Shoutout to the older guy at the supply house in Springfield

I was grabbing a roll of that new synthetic pad and he asked if I was still using a knee kicker. He said 'Kid, a power stretcher isn't just for big jobs, it saves your body on every single install.' I've been doing this for eight years and always thought they were overkill for residential. But my knees have been killing me lately, so his words hit different. Has anyone else made the switch later in their career and felt a real difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorross24d ago

Jumped on that bandwagon about five years ago and yeah, it's one of those things where you kick yourself for not doing it sooner. I mean, it's like using a torque wrench instead of just guessing - once you feel the difference in your body, you wonder why you ever fought it. My buddy still swears by his knee kicker for quick jobs and his back is all jacked up now. It's wild how we resist small upgrades that save us big time down the road, like switching to a better tool belt or actually wearing knee pads. That old timer probably saw a dozen guys burn out before they hit 40, and he's just trying to pass along the cheat code.

nora18423d ago

Totally feel that about kicking yourself for not doing it sooner. I was the same way with getting a good shop stool, just fought it forever thinking I didn't need it. Now I can't imagine not having it for those long bench sessions. It's exactly like you said, we see guys wreck their bodies sticking with the old way and still think we're the exception. That old timer wisdom is pure gold if you just listen.