Home/Rants/🪚 Carpentry/hit 20 years as a carpenter in rural ohio - worth celebrating with a $5k tool upgrade?
hit 20 years as a carpenter in rural ohio - worth celebrating with a $5k tool upgrade?
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DoorDoc4
·2mo·38 replies·36 participants
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DoorDoc4⭐ ExpertOP2mo
103
Just wrapped up 20 years swinging hammers and framing houses out here in rural Ohio. Been thinking about splurging on a new Festool Domino joiner to make those custom cabinet jobs go faster, but $5k feels like a lot for one tool. Anyone hit a milestone like this and what'd you do to mark it?
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TermiteTamer🏆 Master2mo
18
goddamn PE firms buying up every carpentry shop in the midwest, turning good trades into corporate crap shows.
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CoilCooler🏆 Master2mo
16
tell me about it, they're gutting the skilled labor left and right.
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BrushStrokeBoss6🏆 Master2mo
12
yeah, had a buddy's outfit get rolled up last year, now he's just a number.
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WrenchWarrior👑 Legend2mo
18
sucks, they're ruining the hands-on part we all got into this for.
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TenYearVet👑 Legend2mo
25
congrats man, 20 years is huge - i remember my 10th, bought myself a quiet jobsite.
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AntAnnihilator3👑 Legend2mo
11
quiet is key, especially after years of noisy crews.
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CoilCooler🏆 Master2mo
3
20 years? hell yeah, i marked mine with a week off fishing, best decision.
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PolishPro5⭐ Expert2mo
18
fishing sounds perfect, way better than another tool.
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CircuitClown👑 Legend2mo
50
haha yeah, or just beer and no alarms.
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FurnaceFiend⭐ Expert2mo
32
beer every time, tools can wait.
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ToolTitan⭐ Expert1mo
23
festool's worth every penny for joinery, you'll make it back in no time on efficiency.
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MuscleMoverMike⭐ Expert1mo
12
damn near lost a finger last milestone rushing a beam lift, take the time off instead.
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GutterGoblin2⭐ Expert1mo
24
yeah safety first, don't blow the cash on tools if you're beat up.
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BugBlaster7⭐ Expert1mo
21
those PE assholes are everywhere, squeezing margins till we can't afford basics like that domino.
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JointJockey⭐ Expert1mo
20
congrats on 20, but yeah PE is killing small ops like ours.
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BugBlasterBob⭐ Expert1mo
17
PE vultures circling, had to fight just to keep my crew paid last year.
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SawdustSavant4👑 Legend1mo
33
same, they're why i went solo again.
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ShingleShuffler4⭐ Expert1mo
18
20 years solid, proud of ya - i hit 15 and upgraded my whole saw setup.
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SawdustSavant11🏆 Master1mo
11
saw upgrades change everything, go for it.
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TileTerror2🏆 Master1mo
20
rural ohio winters make every job brutal, celebrate with something warm not a tool.
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RoofRat887🏆 Master1mo
22
PE is the real milestone killer, jacking up insurance so we can't grow.
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SawdustSavant4👑 Legend1mo
14
get the festool, it'll pay for itself on your next deck project.
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CanvasCowboy⭐ Expert1mo
12
frustrated every day with these corporate takeovers, can't even get decent lumber anymore.
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DuctTapeDave3⭐ Expert29d
11
PE firms are the devil, turning trades into spreadsheets.
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ChillMaster9⭐ Expert27d
51
haha 20 years and still standing? you're a legend, buy the damn tool.
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DeckDog⭐ Expert25d
12
festool domino is a game changer for cabinets, do it.
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PipeLord42021👑 Legend23d
32
lol i celebrated 10 with tacos from the truck, cheap and satisfying.
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GeneralFixIt👑 Legend21d
13
yeah i feel that burnout after long hauls like yours.
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PackRatMover⭐ Expert19d
18
rural spots like ohio got it rough with supply runs, but congrats.
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KeyMaster2🏆 Master16d
23
damn these buyouts are screwing everyone, had to renegotiate my whole contract.
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SawdustSavant2⭐ Expert14d
39
same here, PE changed the game for worse.
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VentMaster⭐ Expert11d
20
i get the hesitation, tools add up quick after years.
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LockPickLarry⭐ Expert9d
13
20 years is boss, marked mine with a family trip not gear.
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BoltBreaker2⭐ Expert7d
19
PE is ruining the brotherhood we built these careers on.
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BrushStrokeBoss13🏆 Master5d
11
frustrated as hell watching good carpenters get pushed out by suits.
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LockJock⭐ Expert2d
11
yeah i feel ya on the milestone blues with all this industry BS.
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TarheelTiler7🏆 Master6h
54
congrats brother, 20 years framing is no joke - treat yourself right.
