Baby Circ is the cordless circular saw I talked Superhusband into buying for our spring reroofing project. He wanted one. It would make his life easier up there on the shed roof. But was the expense justified when we already owned a perfectly good full-sized corded saw?
Now if there’s an old guy who deserves not to be fretted about as he works on a roof, it’s my erstwhile mountaineer who has taken up skateboarding as a concession to the inevitable slowing down of late middle age. The man’s balance is just fine. Still: A lighter tool that doesn’t have a cord that could get snagged? That’s a significant safety upgrade, and I am all about keeping my more-mechanical half well and whole.
Thankfully he is pretty darn easy to nag into buying new tools. If you are not, keep reading.
So he brought home Baby Circ (my name, not his, I don’t know why he doesn’t name his tools) and went to work as soon as the wind died down enough to do so safely. That evening he hopped down and excitedly brought me a piece of scrap lumber for the firewood pile and said, “You have to try this thing.”
I tried the thing.
It was enough to make me seriously consider whether I had any use whatsoever for a circular saw. In addition to being quiet and uncomplicated, it was small and light. It fit my hand. It was a manageable weight for me. And I knew right away that if the girls (especially the younger two — eldest is 6′-something and has huge strong hands, she’s good) needed a circular saw, this was the one for them.
So here’s my PSA: Buy yourself the tools that fit you. Buy your family members the tools that fit them.
Do not let machismo get in the way of you accomplishing what is important to you. If you aren’t as big and strong as you’d like to be, just buy smaller, lighter tools. They’re out there.
Likewise, don’t let some warped idea of fitness-testing be what keeps your spouse or child or aging parent from being able to independently tackle projects that they can’t do without right-sized tools, but can do just fine if correctly equipped.
Are smaller, lighter tools limited in what they can do? Sure. But you’re limiting yourself if you insist on attempting to use a tool that might be faster, more powerful, or theoretically more versatile, but honestly you’re the weak link in being able to do the project.
When I repainted the book garage last summer? I used Baby Sander, not the big power sander, to prep the walls. Technically I was using a “slower” “less efficient” tool. In reality, the heavier full-sized sander was not something I could sustainably use. Just put on the long playlist and with the little guy I could finish the project in way less time than if I’d used the bigger one in short spurts.
Get yourself an ultralight garden hose rather than wrestling with a cheaper product that’s determined to wreck your back. Put narrower handlebars on your bike if the stock bars are too wide. Next time you have the option, put in a sink that is high enough or low enough; build yourself a stretch of countertop at a comfortable working height; install supplemental heat or A/C in that one place where you really need it.
Your body is valuable. Your body is a gift from God. Wherever you have the choice to do so, use your God-given resources to create an environment where you can use the body you have to its fullest.
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