Tools in Gear

Only Tools: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Tools stories and video. All of Gear →

Swapping a Switch and an Outlet, in the Right Order

The whole job takes twenty minutes once you know what to look at first, and exactly where it stops being a homeowner job.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Why Your Garage Door Stops Halfway and What to Fix First

Five minutes of diagnosis tells you whether this is an eight-dollar can of lubricant or a call to a spring guy.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideTradesAde Fisher23 Sept 20266 min

How to Land a Trade Apprenticeship and Get Paid to Learn

The application window, the aptitude test, the panel interview, and the six things that sink most candidates before they ever pick up a tool.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

PartnerDude.com

Country Bro6 min read

The tractor most small acreages actually need

Loader capacity, PTO horsepower and ballast matter more than the number on the hood. What to buy for five to twenty acres, and what to skip.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Fix a Sticking Door Before You Reach for the Plane

Nine times out of ten it's a loose hinge screw, not a swollen door. Find the rub, then fix it in the right order.

GuideCity BroMarcus Vale23 Sept 20266 min

The apartment workshop that doesn't earn you a complaint letter

You can build real things in a rented flat. The trick is knowing which noise travels through concrete and which stops at your door.

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

PartnerNames.com

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Paint a room in the order a painter actually does it

Cut in one wall at a time, keep a wet edge, and never stop for lunch halfway up a wall. The rest is prep.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideCan You Fix ItDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Your Dishwasher Won't Drain. Do This Before You Call Anyone

Four inches of gray water in the tub is almost never a dead machine. Work the blockage points in order and most of these fix themselves in an hour.

GuideBRO for HerNina Castellan23 Sept 20265 min

Self-defense that holds up when you're frightened

The strikes worth learning, the tools that don't work, and how to tell a real class from a confidence exercise.

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Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Why Your Car Won't Start, Worked Out In Order

Listen to the sound it makes, check one number on the battery, and you'll know whether this is a ten-minute fix or a tow.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideCan You Fix ItDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Fix a Dryer That Runs But Never Gets Hot

Three parts cause almost every no-heat dryer, and one of them costs twelve bucks. Diagnose in the right order and you'll be dry by dinner.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideFoodDean Shaw22 Sept 20266 min

The knife, the pan and the board you actually need

Most kitchen gear is dead weight. Three tools, chosen properly and looked after, will cook nearly everything you'll ever cook at home.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Tile Your Own Backsplash Without Redoing It Twice

The whole job in the order it's actually done, from killing the breaker to caulking the counter joint, plus the layout mistake that ruins first attempts.

Ivermectin.com — Tracked USPS delivery, no clinic visit

PartnerIvermectin.com

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

A Dead Outlet, Diagnosed in the Right Order

Before you buy a receptacle or call anybody, work the circuit from the cheapest cause to the most expensive. Most dead outlets die from three things.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Home6 min

How to hang heavy things so they never come down

Skills6 min

Splitting a cord by hand without wrecking your back

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Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

A Dripping Faucet Tells You Which Part Failed

Where the water shows up decides whether you need a 50-cent washer, a $6 seat kit or a $28 cartridge. Diagnose before you buy anything.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

Home6 min read

The paint job that still looks right in three years

Most rooms don't fail because of the paint. They fail at the caulk line, the patch you didn't prime, and the coat you called good enough.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

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