Tools in Trades & Careers

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

← Newer articlesPage 8 of 12

Hand Tools Worth Buying Once and Handing Down

Where to spend real money, where the $9 version is genuinely fine, and how to keep steel alive for forty years.

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Rust washes off, but pitting is forever

How to pick the good steel out of a five-dollar box of rusty tools, and have it back at work by Sunday night.

Ask BRO

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

Ask it

GuideHomeWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Mow High, Water Deep, Skip the Chemical Program

The cheapest weed control you own is your mower deck height, and most lawns are cut two inches too short.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

Tools & Organizing6 min read

The Three Saws a Home Shop Needs and What They Cost

Buy them in this order, spend the money where it changes the cut, and know the one saw you should rent instead of own.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Buy the right table saw and stop being scared of it

The blade isn't what gets most people. Kickback is. Pick the saw that fits your shop, set it up right, and work the machine with confidence.

GuidePreparednessWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Rice, Beans and a Mylar Bag That Actually Seals

Two weeks of food first, then the buckets. What really keeps thirty years, what quietly goes rancid, and the five-dollar tool that seals it.

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

PartnerDude.com

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

What to Spend on a Drill and Impact Driver, and What to Skip

A brushless two-tool kit for around $200 does 95 percent of what a homeowner needs, and the bits matter more than the badge.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Stick, MIG or TIG, and Which One to Learn First

Three processes, one garage, and a straight answer about which arc belongs in your hands the first weekend.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Five Bushcraft Tools You Actually Need First

Skip the gear rabbit hole. A $20 knife, a folding saw and eight hours of practice will get you further than a truckload of kit.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

The 20 Tools Every Homeowner Needs and What to Pay for Each

Spend where your hands go every time, save where they don't, and rent the rest. Real brands, real price ranges, and the four you shouldn't buy at all.

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

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Build a picnic table with your kids in one weekend

Five boards for the top, four bolts per leg, and a job list a seven-year-old can actually do without you hovering.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideHomeWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Stop the Squeaky Floor and the Door That Won't Shut

Most squeaks are one loose nail and most sticky doors are one loose hinge. Both are an afternoon's work, and both tell you something if they aren't.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

How to Pick a Cordless Tool Platform You Won't Regret

You're not buying a drill. You're buying a battery mount you'll live with for a decade, so pick it on purpose and buy in cheap.

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

PartnerNames.com

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Cutting, drilling and filing steel without wrecking the bit

Steel punishes the habits wood forgives. Slow down, clamp harder, add oil, and a $25 file will do work you'll be proud of.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

Home6 min

The Weekend Vinyl Plank Floor That Still Looks Right in Year Five

Young Men6 min

Sign the lease, stock the freezer, own a wrench

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Router basics that keep your edges clean and your dados tight

Feed direction, depth per pass, and the reason your 3/4-inch bit won't cut a groove that fits 3/4-inch plywood.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

100 Things6 min read

100 Things Every Young Man Should Own by Thirty

A 16-ounce hammer, a suit that fits in the shoulders, a will, and 97 other things worth having before the decade turns over.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

Older articles