Switched from a hand crank blower to an electric blower 6 months ago

I used to spend 20 minutes cranking that old hand blower just to get my forge hot enough for basic knife work. Then I snagged a used electric blower off Craigslist for $60 and now my fire reaches welding temp in 5 minutes flat. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a huge difference in how much work you can actually get done in a session?

3 comments

3 Comments

roberts951mo ago

Makes you wonder why we put up with the hard way for so long.

the_elizabeth1mo agoTop Commenter

Why do you think it took us so long to realize there was a better way?

adamthompson1mo ago

Wait, are you saying you were using a hand crank blower for 20 minutes? That sounds like a lot. Most of those old hand crank blowers can get a forge up to welding temp in under 10 minutes if you're cranking at a steady pace. Maybe your old one was just gunked up or had a broken gear. But regardless, electric is way better for consistency. I swapped mine out a few years back because my arm would get tired after a full day of work. The real difference for me was that I could just set it and not have to stop cranking every time I needed to adjust the fire. Definitely made my sessions longer and less frustrating.