Heavy Duty Tools/For a Woman's Hands - DIY Chatroom

Sheila4467 · 11-06-2009, 06:00 AM

Are there such things as hand tools that will fit my hands?

First project is a 12 x 24 storage building for tools and a work area. Later it will be used as the center of my other building projects including our Home.

The ones I will need by spring are:

1. Nail Gun
2. Circular Saw
3. Drill
4. Some sort of Screw Driver?

I'm also thinking of Table Saws for Christmas, but don't know much about them at all.

I've used the small hand saws but with the jobs I intend to do, I'm sure a Heavy Duty saw is needed, as well as the other tools too, so my small, in home models, are not really the best for my new jobs.

Any suggestions would help. Thank you.

Just Bill · 11-06-2009, 07:41 AM

I am not aware of special tools for smaller hands. You just have to go thru a big box store and handle them. One will feel right. But if these tools will get a lot of use, avoid the cheapy tools like B&D and other cheapys. As for a table saw, there some nice portable types availabe, but are often best suited for the contruction site, but less than $500. A heavy shop type saw would be an older Delta cabinet saw. Very heavy, very accurate and durable, but expensive..

Sheila4467 · 11-06-2009, 08:26 AM

Just Bill,
These tools will be for long time, hard use, so I do want the best, not the cheap ones I have had to use on small things in the past. These will be for my "Shop/Garage" so they will be there for good. Kinda like the "Final Buy" I've only used my brothers table saw a few times, but it was easy to use, so I think I'm ready for a heavy shop type saw this time, and I don't want to have to upgrade the table saw later.
As far as the smaller type, I did hear that some tools are smaller and still have a "punch" to them, so I thought I would ask.

Although I have used a lot of tools in my life, (including my brothers) I have never really done heavy jobs, so "Home" tools just won't do anymore. (some of my old tools were B&D and Sears etc. whatever I needed at the time, and cheap) So you can see that I could use some names of "better" tools.

I don't know tools that well, and don't want to go to a store with no idea of what I'm looking for.

Very good point about buying better tools, it's time.

DangerMouse · 11-06-2009, 09:45 AM

the closest i've ever seen is a set of hammer, screwdriver, pliers, etc. in a box 'for women'.... they just took the cheap china junk tools and put flowers on all the handles. lol

buy DeWalt tools, you won't be sorry.

DM

Willie T · 11-06-2009, 09:52 AM

Mouse,
I'm 6'-5", 230, and I find most DeWalt tool unnecessarily heavy and unwieldy. Might not work well for someone already trying to find smaller tools.

DangerMouse · 11-06-2009, 10:04 AM

my wife uses my DeWalt 6 1/2" cordless circular saw and my compound miter saw with no efforts.
same with my drills and hand tools.
she got one of the flower tool kits as a gift from someone.... it's on a shelf in the closet, unopened, i believe.

DM

ArmchairDIY · 11-06-2009, 10:07 AM

You know I think tool manufacture make things overly large to symbolize durability and quality. I'm not small, but I find a lot of tools uncomfortable to use also.
I'm not aware of a womens line of tools. The best thing to do is pick them up and see how they feel in your hands. Everyone is different big, small or in between.

Thurman · 11-06-2009, 05:24 PM

May I add my 2¢ worth: I am 60-ish young, in good health, and have a business doing Household HandyMan type work. I have days, like today, where the only job I had was to replace an outdoor motion-detector type lamp. Other days, the last two weeks, I was building a Pergola where the homeowner changed her mind three times as it was being built. But-it's a really nice one and she's happy. Almost all of my power tools are either DeWalt or Milwaulkee. That comes from 38 years of Industrial Maintenance and learning which tools stood up to that type of work environment. My tools are somewhat heavy. My daughter, who is a competent "handy-person", has used many of them with confidence, but she cannot use them for hours on end. Choosing the "right" power tool is not an easy task, whether for an experienced person or a novice DIY person. A tool may feel right in your hand(s), but is it durable? Sheila--you sound as if a woman who does not look at this type work as "man's work", and is willing to tackle this type work. I admire that. At times I go to jobs where a woman, or man, has tried their best to do the work, and it's not just right, it needs some fine tuning. I never fault them, I compliment them on what they have done, for trying to do that job the best as they can, then I teach them what they may have done to make it better. So: Sheila--"Are there such things as hand tools that will fit my hands?" Yes, there are tools out there that will fit your hands. You will have to spend some time testing, holding, lifting/putting down tools to find one that "fits". I just spent at least an hour at a store holding, spinning, flipping, pitching from one hand to the other--a claw hammer. Why? I want one that is comfortable, as light-weight as possible, heavy enough to drive most nails I use, one I can (this is me) flip back into the hammer-holster on my right side, and (of course) looks good (me again). I did find a new hammer I liked, I came home and put it to an initial test, and will put it into use next week. Forty bucks ($40) for a claw hammer. Too much? Maybe to some, but not to me. My last claw hammer lasted 12 years before the grip broke and started coming off. Hmm, can you get a hammer re-gripped, such as golf clubs? Good Luck, David

Sheila4467 · 11-07-2009, 04:30 AM

Thank you everyone.

I spent hours last night looking at tools. (And Thinking)

The first thing I did was, think about the tools I have used in the past, and what I LIKED about them.

ONE tool did stand out! My (Vintage) Makita Cordless Driver Drill, Model 6093D. I still love it, even though it's out of date, and has had years of use, and abuse.

I would never part with it, and it would have to die, without hope of repair, before I would part with it. So.........

I took a look at some Makita tools, and thought some may be what I need. However...........

Not knowing Makita today, I need a little more feedback on the brand today. Anyone use Makita? I must confess I liked the higher priced tools the most, but since I will be purchasing them one at a time, I think I can buy the best, IF I can find out which ones are the best, Makita or otherwise.

The suggestion about "The right fit, feel, and weight" is fantastic. It reminded me that, THAT is the most important way to consider my tools.

It's not JUST about size, although important to me, it's also about use, weight, and all the reasons I like my Makita.

I also purchased a small Stanley Sharp Tooth hand saw last year, and it's great.
It was one of those quicky buys, just because I had to do something in a hurry, and it's turned out to be a real gem. Only about 15" long, but works like a tiger. Who would have thought a small saw like that would work so well, and for so many small jobs!!!

I can't thank you guys enough for the posts, they sure got me thinking, and that's what I needed all along.

Bless