Power Tools v/s Hand Tools: Which is perfect for you?

Every invention has a reason behind it. Necessity! Yes, you guessed it right. Likewise, every change or revolution has a reason. And no doubt the world revolves around it. Science & Technology is not too far behind in contributing to these. Way too back, a stone or a piece of wood was man’s best tool. Now, we are diving into the era of Power Tools. From hand tools to power tools is a sure sign for seeking continuous improvisations. No doubt, such developments do contribute to a greater extent. Now, let us begin our journey in knowing and understanding Power Tools & Hand Tools.

What are Hand Tools & Power Tools?

Did you ever try to strike a nail straight into the wall with a hammer to hang your favorite family photo or a painting? Oh then, a hammer is a simple example of a hand tool. As the name goes, hand tools are the ones that are operated with our bare hands. Don’t you think that we are familiar with these tools? And no doubt we would have either used or still in use. Even today most households have a tool kit or box in their attic. Basically, the kit comprises of few tools like a hammer, screwdriver, saw, cutting blades, wrench, hand drills, and a few more. And neither an electrician nor a plumber nor even a carpenter would be called for few of the uncomplicated jobs. Either Dad or an elder brother would be rolling up their sleeves to fix the issues with the help of these hand tools.

Now, that we saw what hand tools are, let us move forward. So, what is this Power tool? Sounds like something new, isn’t it? Well, we are familiar with them too. Have you visited any construction sites? Or watched a program on TV on building a ship or shows that says “Do It Yourself” – trying to teach the viewers some simple woodworking activities? If yes, you would have definitely seen people using tools that had power cables attached to them. Guess, what? You are now getting familiar with these tools. Yes, these tools run using electricity or batteries. Few operate with pressured air. And what do we call them - Power tools. But these tools are widely designed for industrial use. No doubt, power tools are designed to carry out residential activities too.

Classification of Power tools

Power tools either come with power cable or some are designed to be cordless. Tools that run with electricity have a power cable attached to them. And anything that has batteries within is termed cordless. Most of the tools do come in both types – with cord and cordless. As said earlier few industrial tools work with air, and they are Pneumatic Tools. Let’s get acquainted with power tools now.

 

Power Tools: Drilling Tools, Compressors, Polishing Tools, Fastening Tools, Grinders, Heat Guns, Wrenches, Sawing & Sanding Tools, Hammers, Blower, Mixers, Milling Tools

Garden Tools: Hedge Trimmer, Drilling, Hedge/Grass Trimmer, Sprayers, Grass Trimmers

Some of the basic power tools such as Drillers, Grinders, Wrenches, Milling, Vacuum Cleaners, Blowers, and Sawing tools come as both corded and cordless.

Differences between Power tools & Hand tools

Now that we are apprised with power and hand tools, let us know their differences. It is quite easy to state the first difference – simple benchmarking is that hand tools employ human intervention vigorously to accomplish a task. However, electricity or battery enables the power tools to do the same task. But we are keener to discuss the differences in their performance which might help you in selecting the right tools if needed in near future.

Speed & Precision: If used for repeated tasks and your workload is piling up, it is best to choose power tools or sometimes referred to as electric tools. You can get your work done at a faster rate and with greater precision. But if your task is quite delicate and the material is not hard, go for hand tools. They enable to have better control on the functionality like turning, twisting, bending, or drilling too.

Safety: Hand tools are always safe. Power tools should be carefully handled and they always come with pre-set or standard safety instructions from the manufacturers.

Cost: Yes, you need to shell out extra pennies to purchase power tools. Hand tools are cost-effective.

Maintenance: Hand tools are best when it comes to maintenance. But, power tools should be regularly checked to ensure they are in better working condition. Also, if they are cordless, then it is better to keep an eye on the batteries. See to that, they are charged sufficiently and not drained out completely.

Advantages of Power tools over Hand tools

Sometimes it is ambiguous in deciding which one to buy – power or hand tools? Because we just discussed the differences between the two and it is clearly evident that both serve the purpose. Then why choose power tools?

In business, TIME is money!  Well, you agree with it too. Industries like construction, automotive, aerospace, metal fabrication, and wood; all have bulk materials to process. Each process is time-bound. If there is a time lag in one set of operations, it will definitely lead to delaying the next set of processes or tasks. And hence, most of them are equipped with power tools.

For all repeated, precise, and speedy work; power tools find an upper berth than the hand tools. Faster completion of the job has an impact on the ROI.

Hand tools are not the right choice for the said scenario.

Conclusion

Be it a simple or a tedious job to deal with, tools always make man’s life easier. Both power tools & hand tools come with their specifications to stand out from each other. And they have set their mark clearly. So, selecting the tools solely lies in the choice of the job. Power tools are the enhanced or extended family members of hand tools. Power tools are slowly replacing a few of the hand tools. Unlike hand tools, these electric tools will never drain your energy.  As said earlier, these tools are not explicitly used for industrial or heavy loads of work. If you want to still pursue your woodworking hobby, DIY power tools are available. Embrace the change and enjoy working with Power Tools.