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 Trimmer
Tools and Garden Tools –
Environmentally Friendly
and Ergonomic Designs
By Dan Fenstemaker,
Inventor of the Original
INTELETOOL
Some History
After many thousands of
years, it is both
interesting, and even
satisfying in a way, to
know that we are still
using the same basic
tools to bring life and
beauty to our gardens as
people around the world
have been doing
throughout the history
of the world. Sure,
technologies like the
production of stronger
and lighter materials,
gas and electric motors,
and precision
manufacturing techniques
have improved the
ancient tools of flint,
wood, and stone, but the
basic designs and the
ways we use our lawn and
garden tools haven’t
change much at all.
How We have Improved
on the Basics
In more recent years,
two fields of study have
exploded worldwide that
I believe have had a
positive influence on
how we can improve the
timeless basics of the
forms and functions of
trimmer tools and garden
tools. They are the
study of the environment
and the study of
ergonomics.
The World of
Environmental Concern
The idea of less waste
is now almost
universally accepted,
and concern for the
environment is now
common to most. And,
though environmental
science is very
complicated in what it
addresses (areas such as
cleaner fuel sources,
environmentally friendly
manufacturing processes,
emission controls and
filtering), the easiest
and most common way for
all of us to care for
the environment is to
simply use less and
throw away less.
This has led to the
decline of “throw away”
consumerism, where the
bottom line was to get
it cheap, use if for a
little while till it
breaks, and then just
throw it away and get
another one. Many
consumers now want to
buy products of better
quality and design, so
they can definitely
experience the positive
outcomes of “less is
more.” And, this has
influenced some new
designs of lawn and
garden tools that are
both durable and have
multi-use applications,
which allows people to
buy and use less and to
have their tools around
a lot longer. Both allow
for the positive,
environmentally friendly
“less is more.”
The World of
Ergonomics
The study of ergonomics
is the study of
designing the job, work
place, and tools to
“fit” the worker and
reduce the chances of
discomfort and work
related injuries. Again,
the field of ergonomics,
like the field of
environmental studies,
is quite complex and
comprehensive, but the
basic benefits of smart
ergonomic design have
now been incorporated
into some of the new
trimmer tools and garden
tools one sees on the
market.
Ergonomically-oriented
curves and adjustable
heights are two of the
most common ways lawn
and garden tools have
been improved. For
instance, the curved
handle of a snow shovel
prevents the user from
having to bend so far
over and allows the back
to be more vertical,
allowing the user to
lift more from their
legs and not from their
lower back.
Handles and poles that
can be height-adjusted
are also great ways to
either help the same
user in different
settings, or allow
different users with
different heights to
comfortably use the same
lawn and garden tool by
adjusting it to their
needs. Telescopic tools
are a great version of
height-adjustable
design. They truly allow
the user to work in a
far larger variety of
ways and at a much
greater level of
comfort.
Telescopic Tools with
Exchangeable Heads
Combine both Worlds
One of the best examples
of smart technology that
combines the positive
“less is more”
environmental approach
with the ergonomic
concern for pain-free
comfort, are lawn and
garden tools with
telescoping handles for
height adjusting comfort
and interchangeable
heads so one tool does
it all. These tools save
space, cut down on waste
and expense, and they
allow for the user to do
many more jobs than the
traditional collection
of many rakes, shovels,
trimmers, etc. They also
allow different users to
adjust the handle length
to fit their individual
height perfectly.
---
Dan Fenstemaker is a
trimmer tools expert.
For more great
information on
trimmer tools,
visit
http://www.inteletool.com. |
