I've been meaning to post on this topic. I started out in April. I have had several occassions where my hands would be tingling for a while after using a trimmer for over 15 or 20 minutes. I use an Echo 2100. (I would be very interested in knowing what brand and model of trimmers you guys are using). The tingling usually goes away within a few minutes.<p>Probably about June I started having a problem with my hands everyday. When I get up in the morning I can't move my fingers. They get back to normal usually within an hour or two and are then fine all day. This is a daily problem whether I work or not. I am convinced that this is due to vibration from the trimmer and/or mowers (also hedge trimmers). I read a post on here a while back where someone said they went to a doctor and was told they were holding their tools too tightly. (I searched and could not find the post). So I have started to pay attention to that. A friend suggested using pipe insulation to make padded handles, so I have been putting padded grips on mowers, trimmers, etc. I also started using a shoulder strap whenever I am using the trimmer for an extended period. (I just got some standard strap and made a hook for it with a pipe clamp - I don't think Echo sells the strap except as part of the brush blade kit). I have been reading books about arthritis, which is probably what this is. I have started taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin, which is supposed to help with cartilage repair in arthritis. I also have just discovered anti-vibration gloves. These are made by a company called Valeo. Their website is http://www.valeoinc.com I think the gloves are pretty expensive, like about $35.00. I found a pair on ebay and they are on the way.<br>I am convinced that if a person has really strong hands it probably shouldn't be a problem to do a few hours of mowing/trimming a day. I think my hands need to be stronger and straighter. I continue to practice yoga, which I think is helping to get my arms, wrists, hands, fingers into better alignment. I also got a book called Mastery of Hand Strength, which has a lot of info on developing hand strength. And I have found a product called theraputty, which is like silly putty but just for excercising hands.<br>This has been a very scary problem, as it seems like something that will just get worse if nothing is done to correct it and I don't want to have to stop working outside and go back to the nightmare world of computers. I have faith that this can be overcome. I would appreciate any info or advice. It may be useful to hear more about others' experiences with this type of thing.<br>