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Built a deck with hidden fasteners last spring - screw gun died halfway through the job
I was putting down the last 30 feet of ipe decking on a job in Evanston and my Dewalt drill just quit. The clutch started slipping around 3pm and by 3:30 it was smoking a little. I had to finish the whole run with a manual screwdriver bit and a ratchet. Took me an extra 2 hours and my forearm was wrecked the next day. The hidden fastener system I use needs like 800 screws for a 12x16 deck so that drill had been through a lot. Anyone else had a tool fail in the middle of a critical step and had to finish with hand tools?
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thomas_johnson3510d ago
I gotta push back on this a little @janahenderson. A tool dying on you is frustrating but finishing with hand tools isn't the end of the world. It builds character and makes you appreciate the power tools more. I've had to hand-drive over 200 deck screws when my impact driver gave out during a 100 degree July job in Naperville. My arm was toast but I got it done and the deck was solid. Plus you learn to maintain your tools better after that. A little manual labor never killed anyone and it saves you a trip to the hardware store for a backup.
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Oh man, that is my worst nightmare right there. I had a similar thing happen last fall with my impact driver when I was halfway through building a big raised garden bed setup for my wife. The thing just started grinding and then stopped spinning altogether. I had to drive the last 40 lag bolts with a socket wrench and it took forever. My hand was cramped up for two days straight. There's nothing worse than that sinking feeling when you hear the tool start to struggle and you know you're not even close to done.
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