Cars

Buying it, keeping it running, and the jobs worth doing on your own driveway.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

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GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

What should actually be in your boot from November to March

Tires do most of the work, but the kit behind the parcel shelf is what gets you home when the road wins.

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

The car servicing that can't wait, and the kind that can

Brake fluid, coolant and a timing belt will strand you or bankrupt a repair bill. A dirty cabin filter won't. Know which is which.

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Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Twenty minutes with the engine off tells you most of it

Before you turn the key on a used car, the metal, the tires and the carpet have already told you what kind of life it had.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

6 min read

Your first project car should be boring, cheap and popular

The car you learn on should be dull, plentiful and easy to get parts for. Three tempting alternatives will quietly eat your budget instead.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

What to check before you hand a stranger cash for a car

A private sale can save you thousands or cost you a transmission. The difference is about ninety minutes of work and the willingness to walk away.

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

What it really takes to get a car past 250,000 miles

Most cars die of neglected fluids and small leaks, not worn-out engines. The schedule that prevents it's shorter than you think.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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The canvas work jacket has outlasted every upgrade

A stiff cotton jacket that stops thorns, sparks and weather has been doing the job for generations. Here's how to buy one that lasts and keep it going.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

StoryWoodworkingWes DunbarOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved on the combination square

A steel rule, a sliding head and a locking nut. It's been doing the same jobs for over a century, and the fancy replacements keep losing to it.

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

The tape measure has earned its spot on the wall

The hook on the end is loose on purpose, the blade is curved for a reason, and nobody has beaten the design in about a century and a half.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

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GuideGearDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Buy him the better version of what he's nursing along

Gifts for him in three budgets, plus one to save for and one that's free. Every one of them gets used.

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

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StoryWoodworkingWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

Nobody has improved on the hand plane

Roman carpenters had one. Your grandfather did too. Why a good used hand plane still beats most of what's sold as an upgrade.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

The adjustable wrench never needed a sequel

One movable jaw, one worm screw, well over a century of service. Why the humble adjustable wrench still beats everything built to replace it.

GuideGearDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Gifts for Dad he'll still be using in twenty years

Four budgets, one test: will he reach for it on an ordinary Tuesday? Gifts that last, get used, and bring the family around the same table.

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

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GuideGadgetsDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

Skip the smart home gadgets that rent you your own house

A camera that goes blind when you stop paying isn't a purchase. It's a lease on your own front porch. Here's what to skip, and what to buy.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved the claw hammer, and plenty have tried

It drives nails and pulls them with one lump of steel and a stick. Inducting the claw hammer into the Garage Hall of Fame.

GuideStyleTobias ReedOct 9, 20266 min

Seven kinds of clothes that quit before the season does

Thin tees, bagging stretch denim, collars that bubble. How to spot a garment built to die young, and what to buy in its place.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideGearDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

You work in an office. Nothing you own needs to be tactical.

Combat pens and MOLLE backpacks do nothing for a man with a cubicle. Plain gear does more, and some of it is worth real money.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Housewarming Gifts a New Homeowner Will Use the First Week

Skip the candle. Gifts by budget that get used before the boxes are unpacked, and a few that last long after the mortgage is paid.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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