When The Amish Need More Powerful Tools They Choose Air

Sure when most of us think of the Amish we picture Men with beards and button shirts plowing fields or doing some good ol barn raising using nothing but horse power and hand tools, but it turns out they are also quite fond of using tools with a bit more power.

Yup, they use power tools; just not the ones we are used to seeing. While some Amish communities do allow the use of power tools, they still like to keep themselves separated from the outside world—aka keeping of the grid and not be dependent on others. So too get the power they need for their tools they turn to pneumatics and gas powered compressors. And to get the tools they need they go to the Buckeye Tool Expo in Dalton, Ohio, a trade show that caters to the unique tool needs of the Amish.

It is easy to find a nail gun or sander powered by air, but what about miter saws and table saws? Well it turns out those can be converted to air as well. You know what else is off the grid? Electric generators, and you might even see some of them used too.

Source - NPR
Photo Credit - Robert Smith / NPR