# Knee pads



## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

oh that's a loaded question.


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## Fission (May 14, 2010)

BuzzKill said:


> oh that's a loaded question.


Yeah, I figured I'd get a little ribbing, but I honestly need the knee pads and would rather not go thru 2-3 pairs before finding the type that works the best.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Okay, sorry about that. What in the world do you guys do these that requires knee pads? I worked 15 years in construction and never needed them.


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

The day will come when you realise, YOU SHOULD HAVE WORN KNEEPADS.:wallbash:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Fission said:


> Seriously, you drive me nuts sometimes, why do you always act so naive? Who in their right mind couldn't figure out why an electrician would need kneepads? Everything from trimming out receptacles to crawling around attics involves kneeling. In my particular instance, I will be doing work under a low area in which I will have to crawl on gravel. Small rocks pushing into my knees does not sound fun, does it?


Believe me I am not naive and I guess I can see why you need them if you do it that way. I just carried a five gallon bucket with me and I don't remember ever crawling through rocks. I sometimes wish I had knee pads when doing personal work like laying tile, otherwise no.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

Wouldn't it be easierto jusk ASK the boss for a raise?:jester:


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## waco (Dec 10, 2007)

I use AWP I got at Lowes. I like them okay.


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## Fission (May 14, 2010)

waco said:


> I use AWP I got at Lowes. I like them okay.


Great, ONE on topic reply and the guy just "likes them okay"> :laughing::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

I've been wearing kneed pads for a while, and I catch jokes no matter what.

However, I've seen how some of these old guys move and I have no interest in being as blind, as deaf, and as sore as they are, (though my back has already begun to act up). I can't tell you how many times I've spent working a few inches above the floor, or crawling up upon duct work and chiller pipes. Those are the times having knee pads are great. Even running pipe I'll take a knee to grab the EMT instead of bending over to lift at the expense of my back.

I simply bought the cushions incased in nylon/polyester. They're CLC's rebranded as Home Depot's Husky. I don't like the "fancy" ones that have hard flat surfaces because they kinda shift so that the hard flat surface is always on the ground sometimes twisting them in weird ways. It's hard to explain.

Just think, softer, and simpler is better.


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## MNDan (Mar 14, 2010)

Duluth Trading Company has work pants with built in knee pads. Best work pants I've ever owned, and you can buy them online. Some are even made in the USA.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

My problem is they always fall down. I hear that happens even with the combat ones our guys are wearing in Iraq. I need some that you rivet snaps to your pants and snap in.


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## pjg (Nov 11, 2008)

I don't have these, but they are on my wish list. US made too. http://www.bestbelt.com/product/belts-accessories/5022-kneepads.html


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## JohnR (Apr 12, 2010)

All jokes aside, Not having had any good luck with them myself, I would guess that the ones that tile guys wear would be the best. The DO spend a lot of time on them. 

The ones that have a hard surface should do better on gravel I would think.

Every time I try a pair, I find them either about where a ladder rung hits or pulling down my pants. 

So I don't bother with the stupid things. I just use a piece of Blue rigid Insulation about 1-2 inches works great.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

I have a pair that I bought off the aisle from hd and they work. Seriously, 15-20 bucks can save your knees. I wear them when crawling attics and under the house, trimming out, cutting in boxes etc.

Very good idea and investment.


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## ibuzzard (Dec 28, 2008)

I'm 50 years old,having started in this trade in my mid-20's.Try to ignore all those with that Macho attitude about safety and taking care of your body.As an apprentice,I used to use the palm of my hand to hit things, instead of a proper Electricans' Hammer(linesmans'),this in spite of my old journeyman's warnings.Now,I've got perpetually sore hands.Within a few years of starting out,I could hear my knee joints crackling like an arcing switch.About a year after turning out from my apprenticeship,I had Carpal Tunnel surgery on both hands.I've had tendinitis in one of my elbows, a finger that occasionally locks up,and suffered a couple of back injuries as a young journeyman.I used to let the big iron-pumping guys bully me into lifting more than I could safely do,instead of getting some help from the other close-by electricians.Needless to say,those guys didn't pay me for the days I spent flat on my back.Used to have a hip and back problem from wearing every last tool in my arsenal, in my tool bags.Now, I'm a "minimalist".I have a small amount of hearing loss,as most longer term electricians do.
Take care of your body.I still feel I can go another 15 years,because I changed (most) of my ways.I've no problem keeping up with all but the most driven young guys,mainly from working "smarter,not harder",instead of bulling my way through things.Don't listen to those who don't have your best interests at heart.It's a marathon,not a sprint.Wear the knee pads.

(End of Sermon)

The Right-Reverend Ibuzzard


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## adam4all (Sep 14, 2008)

I use something similar to this. Unless you spend a large part of your day on your knees these should help.

I have also owned regular knee pads but rarely used them because they are inconvenient and uncomfortable for most sparky tasks.

Buy the type that you can insert into your Carhartts. 

http://www.softknees.com/softknees.html


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I use the hard plastic kind that snap above and below the knee for when I have to crawl around on outdoor advertising billboard catwalks. Kind of like baseball catchers use without the shin guard. If I wore pants, I probably wouldn't even bother, but that hot, sharp, rusted steel on bare knees hurts after a while.


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## Toronto Sparky (Apr 12, 2009)

Isolation and duct tape.


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

Toronto Sparky said:


> *Isolation *and duct tape.


Is that one of them Canadian pronunciations?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I never kneel on anything without a kneepad.

My knees don't bother me at all and I plan on keeping it that way.

I don't always strap it in place, just laying it on the ground or concrete works just as good :thumbsup:


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## amptech (Sep 21, 2007)

I have ruptured the bursa sacks in both of my knees over the years. After the first time I started wearing knee pads when crawling in crawl spaces and on the edges of trusses in attics. The second time I ruptured a bursa sack was when crawling in a crawlspace I got pea gravel between my knee and knee pad and came down on part of a concrete pier. Too much pressure on too little of a point. When kneeling on the floor or outside I use a gardener's pad. Keeps the knees dry when it's wet outside too.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

My knee pads snap above the knee with an elastic strap that is adjustable, and a rigid strap below the knee with is also adjustable. I've never had them slide down my leg so long as the lower rigid strap is tight above the calf.

The soft knee pads are just as good on hard or gravely surfaces. I used them when chipping out concrete in a hole outside which had me kneeling on plenty of rough, uneven concrete surfaces. The hard knee pads would pivot on the highest surface while the soft ones will conform to your knee _and_ the surface. This is what I meant about the hard ones twisting around. So long as they're thick enough, (and most are), you won't have to worry about feeling anything jagged push through.

I've had my soft ones for 2 years now and they're still going strong. I wash them periodically, because the biggest downside is that they will cause your legs to sweat for sure.


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> I have a pair that I bought off the aisle from hd and they work. Seriously, 15-20 bucks can save your knees.


True enough, there are some decent ones at the big box's; find one that is ergonomic, one with two straps and is shaped to fit your knee well...try 'em on for size.


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## Jim Port (Oct 1, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> *If I wore pants*, I probably wouldn't even bother, but that hot, sharp, rusted steel on bare knees hurts after a while.


Now theres a billboard I don't want to see.

Now on a serious note, I bought a pair with the gel inserts in them. Better than kneeling on a joist, but they do shift.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I take a lesson from the old guys with broken down knees, and wear knee pads religiously. Normally, it's one of the first things I put on if I even suspect that I'll be kneeling on a particular job. 

I tired some, at first, with hard caps on the exterior, and that didn't work out so well. I knelt on some hard-troweled concrete and did a "split" while on my knees. I'm pretty sure I pulled a groin muscle, since I was pretty sore down there for a couple weeks. 

I switched to a good pair (maybe 25 bucks), but they started to look ratty and got smelly (from sweat) after a few months. Because of that, I now just buy the $3 foam pair from WalMart or Lowe's. I get a fresh pair every couple of months. 

I think that all kneepads break down after a while, the straps wear, and they get pretty grungy and worn. Because of that, I just get the cheapo's and replace them as necessary.

The one's the flooring guys use cost $400 bucks. No kidding. They're semi-custom made for each installer. 

I know guys on other sites have reported that they wear volleyball player's kneepads under their pants, so they pretty much have kneepads on all the time. That's a pretty good idea, except for me, part of the idea of kneepads is to keep your pants from getting worn-out knees and keep stuff on the floor from soaking up into your clothes (wet earth, greasy commercial kitchen floor, etc.)

The newer generation of kneepads that are pretty much all silicone seem interesting to me, but at 50 bucks or more, I've yet to see a pair with straps that I think are worth being on a pair of 50-dollar kneepads.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

I still don't understand why you need pads to work. I never used them and I didn't have to get my knees replaced until I was 55 years old.


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## Adam12 (May 28, 2008)

RIVETER said:


> I still don't understand why you need pads to work. I never used them and I didn't have to get my knees replaced until I was 55 years old.


Because you'll **** up your knees dude, read the posts, gee whiz.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> I still don't understand why you need pads to work. I never used them and I didn't have to get my knees replaced until I was 55 years old.


I suppose the goal is to never have to be in pain, or ever have to get your knees replaced. I heard tell that knee replacements have only a 10-year life before you're supposed to get the hardware replaced. Maybe that was hips. I forget.


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## danickstr (Mar 21, 2010)

In another ten years, they will have something better, perhaps genetic knee reboots. But knee pads help, and people who make fun of others (if they are working hard) are not worth the trouble.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

danickstr said:


> In another ten years, they will have something better, perhaps genetic knee reboots. But knee pads help, and people who make fun of others (if they are working hard) are not worth the trouble.


The older I get, the more this safety stuff starts to make sense. When you're younger, you still think you're 10 feet tall and bulletproof. Just look around at how the older guys are effected, and do whatever you can to avoid what made them that way.

My goal now is to pay attention to what's sore at the end of the day, and take measures to avoid it being sore at the end of the next day. Whether that's safety equipment, exercise, ergonomics, altered work practices, different tools, or chiropractor visits... whatever it takes.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Adam12 said:


> Because you'll **** up your knees dude, read the posts, gee whiz.


Come on guy. Can't you tell I'm being facetious? And, I have replacement knees. Give me a break.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> I suppose the goal is to never have to be in pain, or ever have to get your knees replaced. I heard tell that knee replacements have only a 10-year life before you're supposed to get the hardware replaced. Maybe that was hips. I forget.


My knees are still working fine after eight years. Supposedly, if they start hurting they will just have to replace the plastic insert. They are great, and I had needed them for over 20 years before I got them.


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

When you get older the knees are the second thing to go. :whistling2:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> My knees are still working fine after eight years. Supposedly, if they start hurting they will just have to replace the plastic insert. They are great, and I had needed them for over 20 years before I got them.


Wow. So, you were about 35 when you started having knee trouble? Old sports injury or work related? Were you a runner?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Wow. So, you were about 35 when you started having knee trouble? Old sports injury or work related? Were you a runner?


I was not a runner. Actually my legs were pretty bowed at birth and my folks didn't have insurance. I got through life, even the military pretty well. It was very painful at 35, but I got by.


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## Benaround (May 5, 2009)

Take this for what it's worth, I'm 60 years old, I started in the trade at 17

and for the last 20+ years I've done nothing but ground up new construction (comm.)

I've never had a pair of boots that before too long you could see the steel

toe. I have tried knee pads, but they bunch up my pants behind the knee

and make my knees want to pop out of their sockets. I use two layers of

cardboard, as in box, and kneel on it, at the end of the day it goes in the trash.

I still groan a bit when I get up, but, the knees are still pretty good.


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## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

I use them when I crawl around in the attic.


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## Breakfasteatre (Sep 8, 2009)

RIVETER said:


> I still don't understand why you need pads to work. I never used them and I didn't have to get my knees replaced until I was 55 years old.



my journey man cant even wear boots anymore because his knees are so screwed up, hes only in his early 40s


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## waco (Dec 10, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> I still don't understand why you need pads to work. I never used them and I didn't have to get my knees replaced until I was 55 years old.


Heh heh....


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## moman (Apr 15, 2010)

knowshorts said:


> Is that one of them Canadian pronunciations?


I think instead of "about" they say "aboot"


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

Toronto Sparky means, in Canada if you F--k up, they put you in Isolation and feed you duct tape!!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Toronto Sparky (Apr 12, 2009)

knowshorts said:


> Is that one of them Canadian pronunciations?


Some Non-Union guy took my N


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## MSmith (Jul 25, 2012)

*Chap-style knee pads*

There are now "chap-style" knee pads made by a company called DeHaus. They are nice because you just snap them over your belt. They have an adjustable strap and they come in different sizes. You get nice padding for your knees and they are comfortable to wear since you won't have painful straps behind your knees. The prices are reasonable as well. Just do a search for DeHaus products and you will find them. Otherwise here is the link to their page. http://www.dehaus.biz/100-inf.html They also have fire resistant knee pads.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

If your serious about your knees then order these - http://www.acetoolonline.com/Blaklader-Brawny-Pants-with-Utility-Pockets-p/bla-16301320.htm

And a pair of these - 
http://www.acetoolonline.com/Blaklader-Heavy-Duty-Knee-Pads-p/bla-401200009900onesize.htm

The gel filled kneepads are absolute luxury and you don't even know they're there until you need them. I have just been working today kneeling on catwalk grate most of the day, no worries at all.


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