Man that first time someone showed me the tape trick for stripping wires I felt like a total idiot for all the years I'd been doing it the hard way. I spent probably six months just using my teeth and a cheap pair of pliers before my buddy laughed at me and showed me the right way. It's one of those things where once you see it you can't unsee it and you start wondering how many other simple hacks are out there just waiting to be found. Now I can't help but pass that kind of stuff along to the new guys on the crew because nobody deserves to struggle like that for no good reason.

Man, I was totally team "spend the money" until I read this. I was saving up for one of those metal presses, thinking itd be a huge upgrade. Now I'm rethinking my whole setup.

Did they atleast let you keep the old rate for a while? I had a "lifetime" cloud storage thing that switched to a subscription after 18 months, and when I complained they said the terms changed in the fine print. Now I just assume anything labeled lifetime is probably good for like 2 years tops if youre lucky.

You ever hear about those old school linemen who used to carry a folded up piece of sandpaper in their wallet? Heard they'd rub it on their knife blade to keep it sharp out in the field, never had to buy a fancy sharpener.

Old carpenter I worked with used a speed square like a straight edge and a butter knife to mark his rafters. Looked like a hack move until you saw everything lined up perfect after the cut. Sometimes the tool you've had forever does the job better than what they sell you at the supply house.