Remembering the switch from hand sanding to pole sanders

Back in the early 2000s, I was still finishing seams with a sanding block and a lot of elbow grease. A guy on a crew in Cincinnati showed me his pole sander, and I thought it was just a gimmick. After a full day on a ceiling job, my arms were shot, but he was done in half the time with a much flatter finish. The difference was the even pressure and not having to stand directly under the dust cloud. Anyone else have a tool they resisted that's now a must-have?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephl6713h ago

Yeah, that resistance to new tools is everywhere once you start looking for it. I remember my dad refusing to get a cordless drill for years, saying his old corded one was fine, until he tried hanging a shelf without dragging an extension cord around. It's like we get stuck in our ways because the old method feels familiar, even if it's harder. The trick is finding that one moment where the new way saves you so much pain it just clicks. After that, you can't imagine going back.

piper_reed13h ago

But what if the old way is part of the fun for some people? Like, my grandpa still uses a hand drill because he says it feels more like real work.