Remember when we used to mix mortar by hand on the job?

I was laying a brick garden wall in Denver last summer and my mixer motor gave out halfway through a 60-pound batch. Had to finish the mix with a hoe and a bucket, just like my granddad taught me. What's the oldest piece of gear or method you still fall back on when things go wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley78419h ago

Honestly, a good old hand saw. My cordless circular saw battery died once while cutting trim, and the backup was dead too. Grabbed the handsaw from the bottom of my toolbox and just finished the cut. It's slow, but it always works.

casey34217h ago

I mean, @finley784, that's the real test of a tool, right? When the fancy gear gives up and you're just left with a basic saw and your own two hands. It's like the tool version of knowing how to start a fire without a lighter.

murray.pat16h ago

That point about the hand saw always working is so true. It got me thinking about my old Yankee push drill. No batteries, no cord, just a spiral and some elbow grease. It's saved me more than once when I needed a pilot hole in a tight spot and the power drill was out of reach. What's the most awkward spot you've had to use a basic tool like that?