Appreciation post: That time my power stretcher saved a tricky room

Had a job last week in an old house in Portland with this weird angled closet that had me sweating. My regular knee kicker just wasn't cutting it on the longer wall, so I broke out the power stretcher I'd barely used before. Got a perfect tension on the first try and it took maybe 10 minutes less than I figured. Anybody else got a tool they don't use much but always comes through when you need it?

3 comments

3 Comments

thompson.nathan2mo ago

Knew a buddy who had this ancient right angle drill his grandpa passed down. He never touched it, just kept it in the case under his workbench. Then he had to wire a new outlet in this super tight crawlspace, couldn't get a normal drill in there, and that thing saved his whole weekend. He said he felt like a genius digging it out after all those years. Funny how the weird tools nobody wants end up being the most clutch.

finleyh892mo ago

Yeah I gotta be honest @thompson.nathan I USED to be the guy who thought old tools were just junk taking up space. I'd look at a right angle drill or a brace and bit and just think "why would ANYONE want that when we have cordless now?" But your story hits different. It's like those weird tools were built for the ONE job nobody thinks about until you're stuck in the worst possible spot. I've got my grandpa's old pipe wrench sitting in my trunk that I've never touched, but after reading this maybe I should just leave it there for the right moment.

nguyen.tara1mo ago

Man oh man, that pipe wrench thing is too real. I had my dad's old socket set in my trunk for like two years. Thought it was just dead weight. Then my car battery died in a random parking lot. Cracked open that crusty case and the rusted 10mm saved me from calling a tow truck. Felt like a hero for a solid ten minutes.