It should come as no surprise that the high-powered, sharp, and heavy tools that people use to build and repair the infrastructure we use in our daily lives can cause a lot of injuries. Hundreds of thousands of people per year are injured by tools, and yes, these accidents can even cause death in some extreme cases. Many people have stories about themselves or loved ones getting injured by a tool. In my case, my stepfather lost part of his thumb to a table saw in the late 2010s, and lord knows I’ve cut and banged myself with plenty of tools before.

In general, most of these injuries can be prevented with proper safety precautions, which includes the usual stuff like paying attention, wearing eye protection, and keeping your fingers clear of the tool. However, there are tool-specific safety precautions that you may not know about, and the best place to find information about that is in the instruction manual.

Simple stuff like hand tools generally doesn’t need a manual since they’re self-explanatory. They cause loads of injuries, but you can avoid most of them with basic safety precautions. Other tools are a bit more complicated and can cause injury if you don’t know how to use them. So, here is a list of tools where reading the manual may save you a trip to the emergency room.

Plasma cutters are some of the most dangerous cutting tools that you can freely buy at a hardware store, and yes, Harbor Freight sells them. The Titanium 65-Amp Plasma Cutter is an excellent example. This is a lightweight plasma cutter, coming in at around 36 pounds, that can use either 120V or 240V inputs. Otherwise, it works like most plasma cutters, by forcing gas out of the tip and igniting it, causing a torch that can easily cut through metal.

It’s a very dangerous tool because the cutting torch can reach temperatures of up to 40,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot enough to cut metal, body parts, and pretty much anything else that gets in its way. In addition, these things are a fire hazard, and the bright light it emits can burn your eyes. The fumes produced from cutting stuff can also be a hazard to your lungs. There are a lot of ways to mess yourself up with a plasma cutter.

Most of these are outlined in Titanium’s manual, including several tips on preventing accidental fires, the dangers of the toxic fumes, wearing personal protective equipment to avoid damage to the eyes, and proper maintenance practice. You don’t need the Internet for this; It’s all right in the book.

Watching a character in a movie or TV show shoot themselves with a nail gun is a pretty easy way to draw a laugh. In real life, this happens all the time, causing an estimated 37,000 emergency room visits a year. OSHA says that two in five residential carpenter apprentices will hurt themselves with a nail gun at some point. That’s quite a lot of injuries.

There are a lot of nail guns on the market, and Harbor Freight sells a decent one with the Bauer 20V Cordless Brad Nailer. It can drive up to 60 nails per minute, has a switch trigger to swap between manual and contact operation, and a sideload magazine that holds up to 105 nails at once. Should you find yourself with one, you’ll want to practice proper safety habits, like never pointing it at your body. 

The manual covers most of them, and includes advice to use common sense while operating the power tool. There are some unique safety recommendations as well: To name one, the manual suggests not smoking, since nicotine reduces blood flow to the extremities, increasing the risk of injury.

Table saws are widely considered to be one of the most dangerous woodworking tools on the market, and results in nearly 30,000 injuries per year, costing an estimated $2 billion in medical costs. Most of these injuries happen to the hands and fingers, which makes sense as that’s the primary way you interact with these tools. There are many safety measures that table saws can offer, from flesh detection that stops the blade when a finger hits it to anti-kickback features to keep wood from launching back into your body.

Harbor Freight’s Hercules 15-Amp Compact Jobsite Table Saw is an excellent example of why reading the manual is important. This table saw has plenty of features, like a dust port, a blade guard, and anti-kickback pawls, along with a motor powerful enough to cut up to 24.5 inches. However, it does not have the safety features of other, more expensive table saws, like flesh detection.

The manual does include plenty of information about safe use, including instructions on the anti-kickback feature, general safety tips, and sage advice like not standing directly behind the saw blade, reducing the risk of a kicked back piece of wood hitting you.

Acetylene torches may not be near the top of injury lists, but they pose the same risks as a plasma cutter or any other super-hot welding or cutting tool. They can reach temperatures well over 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a good reason to invest in a welding helmet and potentially even a welding table. Professionals will know this already, but in case it isn’t immediately obvious, you shouldn’t weld without a helmet.

You can buy an acetylene torch like the Olsen Portable Acetylene Torch Kit at Harbor Freight. It comes with oxygen, acetylene, and a neat little portable carrier to drag it around the workshop as needed. Per the product listing, it does come with a set of safety googles, so there’s no good excuse not to have eye protection on while using it. You should also follow basicsafety protocol, like not welding anywhere near the tanks.

The tool’s manual also houses a number of precautions for safe use, including ensuring that all hoses and lines are set up correctly and tight, how to twist the knobs to properly turn the torch off, and how to release the pressure from the regulator for safe storage. When flammable gas is involved, reading the manual is extremely important.

Similar to table saws, miter saws have a lot of potential safety pitfalls. They cause tens of thousands of injuries per year and for much the same reasons as other saws. They can cut through stuff that’s tougher than human appendages, so when one gets in the way, it’ll cut that, too. There are other dangers to consider when using a miter saw as well, including things flying into your eyes and body and the dangers of not securing the tool properly.

So, if you pick up one up from Harbor Freight, like this Bauer 10-inch Compound Miter Saw, you’ll want to pay attention to what you’re doing. It can cut things up to 12.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches tall, has a bevel function, and includes some niceties like sliding extension tables and an electric brake, in case you need to stop the saw quickly.

It’s yet another potentially dangerous tool where you’ll want to read the manual. Inside is a host of safety tips and suggestions, along with common sense stuff like making sure the cord isn’t in the way. Bauer’s manual also literally tells you to “not let familiarity gained from frequent use of tools allow you to become complacent,” and to not force the tool to do something it was not designed to do.

Soldering irons are extremely useful tools, especially if you repair your own electronics. They are fairly small and generally easy to use. However, they are also very hot and can easily cause injury if the user isn’t paying attention. The most basic safety tips include watching out for the hot tip and ensuring proper ventilation, since the fumes can cause lung and eye irritation. Depending on what materials you’re working with, exposure to lead is possible. For this reason, it’s a good idea to remove food and drinks from the area while soldering.

Harbor Freight has a few soldering irons, including the Chicago Electric 100W Soldering Gun. This comes in a kit with a few tips, the gun itself, and a handy storage case for putting everything away. Chicago Electric says the tip is ready for use in eight seconds and heats up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which means being careful is paramount to avoid burns.

The manual dives deeper into the specific model and is a necessary read if you’re going to wave around an item that reaches 1,000 degrees. It has all the tips you’d expect, like keeping the tip away from flammable objects and wearing protective equipment, but there’s also a section about the fumes being linked to early onset Parkinson’s Disease, heart disease, and other serious medical conditions.

There are approximately 40,000 circular saw injuries per year, and roughly 40% of them result in permanent disability. Unlike most of the saws on this list, the circular saw is held in your hand while you use it, which creates new risks that don’t concern the other saws.

So, if you pick up Harbor Freight’s 20V Brushless Cordless Circular Saw from Hercules, you’ll want to learn more about proper use. This circular saw features a 7.25-inch blade with a max speed of 5,000 RPM and a 2.5-inch maximum cutting depth. It also includes a soft start mechanism and an electric brake as its primary safety functions.

The safety tips in the manual largely apply to the circular saws of any good brand. It includes general tips like keeping kids, your hands, and any other living thing away from the blade while in use. There are also tool-specific tips, like remove the adjusting key before using it, replacing damaged blades so they don’t explode on you, and only removing the lower guard when absolutely necessary, like when doing plunge cuts.

Angle grinders are about as dangerous as any other tool. There aren’t hard numbers as to how many injuries angle grinders cause per year, but it’s easy to imagine that there are a lot. Not only can the rapidly spinning wheel do some real damage, but if a grinder is used improperly, the blade can quite literally explode in the middle of use and shower your body in shrapnel.

Harbor Freight sells a lot of angle grinders, like this Warrior 4.5-inch Angle Grinder. Its motor can rotate the wheel at up to 12,000 RPM, and the body comes with adjustable guards to deflect potential debris, along with a side handle for steadier operation. It’s important to keep in mind the 12,000 RPM max speed, because it means that whatever disk you attach to it must be rated for at least 12,000 RPM. This will reduce the chance of the wheel suddenly exploding.

The manual covers quite a few other things as well, including making sure the diameter and thickness are appropriate for the angle grinder’s dimensions, and instructing the owner not to use the tool for purposes for which it was not designed. Standard safety protocol, like wearing proper equipment and keeping bystanders at a safe distance, is also recommended.

Chainsaws are quite common and also quite dangerous. They result in roughly 28,000 injuries per year, with 36% of involving the legs and knees. The medical costs for those injuries exceed $350 million per year. The most common causes of chainsaw injuries are kickback from the blade getting stuck on material and general loss of control. Being careful while cutting and not using a chainsaw too powerful are simple ways to reduce risk.

Harbor Freight’s Atlas 80V Brushless Cordless Chainsaw has more power than a 50cc gas chainsaw, which is more than enough to cause serious injury. The tool comes with some safety mechanisms, including a mechanical chain brake and an automatic oiler for easier maintenance. The wrap-around handle is also designed to maintain control more easily.

The manual for chainsaws is quite similar to most other types of saws. Keep the blade away from humans, disconnect the battery before making any adjustments or performing maintenance, and only use its chainsaws for cutting wood. There are also segments about proper use, maintenance, and blade replacement. Atlas also says that people with pacemakers shouldn’t use chainsaws, as the tool can interfere with their function.

It may not pull the same numbers as the table saw or other woodwork tools, but jointers are still rather dangerous if not used properly. This is a rapidly spinning piece of machinery that cuts wood. If it can cut wood, then it can cut you, and a lack of proper safety can land you in a hospital room. Like most tools of this kind, kickback is a real concern, as is getting fingers and hands caught on the cutter head.

Jointers are usually rather large, but you can still buy them at Harbor Freight, including the affordable 12-amp, 6-inch Benchtop Jointer from Bauer. Most pros recommend different jointers for different tasks, so if this one isn’t your cup of tea, you can probably find one that is better suited to your needs. Bauer’s jointer comes with a motor that can spin the blade at 9,000 RPM, and it comes with 12 four-sided cutters to use as replacements. For safety, there’s a table lock and a heavy-duty base.

The kit comes with two push blocks, which the manual highly recommends using. The manual also contains instructions about safety procedures and proper maintenance.

Routers don’t put nearly as many people in the hospitals as saws do, but if you look around online, you can find horror stories of people losing a finger to this tool. It’s no secret that routers can be as dangerous as any other power tool. So, if you’re ever using one to add some decorative edges or grooves, make sure you read the literature before getting started.

Harbor Freight sells a few routers, including the popular Hercules 12-Amp Variable Speed Fixed Base Router. Long name aside, this router comes with decent features, including a soft start motor, which is important because this thing can reach 25,000 RPM. The rubberized grip also helps you hold it while working, while the plastic base keeps material from flying in your face while you work. That said, you should still wear some safety equipment, like eye protection.

The manual has many tips for safe operation. It recommends not overreaching to avoid losing control of the router, removing any adjustment keys before starting, and using clamps to secure wood before use. It also warns that this tool vibrates a lot during use and can shouldn’t be used by certain vulnerable groups of people, including those who are pregnant, have impaired blood circulation, suffer from nervous system disorders, and a lot more.

Despite being a ubiquitous piece of equipment for anyone who takes care of a lawn, the humble lawn mower injuries a shocking number of people per year. An estimated 85,000 people are injured by their lawnmower each year, roughly 6,400 of which result in serious injuries and several dozen are fatal. It’s probably a good idea to remind everyone that lawn mowers are just as dangerous as any other cutting tool, and basic mistakes like ignoring maintenance can cost you dearly.

Lawnmowers aren’t plentiful at Harbor Freight, but you can get a decent one with the Atlas 80V Brushless Cordless Lawn Mower. It’s not a gas-powered mower, but it still rotates wicked fast. This model comes with up to 80 minutes of runtime (when using two Atlas 80V 2.5 Ah batteries, not included with the mower), has a self-propel function, and cuts at seven adjustable heights.

The manual has all the safety instructions you’ll need. Don’t reach under the mower while it’s active for any reason, don’t point the discharge chute at anyone, repair any damage before using the mower, and only use it during the day, when you can see properly. I didn’t follow these instructions once and flung a rock through my glass patio table. Don’t be like me, read the manual.