Living green and environmentally/economically aware isn’t just a fad or trend these days, it’s a real lifestyle that has become clear and present. Living green is generally easy, and what’s more, it usually saves you money as well; what could be better than that? We in the tool industry get to participate in a special kind of green living that keeps a good power tool in our hands, productivity on the agenda, and more dollar bills in our pockets. These green habits for power tools can be pretty simply summed up in just two words: maintenance, and refurbishing.
First and foremost, properly maintaining your power tools is one of the smartest things you can do as a carpenter. As you know a well oiled machine (or at least and clean and cared for machine) will function better and live much longer than left alone. Regular maintenance almost guarantees your equipment will perform better and longer. A buddy of mine can still milk good service from an eighteen year old cordless drill (hey, Jon!); that’s a pretty incredible track record, and certainly one not impossible to replicate, especially if you practice our second bullet point as well: refurbishing. Repairing your power tools rather than replacing them frankly is one of the best things to incorporate into your tooling routine. It’s just like that old adage goes – you wouldn’t throw out your automobile for a failing windshield wiper or a balding tire, so why throw out your power tools for a faulty switch or worn-down brushes?
Fixing your power tools can save you an impressive chunk of change, but what’s more, it will also help you reduce your own carbon footprint. Every power tool that we can keep out of a landfill reduces the units of carbon dioxide emitted into our Earth’s atmosphere. This, consequently, keeps us, our projects, and our big blue Earth safer, healthier, and altogether happier. There is just over three hundred million people in the US. On average, Americans will produce right around sixteen hundred pounds of trash per year. If just 10% of the Americans repaired an item that weighed 10 pounds and continued using that item instead of throwing it away, that would take 300,000,000 pounds out of the landfill. That doesn’t even take into consideration the carbon saved by not purchasing a new item.
Just remember don’t be worried at the thought of performing your own repairs, most minor fixes like brush, cord, or housing replacements, and many switch replacements as well, can be handled by any old craftsmen. Simply purchase your Porter Cable Parts and should you need an extra hand, a technician, video tutorial, or “how to” article can usually walk you through the process.
Buying used power tools is another way to keep your carbon footprint small and your wallet fat. Used tools can usually do all the same things a brand new one can, but they do them for a fraction of regular cost.
As you can see, green is the new black. Reduce your consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, and benefit from high-performance refurbished power tools and the warm feelings you’ll get for acting smart.
