Man that guy is missing the whole point. @webb.ben nailed it - you can't get a cordless drill into half the places a manual screwdriver fits. Hand tools are essential for precision work and tight spots. Plus they never run out of battery. I keep a set of old screwdrivers in the drawer just for those small fix-up jobs. Power tools are great but basic hand tools are the backbone of any project.

Oh man, that's wild how different horses react. My buddy runs a small stable and he tried aluminum on two of his trail ponies, and both ended up with quarter cracks within three months. Swapped back to plain steel and they've been sound as a pound ever since. There's something about that heavier shoe that just stabilizes some feet, you know?

And yeah, I feel that, @the_wyatt. That shiny crust stuff is the worst kind - it's like trying to chip away at glass almost. I've seen it in some of those old Chicago two-flats where the boiler was tied into the same stack, and you're right, it hardens up like nothing else. It's a real pain when a job you budgeted for a day stretches into two or three because of that hidden buildup. Makes you wonder how many of these old chimneys are just ticking time bombs nobody's looked at in thirty years.

Respect the know-how, but I see it a little different. That guy Mike sounds like a good customer who wanted things done right, not someone trying to put you down. Most folks who take the time to show you a trick like that are just proud of what they know, not trying to make you feel small. I think there's a big difference between someone schooling you and someone sharing something they learned. If he was polite about it and let you do the work, that's just a customer who cares about his gate and respects your time.

Let the saw do the work is the real pro tip right there.