Tools in Side Hustles

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

The cast iron skillet has nothing left to prove

It sears, fries, bakes and rides from campfire to oven. Here's why nobody has improved on it, and how to buy one that outlives you.

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.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

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.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

Gear6 min read

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.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

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.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

Miracle sprays and magic tapes fix the demo, not your house

The as-seen-on-TV repair aisle sells speed. Six gimmicks to leave on the shelf, what to do instead, and the one case where each earns its keep.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

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.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

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.

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer you can't close is full of these

Seven single-job gadgets that take up space and do worse work than a knife, a pan, or a fork you already own.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

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.

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

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

The 200-piece tool set is a number, not a toolbox

Most of that count is bits and keys you'll never touch. Skip the big box and build a kit around the tools that actually do the work.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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, 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

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.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Woodworking5 min

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

Garden & Yard5 min

Your Mower Sat All Winter and Now It Has Opinions

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

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.

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

PartnerCancerDefying.com

Woodworking6 min read

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.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

Older articles