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Switched from a cheap DA to a better one and my arms don't hurt anymore
I used to run a Harbor Freight DA for like 3 years. It worked fine but after a full day of block sanding and buffing my hands and wrists would be killing me. Last month I grabbed a used Festool from a guy on Facebook Marketplace near Cleveland for $200. The vibration is just so much less it's night and day. I can finish a whole car now without my fingers going numb. Has anyone else had problems with cheaper tools messing up your hands over time?
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morgan_king361mo ago
Three years in my buddy's shop in Akron with a cheap Craftsman DA and my right hand would lock up by noon. The numbness would stick around for hours after I got home. My doctor told me it was early carpal tunnel stuff. I ended up selling that Craftsman for $40 and buying a used Mirka from a guy in Canton. The difference in vibration dampening is insane, my hand stopped going numb completely after a couple weeks. I think a lot of guys just put up with the pain and dont realize how much damage those cheaper tools can actually do over time.
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Carpal tunnel is no joke man, my right hand used to go numb so bad I thought I was having a stroke every time I picked up a beer. My cheap DA vibrated like a paint mixer full of rocks, and my fingers would be tingling for hours after work. My doctor basically told me to stop using it or get ready for surgery. Now I look back at that Harbor Freight tool and wonder how I didn't throw it into a lake sooner. At least my hands don't feel like they belong to a 80 year old mechanic anymore.
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Oh boy, here we go again with the tool blame game! I dunno, I've been using cheap vibrating tools for years and my hands are fine (knock on wood). My uncle's been a contractor since the 80s using nothing but Harbor Freight stuff and he's still gripping a hammer just fine at 68. Seems like maybe it's more about how you hold it or how often you take breaks, you know? I'm not saying carpal tunnel isn't real, but I'd bet half the guys swearing by expensive tools are just looking for an excuse to upgrade their setup.
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karencampbell1mo ago
Ended up doing the exact same thing man, grabbed a used Festool from a buddy in Parma and my hands stopped going dead after a few weeks. Seriously wish I hadnt wasted three years beating the hell out of my wrists with that junk.
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