Have you ever wondered what makes one tool comfortable to use while another causes your hand to cramp or tire easily?

The answer is ergonomics, according to James East and Deepti Sood, two self-proclaimed ergonomics engineers who published this month a set of tool ergonomics guidelines that can be just as useful to a consumer shopping for a new tool as to the companies making them.

“Ergonomic Guidelines for Selecting Hand and Power Tools,” published this week on the industry Web site OccupationalHazards.com, offers 25 tips for good tool design, and explains why choosing a tool for its ergonomics can be just as important as its technical specifications, especially for preventing long-term health problems.

“Using the wrong tool — or using the right tool incorrectly — can cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders,” they wrote.

Among the 25 tips offered for selecting tools, they recommend limiting the weight of a tool operated with one hand, such as a cordless drill, to 3 lb. or less, while tools used for precision work, like a chisel or screwdriver, should weigh less than 1 lb.

The article also recommends sizing the handle on a hand-held tool between 4 in. and 5-1/2 in. to prevent palm injuries. Power-tool triggers, meanwhile, should be at least 1 in. long to allow more than one finger to activate them.

Read all of the 25 take-away tips for tool selection online at www.occupationalhazards.com/articles/14499

Equal Rights for Hand Tools

In related news, a start-up tool company is betting on ergonomics to get its petite line of hand and power tools into the hands of its target market: women.

Barbara K Enterprises has designed a line of light-weight tools that feature small handles and a stylish color scheme. The company was founded by Barbara Kavovit, a former construction company owner and single mother, who set out to create tools that “better fit a woman’s size and strength.” 

After two years in business, Kavovit’s line of light-weight tools, including levels, cutting tools, and cordless drills (pictured above) are available at hardware stores and even Bloomingdale’s.

The concept isn’t ringing true with everyone. A local Orchard Supply Hardware store in Gilroy, California, recently reported that it stopped selling the stylish Barbara K line because store managers were concerned that the tools were sending the wrong message to its customers. The story was recounted in an article published in the local Gilroy Dispatch. 

“Women don’t want to feel inferior,” according to one sales associated interviewed for the article. “They want to use the same tools as men.”

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Rockler Dust Right 1250 CFM

You’ll need help to get this heavy unit onto its bracket, but if you’re looking for a central dust collector that won’t gobble floor space, this may be the unit for you.

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Rockler Dust Right 650 CFM

While all five of the smaller units will collect chips efficiently when deployed properly, the 3/4-hp Rockler was just a bit more powerful in our suction test.

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Shop Fox W1826

The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.

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