How to Be a Real Man

Character, duty, standards and the things nobody sat you down and explained.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

The warranty offer at the register is a bet you'll probably lose

The cashier asks every time for a reason. Seven protection plans to turn down, what to do instead, and the one case where yes makes sense.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The multimeter worth owning is rated CAT III 600V

One handheld meter, a few safety markings, and the checks it lets you make before you call an electrician or touch a wire.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideGearDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer flashlight should be boring and ready

The light that works at 2 a.m. isn't the brightest one. It's the one with fresh batteries and a switch you can find in the dark.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideGadgetsDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Home wifi that reaches the back bedroom and the garage

Your router isn't too slow. It's in the wrong place, and one box can't cover a family. Buy a mesh system, wire what you can, skip the rest.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideWoodworkingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Your first saw should be a Japanese pull saw

It cuts on the pull, it's forgiving to learn on, and it fits in a drawer. Skip the power saw until you know what you need.

GuideCarsDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

A trunk kit is four jobs, not a hundred pieces

Skip the giant boxed kit with the flimsy cables. Build around a jump starter, an inflator, a light and a way to be seen.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

One good kitchen knife beats the block of twelve

You reach for the same blade every night. Spend your money on that one and let the other eleven go.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Skip the 200-piece kit and build this one instead

A new homeowner needs about fifteen tools in one case, not two hundred in a plastic tray. What goes in, what stays out, and where the money belongs.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20267 min

The mower you can fix yourself outlasts the one you can't

Most mowers die of a ten-dollar problem nobody could get a part for. Buy the one with a parts diagram and a socket set's worth of screws.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideHomeNina CastellanOct 9, 20266 min

Buy the appliance somebody will still be able to fix

A stand mixer is the best test of a kitchen appliance's staying power. Here's how to judge the gearbox, the warranty and the parts catalog before you pay.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideStyleTobias ReedOct 9, 20266 min

A belt and a wallet you'll still be carrying in ten years

Two small pieces of leather, two different ways to fail. Here's what to inspect, what to read in the warranty, and what a cobbler can fix.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWoodworkingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

A bench vise should outlive you, so buy it like one

Weight, a good screw, and parts you can still get in 2060: how to pick the one shop tool your kids will fight over.

GuideCarsDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

Spend your money on the stands, not the jack

A floor jack lifts the car. The stands keep it off you. Here's how to buy both once and never think about them again.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20266 min

The washer people fix is the one built to be opened

Every washing machine wears out something. The ones that last ten-plus years are the ones where that something is cheap, reachable and for sale.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

A drill outlives its battery. Buy the battery first.

The motor will run for years. The pack that feeds it won't. Here's how to buy a cordless drill that's still useful in 2035.

GuideWoodworkingDean ShawOct 8, 20266 min

The cut takes nine seconds and the setup takes twenty minutes

One pine board, one rip cut, two very different Saturdays. The difference has nothing to do with the cut.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20266 min

The vacuum that lasts is the one you can open

The motor gets the credit and the blame. The belt, the brush roll, the filter and the battery are what actually decide how long a vacuum stays in your house.