When All You Have is a Hammer…
Steve Maurer, IME
Yeah, I’m sure you know the saying — “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” And I’d imagine you probably chuckled, just a little anyway. A friend of mine gave his small boy a hammer for his birthday. And the kid beat on everything, all day long, when Tommy was at work… including the gas meter in the yard.
Yep! The gas meter! I’ve never seen him run as fast as he did when his wife called him.
Believe it or not, that’s really a shortened version of a quote from American psychologist Abraham Maslow. The actual quote reads:
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
According to the website of the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic, “This is a famous quote by Abraham Maslow which refers to a concept commonly known as the ‘law of instrument’ or Maslow’s Hammer. It refers to an over-reliance on a familiar or favourite tool. While such tools can be very useful at times, over-reliance can result in approaching problems in ways that are not always helpful or even destructive.
In our world, it usually means grabbing the first thing handy and using it for whatever you need. Raise your hand if you haven’t used a pair of channel locking pliers for a ratchet wrench. Or a hammer. And I’d be lying to you if I said I’d never used a screwdriver for a chisel or pry bar.
We’ve all done it at one time or another.
But we also have to admit that using the right tool for the job gives you better results. And sometimes that’s critical.
Over time, our tools evolved
Back when I started my life as an electrician, I carried a huge tool pouch with all my hand tools of the trade. Must have weighed 50 pounds. And wearing it all day long actually did some nerve damage to my left leg.
(Now that I’ve retired, I’m getting some of the feeling back into it.)
Apart from a corded drill and a few powered saws (also corded), most of my tools were powered by hand. Screwdrivers, nut drivers, box wrenches, torque wrenches, and the ubiquitous pair of channel lock pliers were the rule and tool of the day.
Not to mention hand operated crimpers, wire strippers, and long-handled cable cutters.
Like a lot of guys my age, I worked hard, not thinking about the toll manual labor took on my body. And when this thing called “ergonomics” came about, we kind of scoffed at it.
However, some of the tools that started being produced during that time did make the job easier. And faster… and less painful.
They developed more corded tools, along with some that were hydraulically operated. Not only did it make the job easier to do, but allowed for more precision than many of the manually operated tools.
And finally, along came tools that were battery operated. Not only did they work as good as the corded tools, they were more portable. And you didn’t have to worry about tripping over a rats nest of electrical cords. Well, not as much.
Honestly, sometimes the cost seemed prohibitive at first. We’d done it by hand for a long time and didn’t always want to pony up the cash.
But in reality, they were worth the investment. And the labor saved proved that.
From minor jobs to the big stuff, the right tool always helps
Electrical tool companies are always engineering and manufacturing new tools, even complete systems that make electrical work easier, faster, and more reliable.
The comprehensive systems feature the most extensive ranges of installation tools within the electrical industry. These tools come in a variety of styles including battery-powered, mechanical, full cycle ratchet, standalone hydraulic, remote-controlled hydraulic, and power activated pumps with hoses.
Most have useful accessories included, offering an array of options to meet your installation requirements. These tools coordinate seamlessly with an entire line of connectors and fittings. They cater to all scales of operations, from small contractors working with #22 wire to large utilities dealing with 2500 kcmil conductors.
While a lot of these tool manufacturers have connectors and other components designed specifically for their tools, many are interchangeable with other brands as well.
The advantages of an engineered system are numerous, with reliability and consistency being the most significant. In today's electrical industry, nothing surpasses the importance of reliability. It paves the way for cost-effective installations that will last for the entire lifespan of the installation.
The right tools for the job—in the right hands—bring reliability and true craftsmanship to the workplace.
And that’s always worth the price tag.
Yep! The gas meter! I’ve never seen him run as fast as he did when his wife called him.
Believe it or not, that’s really a shortened version of a quote from American psychologist Abraham Maslow. The actual quote reads:
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
According to the website of the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic, “This is a famous quote by Abraham Maslow which refers to a concept commonly known as the ‘law of instrument’ or Maslow’s Hammer. It refers to an over-reliance on a familiar or favourite tool. While such tools can be very useful at times, over-reliance can result in approaching problems in ways that are not always helpful or even destructive.
In our world, it usually means grabbing the first thing handy and using it for whatever you need. Raise your hand if you haven’t used a pair of channel locking pliers for a ratchet wrench. Or a hammer. And I’d be lying to you if I said I’d never used a screwdriver for a chisel or pry bar.
We’ve all done it at one time or another.
But we also have to admit that using the right tool for the job gives you better results. And sometimes that’s critical.
Over time, our tools evolved
Back when I started my life as an electrician, I carried a huge tool pouch with all my hand tools of the trade. Must have weighed 50 pounds. And wearing it all day long actually did some nerve damage to my left leg.
(Now that I’ve retired, I’m getting some of the feeling back into it.)
Apart from a corded drill and a few powered saws (also corded), most of my tools were powered by hand. Screwdrivers, nut drivers, box wrenches, torque wrenches, and the ubiquitous pair of channel lock pliers were the rule and tool of the day.
Not to mention hand operated crimpers, wire strippers, and long-handled cable cutters.
Like a lot of guys my age, I worked hard, not thinking about the toll manual labor took on my body. And when this thing called “ergonomics” came about, we kind of scoffed at it.
However, some of the tools that started being produced during that time did make the job easier. And faster… and less painful.
They developed more corded tools, along with some that were hydraulically operated. Not only did it make the job easier to do, but allowed for more precision than many of the manually operated tools.
And finally, along came tools that were battery operated. Not only did they work as good as the corded tools, they were more portable. And you didn’t have to worry about tripping over a rats nest of electrical cords. Well, not as much.
Honestly, sometimes the cost seemed prohibitive at first. We’d done it by hand for a long time and didn’t always want to pony up the cash.
But in reality, they were worth the investment. And the labor saved proved that.
From minor jobs to the big stuff, the right tool always helps
Electrical tool companies are always engineering and manufacturing new tools, even complete systems that make electrical work easier, faster, and more reliable.
The comprehensive systems feature the most extensive ranges of installation tools within the electrical industry. These tools come in a variety of styles including battery-powered, mechanical, full cycle ratchet, standalone hydraulic, remote-controlled hydraulic, and power activated pumps with hoses.
Most have useful accessories included, offering an array of options to meet your installation requirements. These tools coordinate seamlessly with an entire line of connectors and fittings. They cater to all scales of operations, from small contractors working with #22 wire to large utilities dealing with 2500 kcmil conductors.
While a lot of these tool manufacturers have connectors and other components designed specifically for their tools, many are interchangeable with other brands as well.
The advantages of an engineered system are numerous, with reliability and consistency being the most significant. In today's electrical industry, nothing surpasses the importance of reliability. It paves the way for cost-effective installations that will last for the entire lifespan of the installation.
So, if all you have is a hammer... fix that.
The right tools for the job—in the right hands—bring reliability and true craftsmanship to the workplace.
And that’s always worth the price tag.
Photo courtesy of BURNDY
