As a handyman, it’s important to make sure that your equipment is in good working order. Many power tools are designed to last for years with proper care and maintenance. However, if you don’t take the time to treat your power tools well, they’ll wear out faster than they should and cost you more money down the road.
Aside from taking care of your equipment and ensuring that your tools for trade are purchased from reputable suppliers, it would be best if you considered these maintenance tips to learn how easy it is to extend your tool’s lifespan:
1. Clean Your Power Tools Regularly
This isn’t exactly a high-tech advice, but it’s crucial to follow. If you don’t clean your tool after every use and while it is still warm, debris can build up on the exterior of the tool and cause damage over time.
Use a soft cloth to wipe down any parts that may have been exposed to dust or dirt during use, such as blades or vents. Then use a damp cloth or an air compressor to clean accumulated debris off these surfaces more thoroughly. Finally, finish it off with a dry cloth to remove any excess moisture from the tool before storing it in its appropriate location.
2. Use The Proper Storage Techniques
You should store your power tools in a dry place, not in the garage or basement. If possible, keep them in a warmer location to avoid rusting.
Additionally, ensure to keep essential tools, such as drills and saws, away from dust and debris. You should keep in mind that dust can get into the moving parts of these devices and cause damage in the long run, so it’s vital to keep them clean and dry.
3. Remove Debris From Your Work Area
Most power tools have a dedicated dust port to connect a vacuum hose directly to the tool. This will keep your work area clean, which in turn helps protect your power tools from damage.
But what if there is no dust port on your tool? For instance, if you’re using a hand-held drill and you can’t use an extension cord or set up an outlet near where you’ll be drilling, consider using an air compressor instead of a vacuum cleaner to blow debris away from where you’ll be working.
In addition, it’s also essential to remove any other clutter in the area where you intend on doing maintenance work, not only to avoid tripping hazards but also because these items might get into the motorized component of your power tool and cause damage.
4. Unplug Power Tools When Not In Use
You might think this is a trivial advice, but unplugging your power tools when you’re not using them can extend the life of your equipment. It’s also a safety precaution, as many accidents occur when people tend to leave their tools plugged in. Moreover, it saves electricity and protects your tool from damage caused by other objects knocking into them.
Unplugging tools also helps prevent cord damage that can happen when you’re moving equipment around during use or storage.
5. Change Out Dull Drill Bits And Saw Blades
If you’ve noticed that a tool is taking considerably longer than usual or its performance has suddenly diminished significantly, then chances are that its life span has passed and needs replacing. This could be due to various factors, such as using an incorrect type of bit for the material being worked on or having too small a diameter for whatever job you’re trying to accomplish with it. In any case, it’s best not to mess around with these things because doing so incorrectly could result in damage.
To avoid this issue, keep attention to how your drill bits work so that when they become dull, you can immediately replace them with new ones.
6. Keep Your Power Tool Cords Safe And In Good Condition
You should also keep your power tool cords safe and in good condition. If you’re using heavy-duty extension cords, use a cord protector to prevent wear and tear as well as damage from heat, moisture, and low temperatures. These are especially important if you have pets who like to chew on things like cables.
Instead of plugging numerous tools into a single outlet, use an extension cord with multiple outlets so that you can power all of your gadgets simultaneously without exceeding current capacity limits established by local building codes.
Conclusion
Always remember that proper maintenance reduces costly repairs. If your power tools are well maintained, they will last longer and require fewer repairs throughout their lifetime. This cuts down trips to the repair shop or service center and less downtime between projects if something cannot be fixed immediately. The takeaway here is that by following these tips, you can extend the life of your power tools. Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas on how to do so.
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