The Hardware Man - Take the ‘Hard’ Out of Work

Howdy Folks,

Another crazy week here at Clintonville Hardware. We went into the Easter/Spring Break week with ambitious goals that mostly got accomplished. Last week we took that momentum to tear apart our back room at the store. Dry days and moderate temperatures always help when it comes to keeping doors open and moving things in and out of the building.

We were able to get a good bit accomplished reasonably quickly, to which I credit our crew at the store. Of course, a winter of looking at the project and formulating a plan always helps, especially when its go-time. As most men can relate with, the time we spend sitting and looking at a project is never wasted. We carefully analyze each part, prioritize, consider the potential problems and work through our methods to the desired result. Our guy-math calculates the costs and what tool we need to buy or rent to make the project work best.

While I am no stranger to hard work, my approach to physically demanding jobs has changed over the years. I regularly abused my body, shoveling, lifting, throwing and carrying while landscaping. As business grew, I took the opportunity to invest in equipment to make my tasks more efficient. Buying a dump trailer and a tractor were game changers when it came to mulching, debris hauling and dirt work. It was very nice to be able to finish a job without feeling worn out. The right tool always makes sense if it saves my body, time and money.

As a hardware store with a rental department, we specialize in helping to take the ‘hard’ out of work. There are some very interesting tools we rent that add multiplied value to a project. One such item is our MudMixer, a unit that takes bags of Sakrete or mortar mix and uniformly mixes it with water to desired slump. The manufacturer boasts that one man can pour one yard of concrete in one hour with the MudMixer. That kind of productivity is worth $75 a day. And sure, fence posts can be set by sledgehammer or digging, but a gas-powered post driver sets them much faster and with less muscle fatigue.

Our Case TL100, a mini tracksteer weighing about 3,500 pounds ends up being a very useful machine, especially when pared with an attachment like an auger or grapple. Users are impressed with its capability and efficiency for its size. Being able to grab and lift a thousand pounds of brush or logs makes quick work of land clearing. Using the Harley rake attachment can recondition gravel driveways or prepare soil prior to lawn planting without breaking your back.

As the cost for good workers increase, the cost-benefit of utilizing proper equipment rises, allowing more to be done faster and with less labor. There is a solid argument for hiring a piece of equipment that will work day in and out without complaint. Cost of ownership and maintenance often tilts in favor of renting over purchasing. Getting a rototiller for a day is cheaper than buying a machine you only run once or twice a year.

While it is always nice to have the right tool for the job, sometimes the best thing to do is get a group of friends together and just labor as a team. While working in our back room we utilized the tools we had, but as the saying goes, many hands make the work light. Friendly banter adds smiles and the collective energy motivates through any plan adjustments. Not breaks – Plan adjustments.

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Daniel Karns and his wife own Clintonville Hardware & Rental along with other businesses. Join the discussion by contacting him at info@clintonvillehardware.com.