Since deciding to explore the world of human-powered tools I've run into this every time I turn around.
Yes, you can get a $15 axe at the hardware store but the $60 Snow and Nealley
is worlds better (I can't wait to see how much better the $200 Gransfors Bruks are). To be honest, the Snow and Nealley doesn't look all that different than my hardware store axe. But the difference shows in the use. It's hard to explain, but the more expensive tool is better. It's really no wonder to me that folks go and buy a cheap tool and hate it. Manual labor is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but a good tool properly used makes it a whole bunch better.This was driven home to me again this past week. I was out at the Mitchell Family Farm visiting with my friend Josh Mitchell. I was complaining about my hoe, and he said that he had something for me to try.
He'd found a company called ProHoe. ProHoe is a small family-owned business that makes hoes from recycled ag discs. And they are good hoes. Josh let me try one out for a bit and the difference between that and my cheap tool is night and day.
First of all the ProHoe is sharp. It sliced weeds cleanly with very little effort, it felt more like I was "shaving" the weeds from the ground than what I think of as hoeing. Second the hoe has a bit of heft to it, which helps in digging into the soil.
Even better is that the ProHoes go for about $30. Which is not all that much more than the $10-15 hoes at the hardware store.
A good tool really makes a world of difference in manual labor. And yes, good tools will cost you more to purchase than their cheap counterparts. But it's not saving you money if you buy a cheap tool only to get fed up trying to use it then go out and buy a money-hog of a gas-powered machine.
So a large part of my exploration into human-powered tools has been finding folks producing good tools. If you have any tips or suggestions, leave a comment.
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