7 trade tools that DEFINITELY require a professional
- magda
Australians are particularly good at the old DIY job. From installing a new deck to building a treehouse, there’s almost no job around the house we can’t do. However, construction is not one of the country’s biggest industries for nothing. It takes real skill and training to use many of the tools of the trade.
Here are 7 trade tools that require a trained professional to use correctly.
Wall chasers
Wall chasers, as the name suggests, are designed for the tough job of cutting into walls. They cut into concrete, flint, hard stone, and just about anything else. Due to the high power nature of this trading tool, the complexity of making an incision into a wall, and the need to make each cut in exactly the right spot, wall chasers are definitely best left in the hands of the professionals.
Floor grinders
Floor grinders are amongst a range of trade tools that packs the most power out of any machines on the market. They can prepare floors by removing coatings, screed, and adhesives. Moreover, they can finish floors by polishing surfaces such as concrete, natural stone, and terrazzo. They can easily weigh more than 400 kilograms, so they take a trained professional to do the job well.
Concrete cutters
Concrete cutters come in all shapes and sizes, from hand-held saws to trolley saws that you push along and walk behind. In any case, a concrete cutter is not like cutting wood, as it needs a little more in the way of training and knowledge to use correctly without endangering yourself or the project.
Welding machines
Correct use of a welding machine is as much about safety as it is about the task. There are four types of welding – stick, metal inert gas, flux core arc, tungsten arc – and it’s less about knowing what to do and more about knowing how to do it. Some machines will not work outdoors, and even professional welders are susceptible to flash burns.
Block and tackle
A block and tackle in itself are quite harmless (although you wouldn’t want it to land on your foot). The issue is if it gets set up poorly. These chain-and-hook contraptions are capable of loading more than 1,000 kilograms, so the danger if one should fail from improper setup can be catastrophic.
Forklift
It takes a forklift licence to drive and use one of these pieces of machinery because there’s a lot to consider while using them. Specific training is required to correctly drive, load, move materials, and remove materials with a forklift, and it’s much easier to drop things or spear them with the prongs than you might think!
Jackhammers
A jackhammer can weigh around 30 kilograms and break up to 6 tonnes of concrete every hour. That kind of work is not ideal for the home handyman, as such machines can easily break things you don’t want them to with the slip of a hand.
