Hand tools: What’s better done the old fashioned way?

I’ve been running an excavator the past week, and while it’s an incredible tool, the many hand jobs my wife has had to do while i sit in the machine as, they just make more sense to do the old fashioned way, stand out. What do you prefer to do, or have to do by, hand (regardless of funds)? What is the most worthwhile project for you to rent or buy power equipment for? Anything requiring more a couple days  of heavy lifting by hand is worth an excavator rental for me, as I can often do a months labor in a day. For anything under 12”, I prefer a good sharp kitana-boy or crosscut saw to a gas chainsaw. The slightly slower cut is made up for in less maintenance time, and its much safer. Anyone have insights or pontifications to share?

The way I see it, new designs of tools or equipment over the years have improved the quality of life for millions.
I did build a house entirely with old hand tools and would not recommend it to anyone today.
Its very time consuming.

I enjoy doing work by hand, but sometimes (especially now that I am a bit older) working smarter and not harder is a good idea.  If you have the time and you enjoy the work hand tools are good for the mind and the body.  If time is limited and the muscles are sore than power equipment is a good option.  I have several chores lined up waiting for time and money to rent a mini-excavator.  Digging trenches for water lines across the yard is top of the list.  Unless we get a bunch of rain spread out over a couple weeks digging them by hand will require a lot of water by hose to soften the ground and many hours of hard work with a shovel.

As a kid and young adult I preferred shoveling snow, even deep snow, with a shovel just for the exercise and for building muscles.  I don't get much snow in my current location, and so far have no cement on the property, so a shovel is still preferable and I have no intention of buying a snow blower if I ever get cement poured.

I have an old 2 person saw in storage that one day I would like to sharpen and use once with my son to cut down and cut of a tree for firewood, but after that it can hang on the wall while I use a chain saw because although nostalgic it just wouldn't seem like fun.  Again, sometimes it is best to work smarter, not harder.

I use loppers a lot for small branches.  No reason to fire up the chainsaw.

As long as wood is fairly straight grained and splits reasonably well, I prefer a maul to a gas wood splitter.  I can split wood down to size before moving it with no noise or fumes.

I have a PTO auger for my tractor that seldom sees use.  Yes, for many post holes in an open field, it is great.  But if I am digging one post hole .... or even a half dozen, it is faster to do by hand.  Then there is the issue of putting in a post hole where a tractor cannot easily go.  The majority of the time, I use the manual digger.

As a generalized answer, fine, detailed work is often done best using hand tools.  I am especially thinking of woodwork.

Also, if one is tilling a garden, a good, heavy grub hoe is better than a gas tiller.  It is more work to be sure, but it does less damage to the soil.  On a similar note, weeding with a scuffle hoe, or swan hoe or similar is far better on the soil than using a tiller to kill weeds.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Also, if one is tilling a garden, a good, heavy grub hoe is better than a gas tiller.  It is more work to be sure, but it does less damage to the soil.

Or a broadfork.

Leigh,

Really good point about the broadfork.  I was thinking about digging a new garden bed.  Will a broadfork dig a new garden bed?  I know it is excellent for loosing an older one.

Again, that was an excellent point I was not thinking about at the time.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Will a broadfork dig a new garden bed?

Yes, we've started new beds with a broadfork. It does a beautiful job of loosening the soil. For me, it's not so back-breaking as a hoe. I think it goes faster too because it's so, well, broad.

I think a lot of it is personal preference. My husband's favorite digging tool is his maddox! Me, I'll grab a shovel every time. :) We both like the broadfork, though.

I think moving large amounts of stuff is where powered tools shine. Digging a pond, moving a large log, ripping a log into boards, etc.

I will give my standard plug about trying to find old hand tools from the time period when they were meant to be used by skilled workers all day long. Subtle (and not so subtle) differences make all the difference. Many people would be amazed at how quickly hand tools can work, but all they have ever seen/used is modern renditions that leave much to be desired.

I'm one who definitely prefers hand tools over power tools as a general rule. I like that, again generally  speaking, they are safer, quieter, and able to give more nuanced detail work in trained hands.

Recently I was teaching a metalsmithing workshop during part of which I  taught everyone  how to make their own chasing tools.  (basically steel  punches or chisels) Everyone always seems surprised that I cut the rod with a simple hacksaw instead of some loud dangerous power chop saw or cutoff wheel on a grinder.They seem more surprised when I tell them I made the hundreds of tools in the sets they were using in class using that same hacksaw.  I  find a hacksaw cuts rod pretty quick and because it cuts a pretty thin kerf I can also get 9 tools out of a 3 foot rod instead of 8 with a useless scrap  length.

Give me a good hand hammer over a power hammer anyday too!

Depends on the situation but I love my scythe over my string trimmer. Quiet, lighter, no vibration, no exhaust, and covers a huge swath in one swing.

I love my scythe too!  I still use my electric trimmer in some tight spots (my scythe is big), but it has fully replaced my lawn mower which I ended up giving away years ago.

Jordan Holland wrote:I will give my standard plug about trying to find old hand tools from the time period when they were meant to be used by skilled workers all day long. Subtle (and not so subtle) differences make all the difference. Many people would be amazed at how quickly hand tools can work, but all they have ever seen/used is modern renditions that leave much to be desired.

About a month ago I was buying a rusty-hardware collection for a couple bucks from a young guy, clearing out and selling off "junk" that was probably his father's, all rusty and older than him.  He was doing a last-minute panicked rummage through the box of rusty tools and hardware I'd just offered him three bucks for, just to make sure he wasn't giving away any treasures.  (Actually it wasn't a box, it was an old oak drawer from a chest of drawers, itself probably worth more than I paid just in lumber value.)  At one point in his rummage he seized and removed a good sized "brace bit" (tapered square) style drill/auger for wood.  He stared at the tapered square end that would go in the chuck on an appropriate brace, and then, clearly thinking about his electric drill set, he muttered "You can have this, you can't use it anyway, these are useless" and dropped it back into the collection.

I didn't say a word, but I was laughing inside and my internal narrative was "Maybe you can't use it, you dumb fuck, but that doesn't make it useless!"  The funny part was, I had just picked up (literally at the last garage sale before I got to his) a beautiful old Stanley hand brace in perfect working order, for which I paid the princely sum of one dollar.  Don't get me wrong, I prefer to use my battery drill for most projects too.  But I like to have options.

I like splitting wood by hand. I have a wood splitter too because I don't have the time to split it all by hand but I do as much as I can. On days I get stuck in the office all day it feels good to swing the axe for a bit.

Dan Boone, that brings up another point. Using hand tools in the correct manner is a very big part of their efficiency. The old auger bits were designed to be turned by hand, so they cut as efficiently as possible. There were even different designs for different types of wood, it was that important. I see many people use modern bits designed for power drills in a brace, and the results are not optimal. When there is power to spare, efficiency is not typically their main design goal. They are more likely to go with speed of cut, longevity of edge, or even more likely, lowest cost of manufacture. But even the highest quality tools possible can only do so well when not used as intended.

Jordan Holland wrote:Dan Boone, that brings up another point. Using hand tools in the correct manner is a very big part of their efficiency. The old auger bits were designed to be turned by hand, so they cut as efficiently as possible. There were even different designs for different types of wood, it was that important. I see many people use modern bits designed for power drills in a brace, and the results are not optimal. When there is power to spare, efficiency is not typically their main design goal. They are more likely to go with speed of cut, longevity of edge, or even more likely, lowest cost of manufacture. But even the highest quality tools possible can only do so well when not used as intended.

Absolutely correct on the different drill bit designs.  I've used paddle bits for decades.  Just recently I got a screw tipped paddle bit.  There is a big difference in how it works (using a power drill).

Just recently finished helping a co-workers family member build a custom sized, farmhouse style bench.
Parts of it were done with power tools.  But, for other parts we used hand saws, chisels, and mallets to do the joinery.
Yes, I can look at it and find a few more flaws on the hand-chiseled joints.  But, the level of satisfaction with the hand-hewn joints is significantly higher.
We didn't use any screws or nails.  Instead we bored holes and drove in pegs & wedges.  The "Cool Factor" knowing there isn't a stitch of hardware in this bench is very satisfying.
Sorry, I didn't think to take pictures before sending it home with them.

I have a PTO auger for my tractor that seldom sees use.  Yes, for many post holes in an open field, it is great.  But if I am digging one post hole .... or even a half dozen, it is faster to do by hand.  Then there is the issue of putting in a post hole where a tractor cannot easily go.  The majority of the time, I use the manual digger.

Yes, we've started new beds with a broadfork. It does a beautiful job of loosening the soil. For me, it's not so back-breaking as a hoe. I think it goes faster too because it's so, well, broad.

When it comes to digging I think it really depends on soil type. In my area it is no comparison, if you need multiple post holes and have a choice between hand digging or power tools you will want the power tools every time (often aided by the hand tools and a water hose).

For digging new beds I use a shovel, but my beds are mostly smaller size.

So in 1 week for 1850$ +100$ in diesel on a rented compact excavator I got at least  6months of hard hand labor and 10-15k$ worth in work done (if I had contracted it out).
- Fixed our rutted driveway to drain into swales, water garden basins and ponds;
- dug 1000+ft of swales for this runoff
- built about 1200sq ft of hugels 3-6ft tall, burying a lot of our brush therein for fire risk reduction
- swaled our house runoff through a new gravel walkway that will double as a grey water catchment that will lead 50k gal+/yr to a garden terrace on a ridge line next to the house
- expanded our pond with the primary goal of improving it as wetland/aquatic habitat w potential for gardening on terraces as water recedes, and used topsoil for adjacent hugels uphill (not on contour so not a floating dam!), and we have several cubic yards of good clay now for building and future pond lining
-removed trees across lower road for access by vehicle, and moved 20ft logs in tact for use as building timbers

All this probably would have taken 6months to do by hand, which means it probably would have never gotten done. On the other hand, I now have at least a months work of hand work to clean up and finish what the excavator did. I used to do backcountry trail work and restoration, led crews, and wrote my masters thesis on how these experiences and the community formed by teams doing them can facilitate self realization. I value the soul building potential of manual labor in and for nature. I am still extremely grateful that I got trained on excavators/backhoes doing demo on former in holdings for the park service. My wife also had fun learning how to use it on simpler, lower risk tasks (moving dirt away from anything fragile). When the damage was done with heavy equipment, like the hydrology and ecology I worked on repairing at my place, I think heavy equipment is the appropriate tool, and it always leaves plenty of hand jobs in its wake.

Similar to the comments about hand tools being really effective when they're well-designed, in good condition, and a person knows how to use it well... powered equipment can be very effective when used by a skilled operator and in the right situations. Powered equipment operated without skill can sometimes be a faster way to damage or tear up things and sets you back a bit while you repair things. Thinking examples like angle grinder minor slippage completely ruins a surface or backhoe digs a bit too deep and takes out a propane line or drainage tile.

Demolition. The more you do by hand the more good material you preserve. Around here, they like to bring in a big excavator to take bites and drop in a dumpster.

Eric Hanson wrote:As a generalized answer, fine, detailed work is often done best using hand tools.  I am especially thinking of woodwork.

Also, if one is tilling a garden, a good, heavy grub hoe is better than a gas tiller.  It is more work to be sure, but it does less damage to the soil.  On a similar note, weeding with a scuffle hoe, or swan hoe or similar is far better on the soil than using a tiller to kill weeds.

Eric

Thank you for this! I had never heard of a grub hoe until I happened across this post. This is just what I need. I've been very tediously digging new beds with a shovel and then removing the sod with a trowel. Very slow, though pleasant, work. I'd still rather do it this way than till, though.

We just moved to a new place, so that is why I am digging new beds. I will be making next year's beds the lasagna/ sheet mulch way, but I need places I can plant right away as well, and digging them this time seemed best.

I took over the family farm in February last year, and am trying to find my own farming style. I had my moments last summer, watching the fields and thinking of my great grandfather who came here in the late 1800s and probably did most of his work with hand tools and a horse. Then I was thinking that the old ways are getting lost. Most people around here don't know any longer how to use the tools and do stuff manually, and I decided to learn the old ways of farming. It seems to be a hard task, as there are no teachers around.

I started last autumn to mark an area of my fields with posts. I will start my forest garden here and had to make it stand out from the rest as I rent out the land to a farmer who runs a regenerative style of farming on the rest of my acres. I did this manually. Nice. Not a difficult thing to do, but would probably be more time consuming if I were to set up a long fence.

Then in winter, I fell trees with an axe. I was surprised as to find out how effective this was. I taught myself at youtube, and started with cutting down thin trees. I don't know if it is allowed to link to personal blogs here, but I posted some pictures there if anyone's interested in seeing how I learnt myself this thing. I chopped up logs that was manageable to pull back to the farm, but the problem started when I was about to chop it into smaller logs and had to use a saw. This took way too much time and I had to give in to electricity.

I just cut down my hedge with a manual clipper (please bear with me, I am Norwegian and don't know the names of all the hand tools in English, hope to learn more here) instead of using the electrical handsaw. Yes, it is time consuming. But this kind of makes me happy.

Neighbours keep commenting. Don't you have a chainsaw? You can borrow our hedge trimmer and so on. I don't think they really understand my amusement by learning and doing this the old way.

This spring I will try to sow by hand an acre with rye and red clover. I don't really know how to do this without machines. Any tips are welcomed.

This was a re-build from a broken bench.
The single screw holding the cross brace to the legs couldn't handle the stresses of daily use.
The screws came loose.  This let the bench go askew and the tongue and grove joint one one end broke.
Some of the rebuild was done with power tools.  Some of the work was done with simple hand tools.
Shortening the bench and re-cutting the tongue and grove was done on a table saw.
The mortises were cut with a chisel and mallet.
The tenons were cut with a hand saw.
The old brown finish on the bench top was removed with a hand plane.
The draw peg was cut, tapered, and inserted with hand tools.
The parts that were done with the table saw were much quicker and easier.
The parts done with hand tools felt much more satisfying.
The purple stain was the juice from a red cabbage.

Hege Fossum wrote:I took over the family farm in February last year, and am trying to find my own farming style. I had my moments last summer, watching the fields and thinking of my great grandfather who came here in the late 1800s and probably did most of his work with hand tools and a horse. Then I was thinking that the old ways are getting lost. Most people around here don't know any longer how to use the tools and do stuff manually, and I decided to learn the old ways of farming.

Welcome aboard, Hege! Excellent first post. I think you will fit in very well here.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Hege Fossum wrote:I took over the family farm in February last year, and am trying to find my own farming style. I had my moments last summer, watching the fields and thinking of my great grandfather who came here in the late 1800s and probably did most of his work with hand tools and a horse. Then I was thinking that the old ways are getting lost. Most people around here don't know any longer how to use the tools and do stuff manually, and I decided to learn the old ways of farming.

Welcome aboard, Hege! Excellent first post. I think you will fit in very well here.

Thank you so much! This is a great place

Hege Fossum wrote:I took over the family farm in February last year, and am trying to find my own farming style. I had my moments last summer, watching the fields and thinking of my great grandfather who came here in the late 1800s and probably did most of his work with hand tools and a horse. Then I was thinking that the old ways are getting lost. Most people around here don't know any longer how to use the tools and do stuff manually, and I decided to learn the old ways of farming. It seems to be a hard task, as there are no teachers around.



This spring I will try to sow by hand an acre with rye and red clover. I don't really know how to do this without machines. Any tips are welcomed.

BBC did a whole series on farming/farmlife in different time periods. A whole farm year per period. Victorian farm, Edwardian farm, wartime farm, Tudor farm and tales of the green valley. Amazon has them, but so does Youtube. Archeologists doing practical archeology makes for interesting watching.
The Book of the Farm, written by the 19th-century farming expert Henry Stephens may help too. They used it for plenty, although it is leading towards mechanization.

The topic of this thread has been on my mind a lot lately. I plan on building a practice cordwood shed/cabin before winter for temporary living. I have no building experience so I’m trying to make everything as easy as possible. I’ll be using timber framing a la Rob Roy’s ‘Timber Framing For The Rest Of Us’. But in the case of prepping the cordwood, I’m not exactly sure what “easy” is. I’m wondering if I should stick with hand tools or use a chainsaw to prep the cordwood. I have no experience with a chainsaw and would like to take a course if I end up deciding I should use one.

Rob Roy has a setup he highly recommends in several of his books which uses a chainsaw to make cordwood prep fast and efficient. Personally, I would prefer to stick with hand tools to prep the cordwood even though I know it will drag the process out. For one thing, I feel much safer using hand tools. My mind gets a little spacey at times due to some health issues.( To be clear, there are times when my mind isn’t spacey too.) I like the idea of gaining experience with hand tools. I just don’t know if I’ll have time get all the wood ready since I haven’t even bought land yet. The biggest factor will be how it takes to find land I suppose.


How big of a time difference could it make for a shed a little under 200 square feet? I’m thinking in the time it takes me to learn to use the chainsaw, build this setup for the chainsaw, and become reasonably efficient with it—it might not be worth the time. But I have no idea what I’m talking about, so any observations would  be appreciated.

Kevin David wrote:The topic of this thread has been on my mind a lot lately. I plan on building a practice cordwood shed/cabin before winter for temporary living. I have no building experience so I’m trying to make everything as easy as possible. I’ll be using timber framing a la Rob Roy’s ‘Timber Framing For The Rest Of Us’. But in the case of prepping the cordwood, I’m not exactly sure what “easy” is. I’m wondering if I should stick with hand tools or use a chainsaw to prep the cordwood. I have no experience with a chainsaw and would like to take a course if I end up deciding I should use one.

Rob Roy has a setup he highly recommends in several of his books which uses a chainsaw to make cordwood prep fast and efficient. Personally, I would prefer to stick with hand tools to prep the cordwood even though I know it will drag the process out. For one thing, I feel much safer using hand tools. My mind gets a little spacey at times due to some health issues.( To be clear, there are times when my mind isn’t spacey too.) I like the idea of gaining experience with hand tools. I just don’t know if I’ll have time get all the wood ready since I haven’t even bought land yet. The biggest factor will be how it takes to find land I suppose.


How big of a time difference could it make for a shed a little under 200 square feet? I’m thinking in the time it takes me to learn to use the chainsaw, build this setup for the chainsaw, and become reasonably efficient with it—it might not be worth the time. But I have no idea what I’m talking about, so any observations would  be appreciated.

I've used both gas powered and electric chain saws.  
Gas powered is faster, but, electric is easier to operate.
Electric is quieter and doesn't give you a headache if you use one without ear plugs.
Electric is also lighter and easier to control.
But, with electric you are either going to be near a power source, bring a power source (aka generator), or re-charge batteries over and over again.
With either, keep your chain sharp, which means keeping it out of the dirt, which dulls a chain quickly.
AND, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER TRY US A CHAIN SAW WITH ONE HAND.

I'll second the thoughts about hand tools often being quieter, less prone to spoil the job; as well as possibly safer or faster.

I'll add that anything you might do with a machine or power tool, if you don't already know how to do it by hand, the machine will only help you goof it up faster!

Machines are great time and labor-saving tools. If you know what you are doing, and know what you are getting out of them. They excel at back-breaking work, repetitive work (usually), covering distances quickly.
My small tractor loader holds what a big wheelbarrow holds, depending what I'm moving, and how far/to where, it is often best to just use the wheelbarrow.
After turning close to 1000 cubic yards of compost with a fork over the years, now I'll do whatever it takes to do it with the tractor.

I get the request of "Could you just scoop it up with the tractor?" and only about half the time, is that actually doable. Access is the biggest issue, size of the machine/bucket vs. the tree/plants/hole is a mismatch, the remaining hand-work to complete the job, and to repair the path I travelled.
Last year, I transplanted 2 enormous rhododendrons, a Japanese maple, and two big boxwoods, with the big tractor. Our front yard, where they began, was torn up badly, which in this case was fine. Only two of the transplanting holes were possible to dig by machine, although I was able to place them all with the tractor.

Often the "setup" time exceeds the time using the tool. So for one-off jobs I go for a hand tool more often than not. I can file a radius on a corner of a piece of metal at the bench faster than walking to two separate machines to do the same.
I can break the edges of a four-foot-long board with a hand plane, and it's done, no setting up the router, no sanding required. If I had 40 feet of edges to round over, I'd use the router.

Never posted here but... just fyi almost the best tool for seeding grass in all those little out of the way places is a manually operated handled tool called a "Garden Weasel" cultivator.  And we use handtools almost exclusively for our woodwork and boatbuilding.  Be well.

25 - 30 years ago when I established my gardens, I put down tarps in the fall to eliminate the sod.  In Spring, I used a Spading fork to turn over the soil.  Then I put down patio stones for 4 x 16 foot beds.  For several years I turned those beds each Spring with the Spading fork.  After that I used a broadfork.  All was done from the patio stone paths - non-compacted garden beds.   I expanded for many years.  Now that I am older and  lacking that ambition, I am gradually converting the beds to perennial crops and fruiting trees and bushes.  My primary tool is a Japanese grass sickle.  It is very precise.  I broadcast seeds (beans, daikons, fenugreek, lettuce, basil....) .in the spaces and  cover with the mulch I just made.  I water immediately.  Germination is usually within 7 days.  That keeps the weeds down most of the season.  I also employ chickens and ducks  and honeybees.  Ground ivy is a welcome weed.  It is good cover and favored by honeybees.  I guess the next step in this venture will be to find some crazy young people to take over.

Tom Hooper wrote:Never posted here but... just fyi almost the best tool for seeding grass in all those little out of the way places is a manually operated handled tool called a "Garden Weasel" cultivator.  And we use handtools almost exclusively for our woodwork and boatbuilding.  Be well.

I have one of those.  It's good for breaking up the top few inches without turning things over.

When I can do it faster with hand tools and be over and finished before my husband can get the attachments changed out on the tractor and get down there.  

tamara dutch wrote:

Hege Fossum wrote:I took over the family farm in February last year, and am trying to find my own farming style. I had my moments last summer, watching the fields and thinking of my great grandfather who came here in the late 1800s and probably did most of his work with hand tools and a horse. Then I was thinking that the old ways are getting lost. Most people around here don't know any longer how to use the tools and do stuff manually, and I decided to learn the old ways of farming. It seems to be a hard task, as there are no teachers around.



This spring I will try to sow by hand an acre with rye and red clover. I don't really know how to do this without machines. Any tips are welcomed.

BBC did a whole series on farming/farmlife in different time periods. A whole farm year per period. Victorian farm, Edwardian farm, wartime farm, Tudor farm and tales of the green valley. Amazon has them, but so does Youtube. Archeologists doing practical archeology makes for interesting watching.
The Book of the Farm, written by the 19th-century farming expert Henry Stephens may help too. They used it for plenty, although it is leading towards mechanization.

Wow! Thanks! I'll check this out. Seems very interesting.

Tom Hooper wrote:Never posted here but... just fyi almost the best tool for seeding grass in all those little out of the way places is a manually operated handled tool called a "Garden Weasel" cultivator.  And we use handtools almost exclusively for our woodwork and boatbuilding.  Be well.

Thanks! I'll go get myself a garden weasel cultivator for the sowing. I hope to get started this weekend, and I feel like a kid in a candy store

Phil Swindler wrote:

Tom Hooper wrote:Never posted here but... just fyi almost the best tool for seeding grass in all those little out of the way places is a manually operated handled tool called a "Garden Weasel" cultivator.  And we use handtools almost exclusively for our woodwork and boatbuilding.  Be well.

I have one of those.  It's good for breaking up the top few inches without turning things over.

I'll second what Phil said.  I have one too and find it is good for breaking up the top layer without turning it over.  Ironically in light of Tom's use, I often use it when I want to pull grass out that's growing in garden beds without completely messing up the soil layering.  A few twists of the garden weasel and it usually loosens up the grass roots so I can easily pull it out.

I've used both gas powered and electric chain saws.  
Gas powered is faster, but, electric is easier to operate.
Electric is quieter and doesn't give you a headache if you use one without ear plugs.
Electric is also lighter and easier to control.
But, with electric you are either going to be near a power source, bring a power source (aka generator), or re-charge batteries over and over again.
With either, keep your chain sharp, which means keeping it out of the dirt, which dulls a chain quickly.
AND, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER TRY US A CHAIN SAW WITH ONE HAND.

Thank you for this. I’ll definitely go with electric if I decide to use a chainsaw.

I'll second the thoughts about hand tools often being quieter, less prone to spoil the job; as well as possibly safer or faster.

I'll add that anything you might do with a machine or power tool, if you don't already know how to do it by hand, the machine will only help you goof it up faster!
…
Often the "setup" time exceeds the time using the tool. So for one-off jobs I go for a hand tool more often than not. I can file a radius on a corner of a piece of metal at the bench faster than walking to two separate machines to do the same.
I can break the edges of a four-foot-long board with a hand plane, and it's done, no setting up the router, no sanding required. If I had 40 feet of edges to round over, I'd use the router.

More reasons I think I should start with hand tools. Especially that line about screwing up faster with power tools. The goal is simply to get a shed built quickly. When it comes time to build a house to code I imagine that might change things due the quantity of wood needed.

Aside: I sense some confusion. The garden weasel cultivator and claw are very different things.

I have played with both, and given them away. They do have utility in a small urban garden though.

I regularly see them at thrift shops for a few bucks. Personally I would never buy either type at full retail price. My 2c.