My shop manager insists on old school methods, but I think we need to adapt.

Sticking to only hand tools slows us down when electric saws could help.

5 comments

5 Comments

Honestly, everyone focuses on speed, but what about WORKER fatigue? Hand tools can cause way more strain over time. That leads to more sick days and even long-term injuries. Younger staff might leave if they feel the shop is stuck in the past. Adapting isn't just about being faster, it's about taking care of your team. That's a huge cost people don't always see.

rowan_barnes14m ago

But people have used hand tools for decades without it being a crisis...

henry_fox1h ago

Totally get where you're coming from. In my last job, we faced the same push for old school tools. We started tracking how long jobs took with hand tools versus electric ones. The time saved was huge, and folks had less pain after shifts. Showing those hard numbers to management finally got them to update some equipment.

grantw411h ago

Ever track how many strain injuries come from old tools? We had a guy out for weeks with tennis elbow from a manual driver, and that finally got them to switch. Once you show management the real cost of downtime, they listen fast.

troy3941h ago

My old foreman had us using manual miter saws for trim work, and I once cut a board so crooked it looked like a question mark. Took me twice as long to fix it as the whole cut should've taken. That kind of fatigue makes you sloppy, and sloppy costs way more than a new tool. It's not just about being faster, it's about not wasting material and redoing work. A tired crew is an expensive crew, even if the tools seem cheaper upfront.