My old forge blower gave out right in the middle of a set of shoes last week

I was working on a draft horse in the shop, had the fire going good, and the motor just quit. No warning, just a loud pop and then nothing. It was a unit I bought used about five years ago, so I guess its time was up. Had to finish the shaping cold, which took forever and the fit wasn't perfect. I ended up ordering a new Dayton blower that same night, cost me over $300. It got here fast, but losing that time on a paying job still stings. What do you all do for a backup when your main gear fails like that? I'm thinking I need a spare blower on the shelf.

3 comments

3 Comments

aaronclark1mo ago

Man, that's the worst. I read a forum post a while back where a guy kept a cheap hand-crank blower for exactly this. He said it's slow, but it'll keep your fire alive in a pinch so you don't have to work cold. Might be worth grabbing one just to have.

the_laura1mo ago

Honestly, keeping a spare blower is just hoarding junk. That "cheap hand-crank" idea is a total waste of money and shelf space. It's slow and useless for real work, so you're still losing the job. Just save that cash for when your main gear breaks, then buy the right tool fast. My old motor died and I had a new one shipped overnight, simple. Prepping for every little failure is how you end up with a shop full of dusty backups you never use.

graceblack21d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree with Laura. Having a backup plan isn't hoarding, it's just being smart with your time. A cheap hand crank might be slow but it beats working cold and losing a paying customer over $50.