a photographer, I had the same epiphany! USB Hubs, Powered HDMI hubs, Tablets, battery chargers, you name it! Been using this system for about 5 years and for sure, it changed my life too,.....

I've had to move about every 2 months for the last 4 years for school. My Mom shared the same life hack 2 years ago, and it has saved me HOURS trying to get my stuff set up at my new place every time! Thank you Adam! love your show!

1:55 "You don't need a super fancy one". I'm a nerd, of course I need the super fancy one :-D

When you print the label, print it twice on the same tape (no cut between) then wrap the tape around the cable below the 'wall wart'' and stick it back to itself. You get a sort of long tag like you sometimes get on a plastic wrapped loaf of bread. You get all the advantages of labelling the charger without having to figure out a flat area to stick the label on the 'wart' itself.

Most label makers, including that one, have a font size choice. Much easier that way.

I do this, too! For cable management and such it is awesome. It has also saved the morning coffee supply in the office on numerous occasions. After some genius had filled ground coffee into the bean hopper (which requires basically a full disassembly&cleanup - takes ages and is incredibly messy), I went to the IT dept, borrowed their label printer and put a big-a$$ label on the machine that says „ONLY FOR BEANS!“.

I like the old vintage label makers though. The 3D ascetic of it is so satisfying.

I'm doing this a lot but with a label on each end so I directly see which "plug" goes to which "wall wart / device / plug" without following the cable to the end. I do it on almost every (external) pc cables (USB, HDMI, DisplayPort ...) and the countless wall warts for all the external accessories. Extremely useful!

, you can also thin out some 2ton epoxy and paint it on so those labels stick under heavy usage. For batteries, drills pelican boxes ect.

Labelmaker is my favorite tool also...... Im not allowed to use it anymore... I used up all the labels before anyone else could use it...

Another way to label something that has a chord or cable, but might be too small to fit even a small label or shaped in a way so that it lacks any smooth surfaces, is to simply put the label around the chord and stick it to itself, like if you fold the label in half with the chord in the fold. It's also a great way to keep track of what plug belongs to what component in a media center, or USB cables going in to your PC or something.

I've been doing that but using a bit of masking tape and writing on it. It's what you can do on the cheap. But now one of those labelers will be on my wish list.

I have done this for years. It also serves a second purpose. As a broadcast engineer, you want to be absolutely sure you are unplugging the correct gear from a strip that may have 5 or more of these things plugged into a rack strip. (I label regular power cords on the plug end for the same reason) I always buy a label maker that also does vertical print so I can wrap the label around a cord and still read it.

I use one to label the plugs going into the wall, so if I want to unplug a certain device without accidentally losing power to other stuff, I know for certain what I am unplugging.

Love my label machine. One of the coolest things you can do, that is a big life hack, is get labels specifically designed to code wiring. They are malleable enough to wrap around wires or cords, and you can identify what the wire is for, and where it goes. This also works for power cords, especially in a computer server rack. Rather than chase a corded plug back to it's powered component, you label the plug end with a wrapped label. So when you need to unplug an item, you know exactly which plug you need, and don't have to untangle a mess of spaghetti wiring to trace it back. PS. Most come with an option to change font size, so you can create labels of different sizes this way. Many have an option for vertical print, which makes labels much easier to read in certain configurations.

I've been writing on my wall warts with silver sharpies for many years but I imagine yours look nicer. 😉

No fooling Adam, I just bought one of these and it was delivered yesterday! It was to replace one I previously bought and have misplaced somewhere since we moved four years ago and I still cannot find. But in developing a model workspace for craft work and home organization I really needed one now. You're absolutely correct about labelling wall warts, and many remote controls, settings for equipment or start-up procedures, files... Thanks !

*He should have labeled the labeler "labeler". How is every going to find his labeler when he needs to label something if it's not labeled???*

I got a super cheap brother labeler for maybe $60 on ebay that you plug into a usb port of a computer like a regular printer and you download free software from their website and it'll print whatever you like on your labels at any size in any font... you can even stick some low resolution pictures in there if you want to make your own icons, it's also great for printing qr codes or bar codes if you wanted to use it for inventory purposes if you wanted to. I've been doing the whole wall wart label life hack for years (since i was using one of those old dymo impact labelers Adam was talking about) and it's a life and money saver!

Great point and a great life hack. For power, it's worth reading the labels. Things have a voltage, and a maximum amperage. If the plug fits (and it's trivial to buy multi-plug adapters), and the voltage is correct, and the amps greater or equal to what's needed (unlike volts, it doesn't need to be exactly equal), it works. No need to throw things away. I've got this weird reputation for being some kind of magician in knowing exactly what adapters can be used for other things. But it just says it on the side. Most people are just paranoid that the electricity supplied will be of the wrong 'flavour' or something.

Finally some label appreciation!!! I was looking at these for ages and found one in Aldi for £15!!! It’s literally my favourite bit of kit! My kids and wife always used to struggle with HDMI cables behind the TV for blue ray players Nintendo’s etc and not knowing which is which to plug in... I printed the labels for each e.g Nintendo, don’t cut it yet then repeat the print so you end up with one long label with Nintendo written twice... loop this round the wire near the HDMI head and stick it to itself!!! Your welcome and I hope it helps you from the HDMI cable struggles!

Even non fancy ones without a return key will have a change font size in the menu.

I agree 100% agree with Adams choice. I reluctantly received one as a Christmas gift years ago and it changed my life. For the next LPT/LH, Adam will discover how to spec out replacement chargers on Amazon 😜

Labelling Wall Warts - I've done this for a while now and it has saved me so much hassle. 100% good advice! It might seem to be a bit of a trivial thing but it is sooooooo good to label those power bricks.

Label everything. Plus: 1) Get a universal wall wart. 2) They make label makers that print on heat shrink tube! If you need that it is awesome. 3) Label your light switches. Also, label them (and outlets) with the breaker number. Thanks Adam.

About a year ago, by accident, I purchased yellow labels instead of white labels. I then discovered that reading small black text on the yellow labels was much easier to read than reading small black text on a white label. Since then, I’ve chosen to use yellow labels on all of my wall warts. When you’re crawling under the desk and shining a flashlight on your power strip, the glare from the flashlight isn’t quite as bad, and it’s easier to read the text on your wall warts

"Oh there's only one can of beer left and it's Bart's"

Having owned a label maker like that for over 15 years, having dozens or hundreds of practically identical power converters (wall wart or corded types) and even being a professional electrician that labels *everything*, I can't even begin to tell you how stupid I feel that I've never thought about labeling my frickin' power converters!! EGAD!

Doing that for years and it's a life saver in case of moving, remodeling..etc..

I got a label maker for my 10 year anniversary at my company. Mixed feelings

White electrical tape and a black sharpie. I also label the head of the cable where it plugs in. Sometimes I'll have a couple of cables that look similar but are slightly different sizes or amps

My tip is to use TESA TAPE or some other heavy duty transparent tape (made for repairing glass and greenhouses) and put tape over the label. Then it never falls off. Great for securing labels to the ends of mic and speaker cables, round power sockets or anything that might have a rough life.

I still love my Brady BMP-21 labeler 👌 I work with a lot of cable so it's perfect for the job. Favorite label type would be the fabric label tape because it holds up like nothing else.

Have the same label maker, didn't think to put labels on my wall warts. I've used a paint marker before but that is much neater. Those labels leave a mess when they're on for a long time though.

At work we just labeled all of our power cable /wall warts with their voltage and amperage, since all of the devices we use have some sort of indication on them of those. Only issue that leads to is the different leads occasionally, but it helps out if you were to lose one cable and have something else that the device can use.

The brother tapes are very durable too. As a joke I put a label into a friends shower bath combo unit, near the plug hole saying “This is a temporary label” - It’s still there 5 years later !!!!!

One of your best wall wart hacks was the one you picked up at that maker space and to put unused ones into sandwich bags. I have all mine now in a crate and the leads NEVER get tangled up. Saved me about 100 hours when trying to find one and not having to unknot them! (plus the sandwich bag is labelled with the V & A)

For narrow spaces we always use both lines of texts. That allows to label keys, thumbdrives, yubikeys, even micro SD cards, ... and to put more text on labels for bell signs and the like.

Great idea. I would also label the equipment w/ voltage and amp needs if it doesn't already. That way you can chuck extra wall warts and still have the correct power needed for the equipment.

Adding to this, print off extra on one side of the text to label wires. Remove the backing to reveal the adhesive on about half, wrap around the wire, adhesive to back of printed side! Great for PCs, now i don't get my HDMI switched when disconnect them. Under the dash wiring, label at each end for easy identification.

I buy small electronics at estate sales quite often. One company takes all the wall warts that aren't plugged into or with the device they power and they trow them all in one box and put it out in the garage. I've gotten good at finding the right wart for a particular device but as soon as I get home - and for any new device I get - I slap a label on it, just like you do. At the sale of my estate, no one will have to guess.

omg. Adam. You seriously are the next step in human genius evolution. Thank you.

A related hack; you can buy a pack of several one foot (~30 cm) extension cords. If there is no room to plug in the huge wall wart, it can lay right next to the outlet, and the short extension cord can complete the connection.

Sometimes, seeing a video immediately is very nice.

Fun Fact: You can get heat-shrink label cartridges for consumer labelers. Yes, the heat shrink that goes on wires. Except it has been printed upon by a labeler.

The “fancy” labeler with cheap aftermarket label tape is where it’s at. All my coax and cat-6 runs have easy to read labels.

Adam... See those As in different sizes on the upper left? That tells you that the labeler has several options for font size...

It’s funny that when I got a label maker and started labeling everything (as one does) that labeling my wall warts was one of the things I thought of, and it’s true, I have a a box of chargers and when one particular thing needs charging i used to have to try a few chargers before getting the right one, I think it also prevents chargers from being thrown out when you can read what it goes to

i love your organizational ideas !! Your book spends alot of time discussing your ways of organizing and i'm loving it........Thanks so much !!!

Tape and Sharpie does the job also. I do this with all my bricks (wall warts)

Hack #1 - Clip the four corners of the label. It will stay out longer. Plus it looks nicer.

Another wall wart tip is to buy a whole bunch of super-short (6 inch or 1 foot) extension cords. Use one to extend the wall wart a bit so that it only takes up one space on your surge strip.

My dad gave my my first labelmaker. Changed my life

I've used a silver Sharpie for this, but it can wear off over time if you handle the wart a lot.

You forgot to mention that there is also SHRINK TUBE of different diameters for these labelers to print on. For labeling cables (before attaching a plug). Very helpfull for installing lots of network, SDI, HDMI or power cables. You open up the cable run at an intersection and every cable in there tells you what it is. If the wall wart is small, you can also fold the regular label around the cable itself So it sticks to itself and becomes a dual sided flag.

Another wall wart hack is to get the short extension cables. Some even let you plug in another item over the top of the plug so you get the wall wart away from the power strip by 6-12" and you still have the plug available.

I’ve been labelling my wall warts for the last 12months or so, best idea ever!

If you haven’t tried a Trucker Tough adjustable wrench you are missing out. You can open and close it with your thumb while you turn the bolt. It changed my bolt turning life. I used to have an older version from another brand that used a drive belt but it broke. The new version has a brass gear.

I still prefer the good ol' DYMO labeler. The embossing effect feels much cool and the look is nice.

I've been labeling wall warts since like 1998. Back then it was with zip-on labels or even just tape and a Sharpie. I also label every power plug on the strip so that when I duck under the bench to unplug something I can find what I need immediately.

Go forth and label. It's also saved you replacement cost by accidentally frying something when you plug the wrong one in! I find I do a lot of repetitive things so I finally got myself one that connects to the computer and I've been so happy. I can save things and just recall them, tweak them, print them, it's amazing. I like the brother one's better, I used somebody else's dymo and I hated it the key layout, the tape, it was a nightmare.

I have been slowly reducing my collection of old wall worts, by cutting and keeping the cords and throwing the transformers away. I only keep one of each transforms of each voltage with the highest amp rating. I find the plug tips are far more valuable than the wall wort itself.

Bonus life hack: Every wall wart is labeled with output voltage, max amperage, and polarity. Every device that uses a wart is also labeled. If these match and the plug fits, you can use it. I keep all my power supplies in a box (with the cables coiled and tied!)

wall warts and lable maker. YES. I do this. both ends, though, not just the wart. You might need to know at the other end where it goes. I print a double lable and paste around the cord, to itself, like a little flag with the lable on both sides. I also lable all cables that go from all tables to all devices, neat and nicest.

I have had several Brother P-Touch label makers and have used them for everything. However, some wall warts get warm, which can affect the adhesive backing on labels. I now simply mark wall warts using a silver metallic Sharpie marker. Thanks for the video.

Silver sharpie pens writes on black plastic. You can also lable the power input jack on the equipment with DC volts and amps.

I’ve got two of them, a thermal Dymo 400; and one of Dymo’s handhelds... they’re both great; but I’m thinking of getting a Brother because they have heat-shrink cartridges available for labeling wires.

I label all of my wall warts, plugs in powerstrips, and fused switched spurs in the kitchen - just so that I don't inadvertently turn off the (running) dishwasher instead of the cooker hood!

I always also copy the voltage, amperage, and whether or not the jack was center-pin positive or negative over to the device itself. (some devices have some of this printed on them, but very few have all of it) The number of devices I've been able to keep in service with an orphaned adapter from another device when the wall wart either gets fried or lost is immeasurable.

A labeller is a very handy thing to have for sure, and OH MY GOD YOU HAVE A PROP SPIDER HEAD FROM THE THING HANGING FROM THE CEILING!!!

All of those Power Supplies (Wall Warts) have text on them that states the voltage, current and polarity of the plug such as Center Positive or Negative. Every device you have will have text that says what kind of power is required. I never label those things because they can be used with multiple devices once you understand what the power required is it is simple to find a power supply that meets those requirements. In our church we use wireless microphones and each one has a receiver that requires a power supply (Wall Wart). I replaced 8 power supplies with one with multiple sockets for the receivers to plug into.

you can also set a maximum label width and it will scale the text to that also

for anyone that uses a scanner to do daily stock count. the few items that dont have a bar code that must be entered manually, you can use a label maker to convert the alphanumeric code into a bar code another trick is to snip off the corners of the label to help prevent it from peeling

I learned that hack from the 8 bit guy already, but you're right, it's a great idea to label them, and I like the return key hack.

As someone who’s spent the last 3+ hours trying to figure out where a spring is supposed to fit into my Dymo 210(I took it apart) I’m a bit less excited about label makers at the moment.

I labeled my keys, my wallet, my i.d, labeled my favorite cup, labeled my room door, the trash can, etc... thank god for a label maker i woulda threw my wallet away long time ago if it wasnt for the label.

I took a different approach to this issue several years ago. I was already using Avery labels of different sizes for my business and immediately got frustrated with the Word templates they provide. They seem to think you always want to print a whole sheet of the same label. So I created my own Word template files for one-off labels. The document includes a text box of the same size as the label, with a thin outline and any instructional text about how to set the printer (no duplex printing) or whatever. I make a printout of that on heavy paper so it will last a while. Then I go back to the document and set any and all the text to hidden and the outline line weigh to None. That done, I can now make a label by opening that template, typing in text as needed and then printing it with a label temporarily applied to my template printout. I often use the Avery 6490 removable labels which I can temporarily directly stick to my template printout. For the non-removable adhesive labels, I take leftover pieces of the label sheets, cut them oversize, and then tape them to the template printout. To make a label with these, just hold the template printout up to a window as a backlight so you and see the rectangle and apply the blank label to fit. I have never had one of them not ride through my inkjet printer. I would never attempt this trick with a laser printer which employs heat! For mailing labels, I cover the finished labels with clear shipping tape to make sure they will survive the trip.

Good thing input voltage and polarity are marked on electronucs! Yes, a label is GI-proof, but comparing voltage/polarity when you have a box of warts is pretty fast still.

My label maker isn't even as fancy as yours, but I've been using it to label my wall warts & other electronic devices for years now & it truly does save a lot of time and grief!

I have one of those old Dynmo labelers. When my great grandmother past away I found it. There are times when I use it over modern labels.

Another use... Buying wall watts at Goodwill (or similar surplus shops) and labelling the wart with it's power characteristics... e.g. 12v - 2.3a. Now I have a supply of power supplies for projects.

Thing with Wall Warts is that they can be AC or DC, So it's not just Amp or voltage you need to look for if you want to repurpose it on another device. This is actually smart in that it helps those who are not as savvy with electronics.

Get the Brady M210. It not only will print sideways, for labelling cables, but it has cloth labels as well which have no springy memory and don't curl and fall off.