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UseABiggerHammer t1_je0o0bi wrote

Leverage beats effort every time.

Use the right tool for the job.

The best multi-function tools are great to have in a pinch and tend to be very portable, but are going to be barely adequate for the tasks they are supposed to cover. Tools designed for the specific purpose at hand will always do the job better.

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scoop967 OP t1_je0ygtj wrote

Lol I like the leverage one. Reminded me of a loosely related story.

I broke the handle off on a shovel trying to get a stump out, pretty much bouncing on the end of it until it snapped and I face planted into dirt. Dad came out, saw I was covered in muck and all he said was “Only idiots break shovels. And I’ve broken quite a few”

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microphohn t1_je1541h wrote

A jack of all trades is a master of none-
But certainly better than a master of one.

*Not true of tools, only of people.

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ricardo9505 t1_je0lh38 wrote

As you get older you realize it's a lot of what your parents , grandparents and aunts and uncles taught you. You never see it at first.

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Soylent_G t1_je11cht wrote

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

If you need a power tool to finish a project, buy a cheap one. If you find yourself using that tool a lot, upgrade to an expensive one.

Given the state of U.S. healthcare costs, a Saw Stop table pays for itself the first time you use it.

Same idea; If you're working on a project alone with power tools, always tell someone to check on you in 15 minutes.

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Oodora t1_je12vy8 wrote

I call the power tool one the Harbor Freight test. Buy the cheap version first, if you use it enough to break it then buy the quality one.

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malthar76 t1_je1e8ad wrote

Planer, angle grinder, drain snake. Yup. Grinder still going, planer destroyed by my own stupidity.

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Mo0kish t1_je0mrzv wrote

"Righty tighty, lefty loosy" from my dad, and I find myself saying the same thing to my kids.

Never actually come across any left-handed screws, so it's held true so far.

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wishyouwouldread t1_je0su9u wrote

Between being left-handed and my ADD, that never worked for me for some reason. I just went with clock wise tightens and counter-clockwise loosens.

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browntoe98 t1_je15nlb wrote

The only time this fails me is liquid propane (LP) fittings. Those are bassackward.

Also: Clock to lock. Unclock to unlock.

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Duckbilling t1_je11afr wrote

Do all your layout for a home project on blue masking tape.

Lay the tape, mark your marks with sharpie, that way it's easy to visualize where things will go, if you don't like where they are, remove the tape and repeat.

That way you don't end up with 40 extra lines and marks when you arrive at the final layout. Works for walls, cabinets, hanging pictures or tvs, especially well when there are two mounting points on the back of something, tape to the back of the mount, poke holes where the screws will go, remove the tape and position on the wall where the thing will go

Make cardboard mock ups of small stuff to get the right size, check with the cutout before you go to install, for example a medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Choose all your materials for finish before you start the project, at least then you'll know how everything will work together once it's nailed to the wall

If you go to HD or Lowes for fittings or fasteners or lumber, get one extra or 10% extra just in case, it might save you a trip or two back to the store, return what you didn't use at the end of a project, returns are easy, four trips to the store in the same day to get the right fittings are a huge time sink.

Put one extra fastener in if you're worried about strength of mounting something, say a stair hand rail, or cabinets. You'll be a lot better off with 7 screws than 6 and a cabinet on the floor with broken dishes.

Make better decisions when buying fixtures for your home, an extra $25-60 or even$100 can save you a lot of headaches replacing low grade stuff, you have to think about it long term. For example when choosing a garage door opener, get the $230 liftmaster/chamberlain instead of the $180 genie.

Seal openings in the exterior of your house extra well for air tightness, insulation helps a bit regulate temps but if you're house leaks like a seive no amount of insulation is going to do you as much good as making sure the inside of your house isn't wide open to the outside, bugs and roaches love to climb in through those spots, too.

Glue is stronger than nails, the pin nails you see in cabinets and furniture are just there to keep everything in place until the glue dries

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sielingfan t1_je12j59 wrote

The best time to do it is years ago, and the second-best time is now.

Mostly WRT planting trees, but I'm applying that to lots of stuff lately.

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maxirabbit t1_je1qs7v wrote

And when planting a tree decide where you think it should go and then move ten feet away from any close stationary object. That is the spot.

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Trieditwonce t1_je0seki wrote

Don’t trust anyone, especially yourself.

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imoutohere t1_je0tq2h wrote

Not advice but a quote. “ Don’t sweat the small stuff, remember it’s all small stuff”

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crunchyfrog555 t1_je0y4sg wrote

For me, V=IR is perhaps my most used one day to day. There's tons though.

Mostly nowadays , it's rules of philosphy and logic that I find myself using a lot to point out others' fallacies.

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Custom8612 t1_je0ytfz wrote

A closed mouth gathers no feet.

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maxirabbit t1_je12jlr wrote

Show less than you have and say less than you know.

BONUS: Live within your means (spend less than you make).

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malthar76 t1_je1etvq wrote

It’s better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

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Guygan t1_je17dj3 wrote

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