Powder-actuated nailer cost me way more than it saved

I was dead set against buying a powder-actuated nailer for concrete slabs. Thought a hammer and concrete nails were fine like I'd done for 10 years. Finally caved on a job in Phoenix where I had to fasten tack strips into 80 feet of high-density concrete. First 10 nails took me 30 minutes and I bruised my thumb. Borrowed a buddy's Ramset on day two and knocked out the rest in under an hour. Has anyone else stubbornly stuck with old methods only to realize you were just making life harder?

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keith_taylor304mo ago

Funny how fast you change your tune once you actually try the tool, ain't it? Did you end up buying your own Ramset after that job or are you still borrowing the buddy's?

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flores.emma4mo ago

My buddy still HAS my Ramset actually, I told him I'd give it back and then I just never did. That's kind of how it goes with tools you borrow - they somehow become yours after a while. It reminds me of how people treat garage sale finds too, they pick up something cheap and then suddenly they're building a whole shelf out of it. It's like once you prove something works for you, you can't go back to doing things the hard way. I think that happens with a lot of stuff in life, not just tools but routines and habits too. Once you see how easy something CAN be, you get mad at yourself for struggling before.

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