alice269•1mo agoMost Upvoted

Overheard a guy at the hardware store say power tools are better than hand tools for everything - I think he's dead wrong

He was bragging to his friend about a new cordless drill while I was grabbing sandpaper. Sure, power tools are faster, but try cutting a dovetail joint with a skilsaw or getting a clean finish on a router edge without sanding for an hour. I restored a dresser last month with just a chisel and a hand plane, took me 3 afternoons but every corner came out perfect. My dad taught me that way and I've never had a tool battery die on me mid-project. Anyone else find hand tools just give you more control for the detailed stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_craig1mo ago

Haven't you ever had a deadline though?

mark_price1mo ago

You're right, I used to be all about speed until a jammed miter saw taught me the value of a hand plane.

wendy39129d ago

A single jammed miter saw doesn't really teach you the value of a hand plane though. It teaches you to keep your saw blades sharp and your hands clear. A hand plane is for smoothing and flattening, not for replacing a miter saw on trim work or crosscuts. I've seen guys try to use a block plane to square up a long board and it's just slower and less accurate than a good miter saw with a fresh blade. Don't get me wrong, a No. 4 smoothing plane has its place for final fitting of doors and drawers, but for most framing and trim you still want that power tool for speed and straight cuts. Speed and precision go hand in hand when your blade is sharp and the tool is set up right.