“Safety is always of the utmost priority whenever doing any automotive work, whether you’re a novice or an expert,” says expert mechanic Alan Gelfand.

But also, so is convenience. If you’re just getting into fixing your own car, or upping your home mechanic game to the next level, getting the right jack will save you a lot of time and frustration.

Here’s how to pick the best car jack for your situation, plus pro-tips on safety and operation.

Scissor Jack

A scissor jack ($25-$80) is the basic, diamond-shaped jack that came with your car or SUV. Its main purpose is to allow you to change a flat on the side of the road. A scissor jack typically has a wider bottom and often a special top to lock onto a pinch weld on a unibody car, and when you hand-crank the handle, it moves a threaded rod.

“They are pretty safe if used correctly,” says master auto technician Chris “Moose” Pyle. “They can shrink down very small, they work fast, and they are lightweight.”

Pros

• Comes with most vehicles;
• Compact and lightweight;
• Can be easily stored in the trunk;
• Affordable.

Cons

• Slow operation;
• Limited height range;
• Less stable than other types;
• Limited weight capacity.

Safety precautions: “Never get under a car supported only by a scissor jack,” says Gelfand. “They’re designed exclusively for tire changes.”

Pro-tip: Lightly grease the screw mechanism periodically to avoid seizing.

Bottle Jack

If you have a higher-clearance or heavier vehicle, you might keep a bottle jack ($20-$100) on board or in your shop for tire changes and maintenance. Bottle jacks use hydraulic pressure to extend their ram straight up, usually by way of a hand pump, though some have air-powered cylinders.

“They can lift a crazy amount of weight,” says Pyle. “They are simple to use and very compact. However, the base and top of the jack are small, so they tend to sink into the ground, and the vehicle can fall off the jack if it moves excessively.”

Pros

• Very high-weight capacity for size;
• Compact design;
• Affordable;
• Heavy-duty ones can double for industrial applications.

Cons

• Requires higher initial ground clearance;
• Less stable base.

Safety pro-tip: “They can kick out if not placed on solid, level ground, so store a piece of plywood in your trunk as an emergency tool to create a solid surface for roadside repairs,” says Gelfand.

Rolling/Hydraulic Floor Jack

For most home DIY repairs, a floor jack ($50-$500) is the way to go. It’s like a bottle jack, but more stable, with a wider base and top. Roll it around by hand, then pump it up with a lever.

“They are designed not to be picked up, but still can be,” says Pyle. “The convenience is to just roll it around using the pump handle. This is the safest jack of them all, and most commonly seen in a shop”.

Pros

• Quickly lifts vehicles;
• Minimal effort;
• Relatively high lift capacity;
• Stable platform.

Cons

• Heavy and bulky;
• Can leak hydraulic fluid over time.

Safety precautions: Always use jack stands with floor jacks, check for hydraulic leaks before each use and never exceed its stated weight rating.

Pro-tip: “For European sports cars and lowered vehicles, select a low-profile model that provides about a 3-inch clearance,” says Gelfand.

Quick-Lift/Racing Jack

If you have the funds, you can upgrade your floor jack to an aluminum racing jack ($150-$1,000), which is lighter weight and often includes carry handles. These types of jacks use dual-pump mechanisms to lift vehicles quickly with minimal pumping.

“This is an investment worth making for car owners who tinker frequently, because this model features an easy-to-remove handle for improved storage,” says Gelfand.

Pros

• Extremely fast lifting;
• Lightweight aluminum construction.

Cons

• More expensive than standard floor jacks;
• Can be overkill for casual users.
• Safety pro-tip: Speed can lead to carelessness, so don’t forget that these still require jack stands for safety.

Service Jack

Professional auto service centers often use service jacks ($300-$1,500). They’re similar to floor jacks, but with pro-grade lifting capacities and higher-quality parts. Some models also use compressed air to activate hydraulic lifting ($200-$1,000+).

Pros

• Durability;
• Smooth, fast operation;
• Reliable for daily use and professional environments;
• Hydraulic versions minimize physical effort.

Cons

• Expensive;
• Unnecessary features for DIY repairs;
• Hydraulic versions require an external air compressor;
• Hydraulic versions are more complex, thus have more potential failure points.

Safety warnings: Despite being pro-grade, these still require proper jack stands. And if you’re using a hydraulic version, regularly check the air connections and hydraulic seals.

Pro-tip: “If your garage floor has uneven areas, then choose models featuring swivel casters installed on all wheels,” says Gelfand.

High Lift/Farm Jack

This multipurpose jack ($50 to $200) is popular with off-roaders as well as on farms. It doesn’t go under the car, but rather lifts it from the bumper, using a vertical rod with a notched lifting bar and moveable climbing mechanism. Each stroke of the handle moves it up around 1.5″, which means it can lift a lot of weight quickly, up to three or four feet in the air.

“They have more features than just lifting,” says Pyle. “A couple of guys can lift a jeep to max height and then push the jack and vehicle over to get the stuck tires out of ruts. It can be used vertically too, with chains attached to it, making it a come-along.”

Pros

• Extreme lift height, up to 60″;
• Versatile for off-road recovery;
• Can be used for winching.

Cons

• Requires steel bumper in some situations;
• Dangerous if used improperly;
• Heavy;
• Requires significant effort.

Safety warning: These are extremely dangerous if the handle slips, so they require careful attention when operating.

Pro-tip: Add a large baseplate accessory to prevent sinking in soft terrain, and never use this type of jack for standard vehicle maintenance, says Gelfand.

Transmission Jack

If you’re tackling a transmission swap, then this is your jack ($200-$1,000). It has an adjustable cradle, which is specifically designed to carry drivetrain components.

Pros

• Allows precise positioning;
• Specially designed for heavy, awkward components.

Cons

• Expensive;
• Single-purpose tool.

Safety warnings: Ensure the load is properly secured before moving, and check the hydraulic system regularly.

Pro-tip: Before removal or installation, always use ratchet straps to secure the transmission to the cradle, says Gelfand.

Jack Stands

Regardless of what type of jack you choose, jack stands ($20-$100) are an essential complement. They are designed specifically for safety, and once in place, offer firm support for vehicles raised into the air.

“The most essential safety rule, which applies to every type of jack, is that you should never depend solely on the hydraulic or mechanical lifting system to hold up a vehicle during maintenance work,” says Gelfand. “After lifting the vehicle, always move the weight to suitable jack stands.”

Pros

• Essential safety equipment;
• Inexpensive insurance against catastrophic failure.

Cons

• Additional step in the process that some people skip; Not buying a high-quality enough model for your vehicle’s weight capacity.

Safety warning: Never work under a vehicle without proper jack stands in place, and inspect the ratcheting mechanisms before each use. Before starting to work under a vehicle, double-check its stability and your jack stand placement. It’s also wise to keep a minimum of two pairs of jack stands with varying capacities around the shop.

About the Experts

• Alan Gelfand is owner of German Car Depot, an independent automotive service center in Hollywood, Florida. During his extensive career, he has used nearly every jack type for both professional work and in emergency situations.
• Chris “Moose” Pyle is a master-certified technician with 20-plus years of automotive experience. He has also worked as an expert for JustAnswer, the expert on-demand platform, since 2006.

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The post Which Car Jack Do You Need? A Breakdown of The Most Common Types appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Is Hairy Bittercress?

Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), or Lamb’s cress, flickweed, spring cress, or wood cress, is a low-growing, fast-spreading annual weed. Lawn care professional John D. Steiner explains that the plant belongs to the mustard family and thrives in cool, moist, shaded environments.

Hairy bittercress is native to Europe and Western Asia but has naturalized throughout much of North America. It grows readily in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8. While it’s a winter weed that’s most prolific from late fall through early spring, it can linger year-round when conditions are ideal.

What Does Hairy Bittercress Look Like?

Are you unsure if it’s weedy, hairy bittercress emerging in your lawn? Steiner explains that this small, low-growing plant features pinnately compound leaves that divide into smaller, rounded or kidney-shaped leaflets.

“The plant produces small, white, four-petaled flowers, which develop into slender, elongated seed pods that burst open when mature, dispersing seeds explosively,” he says. Developing like a dandelion in a basal rosette, the leaves range from half an inch to one inch in size, and the flowers reach 3 to 9 inches tall.

Why Is Hairy Bittercress a Problem?

“Hairy Bittercress can be difficult to control due to its rapid lifecycle and high seed production,” Steiner says. “It completes its life cycle in just a few weeks, allowing multiple generations per year in favorable conditions.” He explains that even when conditions aren’t ideal, the seeds can remain viable for years in the soil, making eliminating these weeds from your lawn challenging.

Hairy bittercress seed pods, known as silique, contain as many as 30 seeds. When ejected from the pod, the seeds can land up to 16 feet away. This means you might treat one patch of lawn, only to discover these plants popping up on a separate patch later in the season. Plus, the seeds don’t have any dormancy requirements (a period of time when the seeds can’t germinate—even when conditions are right), and they germinate rapidly, reaching maturity and reseeding within five weeks.

The small, sticky seeds cling to containers and the underside of shoes, so you might not realize you’re bringing them home from a nursery or riverside walk, allowing them to spread into your yard sneakily.

How To Prevent Hairy Bittercress

Fortunately, there are some simple strategies you can employ to help prevent hairy bittercress from taking over your lawn or borders.

Promote a healthy lawn

A thick, healthy lawn not only looks good, it blocks out the light and space that hairy bittercress seeds need to germinate.

Plant genetics expert Matthew Koch recommends using a 3-in-1 grass seed, fertilizer and soil improver mix to help fix a patchy lawn. He also cautions against overwatering and suggests aerating your soil to break up compacted ground and improve drainage. “Since hairy bittercress prefers damp conditions, addressing excess moisture can make your lawn less hospitable to it,” he says.

Plant a dense ground cover

If you’re worried about hairy bittercress taking hold in non-lawn areas of your landscape, consider selecting a densely growing, low-maintenance ground cover, like thyme, that can choke out those unwanted weeds. Another option is to add a deep layer of coarse-textured mulch or some gravel.

Avoid spread from nursery plants and pots

Always wash out any nursery containers you plan to reuse to minimize the chance of stowaway sticky seeds spreading to your soil. Also, before planting any new greenhouse-propagated plants, check their soil for signs of germinating hairy bittercress sitting alongside them.

Minimize soil disturbance

Steiner recommends only digging or tilling your garden when absolutely necessary. “Disturbing the soil can bring buried seeds to the surface, triggering germination,” he says.

How To Get Rid of Hairy Bittercress

If your preventative strategies haven’t kept hairy bittercress at bay, here are some methods for getting rid of this weed.

Pre-emergence control

Applying a pre-emergence weed control product in late summer or early fall prevents those persistent seeds from germinating. “Several pre-products (dithiopyr, isoxaben, and oryzalin) have activity on hairy bittercress in turfgrass,” Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist Grady L. Miller says. Application instructions vary, so always carefully read the label, and don’t expect these products to work on emerged plants.

Post-emergence control

When you want to get rid of hairy bittercress that’s already established, you can apply selective or non-selective weed control products. “Post control can be achieved with several applications of mixtures of 2,4-D, carfentrazone, dicamba, MCPP, MCPA and/or sulfentrazone,” Miller says. “Other post options included atrazine/simazine (where appropriate/labeled), imazaquin, metribuzin, metsulfuron, triclopyr (alone or in combination with other broadleaf control products such as fluroxypyr or 2,4-D).”

It’s best to apply these products before the plant produces seeds, and always check the label for application instructions and to ensure it’s suitable for use on your lawn.

Pulling manually

Pulling these shallow-rooted weeds by hand or with a tool is a more time-consuming, physical removal method, but it’s a natural way to kill weeds and means you won’t risk damaging the surrounding lawn or ornamental species.

“Hand-pulling is most effective in moist soil when the roots can be easily extracted,” Steiner says. He also recommends doing this before plants flower and set seeds.

Regular mowing

Don’t panic if you’re not quick enough with chemical controls and there are too many hairy bittercress plants on your lawn to pull manually. “Regular mowing before the plant flowers prevents its seed pods from exploding and spreading seeds,” Koch says.

FAQ

Is hairy bittercress poisonous to animals?

Hairy bittercress is not poisonous to animals, so you don’t have to worry about your dog or pet rabbit nibbling on any untreated weeds appearing on your lawn. The leaves are actually edible, and their mild, peppery flavor makes them popular salad additions.

About the Experts

• Matthew Koch is the Director of Biotechnology, Genetics, and Seed at Scotts and has a PhD in plant genetics and breeding from Rutgers University.
• John D. Steiner is the Regional Manager for NaturaLawn of America. He is a licensed, seasoned lawn care professional with over 38 years of experience.
• Grady L. Miller, PhD, is a Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at North Carolina State University. His research activities are centered on cultivar evaluation, irrigation practices, turfgrass nutrition, and athletic field maintenance practices.

The post Hairy Bittercress: How to Identify and Get Rid of It appeared first on Family Handyman.

So, do you need a flexible sledgehammer? That depends on the job you’re doing, but if it involves a lot of swings, you might. It will help you feel less tired, you’ll suffer fewer aches in your arms and hands, and, as a bonus, you’ll be able to develop more pounding force to help you get the job done faster.

What Is a Flexible Sledgehammer?

The floppy or bendy sledgehammers you see in videos are also known as Chinese sledgehammers, and you’ll find them primarily in use in China and other parts of Asia. The handles are made of flexible rubber that allows users to employ a whip-like technique to develop more pounding force with less effort. I’ve never used one, and I’d be reluctant to do so in tight quarters because I suspect they increase the likelihood of errant swings.

On North American store shelves, a flexible sledgehammer is one with a semi-rigid handle made of fiberglass, vulcanized rubber or a combination. It’s also known as a shock-absorbing sledgehammer because of the ability of these materials to dampen vibrations. If you’ve ever used a sledgehammer with a traditional oak or hickory handle, you’ll appreciate the innovation. No more loosening your grip as the hammer head strikes to avoid vibrational shocks.

What Are Flexible Sledgehammers Used For?

You can use a North American-style flexible sledgehammer (as distinct from a Chinese bendy one) for any job that calls for a sledgehammer, including:

• Breaking concrete and brick;
• driving stakes;
• splitting wood with a wedge;
• interior demolition work, including breaking up walls and tearing down framing.

Got an old cast iron bathtub that you want to replace? Breaking it up with a sledgehammer is an efficient way to remove it, and a flexible sledgehammer is perfect for this job. It’s also a great tool for quickly removing an old tile floor by breaking the tiles into pieces.

Key Benefits of Using a Flexible Sledgehammer

The handle of a flexible sledgehammer absorbs shocks, which reduces fatigue when you have to swing it repeatedly. This results in the following side benefits:

• You can work faster and more efficiently;
• You can develop more power;
• You can maintain control for a longer period;
• You’ll get fewer blisters (assuming you don’t wear gloves, which you should);
• You reduce the likelihood of breaking the handle and having the head turn into a dangerous projectile. Neither fiberglass nor rubber break as easily as wood.

These benefits would also apply to Chinese bendy sledgehammers, especially in terms of generating power and working faster. Having never used one, I can’t comment on how easy it would be to maintain control during repeated swings. Videos typically show workers swinging them horizontally — I’d be reluctant to swing one vertically, even when wearing a helmet.

Safety Tips for Using a Flexible Sledgehammer

Whether you’re using a flexible sledgehammer or a traditional one with a wooden handle, New Jersey’s MEL Safety Institute recommends observing these safety precautions:

• Avoid using a sledgehammer when another tool will work.
• Don’t use a hammer heavier than you can control. For most purposes, a six to ten pound hammer will probably get the job done.
• Check the handle and head for cracks before you use the hammer.
• Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including gloves, goggles and a helmet. If anyone else is around, they should also wear PPE.
• Double-check your surroundings before swinging the hammer. Make sure there are no tripping hazards or anything in the path of your swing.
• Use the minimum swing you need to do the job.
• Avoid swinging the hammer above your head.

Sources

• Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund: Sledgehammer Best Practices; (2025)

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The post A Sledgehammer That’s Flexible? Here’s the Genius Behind It appeared first on Family Handyman.

First, let’s explain what classifies an EV. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation:

• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) or all-electric vehicles runs entirely off of electricity from a high voltage (HV) battery. BEV batteries are charged using external Level 1, 2 or 3 chargers.
• Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) use an internal combustion engine (ICE) and HV battery to power an electric motor. PHEV batteries are charged using the ICE or external chargers.
• Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) rely on a combination of an ICE and a HV battery to power the vehicle. HEV batteries are charged via the ICE or regenerative braking.
• Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are still new to the market and use an electrochemical process to convert hydrogen into electricity to power an electric motor. Currently, FCEVs only charge their HV battery using on-board compressed hydrogen gas.

Ahead, we’ll look at the data and with the help of veteran firefighters and other experts in the field explain everything to know about EV fires.

What Is an Electrical Vehicle Fire?

According to certified firefighter Jack Bishop, an EV fire is “a fire incident involving an EV, primarily originating from its lithium-ion battery pack.” These fires can result from thermal runaway, a condition where an increase in temperature leads to a self-sustaining chemical reaction or short circuit, causing the battery to overheat and ignite. Associate Clinical Professor of Fire Protection Engineering William Koffel notes that “the EV could be the first item ignited, or the fire could spread to the EV.”

Causes of EV Fires

According to a 2020 NTSB report and third-generation firefighter Lauren Jones, the major cause of EV battery fires happen after the HV Lithium-ion battery malfunctions after a crash. During crashes, HV battery packs can be “punctured, or damage to high-voltage wiring and cables can cause short circuits,” says Jones. “Sparks from a short circuit can ignite the battery’s highly flammable organic solvents, setting individual cells ablaze, which then overheat, igniting other cells,” said Bishop. Jones also stated that if an EV is in a flood, “the [HV Lithium-ion] battery can dry out, causing it to overheat and ignite.”

According to a 2024 study published in Science Direct, even salt spray can cause an EV battery to self-ignite, with the likelihood of ignition increasing with exposure time to the spray and the age of the vehicle.

The other major cause is thermal runaway. According to UL Research Institutes, thermal runaway results in “an extremely high, uncontrollable temperature and violent venting of flammable gasses” that can rapidly ignite. Poor battery design, poor ventilation, vibrations, damage to the battery, overcharging, a malfunctioning battery management system, lack of maintenance or charging a battery before letting it cool down can all trigger thermal runaway.

Steve Lockwood, owner of Mountain State Fire Protection LLC, adds, “Using damaged or incompatible chargers, faulty aftermarket modifications [light packages, high-powered radios] and living in climates with extreme temperatures all increase the risk that could ignite [the high voltage battery] causing thermal runaway.” This phenomenon affects all Lithium-ion batteries, including those in your smart phone, electric toothbrushes, power tools and other devices.

What To Do If Your EV Catches Fire

If you’re driving, pull off the road to a safe location as quickly as possible. Get out of the car and run on the median or shoulder not in the traffic lanes and CALL 911! According to Lockwood, you should inform the 911 dispatcher of your location and the car is an EV. “Never attempt to extinguish the fire yourself. EV fires burn hotter, burn longer and are more complex than a conventional ICE vehicle fire.”

According to Chief Palmer Buck of The Woodlands Township in Austin, TX, “firefighters also need special training on how to safely disconnect and disable an EV HV battery and the proper techniques needed to quickly cool down a burning EV.”

How To Prevent EV Fires

Bishop recommends to “only use manufacturer-supplied or approved charging chargers and cables.” Other steps to prevent EV fires include:

• Avoid overcharging and leaving the charger plugged in unnecessarily.
• Schedule regular maintenance, including checking or changing EV HV battery coolant fluid and routine inspections, to ensure the battery’s thermal management and electrical systems are in optimal working condition.
• Charge the vehicle in a dry, well-ventilated area, away from flammable materials.
• Flush the battery/undercarriage with cold, clean water after driving in areas where salt is used during winter months, and have your repair shop clean corrosion or oxidation from battery terminals and other electrical connectors.
• Check if there are any manufacturer recalls related to battery or electrical components.

How to increase EV battery life that will also prevent EV fires

• Daily monitor the battery’s condition.
• Power down if the HV battery warning light comes on.

• Check charging system health using your vehicles built-in interactive visual tools to monitor energy usage details; high voltage power flow; charging status; HV efficiency history.
• Keep the battery between 20 and 80 percent charged. Charging to 80 percent then disconnecting the charger leaves room for charging from regenerative braking, reducing the likelihood of overheating.

FAQ

Are electric vehicle fires more common than conventional car fires?

No, according to the International Fire and Safety Journal. Using data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and government recall information, AutoinsuranceEZ indicated fires by vehicle type are as follows:

• Hybrids signified the most, with 3,475 fires per 100,000 vehicles. This is most likely because hybrids utilize two powertrains.
• ICE vehicles caught fire substantially less often, at 1,530 incidents per 100,000 vehicles.
• EV fires were significantly lower than the others, with 25 fires per 100,000 vehicles.

Koffel added, “At this time, there is no indication that EV fires are more common than conventional car fires.” However, Lockwood notes, they are “usually more powerful when they happen. I would not tell anyone that [EV fires] are common.”

Are electric vehicle fires more dangerous than conventional car fires?

Yes. Thermal runaway causes temperatures of a Lithium-ion battery to reach almost 1900F, while a traditional gasoline power vehicle fire burns at around 1400F. According to Buck, his department “can extinguish a gasoline-fueled car fire with 500 gallons of water they carry on their trucks.”

However, Buck adds that “it can take 3,000 gallons or more to extinguish an EV battery fire.” In addition, due to residual heat, ongoing chemical reactions or EV battery design making it difficult for water or fire suppressants to reach all affected cells, EV HV batteries can reignite hours—or even days—after the initial fire is extinguished. According to Blaze Stack, “EV fire protocols are still evolving,” including the use of thermal imaging cameras that “detect residual heat in battery packs” as well as other firefighting methods and technologies.

What is an EV fire blanket?

“EV fire blankets will delay the development of the fire, will keep the fire from spreading to adjacent vehicles, or will smother the fire,” says Koffel. Made from fiberglass or silica-based fabrics, these blankets can withstand extreme temperatures.

A fire blanket specifically designed for EV fires can weigh up to 100 pounds and can easily take two or more people to properly place the blanket into position. “There is also concern that in some instances the [fire] blanket could trap vapors potentially resulting in a vapor explosion,” adds Koffel. So, leave extinguishing EV fires to professional firefighters.

Experts

• William Koffel is an associate clinical professor who specializes in fire protection engineering with the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. He is the former president of Koffel Associates, a fire protection and life safety engineering design and consulting firm, and he is recognized as an expert in the fire protection and life safety aspects of codes and standards. He is also a past president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and a former code official with the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
• Lauren Jones is a 3rd generation firefighter with over 13 years of service with Willow Grove Volunteer Fire Co., holding the ranks of sergeant and lieutenant for five years. She still responds to fires for the Enterprise Fire Co. of Hatboro, PA. Lauren is currently serving as a Protective Services Teacher at North Montco Technical Career Center, Lansdale, PA.
• Jack Bishop is recent to the firefighting profession, but has received several international accreditations and certifications from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), The World Health Organization (WHO) and FireRescue1 Academy and U.S. Fire Administration (NFA).
• Steve Lockwood is owner of Mountain State Fire Protection LLC, which specializes in premier fire equipment and comprehensive fire protection services.
• Palmer Buck is the Chief of The Woodlands Township Fire Department in Austin, TX. Chief Buck Chief Palmer Buck holds a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Science Fire Protection Technology, a Master of Public Affairs and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program. Chief Buck has 37 years of experience in public safety. He is a proven leader with extensive operations and command experience, and a sought-after mentor and advisor to firefighters of all ranks. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Agency, the National Society of Executive Fire Officers and the International Association of Firefighters. Original interview notes from “Are Electric Vehicles More Likely To Catch on Fire?” Apr 23, 2023.

Resources

• Joe Simes was the former deputy chief and training officer for Montgomery County, PA (retired).
• Blaze Stack: “7 Reasons Why EV Fires are Hard to Put Out” Jan 14, 2025
• Car and Driver: “No, Millions of Cars Are Not Catching Fire Every Year“; Jun 2, 2022
• Edmunds: “Types of EVs: What Are They and Which Is Right for You?” Aug, 29, 2023
• International Fire and Safety Journal: “Research highlights lower fire risk in electric cars compared to petrol and diesel vehicles“; Nov, 20, 2023
• National Fire Protection Association: “Stranded Energy within Lithium-ion Batteries“; Apr 12, 2025
• National Fire Protection Association: “Submerged hybrid/electric vehicles” Nov 2024
• National Fire Protection Association: “Vehicle fires;” Nov 1, 2024
• Our World Data: “Tracking global data on electric vehicles” Apr 2024
• Popular Science: “A new study has some surprising findings on car fires;” Feb 1, 2022
• Science Direct: “Case Study—The electro-thermal behaviors of the lithium-ion batteries corroded by the salt spray environment”; Feb 1, 2024
• Statista: “Electric vehicles in the United States – statistics and facts“: Dec 20, 2024
• U.S. Department of Transportation: “Vehicle Types;” Jan 31. 2025
• U.S.A. Facts: “How many electric cars are on the road in the United States?” SEP 6, 2024

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The post Battery Blazes? Inside the Real Story of EV Fire Risks appeared first on Family Handyman.

Rosemary by Sherwin Williams

Nature-inspired colors are in for 2025, and green hues fall right in step with this trend. Rosemary by Sherwin Williams is a great example as a medium to darkish green with subtle gray undertones. “It’s warm, not vibrant, and decidedly green but muted,” Woolf says. “As an exterior field color it works on cottage style, Victorian, Foursquare and Craftsman-style homes — and it looks gorgeous on brick.” This color also pairs nicely with warm neutrals and wood tones.

Vine Leaf by Behr

Vine Leaf by Behr is a brighter green but still keeps with the earthy color palette of 2025. Vibrant and fresh, this color offers a lively pop of color without being overwhelming. It’s a perfect choice for homeowners who want to make a statement without straying too far from earthy, grounded tones. Despite its brightness, Vine Leaf works well with neutral tones like warm grays, whites or wood accents and is effective as the main exterior color or as an accent on shutters and doors.

Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore

“We’re generally seeing a movement away from cool neutrals to warm neutrals,” Woolf says, including warm or muted whites. Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore is representative of this trend with creamy undertones and is a color Jenkins turns to all the time. Clients will want “a beautiful warm off-white with a light greige shutter,” she says, and Swiss Coffee on a home’s field area paired with Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore on shutters creates a “quintessential combination.”

Oxide by Behr

A deep, rich, earthy reddish-brown with warm undertones, Oxide by Behr creates a bold look while staying on trend as a nature-based color. This striking hue can be used to add character and depth to your home’s exterior as a pop of color on the front door or shutters or as a main field paint. It pairs nicely with warm neutrals, wood tones and stone while complementing modern and contemporary homes.

Anonymous by Sherwin Williams

Sage gray/greens are one of the most popular exterior paint colors for 2025, with Anonymous by Sherwin Williams being a standout example. While technically a gray, the green undertones give it a sage-like appearance that pairs well with other muted neutrals like warm whites and beige. Complementing a variety of architectural styles, from coastal and modern farmhouse to traditional and colonial homes, Anonymous is an excellent option for homeowners who want a relaxed, natural aesthetic.

Flint by Benjamin Moore

“Another color family I get a lot of requests for are the deep, moody gray-greens,” Jenkins says, of which Flint by Benjamin Moore is a heavy favorite. “This color is just gorgeous outside,” she says. A deep, cool medium-dark gray, Flint offers a bold, modern look while adding depth and visual interest to any home’s exterior. “I call it a charcoal blue. It’s a mixture of blue-green and gray, but heavy on the blue side,” Jenkins says. “It’s great for shutters on a white house or paired with black gutters and windows.”

Whitall Brown by Benjamin Moore

A deep, dark brown with red undertones, Whitall Brown by Benjamin Moore is part of a larger trend toward dark brown exterior paint in 2025. “I think dark browns play into two trends that are popular: dark colors and earthier tones,” Woolf says. “It’s a way of doing dark blue or black without doing dark blue or black.” Dark brown paint colors are very versatile too. “It works in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest and on Garrison, Four-Square and Craftsman-style houses,” Woolf adds.

Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin Williams

While deep blues have been part of exterior color trends for a few years, they’re still one of the most popular paint colors for 2025. Warmer than black, a dark blue like Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin Williams can add depth to coastal, traditional and modern homes. Whether used as an accent on garage doors, trim, or shutters, or as a dominant field color, Needlepoint Navy offers flexibility, easily adapting to both modern and classic designs depending on the complementary colors around it.

Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore

If you’re after an earthy, neutral and versatile color for your home’s exterior, consider Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore. A soft, warm gray with subtle undertones of green and beige, this light to medium-toned color can complement architectural styles from traditional to contemporary. A great transitional color, it complements stone, brick or wood elements of your home’s exterior, while pairing well with crisp whites or charcoal trim and accents.

Tyler Gray by Benjamin Moore

A warm, sophisticated gray, Tyler Gray by Benjamin Moore is an understated color that will stand the test of time. “It’s a mid-tone neutral that sits between gray and beige,” Woolf says. “Colors like this seem to outlast trends, which is important if you’re painting your house every ten years or so.” She recommends trying Tyler Gray with brick or stone fixed materials on the exterior, like stone veneer. “You’re trying to avoid setting up a clash,” Woolf says, “Colors like those gray beiges can be much more flexible.”

About the Experts

• Amy Woolf is the owner of Amy Woolf Architectural Color and Design located in Northampton, Massachusetts, specializing in color selection and design services for both residential and commercial spaces. She is an award-winning architectural color consultant and interior designer.
• Lisa Jenkins is the owner of Lisa Jenkins Color, a design and color consulting firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to this venture, she was a Color Marketing Manager at Benjamin Moore and an Architectural and Design Representative for Sherwin Williams.

The post The 10 Colors Everyone’s Painting Their Homes in 2025 appeared first on Family Handyman.

For some older adults especially, mowing the lawn is a great opportunity to get some exercise while enjoying the sunshine — and a nicely shorn lawn afterward. But there’s a dark side to mowing the lawn. More than 80,000 people are hospitalized each year for lawn mower-related injuries, according to a 2006 study by Annals of Emergency Medicine (via Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).

Tragically, many of these injuries happen to children. However, lawn mower accidents are also prevalent among older adults who may not be as spry as they once were and who may be more susceptible to overexertion. This naturally leads to the question, “How old is too old to mow the lawn?”

A common response is to suggest that older adults simply not mow the lawn altogether, but experts say there is no specific age to stop mowing the lawn. Rather, being aware of the risks, taking steps to mitigate them, and being aware of one’s own health limits should be the deciding factor. Ahead, we break down advice from experts.

Risks of Mowing the Lawn

Whether you’re using a riding lawn mower or a push mower, mowing the lawn comes with a host of risks. According to the study published by the Annals of Emergency Medicine, “the most common injuries were caused by strikes from debris, such as rocks and branches, propelled by the mower’s spinning blades.” A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that the most common types of injuries were lacerations, fractures, and amputations. The most common injury locations were the wrist or hand and foot or toe.

Emergency medicine physician Jordan Kapper, whose background includes trauma, reveals that after 15 years in suburban and rural emergency departments, he’s witnessed every lawnmower injury imaginable. “The mechanism of injury that haunts our trauma bay [is] the classic ‘cleaning the mower deck’ maneuver,” Kapper says. “Just last month, I treated a young man and seasoned maintenance worker [that] lost three fingers. The blade had stopped visually, but the mower was still on, and once the grass/vine clog was gone, so were his fingers.”

While push lawnmowers are dangerous, riding lawnmowers can be too. Kapper explains, “Riding mower rollovers present a different problem entirely. The injuries typically involve crushing mechanisms — pelvic fractures, flail chest, pneumothoraces — often with delayed internal hemorrhage that becomes apparent only after the initial trauma survey.” Kapper highlights how age becomes a factor with these types of lawn mower accidents: “The age component here is important as well. When that machine starts to tip, you have approximately 1.5 seconds to dismount before physics takes over.” Older adults may not be able to move as quickly as they once could.

Cardiologist Matthew Segar adds, “The major risks of mowing the lawn include falls, musculoskeletal injuries from repetitive motions, worsening of respiratory conditions from grass allergens or mower emission, and heat-related illness. From a cardiology perspective, mowing the lawn in hot weather can cause strain on the heart.”

Kapper adds the following related to older adults and cardiac trouble when mowing the lawn: “The cardiac events we see follow a predictable pattern: deconditioned cardiovascular systems suddenly subjected to high-intensity and consistent exertion, peripheral vasodilation from heat exposure and a drive of many to ‘push through the pain until the job is done’ leads to cardiovascular catastrophe. This can mean heart attacks, deadly arrhythmias or simple heat exertion.”

In addition to the physical risks, lawn mower injuries have substantial financial implications. The same National Library of Medicine study found that mean emergency department charges were $2,482 per patient, while the mean inpatient charges were a whopping $36,987.

How Old Is Too Old to Mow the Lawn?

According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, most lawn mower-related injuries occur in children under 15 and adults ages 60 and over. Science Direct reports, “Lawnmower injuries increase with age, with peaks in persons older than 59 years.”

With these statistics in mind, many may feel that older adults should simply stop mowing the lawn to minimize the risk of injury. But this would deprive older individuals of not only a worthwhile activity and an opportunity to be outside and even socialize, but could also lessen their chances of staying healthy and fit.

Kapper agrees. “What many safety articles miss,” he says, is that “deconditioning poses equal danger. I regularly admit patients in their 70s who’ve suffered falls simply walking across their living rooms because they’ve eliminated all physical activity from their lives. Their well-intentioned adult children banned them from yard work but provided no alternative activity to maintain functional strength.”

Rather than banning older adults from yard work, Kapper suggests the following: “My evidence-based recommendation isn’t typical. Beyond cardiovascular conditioning, I prescribe resistance training specifically targeting functional movements. Research from the geriatric literature demonstrates that maintaining grip strength and core stability dramatically reduces mortality across multiple domains. For lawn mower safety specifically, the ability to quickly generate force (to jump clear of a tipping mower) or maintain balance (on uneven terrain) directly correlates with prevention of severe injury.”

Segar agrees that there is no specific age at which to stop mowing the lawn. “The decision should be based on your individual health status and physical capabilities rather than chronological age,” he says.

Tips to Mow the Lawn Safely

Much of lawnmower injury prevention involves actions that those who are using the lawnmowers can control.

Kapper advises keeping a few general things in mind: “Mowing the lawn during cooler parts of the day, staying hydrated, and taking frequent breaks can help improve your heart health while mowing the lawn. It’s also important to know the signs and symptoms of overexertion. This includes chest pain, dizziness, and excessive fatigue. Using a self-propelled or riding lawn mower can also help reduce exertion.”

David Bishai, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., senior author of the study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, and associate professor in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School, recommends the following more specific safety measures.

• Wear goggles, long pants and close-toed shoes with grip soles
• Clear the yard of debris before mowing
• Keep everyone from the yard while mowing
• People with histories of chest, back or joint pain should reconsider mowing
• Use care and wear protective gloves when servicing the mower or changing blades
• Many injuries occur while lifting the mower—get help if needed
• Never service the mower while it is running
• Mow only in good weather conditions—avoid mowing in high-heat
• Do not use a riding mower on steep hills or embankments
• Do not carry passengers on riding mowers or tow passengers behind the mower

About the Experts

• Jordan Kapper, M.D., is a distinguished Emergency Medicine physician and successful real estate investor. With a background in trauma, airway management, sepsis, stroke, and travel medicine, Dr. Kapper is a highly skilled and adaptable physician. He has trained at a level 1 trauma center and is board-certified in Emergency Medicine.
• Matt Segar, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist and is currently a cardiac electrophysiology fellow at the Texas Heart Institute, where he also completed his cardiology fellowship. Dr. Segar received his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and graduated from Internal Medicine residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Sources

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: “Injuries from Lawn Mowing Increase Nationwide” (2006).
• Science Direct: “Lawnmower Injuries in the United States: 1996 to 2004” (2006).
• National Library of Medicine: “Incidence, Distribution, and Cost of Lawn-Mower Injuries in the United States, 2006-2013” (2018).

The post When Are You Too Old to Mow Your Own Lawn? Experts Weigh In appeared first on Family Handyman.

The related question, however, is whether bleach is safe for the rest of the garden. Not according to turfgrass management expert Ryan Walts, who says: “Using bleach is strongly discouraged. It will likely damage the surrounding soil, harming neighboring plants and making it unsuitable for most plants to grow back in that area for a long time.” Lawn expert Chrissie Handley agrees, and so does gardening enthusiast Harry Lloyd.

In this post, we’ll explain why bleach should not be used to kill weeds on your lawn or in your garden and explore some alternative weed control methods.

Does Bleach Kill Weeds?

“Bleach’s harsh chemical nature makes it quite effective at killing weeds quickly,” says Handley. “It damages their cells and shuts off moisture absorption, which kills the plant.” Common household bleach is a solution of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), which breaks down in the soil to release salt (sodium chloride or NaCl), water (H₂O) and chlorinated organic compounds. By attaching to organic compounds, chlorine essentially neutralizes them, which is great for pool sanitation but not so good for soil health.

Moreover, salt in the soil affects the ability of roots to absorb moisture. Think about what would happen if you drank a glass of seawater. Rather than quenching your thirst, it would make you more thirsty. That’s pretty much what happens to plants. Unable to absorb moisture from the soil, the roots shrivel, and the plants wither and die.

Does Bleach Kill Weeds Permanently?

This depends on a number of factors:

• Concentration of the bleach solution: In an effort to prevent damage to desirable plants, some gardeners dilute bleach in a spray bottle. But if the concentration is too low, weeds may suffer only temporary damage and grow back.
• Depth of the roots: Some weeds, such as dandelions and thistles, have very deep roots that may not be affected unless you soak the soil with the bleach solution. A surface application won’t cut it for such species.
• Annuals vs. perennials: Annual weeds tend to have shallow roots, which makes them likely to be permanently eliminated by bleach application. Perennials, on the other hand, have hardier roots that grow deeper. They may wither after application but can grow back later in the year or next year.

Handley has this advice for the effective use of bleach for weed control: “You should apply it directly to the weed and re-apply often for the best results, as it makes sure the plant is fully dead and has no possibility of growing back.”

Should I Use Bleach to Kill Weeds on My Lawn?

While bleach does kill weeds, the more important question is whether you should, and the experts I interviewed all agree that the answer is no.

“I understand the temptation, but using bleach on weeds is a very bad idea,” says Lloyd. “Bleach does kill weeds, but it also harms everything else it touches, and although you think you’re directing it just at the root of the weed — it’ll spread to your soil.”

Bleach can kill earthworms, insects and microorganisms vital for soil health. It can also spread to the roots of nearby desirable plants, either causing disease or killing them outright.

“Bleach can leave residue behind in the soil and make the soil pH more alkaline, which can affect the growth of plants in the surrounding area,” says Handley. To amplify this concern, Walts adds that it can make the soil unsuitable for most plants to grow back in that area for a long time.

DIY weed control methods

“Baking soda is a much better DIY alternative,” says Walts. He recommends either applying it directly from the box or mixing it with water. Lloyd adds that you should also consider things like vinegar-based weed sprays, boiling water, or even just pulling them out by hand.

If you’re going to use bleach anyway, here’s Handley’s advice: “Try to use it in a targeted and controlled manner, only applying small amounts to the weed directly. Some people use a spray bottle and dilute the solution to try and combat the strength and just re-apply more often.”

Can I Use Bleach To Kill Weeds in My Driveway?

If weeds grow through the cracks in your driveway, you don’t have to worry about harming nearby plants or the soil under the driveway. That makes bleach an effective control method because not only will it kill the weeds, it will render the soil inhospitable for new ones. If you use this method, make a strong bleach solution — the stronger, the better — and be sure to soak the weeds thoroughly to be sure the bleach gets to the roots.

About the Experts

• Ryan Walts is a training manager and business coach at Lawn Squad, a franchise lawn care business based in Columbia, MD.
• Harry Lloyd is a passionate gardener and waste management expert at HIPPO, a rubbish removal service based in the UK.
• Chrissie Handley is a lawn care specialist and gardening expert providing tailored advice on laying turf, garden maintenance and general gardening tips for Online Turf — a turf, soil and compost company based in Lancashire, UK.

The post Is Bleach as a Weed Killer a Good or Bad Idea? Experts Weigh In appeared first on Family Handyman.

Use a Handheld Sharpener On Kitchen Knives

Knowing what tool is used to sharpen knives will save you a headache when you find that yours are becoming dull. Most of the time you don’t need a power tool or an expensive knife-sharpening system to keep a workable edge on your kitchen knives. Regular use of a handheld sharpener is fine. Follow the instructions that came with your sharpener to quickly refine kitchen knives that have standard beveled edges. You’ll have to use another sharpening tool if your knives have unusual or asymmetrical angles.

Utilize Steels for Unusual Knives

If your knives are serrated or oddly shaped, a handheld sharper just won’t cut it. Instead, a steel is the most common tool is used to sharpen these knives. There are a few different kinds you can use depending on the kind of knife you’re working with and whether you want a full sharpening job or just a quick touch-up.

Serrated Knives

When using a diamond steel to sharpen a serrated knife, the curve of the steel has to fit the scallops on the knife. Take your knife to a cookware store and find a diamond-coated steel that matches the scallop size on your knife. If you’re shopping online, you can find the diameter you need by holding drill bits against the scallops. Then use this dimension to order the right diameter sharpener. Another option is to buy a tapered, pocket-size diamond steel that accommodates a variety of different scallop sizes.

Notice that one side of the blade is flat and the other tapered. Sharpen only the tapered side. Starting at one end, sharpen each scallop with two or three strokes, matching the original angle. When you’re done, run the knife through corrugated cardboard to remove metal filings.

Touch Ups

You’ve probably seen chefs on cooking shows brandishing a knife and a steel like a samurai swordsman and thought it was just for pros. But a honing steel isn’t hard to use and is perfect for restoring a sharp cutting edge to your knives. You can’t fully restore a dull blade with a steel, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you can take a slightly dulled edge to almost razor-sharpness with just a few strokes.

The safest method for using a steel is to rest the tip on a surface that’s not too slippery, like a wooden cutting board. Then pull the knife down and across, alternating sides. Keep the knife at about a 25-degree angle so you’re just tuning up the edge. The steel doesn’t actually sharpen. It simply straightens out the wavy edge so the knife slices through material better. Eventually you’ll have to resharpen the knife, but for between-sharpening tune-ups, you can’t beat a steel.

A File is a Versatile Tool for Sharpening Landscaping Tools

Just like it’s important to know what tool is used to sharpen knives, you need to know how to sharpen your other blades. Your landscaping tools take quite a beating, and they need regular touch ups to keep them in tiptop shape. Fortunately, a file is an incredible versatile tool that can be used to sharpen these types of blades.

Hatchets and Axes

You don’t need a power tool to sharpen hatchets or axes—all you need is a sharp mill bastard file with a handle. Buy a good-quality file, and pick up a file brush while you’re at it. Use the file brush to clean the metal filings from the file’s teeth to keep it cutting well. Clamp the hatchet, then file the edges, following the original angle. The file cuts only on the push stroke, so don’t go back and forth with a sawing motion. Start your stroke on one end of the blade and push the file up and across, applying a little pressure.

Make three or four passes on one side, then do the same on the other side. Keep the number of passes equal for both sides. File until the edge is uniformly sharp. Look directly at the sharp edge with a strong overhead light. Dull spots will show up as bright reflections.

File hatchets or axes used for cutting or felling wood at about a 25- to 30-degree angle on each side. Splitting axes work better with a blunter angle, so for them, increase the angle to about 35 to 40 degrees. Filing will get your hatchet or ax blade back in shape, but if you want it really sharp, you’ll have to follow up with a stone or diamond hone.

Shovels

Your shovel will slice through dirt and roots easier if it has a sharp edge. If the point of your shovel is ragged with dents or chips, start by smoothing it with a metal grinding disc in an angle grinder. Keep the grinder moving to avoid overheating the metal edge.

Once you’re happy with the smoothness, switch to a mill bastard file to file a bevel. Hold the file at a 70-degree angle to the back of the shovel. Apply pressure while pushing the file. Files cut on the forward stroke only, so lift the file to return for the next stroke. You don’t want a knifelike edge. Just bevel the top edge at a 70-degree angle to the back. That’s pretty blunt compared with the 25- or 30-degree angle used for knife sharpening.

Spade Bits

If you grab a spade bit instead of an expensive Forstner bit when rough material needs drilling, this abuse will take a toll. Luckily, a spade bit doesn’t have to be sharpened with precision to work better. A few strokes along the bottom with a file and you’re back in business. Clamp the bit in a vise and file the cutting edges, making sure to maintain the existing angle. A tapered triangular file works well for many sizes of spade bit.

Tune Up Carbide Router Bits With a Diamond Paddle

Chipped or severely dulled carbide router bits require professional sharpening, but you can restore a slightly dulled edge with a diamond paddle. To avoid changing the cutting profile of the bit, sharpen the back of the cutters only. A handy method is to clamp the diamond paddle to your workbench and move the bit back and forth over the diamond-impregnated surface. Start with the coarser-grit side of the paddle. Then switch to the fine side. The sharpened carbide should have a consistent shiny band along the cutting edge.

A 1-in. Belt Sander is a Versatile Tool Used to Sharpen Knives

If you’re on a budget, you might want to know what the most versatile tool is that can be used to sharpen knives. Most carpenters know that a belt sander can produce a reasonably acceptable edge on a dull chisel. And knife-makers and professional sharpeners often use special belt grinders to shape and sharpen blades. You can get many of the benefits of a professional belt grinder for a fraction of the cost with a 1 x 30-in. benchtop belt sander. Buy 180- and 240-grit belts and you’ll be set for serious knife sharpening. Plus, you can use the belt sander to grind other tools like axes and chisels, and to sand small woodworking projects.

For really dull knives, start with a 180-grit belt and finish with a 240-grit belt. Practice on an inexpensive knife until you get the feel of holding the knife at the correct angle as you move it across the belt. Try to maintain the angle that’s on your knife. This is usually about 20 degrees. For a razor-sharp edge, buy a leather belt along with honing compound and mount it on your sander for the final sharpening step.

Use a DIY Honing Guide to Sharpen Chisels and Planes

There’s nothing like working with a razor-sharp plane or chisel, and nothing more frustrating than trying to use dull ones. Arkansas or Japanese stones are the traditional tool, but they’re expensive to buy and take practice and skill to use. But there’s an easy and inexpensive way to get great results without stones or much practice. The key to success is the honing guide, which ensures a consistent bevel. The guide shown works for both chisel and plane blades. You’ll also need a 12-in. square of 1/4-in. plate glass to provide a perfectly flat honing surface. You can order one at any hardware store, but be sure to have the sharp edges sanded smooth.

You’ll glue sandpaper to the glass and use it like a sharpening stone. Use spray adhesive to attach half sheets of silicone carbide sandpaper to the glass. Cover one side with 220- and 320-grit paper and the other side with 400- and 600-grit. The sharpening angle is determined by how far you extend the blade before clamping it to the guide. Dimensions on the side of the guide show where to set chisels and planes to maintain 25- and 30-degree angles. Clamp the blade in the guide and roll it back and forth on the coarsest paper until the edge is uniformly shiny. It should take only 15 or 20 seconds. Repeat this process for each progressively finer grit.

Sharpen Your Scissors

Sharpening scissors with a sharpening stone is tough work, and if you don’t feel confident, there are other tools you can try.  A handheld scissor sharpener makes the whole process nearly foolproof. It’ll sharpen left-handed scissors in one side and right-handed in the other. It has a ceramic bar that floats between the blades and automatically sets itself to the correct angle as you gently squeeze the scissors and pull or push it through the opening. Don’t push hard; just pretend you’re lightly cutting a piece of paper and maintain consistent pressure. A few passes and your scissors should be sharp.

The post Which Tools Are Best For Sharpening Knives and Other Blades? appeared first on Family Handyman.

Be Intentional About Choosing the Right Car

With thousands of classic cars for sale, choosing the right one can be daunting—especially if you’re after a particular make, model or year.

One constant from every expert was to consider why you’re buying a classic car. Terry Shea, Marketplace Editor at Hemmings Motor News, says, “Will it be an investment, a restoration project, ready to drive around town, or to show off in parades or towed to car shows?” Shea adds, “No matter what car you choose to purchase, do your research.” Here are some tips from the experts:

Is the car an investment?

“Not every classic car is a goldmine. If you’re buying with investment in mind, do your homework and be patient,” says Kye Grisham at Christian Brothers Auto.

Black, on the other hand, notes, “Classic cars may appreciate in value over time, often leading to higher resale values, especially when well-maintained or have unique elements.” But he stresses that one should “know the market value, common issues, and history of the model you’re considering.”

Shea explains, “If you’re buying online, you may not see the car until it’s dropped off at your home. To protect yourself, ask for documentation, contact a local car club to see if they can inspect the car, or can recommend as expert who can (expect to pay $200 or more for this service). If [the] seller refuses an inspection, walk away.”

Is the car a restoration project?

One of the biggest mistakes people make is underestimating the amount of work and money that can be involved in restoration. Whether you want to do it yourself or pay to have one restored, restoring a classic car is rewarding, but the hidden costs can creep up on you, says Hunter.

Choose a car where parts are readily available. “Virtually every part for many Fords, Chevy and MOPAR (Plymouth Chrysler) classic muscle cars of the 1960s are easily sourced, and [these cars are] simpler to work on,” says Hunter. “Buy parts from established vendors,” he adds. “Reproduction parts do not always fit well, are usually made with cheaper materials [than original equipment manufacturers], and do not last as long.”

Do your research if you’re looking for a Sunday driver, says Hunter, who also advises to “never judge a book by its cover,” as there are many so-called restorers who will paint a car or do minimum repairs. Shea adds, “If the car has claimed to have been painted, use a paint depth gauge to measure paint thickness.”

Know What You’re Buying

“Research and understanding [classic car] terminology of the car you want to buy will go a long way in helping make the right buying decision,” Shea explains. Matching numbers, for example, is a classic car where all stamped parts—engine, transmission—match the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number).They “have more value for some cars, like late 1960s 426 Hemi Barracudas and big block Corvettes than Porsche’s,” according to Shea.

As an investment, Shea explains, “Hemmings has hundreds of ads where sellers have easily invested $20,000 or more in parts and labor than the asking price of the car, making this an expensive hobby.”

Classic Car Insurance

Depending on how you’ll be using your classic car, insurance coverage and costs can greatly vary. Classic cars are normally driven less often and are well-maintained, which can lower insurance premiums. Look for a provider that specializes in classic car insurance and can offer:

• Agreed value coverage where you and the insurer agree on the car’s value in case of a total loss.
• Lower premiums based on how you can use the vehicle, such as driving to and from car shows, and parades, but not for daily commuting.
• Specialized coverage policies may cover spare parts and damage during transport or while being restored by your mechanic.

Insurance agent Gregg Englebreth says State Farm has a marketing agreement with Hagerty Drivers Club, a top-selling antique/classic car insurance company. According to Nationwide Insurance, “the definition of classic car can differ greatly.” Meanwhile, the Classic Car Club of America defines a classic as a “fine or distinctive automobile built between 1915 and 1948.

Check your state’s specific laws to determine how they categorize an antique, classic or vintage car.

DIY or Professional Restoration: Know Which Route You’ll Take

Restoring a classic car can be a formidable challenge, a labor of love or even a bonding experience. I know, I’ve lived all of these. Plan for spending time and money you didn’t count on. If you are serious about investing in a classic, always budget at least 30 percent more than you think you’ll need.

The internet has made finding NOS (New Old Stock) parts easier. Check online forums and local car clubs to gain a better understanding and appreciation of how to complete a proper restoration. Some automotive part rebuilders will rebuild your part if the part you need is unavailable.

Making particular mechanical or body and paint repairs or improvements doesn’t automatically hurt the value of a classic car. For example, Shea explains, “Repairing dings and dents, adding disk brakes, an alternator, or upgrading from a six-volt to 12-volt battery electrical system adds a layer of reliability while enhancing safety.”

Depending on the age of the classic, talk to the “old-timer” at your shop for hints and advice. The latest generation of auto technicians understands today’s sophisticated vehicle electronics but may not have much experience rebuilding carburetors, adjusting ignition points or using a timing light to adjust spark timing. Remember, you’re preserving a piece of automotive history or possibly a fond memory.

Prepare for Hidden Problems

Classic cars can come with high price tags. Carefully inspect for body (plastic) repairs, paint cracking or bubbling, frame/chassis rot or welds, and distortion from accident damage. Then, of course, there’s rust. Rust repairs can quickly eat up an entire restoration budget or result in a vehicle losing its distinctive charm and appeal.

Chris Yancey, Volvo and ASE Master Technician, explains, “I’ve done basic restorations on classic 1980 and 1990 Volvos that cost over $15,000. Labor costs soared due to broken bolts, [the] high cost of replacement parts and additional costs when I had to rebuild or recondition a part that was no longer available.”

Classic cars are rewarding but require patience, money, and mechanical know-how. If you’re ready for that, go for it—but go in with your eyes open,” says Black.

Pros and Cons of Buying a Classic Car

Pros:

• Classics have charm, character and are conversation pieces. People will want to talk to you about your car whether at the gas pump, car show, or a parking lot.
• Arouse a sense of nostalgia and memories of a different era.
• Classic cars have enduring features and designs that distinguish them from modern vehicles.
• Offer a unique affinity to automotive history.
• A classic car can connect you with like-minded enthusiasts. You can also join a classic car club to participate in car shows, events, and club meetings.
• It’s hard to put a price tag on the miles of smiles you get when you cruise around, showing off your classic car.

Cons:

• Finding the right car at the right price, in the right condition is very challenging.
• Unexpected costs and unseen problems.
• Maintenance and repairs can be expensive and time-consuming.
• Finding replacement parts for rare or obscure models is difficult (but not impossible).
• Prone to breakdowns, the same as any older car.
• Lacking modern safety features makes them inherently less safe than modern vehicles.
• It can be burdensome to properly and safely store your classic in a garage to protect it from the elements.

The Final Word

Shea says, “Buying and driving a classic is so much fun. Fixing or restoring one can be incredibly rewarding no matter if you’re a seasoned pro, experienced DIYer, new to car repairs or even mechanically challenged.”

Rebuilding the engine in my 1956 Chevrolet Belair with my father when I was 14 years old was a rite of passage. When we started that engine, the sound of it running instilled in me a sense of accomplishment and pride that I never felt before.

Buying a classic car, say for $30,000, spending $10,000 on maintenance, insurance, and repairs over the next five years while you enjoy driving, displaying at car shows, or putting on another coat of wax, and then selling it for $20,000 (or less) will be extremely gratifying.

FAQ

What is a Restomod Classic Car?

Restomod combines the words “restoration” and “modification.” The exterior of a classic car is restored to a “level of style and craftsmanship you just don’t see in today’s mass-produced vehicles,” says Black.

Modifications include replacing all of the mechanical systems (drivetrain, electrical, steering, suspension, brakes, wheels) with the most up-to-date technology, including safety (disk brakes, airbags, modern tires, lighting), air conditioning and entertainment systems —while keeping the spirit of the car alive. In other words, you’re driving a 50 or 60-year-old car with all the same allure as when it was in its glory days, without all the headaches of a 50 or 60-year-old car.

Meet the Experts

• Terry Shea is a lifelong car guy. For the past 13 years, he’s been the Marketplace Editor for Hemmings Motor News and Marketplace, the world’s largest collector car marketplace, writing on classic car values and trends. Terry has also written for Car and Driver and has managed Hemmings live and on-live auction and has seen tens of thousands of cars cross the auction block.
• Bob Hunter has more than 30 years of experience as an autobody and painting technician. He is an ASE Master and I-CAR ProLevel Technician and currently is a Pennsylvania Department of Education-certified Auto Collision instructor at North Montco Technical Career Center in Lansdale, PA. During summer break, Bob works in automotive restoration at The Vette Shop in Pipersville, PA, and has restored classic cars that have sold at Barrett-Jackson Auctions.
• Kye Grisham has been in the auto service and maintenance industry for over 25 years and currently serves as Vice President of Procurement and Automotive Technology at Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation.
• Alex Black has a deep understanding of the automotive industry, is a recognized car expert and as Chief Marketing Officer at EpicVIN, empowering dealers and consumers with the best tools and services for when buying or selling a car.
• Chris Yancey has been a Volvo and ASE Master Technician for almost 30 years at Faulkner Volvo Cars, located in Trevose, PA.

Resources

• Adam Bushell, Director of AB Electrical & Communications, long-time classic car restorer and enthusiast. (Email communication, Feb. 11, 2025.)
• Classic Car Club of America: “Official list of Approved CCCA Full Classics” (Feb. 15, 2025)
• Greg Englebreth, ChFC, CLU, principal of Gregg Englebreth Insurance Agency Inc. located in Phila., PA. (Email communication, Feb. 13, 2025)
• Hemmings Motor News and Market: “10 Tips For Storing Your Classic Car” (Jan. 8, 2025)
• Hemmings Motor News and Market: “Matching Numbers? (Part 1” (Feb. 14, 2025)
• Nationwide Insurance: “At what age is a car considered classic?” (Feb. 11, 2025)
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: “Fact Sheet, Antique, Classic Vehicles and Vintage Registration Plates” (May 2023)
• The Law Dictionary: “All The Traffic Will Bear, Definition and Citations” (Feb.15, 2025)
• U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: “NHTSA’s VIN Decoder” (Sep. 21, 2024)

The post The Realities of Buying a Classic Car: Costs, Challenges, and Rewards appeared first on Family Handyman.

Drill Press Table

Jig for Routing Dadoes

When building a cabinet, dadoes are often used to ensure that shelves and partitions are spaced correctly. To make a strong joint, the width of the dadoes must exactly match the thickness of the plywood. That can be a challenge because few pieces of plywood are precisely 3/4 in. thick. They’re usually 1/32 in. or so less than the “nominal” thickness. This jig will rout perfect-fitting dadoes for any piece of 3/4-in. plywood regardless of its actual thickness.

Use a special top-bearing trim router bit with the jig. The bit is 1/2 in. wide, 1/2 in. long and has a bearing mounted above the cutter. The bearing is flush with the bit’s cutting edges. This routing jig has two long, parallel guides made from 1/2-in. MDF. When you rout a dado, ride the bearing along one guide, then make a second, return pass and ride the bearing along the second guide.

This way, the space between the guides determines the width of the dado. Setting up the guides is easy. One guide is fixed to the jig’s 3/4-in. cross members; the other is loose and adjustable. Take two small pieces of the plywood and place them against the fixed guide. Then slide the adjustable guide against the pieces and clamp the guide to the cross members. Done!

Sacrificial Table Saw Fence

When you have to adjust the table saw‘s fence so it sits right next to the blade, put a “sacrificial” fence on the saw. Using a sacrificial fence helps you avoid accidentally cutting into the real fence, which would be really bad news.

This sacrificial fence is made of four thicknesses of 1/2-in. MDF glued together. (Threequarter- inch plywood would work just as well.) Cut the middle pieces into thirds in order to create holes for clamping. The holes ensure that the clamp’s heads won’t get in the way when you’re making a cut. The beauty of this system is that you can use all sides of the fence until it wears out—but it’s easy to make another!

Table Saw Guide Box

When you have to stand boards on end to machine them on a table saw, pull out this simple box. It steadies the wood so you get a straight cut. The box is made of melamine and measures 8 in. square and 5-1/2 in. deep. It’s screwed to two optional runners that are 12 in. long.

Here, we show cutting slots into the ends of each part of a picture frame so the parts can be joined with spline (thin pieces of solid wood). You couldn’t do this using the table saw’s fence alone because the fence doesn’t offer enough support—it’s not tall enough. Using this box, you’re sure to get an absolutely straight cut.

The picture frame piece is supported by a block that’s screwed to the box. If you need to support pieces at 90 degrees—for cutting tenons, for example—just remove the 45-degree support and screw on another. To ensure a straight cut, clamp the workpiece to the box. Use a toggle clamp to hold the frame’s lower end because it’s difficult to get a regular clamp down there. The table saw’s fence gets in the way.

No-Wiggle Table Saw Crosscuts

If your miter gauge’s bar wiggles in the saw’s miter slot, you’ll have a hard time getting an absolutely straight crosscut. Here’s a way to fix that: Use two miter gauges connected by a fence.

An extra miter gauge isn’t very expensive, but you can cut the cost to zero by making one yourself. Glue two pieces of Baltic birch plywood together to form an L-shape body, then carefully cut a bar to fit snugly into your saw’s miter slot. Use a piece of maple to make the bar, or 1/4-in. tempered hardboard is another good choice. Glue the bar to the body using spring clamps, so you can easily adjust the bar to be exactly 90 degrees to the body before the glue sets. Install screws later.

You probably won’t be able to use your saw’s guard with this setup, so it’s a good idea to add a plastic shield to the fence. The shield will remind you not to put your fingers too close to the blade and will keep the sawdust out of your eyes.

Boost Your Vise’s Holding Power

When you clamp a board using only one side of your vise, have you noticed that the board often slips or rotates if you push down on it? That’s because the vise’s jaws don’t stay parallel when the vise is tightened. Your board is getting pinched only along one edge. Even the best vises “rack” like this.

Fixing the problem is quite simple. You just need to place a spacer on the opposite side of the vise. The spacer should be the same thickness as your workpiece—a scrap offcut works well. Drive a screw into one end of the spacer or pinch it with a spring clamp so you don’t have to hold on to the spacer while tightening the vise.

Extra-Large Sander Table

Benchtop disc sanders come with small tables. If you need a larger table, make a new one and clamp it to the original table. At first you might think you’ll add the extra-large table only when you need it, but once you put it on, you might never take it off! This jig is far fancier than it has to be—a plain piece of melamine would have sufficed.

Squaring Blocks

A cabinet that’s out of square is like a house built on a foundation that’s not level. Good luck getting doors to hang right! When you glue and clamp up a case, use a couple of “squaring blocks” to make sure the case has 90-degree corners. Clamp the blocks to the case before putting the final squeeze on the case’s clamps.

This type of squaring block is very easy to make. First, cut a piece of plywood about 8 in. square. (Make sure the inside corner is truly square by testing it with a combination square.) Next, screw two 3/4-in. x 2-3/4-in. x 7-in. lips to adjacent sides of the block for clamping. Leave a gap at the inside corner of the block so you can remove glue that squeezes out of the joint.

Three-Layer Hole Drilling Spacer

You may have seen this trick before—using a piece of pegboard to drill evenly spaced holes for shelf pins. But here’s another take on it: Make the jig from three layers of pegboard. A thick jig has a couple of advantages. First, the holes won’t wear out as fast (holes in a single layer of pegboard tend to become oval quickly).

Second, the additional thickness will help keep your drill perpendicular to the panel. When using the jig, tape over the holes you don’t need so you don’t make a dumb mistake. Also, slide a wood block onto the drill bit to limit the hole depth.

So, how do you keep the holes aligned when gluing the pieces together? It’s really quite simple. Insert a couple of 1/4-in. machine bolts through opposite ends of the glue-up, then add washers and nuts. Tightening the nuts will force the pieces into alignment and keep them there. Trim the edges of the jig after the glue dries.

Accurate Miter Saw Cuts

Clamp this small Baltic birch table to your miter saw when you want to cut a few short pieces to an exact length. The slot in the table’s fence shows you precisely where the blade will cut—just mark the piece with a pencil and line up the mark with the slot. The slot has “zero clearance,” meaning there’s no gap on either side of the blade. The slot in the table is zero clearance too. Zero-clearance slots reduce tear-out to an absolute minimum, eliminating splintered edges.

When this table was made, the fence was one long piece of wood. Cleats were screwed to the table’s ends to lock the table in place. Then the saw was lowered to cut the slot in the fence. Note that the table must be wider than the saw’s turntable—the uncut portion of the table is what holds it together!

Adjustable Fence

Add an adjustable fence to your drill press to make it a lot handier for woodworking projects! A fence is especially useful for drilling rows of precisely placed holes. Also, boring holes in a small workpiece is a snap—just clamp the piece to the fence at any angle and drill the hole. You won’t struggle with holding small pieces in place while you drill. (That’s also dangerous!)

1. Attach a 2-ft. x 1-ft. scrap of plywood or particleboard to the drill press table with countersunk 1/4-in. flat head machine screws, fender washers and nuts. (Run the screws through the slots in the metal table. The fender washers will span the slots.)
2. Create the fence from a 2 ft. x 4-in. x 1-in. board bolted to a 2-ft. piece of 3-in. x 1/8-in. aluminum angle iron ($10 at a home center for a 4-ft. length). Again, countersink the holes in the board before bolting the board to the angle iron.

Vertical Drilling Jig

If you’ve ever tried to drill a perfectly straight and centered deep hole in the end of a board, you know that it’s nearly impossible with a handheld drill. But add a drill press and a jig and the job becomes very doable. Make this jig from two 8-in. x 12-in. pieces of 3/4-in. plywood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Just screw the pieces together to form a “T” and reinforce the jig with a couple of triangles.

To use the jig, clamp it to the drill press table and the workpiece to the jig. Draw an “X” across the corners to find the exact center of the piece. You’ll have to adjust the height of the table and pivot it until you line everything up, but after that, drilling a straight, centered hole is a cinch. This trick will work for rectangular or square boards. Try these incredible drill press jigs as well.

Cut Narrow Strips with a Sliding Jig

To make a series of identical narrow strips for shelf edging, you don’t need to remove the blade guard or move the fence for every cut. Just attach a short strip of wood slightly thinner than the width of the rip cut to the end of a 4-ft. 1×6. Then hold the board against it and push the jig through. The jig keeps your hands well away from the blade, and you can rip as many pieces as you need without ever moving the fence.

To make the jig, attach a 5-in.-long strip of wood, 1/16 in. narrower than the width of the desired rip, to the end of a 1×6 as shown. Basically you’re creating a horizontal push stick. Add a handle near the end of the jig to give yourself better control as you run the jig through the saw.

The post 13 Simple Woodworking Jigs Every Woodworker Needs appeared first on Family Handyman.

Lumber Splitter

Homemade Hammer Mallet

Hammer Extension

Maximize Your Hammer Power

Ram the claw of your hammer into the nail shank and rock it sideways using the claw edge as a pivot point. Repeat the process until you pry out the nail. This technique produces maximum pulling power with little stress on the handle.

Caulking Gun for Airheads

Safer Trim Nailing

Push the nail into a thin strip of cardboard to hold it in position while nailing and to shield the wood from an errant hammer blow.

Give Paint-Clogged Screw Heads a Tap

Handy Nail Holder

When working with small nails or in tight quarters, keep your fingers out of the line of fire with the help of a hair accessory. A bobby pin is perfect because it can grip even the smallest nails and it provides plenty of distance between your fingers and the hammer.

Place the nail inside the bobby pine. Then, use the bobby pin to hold the nail in place and hammer away. Once the nail is started, you can remove the bobby pin and continue hammering.

This hint also works with an index card. Simply press the nail through a corner of the card and hold it where you need it. Start hammering and then tear the card off of the nail.

Avoid Ugly Hammer Marks

Blade Straightener

The post 12 Handy Hammer Hacks Every DIYer Should Know appeared first on Family Handyman.

Hand Screws to the Rescue

While fast-action metal clamps are more efficient for most tasks, hand screws can be invaluable for more unique situations. For instance, their jaws can clamp tapered or non-parallel parts, and because they’re made from wood, they can be customized with cuts, drills, or screws. An example: an oval stool seat can be difficult to clamp with regular clamps, but with hanger screws in a hand screw clamp, the task becomes much easier. Simply drill a couple of holes in the seat, insert the screws, and tighten the clamp to bring the seat together.

Upright for Edge Work

A woodworker’s vise is the best way to hold boards on edge. But a pair of hand screws works almost as well. Depending on how you set it up, you may want to insert strips of cardboard under the board to protect it from the hand screws’ sharp threads.

Straight-Up Drill Guide

To bore a perfectly perpendicular hole, you need either a drill press or a couple of scraps of wood screwed together. The corner created by the scraps will steer the bit straight in every time. But if you’re looking for an excuse to buy a drill press, forget you ever saw this tip.

Instant Saw Support

Simple T-blocks have endless uses. They support long boards, raise projects off your workbench so you can work more comfortably, prop up assemblies so you can slip clamps under them, make a drying rack for finishing projects—the list goes on and on. Build a few from scrap wood and you’ll find uses we haven’t even thought of.

Perfect Worktable

An old hollow-core door isn’t trash; it’s the perfect portable worktable. Set it on a couple of sawhorses, and you’ve got a surface that’s flat and strong but lightweight and easy to store.

Recharge Station

Cordless tools are the greatest advance in human history. Well, at least for some of us. But they’ve also brought charger chaos. We recommend herding all your chargers into one place and plugging them into a power strip. You’ll get organization, surge protection and an instant way to switch them all off after the batteries are charged.

Magnetize a Screwdriver

This old trick could save you hundreds of dropped screws over your DIY lifetime. Grab a magnet and rub it along the shaft of a screwdriver a dozen times or so. Rub in one direction only, kind of like sharpening a knife. In about 10 seconds, you’ll have a magnetic screwdriver. Repeat as needed. Add a magnetic strip to the workshop for an even better use of magnets.

Two-Stage Speed Painting

A roller lays on paint fast, but a brush leaves a smoother finish. To get the best of both, roll on the paint, then immediately brush it out. The quicker you get to the brushwork, the better. In warm, dry conditions, the paint will start to dry and lose its self-leveling ability in a minute or two.

Belt-Sander Stop Block

A belt sander is a great tool for sending boards flying across your shop. If you don’t want that to happen, clamp a stop block to your workbench. A block of the same thickness as your board will also prevent the sander from tipping down and tapering the end of your workpiece.

Clamp a Nail

When there’s no room for a hammer, sink the nail with a C-clamp. This trick works for plumbing and electrical straps, junction boxes, and even joist hangers.

Stop a Wandering Bit

Even the sharpest bit tends to skate across hard materials like tile, metal or glass, leaving loopy scratches behind. To steady a wandering bit, give it a softer place to start. Thin cardboard (the stuff cereal boxes are made from), taped firmly in place, works perfectly.

Extract a Stuck Plug

Struggling to pry the plug out of a hole saw might make you mutter, ‘Aw, screw it.’ And that is indeed the correct approach. Drive a long screw into the plug. When the screw hits the back of the hole saw, keep driving and the screw will magically pull out the plug. If the plug is really stubborn, you might have to add a second screw on the other side of the drill bit. Then alternate between the screws, turning one and then the other until the plug is out.

Is Your Level a Liar?

Once upon a time, a man built a house using a lying level, so his floors were not level and his walls were not plumb. And all of the interior work, from installing cabinets to hanging doors, was a real nightmare. If you want to live happily ever after, give your level a 60-second checkup. Set it on your workbench and slip a shim under the low end until the bubble is centered. Then flip the level around, positioning the other end on exactly the same point on the shim. If the bubble isn’t centered, the level is a horizontal liar. To check vertical accuracy, follow the same steps against a wall.

Final Paint-Prep Step

Prep is the key to a fine paint job, says a 35-year veteran painter. Here’s how he does it: First, patch the walls, then sand down all the walls with 100-grit paper. (He uses a drywall pole sander.) That leaves a bunch of dust and debris on the wall, so the next step is to vacuum with a wide floor brush. It’s faster and more thorough than a damp rag, and it gets rid of any cobwebs at the same time. You’ll still need a rag or small vacuum brush to reach into corners, but then it’s on to taping off the woodwork.

Belt Sanders Aren’t Just for Wood

Any shop teacher will tell you: Use a tool only for its intended purpose. But I confess—I often use a belt sander for jobs other than sanding wood. It works great to scour dried gunk off putty knives and trowels, and I use it to sharpen chisels, scrapers and shovels too. In fact, I’m a double offender: I use my chisel for all kinds of rough jobs that it wasn’t intended for, then I sharpen it with a belt sander. My belt sander actually gives my chisel a better edge than a grinder does. Jeff Gorton, Associate Editor

Tool Case Surgery

Packing a tool into its molded plastic case can seem like some kind of IQ test. But slice out those form-fitting compartments and the intended tool (or some other power tool) will fit in without all the fuss. An oscillating tool is the perfect surgical instrument.

A New Use for an Old Paintbrush

After your paintbrushes wear out, strip off the metal ferrule with a needle-nose pliers and some strength. Use the wood or composite handle for a table saw push stick, since it is easy to lose or misplace these tools, we figured it would be better to have more rather than less of these handy tools.

Essential Workbench Accessory

A nail or screw protruding under your workbench makes a handy bottle opener.

Reverse Circular Saw Blade for Clean Cuts

A standard saw blade chews up vinyl siding, leaving a chipped-and-ripped edge. For a clean cut, put the blade in backward.

The post 19 Essential Tool Tips and Tricks for Every DIY Enthusiast appeared first on Family Handyman.

Save yourself some cash by taping your own walls. In this video, we’ll give you a few pro tips.

The post How to Tape and Mud Drywall appeared first on Family Handyman.

This sturdy, portable work surface folds up small to save space in the shop or garage.

The post How to Make a Folding Mobile Workbench appeared first on Family Handyman.

Learn how to build a workbench on a budget. A tough, stable workbench that only takes an afternoon to build.

Take a look at other DIY wood workbench ideas.

The post Easy to Build Workbench appeared first on Family Handyman.

You can still buy a gallon of the standard “blue stuff” rated for temperatures above 32 F for around $4. However, if you can’t get to the supermarket or parts store to pick up a gallon of windshield wiper fluid, you can make your own with household items you probably have in your cleaning cabinet.

Read along as an ASE-certified body shop manager and certified K-12 chemistry teacher share their expertise and practical tips to help you prepare a homemade windshield wiper fluid that will help increase visibility and your driving safety and comfort.

Can You Make Your Own Windshield Wiper Fluid?

Yes, making windshield wiper fluid yourself isn’t difficult or complicated and can be an economical alternative to commercial brand windshield wiper fluids. However, homemade windshield wiper fluid can cause damage or stain your car’s finish.

According to Eric Heigold, ASE master technician and body shop manager, “It’s important to use the proper ingredients in the correct dilution [ratio of ingredients to water].” Heigold adds, “One part 70 percent isopropyl alcohol mixed with four parts distilled water is used to remove wax and other contaminates from paint [before repainting or waxing], so at the right strength, it’s safe to use [to make washer fluid].”

Pros

• Quick and easy to prepare
• Very eco-friendly
• More effective cleaning of the windshield during harsh winter weather
• You can tweak the ingredients to meet your particular needs, such as adding more alcohol if you live in colder climates.

Cons

• Using “tap water can cause the wiper fluid nozzles to clog; think of mineral deposits clogging a steam iron,” says science and chemistry teacher Greg Feliz.
• According to Feliz, vinegar is a “weak acid,” and using other types of vinegar instead of distilled vinegar can stain your car’s paint or windshield.
• Using too much alcohol, methanol or denatured alcohol can stain your car’s finish or damage the paint.
• All alcohols, says Feliz, “are flammable and must be stored safely.”

Pay attention to the ingredients when concocting homemade windshield wiper fluid. True story: It was snowing. My washer reservoir was empty, and the dealership where I worked was out of washer fluid. I needed something for the long ride home. Someone suggested using alcohol from the body shop. Mix it 50/50 with water, they say. “It’ll be fine.” Unfortunately, what I grabbed was full-strength, denatured alcohol. The following week, I found that the highly concentrated denatured alcohol mixture had completely stained the paint on the roof and hood, requiring an expensive paint job to fix.

How To Make DIY Windshield Wiper Fluid

DIY windshield wiper fluid recipes are readily available. I have made this one myself, and it works as well as any ready-made fluid.

Ingredients

• 32 ounces white distilled vinegar
• 96 ounces distilled water
• Three or four drops Dawn dish detergent or a tablespoon of car wash/shampoo
• Clean one gallon jug
• Blue food coloring (optional)

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients well, then carefully pour into the windshield washer fluid reservoir.
• Test in an inconspicuous area (under the hood or inside the trunk) to ensure the solution doesn’t cause any paint damage or discoloration. “Rinsing off your car, no matter what type of washer fluid you use, will help protect the finish,” adds Heigold.

Notes

• For colder climates, cutting the vinegar to 16 ounces and replacing it with 16 ounces of 70 percent or higher isopropyl alcohol should offer freezing protection to around 20 F.
• According to Feliz, “Through the magic of chemistry, 40 percent methanol will prevent washer fluid from freezing where temperatures drop below -10 F. He adds, “Although the dilution ratio is relatively low, methanol is a strong solvent [and] proper dilution is important to decrease harming the finish.”

Windshield Wiper Tablets

Windshield wiper tablets are a great alternative to making windshield wiper fluid completely from scratch. They are small, making them convenient and easy to use and store.

Although you’ll need to use distilled water and add alcohol for winter driving, they’re an inexpensive substitute that not only cleans dirty windshields but also makes good household cleaners due to their effervescent qualities. Usually, one tablet produces one gallon of windshield wiper fluid. This also helps reduce the number of empty plastic bottles that end up in landfills.

• Pro Tip: The best windshield wiper fluid will not make up for worn or damaged wiper squeegees. Also, in my experience, the windshield washer fluid reservoir is one of the most overlooked maintenance items in our vehicles. Replace it if there is scum, muck, or rust build-up that can clog or damage the washer fluid pump.

About the Experts

• Greg Feliz, M.S., has a has over 15 years in industry, and an additional 20 years in the classroom as a Pennsylvania Department of Education certified K-12 chemistry, science and mathematics teacher and is currently teaching at Lansdale Catholic High School located in Lansdale, PA.
• Eric Heigold is an ASE and General Motors master technician, has been in the automotive repair industry for over 40 years as a technician, shop foreman, service manager and is the manager of Faulkner Collision Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Resources

• Car Fluid Guide: “What Chemicals Are in Windshield Washer Fluid and Their Impact on Safety and Performance” (Oct 2024)
• Mighty Auto Parts: “Prestone All Season 3-1 Windshield Washer Fluid; Safety Data Sheet” (Jan 2019)
• John Stella, ASE certified technician is the senior bodyshop estimator for Faulkner Collision located in Phila., PA.; e-mail interview, Jan. 24, 2025

The post Make Your Own Windshield Wiper Fluid in Minutes appeared first on Family Handyman.

Living and working in the “salt belt,” the northern sections of our county where tons of salt is spread on the roads during snowstorms, causes the metal in our cars (particularly metals exposed to the elements) to rust and corrode, leading to issues like lug nut swelling. Lug nuts are as critical a safety item on our cars as brakes and steering and should never be taken for granted. Over my career, I have seen firsthand the damage that failed lug nuts and wheel studs can cause and the havoc they can wreak.

Read along to learn about lug nut swelling, what to do if your lug nuts suffer from this malady, and how to prevent lug swelling from happening in the first place from ASE master technicians and industry experts.

Are Swollen Lug Nuts a Thing?

Yes, swollen lug nuts are a “thing,” and yes, they are a real problem. To enhance a vehicle’s appearance, many lug nuts come covered with a separate piece of finely finished metal, usually chrome. Rust and corrosion can build up between the ornate cover and lug nut, causing the covers to swell. Once swollen, lug nuts can be exceedingly difficult to remove using basic tools. If you’re lucky, your mechanic will have to deal with them before you have to change a flat tire, attempt a DIY tire rotation or replace brakes on your car.

It’s not just the lug nuts that rust attacks, either. The exposed threads of wheel studs that the lug nuts screw onto can also rust. So, even if the lug nuts themselves are in good condition, their threads can become damaged and ruined as they pass over the bloated and crusted wheel stud threads during removal.

• PRO TIP: Always replace lug nuts or wheel studs; never attempt to repair or rethread them. Additionally, Don Sutliff from Permatex Inc., one of the world’s leaders in automotive chemicals, sealants and adhesives, says that due to the “extremely low coefficient of friction, Permatex does not recommend using any lube or oil, including anti-seize compound, on lug nut threads.”

What Causes Swollen Lug Nuts?

Electrolysis (or galvanic corrosion) causes swollen lug nuts. Electrolysis is a chemical reaction that generates an electrical current, which passes between dissimilar metal parts through rain, dirt, salt air or saltwater releasing corrosion-causing oxides.

Lug nuts are steel while the attractive fancy covers are made from chrome. The oxides cause metals to corrode and then swell (think of rusted rebar cracking through concrete), which causes the chrome cover to expand, deform, and become rusty, most likely caused by overtightening or using the wrong tools. “Over-tightening lug nuts is just as dangerous as under-tightened [lug nuts],” says Diamond, and he recommends always using a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts.

Are Swollen Lug Nuts Dangerous?

Yes, swollen lug nuts can be dangerous. Once the outer cover expands due to rust, the factory-supplied lug wrench will no longer properly fit over the swollen lug nut.

I have seen where rust buildup was so severe that the chrome covers fell off the lug nut. This is equally problematic because, without the cover, the lug nut itself is smaller than the factory-supplied lug wrench. This can cause the lug nut to round off or the lug wrench to slip off the lug nut during loosening or tightening, potentially resulting in an injury.

Immediately install new lug nuts if you see the covers missing from your car’s lug nuts.

How To Remove Swollen Lug Nuts

Jody Connelly, ASE master technician and MAC Tools distributor, recommends using an 18.5 or a 19.5mm half-size socket (instead of a 19mm/3/4-inch) designed for chrome-covered lug nuts. Diamond suggests using a half-size 17.5mm socket designed specifically for lug nuts with missing or distorted chrome caps.

If the lug nuts are in really poor condition, you may have to use twist sockets that are hammered onto the lug nut. If you are using twist sockets and you have a 1/2-inch drive impact gun, now is the time to use it. Several times I have had to use an air hammer to chisel off really damaged lug nuts. Leave this to the pros. One slip, and you’ll be looking at a deeply gouged wheel. Diamond added, “I always install new lug nuts if I have to use a half size or twist socket to remove lug nuts.”

• SAFETY NOTE: Always wear safety glasses when hammering on a twist socket or using an impact gun.

How to Prevent Swollen Lug Nuts

With proper care and the use of tools designed specifically for removing and installing lug nuts, they should easily last for the life of your car. However, using the manufacturer-supplied lug wrench, chrome (non-impact) sockets, or low-quality 6- or 12-point sockets can loosen or damage the chrome lug nut cover. This damage allows water, dirt, or salt to get between the two parts, promoting corrosion and rust buildup.

Diamond recommends “using 1/2-inch drive, thin wall, deep impact sockets with plastic sleeve lug nut cover guards sockets.” These sockets are designed to protect the lug nuts and covers, as well as the wheels, from getting damaged when removing and installing. “Although it’s tempting to use an impact gun to remove and install lug nuts, it’s best to use the protective sockets with a breaker bar to loosen lug nuts. [When installing] snug the lug nuts by hand with the wheel off the ground, and finish tightening with a torque wrench [in a “star” pattern]” said Diamond.

The Experts

• Tom Diamond has over 35 years of experience in the automotive repair industry as a technician, certified original equipment manufacturer (Mazda) trainer and shop supervisor. He has been an ASE Master Technician for over 25 years, including ASE L1 advanced automotive engine performance certification and is a PA Department of Transportation certified state safety, emissions and reconstructed vehicle inspector as well as a certified welder and now is the automotive technology instructor for the Faulkner Institute at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia PA.
• Jody Connelly has over 20 years’ experience in the automotive repair industry, is an ASE, Mazda and Chevrolet Master Technician, served as service manager and is a PA certified emissions and safety inspection inspector. Jody left the “car wars” to become a professional tool distributor for MAC Tools (Gold Level), providing technicians with the latest tools, technology and training to diagnose and repair today’s complex vehicles.

Resources

• Don Sutliff is the senior product specialist at Permatex Inc., in Solon, Ohio and has firsthand experience with automotive compounds from working in the specialty chemical industry.
• William “Bill” Guzenski has produced hundreds of how-to videos for the automotive community. He’s an ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician and is affiliated with the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and is the contact center manager and director for analytical skills at CarParts.com.

The post Why Lug Nuts Swell and What You Can Do About It appeared first on Family Handyman.

Really Easy Paint Container Cleanup

Even if you use reusable shopping bags, there’s a good chance you have some plastic grocery bags somewhere in your home. And a large trash bag can be used for a variety of projects in your workshop.

Use your extra trash bags as 5-gallon bucket liners to make a 5-gallon paint bucket. This tip is especially helpful when working with messy materials such as paint or grout. Simply place the trash bag inside the 5-gallon bucket and make sure that there is enough bag left over at the top so it won’t collapse inwards. When using this handy hint with paint, you can tie the bag shut to use it for another day of working on your project. Once you are done using the paint in the bucket, you can poke a hole in it to drain it back into the paint can.

Keep Them from Sticking Together

It’s nice to keep some empty 5-gallon buckets around, but the only way to efficiently store them is to stack them. The problem is that they can get stuck so tight it feels like they’re glued together. Put a short chunk of 2×4 between the buckets when you stack them. It’ll be a cinch to pull them apart. — Dennis Rowe

DIY Dog Feeder

Make a tough, self-filling dog feeder from a couple of 5-gal. buckets. With a saber saw, cut the bottom off one bucket to create a serving tray, and cut a food dispensing hole in the food storage bucket (as shown). Cut part of the lip off the bottom of the food storage bucket to flatten it, then use silicone to glue the two pieces together.

NOTE: Don’t build this dog feeder unless your pooch can exercise some self-control. — reader Justin Moujoodi

Stay-Put PVC Pipe Cutter

Here’s a nifty way to cut PVC pipe on the fly. Just make a couple of notches on the top of a 5-gallon bucket. Set the pipe in the notches, and you have a stable spot for sawing. As a bonus, you can load up the bucket and carry your tools along, too!

Hold Them In Place with Bungees

I use many 5-gallon pails to store tools and other construction gear in my pickup. But I was frustrated because they were always sliding around and tipping, and I couldn’t always reach them without climbing up into the bed. My solution: Secure them in the pickup bed with bungee cords. Now they stay put! — Tim Horky

Better Tree Watering

It’s a lot of work to haul buckets of water to recently planted trees. On top of that, when you dump out the water at the base of the tree, the water quickly runs off. Here’s a solution: Get some old 5-gallon buckets and drill a 1/4-in. hole near the bottom of each one. After plugging the holes with dowels, fill the buckets and haul them to the trees in a wheelbarrow. Set the buckets near the base of the trees and unplug the holes. It takes several minutes for the buckets to drain, allowing the soil to soak up every drop. Learn about successfully growing healthy shade trees in your yard here. — David Radtke

Handy Bench and Tool Bucket

A 5-gallon bucket with a lid comes in handy out in the garden­ and not just for collecting weeds. You can load it up with all your gardening tools and carry them easily from place to place. If it starts to rain, protect the tools with the lid. But here’s the best part—the 5-gallon bucket with a lid doubles as a portable stool when you need to rest or do some pruning. The only problem is that the lid can be hard to pry off. Solve that by cutting off all but two of the plastic tabs. The lid will go on and off in a snap. For more clever gardening shortcuts, check out this collection of tips. — Julie Abbott

Easier Mulch Unloading

If you drive a pickup truck, when you buy mulch in bulk, it gets dumped into the bed of your truck with a front-end loader. You could shovel the mulch out onto your driveway and haul it from there to where you needed it. But this is a much easier method. Load the pickup bed with 5-gallon plastic buckets and have the mulch dumped into the truck as usual. Then, use a rake to even out the load so every container is filled up. When it’s time to unload, do it one bucket at a time and dump the mulch exactly where you want it. Store the buckets in the garage and use them throughout the year for all sorts of projects.

No More Rusty Garden Tools

Your vegetable oil isn’t just for cooking. Here’s a great way to use it, other than in a pan. Pour a quart or so into a 5-gallon bucket filled with sand. Now, store your garden tools in it. This keeps them rust-free and ready for use. — reader Gary Snell

Double-Lid Cord Reel

Make this handy cord reel using extra bucket lids. Cut a 5-in. length of 4×4 and then cut a groove in the side the same width as your cord. Fasten the lids to the 4×4 with 1/4 x 2-in. lag screws. Make handles from an old 1-1/8 in. diameter broom handle and drill a 1/2 in. hole through the center. Fasten the crank to the lid with bolts, nuts and washers, and apply Loctite sealant to the end nut. Fasten the handle to the 4×4 through the lid with a 6-1/2 in. lag screw. Just insert your cord and reel it in.

Portable Tool Kit

For many electricians, a 5-gallon bucket tool kit is a constant companion. Making one is super simple. Use an awl to poke holes around the perimeter for screwdrivers and store the rest of your tools in the bucket. Everything you need is at your fingertips and easy to carry from job to job.

Easy-on-the-Hands Handles

If you have old buckets with broken plastic handles, retrofit the buckets with new handles made from an old garden hose. Cut short lengths of hose, slit each one with a utility knife and slide them over the handles. If you can remove one side of the wire handle, you can just slide the hose grip on without slitting it. The handles work great, and keep those buckets on the job!

On-the-Level Tool Bucket

To prevent the gutter debris bucket from sliding off the roof, drill an angled 4×4 block into the underside of the bucket. Then, staple a rubber mat underneath to keep everything put.

The post 12 Brilliant Ways To Reuse a 5-Gallon Bucket appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Are Tamper-Proof/One-Way Screws?

Tamper-proof screws, or one-way screws, are designed to go in easily but resist being unscrewed without the right tools. The idea is simple: if someone tries to take it out without the proper equipment, they can’t. These screws often have unique head shapes, such as a round hole or more complex designs, like a star or a pin in the middle. You won’t be able to unscrew them without the right driver since regular screwdrivers or tools won’t do the job. So while these screws can still be installed (no problem), removing them is a whole other story.

Where Are Tamper-Proof Screws Useful?

Tamper-proof screws are used in places where it’s important to prevent tampering, theft or damage. For example, you’ll often find them on public infrastructure like streetlights, bus stops and public restrooms, where they help ensure that critical components aren’t easily disassembled or vandalized. They’re also common in electronics and appliances.

In automotive and industrial equipment, tamper-proof screws are used to secure critical parts that shouldn’t be messed with by just anyone. This is especially true in machinery, where tampering could lead to accidents or expensive repairs. Also, safety and security devices like fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and even ATM machines use these screws to prevent tampering that could cause a malfunction or lead to theft.

How Do You Remove Tamper-Proof Screws?

Removing a tamper-proof screw can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. Here are some methods you can try:

• Specialized Drivers: The best way to deal with a tamper-proof screw is to use the right driver. These tools are specifically designed for the unique shape of these screws and can be found online or at specialty tool stores. With the correct tool, you’ll be able to remove the screw with ease.
• Alternative Tools: If you don’t have the proper driver on hand, you might try using a flathead screwdriver or pliers. However, this can be tricky. You could damage the screw or the surrounding material, making it even harder to remove later, so use caution with this approach.
• Drilling It Out: If all else fails, you could resort to drilling out the screw. This method involves using a high-speed drill bit to drill into the center of the screw. It’s not a quick fix and requires patience, but it can be effective. Just be careful not to damage the surrounding area, and know that this method may permanently ruin the screw.
• Screw Extractors: For a more professional solution, you can use a screw extractor. This tool is designed to remove stubborn or tamper-proof screws by gripping onto the screw and allowing you to unscrew it. Screw extractors are a great choice if you need to remove the screw cleanly without causing any damage to the surface.

The post If You See a Screw Like This, Here’s What It Means appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Are Vortex Generators?

Vortex generators are small, fin-like attachments typically installed on a car’s roof or other surfaces that catch airflow. They’re designed to control how air moves over and around the car, improving its aerodynamics. These fins create tiny whirlwinds of air (aka vortices) that smooth out the airflow, reducing drag and turbulence. This results in better stability, especially at higher speeds, and sometimes even improved fuel efficiency.

What Do Vortex Generators Do?

When air flows over a car without a lot of disruption, it helps the car move more efficiently and stay more stable. At high speeds, air can become chaotic, especially around the back of the car. This creates drag and can make your car feel less stable. Vortex generators control that turbulence by energizing the air and guiding it where it needs to go.

Where Did Vortex Generators Come From?

These fins aren’t just a trendy car accessory—they come from aviation. Airplanes use vortex generators on their wings to improve airflow and performance. You’ll often see vortex generators on aftermarket car mods, where enthusiasts are looking for better performance or a sporty aesthetic.

Do You Need Them on Your Car?

Unless you’re driving a sports car or frequently hitting the track, vortex generators probably won’t revolutionize your daily commute. They’re most effective at high speeds, which isn’t where most of us spend our time. But, if you’re into the aesthetics of a race-ready car, adding vortex generators can give your ride an edgy, aggressive vibe. Just make sure they’re installed properly—placement matters for them to function as intended.

The post Why Some Cars Have Multiple ‘Shark Fins’—And What They’re Really For appeared first on Family Handyman.

Any hose that’s just lying on the ground probably hasn’t been drained properly. When the water inside turns to ice, it expands the casing, which turns brittle in the cold. The result is pinhole leaks or actual ruptures. In my experience as a landscaper, I’ve found expandable hoses to be the most vulnerable to winter damage, because their rubber casings are particularly thin (which is what makes them expandable). But ice and freezing temperatures can damage any kind of hose.

Who wants to start the growing season repairing a hose or having to buy a new one? Winterizing your hose is simple and takes just a few minutes. Here’s how.

Shut Off the Water

This seems obvious, but you might forget. Many hoses — especially expandable ones — have a lever-style valve that allows you to shut off water to the nozzle without actually turning off the spigot. If that valve is closed, and there’s pressure in the hose, you’re in for a soaking when you unscrew the hose from the spigot.

If you have a main water shutoff for the lawn and garden in the house, turn that off. If not, just make sure to fully close all the outdoor spigots by turning the handles clockwise.

• Pro tip: Besides damaging the hose, leaving the hose outside with the spigot open in freezing temperatures can also damage the spigot, and that’s harder to fix.

Disconnect the Hose

Start by squeezing the trigger on the spray nozzle to release the water pressure. When no more water flows, unscrew the nozzle and store it where you’ll find it next spring.

Now, you can disconnect the hose from the spigot. You may need pliers for this, especially if it’s been a while since you disconnected the hose. Some of those connectors can be really difficult to turn with your fingers. Always separate multiple hoses.

If the cold weather has already arrived, the hose might already be frozen. If so, connect the two ends, bring the hose inside to thaw and drain and coil it later.

Drain the Hose

If you have a slope or a flight of stairs on your property, the easiest way to drain a hose is to leave one end at the bottom, carry the other end to the top and let gravity do the work. On flat ground, leave one end near a place where water can safely drain, stretch the hose out, and lift the other end to shoulder height. Start walking while you keep a high loop that forces water out of the end that’s draining.

• Pro tip: Expandable hoses automatically expel water on their own, but it’s still a good idea to drain them this way to get all the water out.

Coil the Hose

Don’t just dump your hose in a pile in the basement or garage. That will produce kinks, and depending on the material from which the hose is made, some of these kinks could become permanent. Coil the hose instead.

To get a good coil, stretch the hose out straight. Make a circle on the ground about two or three feet in diameter at one end while you pull the hose toward you. Continue making more circles on top of the original one until you reach the other end. Finally, tie the hose with a piece of twine to prevent it from unraveling and to make it easier to transport and store.

Store the Hose Indoors

Bring the hose indoors to prevent it from getting brittle and cracking in the freezing temperatures. If you make a loop in the twine you wrapped around it, you can use that to hang the hose from a nail.

• Pro tip: A hose hanger, which you can purchase at any hardware store, makes coiling and storing the hose much easier. If you have one, you don’t need to coil the hose outdoors. Just bring it inside, coil it on the hanger, and leave it there for the winter.

The post Tips for Storing Your Garden Hose During the Winter appeared first on Family Handyman.

There’s a rumor that rubbing a potato on a windshield in the evening prevents ice from forming overnight. Hmm. Sounds too good to be true. But since I happened to have a couple of potatoes that were otherwise bound for the compost pile — and mornings hovering around 20 degrees — I decided to give it shot.

I also asked a couple of experts for their take on whether rubbing a potato to stop ice on a windshield is a valid hack. Here’s what they said, plus the results from my experiment.

Potato De-Icing Hack, Explained

The claim is that rubbing a sliced side of a raw potato on a windshield at night will prevent ice from forming. This hack has been touted everywhere, from USA Today to the Farmers’ Almanac. “In the morning, you won’t have to scrape! Simply rinse and use your wipers to clear the windshield when you hit the road,” wrote the latter.

How Does It Work?

The way this hack claims to work is that the juice from the potato contains sugar, which creates a thin layer on the glass on which ice is less likely to form or adhere.

Do Potatoes Really Prevent Ice on Your Windshield?

Yes, in theory, say both Thomas Patterson of the Glass Doctor and Chris “Moose” Pyle, an automotive expert at JustAnswer.com. “A potato will help to keep ice buildup on your glass and mirrors,” says Pyle. “It does work but, also leaves a residue, and it has to be done every day.”

For my experiment, I opted to try it on just a portion of my windshield so I could see the difference between the potato-treated glass and the rest of the windshield. In the photos, the potato treatment is on the lower left (passenger side).

In my case, it didn’t prevent frost, but it did cause the crystal structure to be less durable. Ultimately, that helped the potato section defrost slightly more quickly — but not enough to be worth the effort of chopping up a potato every night. However, this was not the most scientific of studies, so I imagine the effectiveness of a potato in preventing ice on a windshield also depends on the overall thickness of the frost, the rate of temperature change, relative humidity and other factors.

Ellen Flowers, travel editor at The Perennial Style, also experimented with this hack. She heard the tip while traveling in Finland, and decided to give it a try. It worked a little, but not as well as she had hoped, she says; kind of like what happened to me.

“Still, it taught me an important lesson about winter survival; it’s not always about finding the perfect fix, but about being resourceful and making the best of what you have,” she says. “Whether it’s a potato, a windshield cover or a good ice scraper, the real secret is learning to embrace the cold with a bit of creativity and practicality.”

Are There Better Alternatives?

Yes. “Although the sugars in the potato will create a barrier that does, in fact, prevent ice buildup and fogging of the glass, there are much better solutions,” says Patterson. He recommends using a hydrophobic coating designed to prevent ice buildup, which is also compatible with newer automotive safety system technologies such as optical cameras.

Pyle also recommends covering the windshield at night with an unfolded cardboard box, “which you can pull off in the morning and store in the car until the next evening,” he says. “Once the box wears out, buy something you want from Amazon and get a new box: win-win.”

He also suggests:

• Rain X, which will help prevent water from sticking to the glass long enough to freeze;
• A $20 waterproof fabric windshield cover; or
• Spray deicer, which dissolves ice and helps to prevent re-accumulation.

If you don’t feel like buying a pre-made deicer, Brandon Hartman, founder of RV Heating Warehouse, suggests DIYing a batch by combining vinegar and water, or rubbing alcohol and water, in a spray bottle.

About the Experts

• Chris “Moose” Pyle is a master-certified technician with 20-plus years of automotive experience. He has also worked as an expert for JustAnswer.com since 2006.
• Thomas Patterson is Director of New Product Development and Technical Training at Glass Doctor. He has been in the glass business for 45 years and worked on thousands of vehicles. Glass Doctor is a Neighborly Company, with more than 300 retail locations.
• Ellen Flowers is Travel Editor of The Perennial Style, a publication focusing on travel, fashion and beauty; curated by a team of passionate sisters on a mission to inspire wanderlust.
• Brandon Hartman is founder of RV Heating Warehouse, an eCommerce company specializing in high-quality heating systems and replacement parts for RVs.

The post Can I Really Use a Potato to Keep Ice Off My Windshield? appeared first on Family Handyman.

These days, every tool manufacturer seems to offer a track saw. It is no wonder that they are so popular; they are affordable, foolproof, and produce excellent results. So, if you’re new to track saws, here is a crash course on what a track saw is and how to use one.

What is a track saw?

A track saw is a portable power saw that is versatile and designed for making straight cuts in sheet goods such as plywood or MDF. It looks very similar to a circular saw but with a baseplate that fits nicely into an aluminum track (sometimes called a guide rail) to slide along. Because of the track, these saws are extremely accurate when it comes to cutting straight lines.

Track saws have the same features as circular saws, including a depth stop and the ability to cut bevels up to 45 degrees. Additionally, because track saws are spring-loaded and can start or stop cuts anywhere along their track, they are great for making plunge cuts.

Track saws offer precise, table saw-esque cuts with the ease of use of a circular saw. They are particularly useful when working with large wood sheets that are too unwieldy for other saws or when a full-size table saw is unavailable. While track saws require more setup time and attention than a standard circular saw, their combination of portability and accuracy make them a valuable tool for professional woodworkers and DIYers alike.

Parts of a track saw

Set up the cut

Put on safety glasses and hearing protection. If you are cutting inside, wear a dust mask.

Because track saws cut from the top and use downward pressure to stay true, a sacrificial underlayment is recommended, though not required. The best underlayment I have found to use in conjunction with a track saw is foam board insulation because it is lightweight, rigid enough to keep the workpiece stable, and doesn’t quickly dull the blade.

Place the foam board insulation on the center of the sawhorses to ensure stability, then place the workpiece you will be cutting on top.

Adjust the depth

On the track saw, use the depth adjustment knob to adjust the plunge depth to 1/4-inch deeper than the workpiece you are cutting, plus the track thickness.

If you are making a beveled cut, adjust the bevel adjustment knob to your desired angle. Note that the depth will have to be adjusted deeper on angled cuts.

Add additional track if necessary

Several tracks can be attached for longer cuts. Along with other physical track pieces, you will need guide rail connectors and an Allen wrench for the connection.

Layout the cut

Using a tape measure and a framing or drywall square, visually mark the exact cut line where you want your cut to land.

Attach the saw to the track

Track saw tracks have a rubber zero clearance strip that runs along the cutting edge. The first cut you make using the track will trim it down so you know exactly where the blade will line up with the track.

Align the edge of this zero clearance strip with your cut line and use guide rail clamps to secure it to the workpiece and/or underlayment foam. Track clamps are specially designed to secure the track to the workpiece using the slots on the bottom of it. Be conscious of what side of the cut line the blade lands on so you don’t accidentally cut your piece a blade kerf’s thickness short.

Line up the saw guide slots on the saw’s baseplate with the track. Try sliding the track saw to ensure it is riding smoothly. If it is not, check that no obstructions are trapped between the saw and the track. If the saw slides smoothly but has play from side to side on the track, adjust the rail adjustment knobs to remove the play.

Tip: If everything is clean and properly assembled, you can apply an all-purpose lubricant such as Boeshield T-9 to the track saw track and then wipe off the excess with a paper towel for smoother operation.

Make the cut

Fully engage the plunge and on/off triggers, then plunge the saw down. When it stops at the depth stop, push the saw along the length of the track as it cuts. Move steadily, not too fast or too slow. You’ll be able to tell from the finished cut how your pace is. Too fast will cause tear out; too slow will cause excessive blade burning. Cut all the way through the end of the workpiece and release the on/off trigger to stop the saw.

Remove the saw and release the track clamps and your cut is finished.

FAQ

Why use a track saw instead of a table saw?

There are some circumstances where a track saw is superior to a table saw. First of all they are lightweight and easy to transport, even easier than many jobsite table saws. Additionally, they are extremely useful for cutting heavy materials – it is much easier to push an eight-pound saw through a MDF sheet than a 70-pound sheet through a saw. And finally, it is much easier and safer to cut irregular shapes or tapers with a track saw since all it takes is moving a track to the desired line.

What are the disadvantages of a track saw?

The greatest disadvantage of a track saw is the amount of time and precision required to line up every cut. In addition, laying out and cutting sheet goods flat consumes a considerable amount of space. The cost of track saws is also higher than that of circular saws.

How thick can a track saw cut?

The majority of track saws are capable of cutting through materials that are up to 2-3/4-in. thick.

The post Track Saw Basics: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Family Handyman.

Circles are difficult to create. Whether you draw them by hand or try to achieve that perfect circle with a tool, they are not always easy, especially when it comes to wood. I tell all my clients that curves and circles always cost more—time and money—until your world opens up to a router circle jig, also known as a trammel arm.

A router circle jig basically sets the center point and allows you to make a circle with whatever you put at the other end of it, sort of like a compass. A pencil, a jigsaw, a router can all work well to make a circle with a trammel arm jig.  I used to dread making circles until I found out I could attach my wood router to a jig. Let me make your woodworking life easier and certainly much more pleasant by sharing the steps to making this simple woodworking jig.  You may not need it often, but when you do, you will be happy to know how to make it!

Remove the router base plate

Unscrew the plastic base plate (also called a shoe, running plate, or sub-base) to remove it from the wood router.

Rip the plywood

Rip a long strip of plywood the same width as the baseplate. Then use the router base plate as a template to lay out the bit location and screw placement on one end of the plywood strip.

Determine length

Decide how long you want to make your jig. This is the step that takes a little thought and foresight. A 24-in. jig can rout a 48-in. diameter circle and any diameter smaller by moving the pivot location. Make your jig length half of the largest diameter circle you envision yourself cutting plus three inches measured from the center of the bit location mark to the far end.

Cut the jig shape

If your base plate has a radius, cutting out the shape with a band saw or a jigsaw is a nice touch, though not required. I suggest tapering the length of the jig slightly, as it seems to make it easier to maneuver and reduces the area where sawdust can build up under it. It doesn’t have to be much, just an inch or so along each side from the base plate to the far end.

Drill all the holes

Drill the holes for the four router screws. Mark the hole placement with a nail set for the exact location. With a counter sink bit, drill the holes from the bottom side of the jig, ensuring they are drilled deep enough so that the screw head is countersunk below the surface of the plywood.

On the opposite end of the jig, still on the bottom side and 1-1/2-in. from the end, drill a 1/4-in. hole to accommodate your 1/4- 20 x 1-in. bolt for the knob.  With the 1/4-in. hole drilled, use a 5/8-in. bit to drill part way through the plywood to counter-sink the head of the bolt below the plywood surface.

Finally, drill out the bit location hole to match the hole in the router base plate. This hole diameter can change depending on the router you have. I used a 1-3/8-in. Forstner bit to drill the hole marked from my router base. This hole allows the router bit to come through once the router is secured to the jig. 

Soften the edges

Using a random orbital sander, sand back any kerf marks and tearout along the jig’s edge made while drilling and cutting. Then, round over all of the edges, both top and bottom of the jig, using a round-over bit with a bearing installed in your router.

Wax the circle cutting jig

Use furniture wax to lubricate the bottom side of the plywood jig. This promotes a smooth glide as it rides along the work surface when routing your circles.

Assemble the circle cutting jig

Set the router base plate aside in a safe location. Attach the router to the jig via the base plate screw holes. You may have to purchase longer screws depending on how thick the plywood is that you used for your jig. Attach the knob via the 1/4-in. bolt hole to the other end of the jig. Ensure the screw and bolt heads are tightened so that they are below the surface of the jig as not to scratch your projects as you rout.

How to cut circles with a router circle jig

You are now ready to cut a circle using your jig. Here is how to proceed:

1. Determine the radius and center point of the circle you would like to cut on your workpiece.
2. Insert a straight-cut bit into the router.
3. Measure the distance between the innermost part of the straight-cut router bit up the length of the jig, the same distance as the radius of your circle, and mark the position.
4. Drill a hole in the jig at the mark and insert a nail or screw that is the same diameter as the hole. Your jig’s pivot point has now been established.
5. Nail or screw the pivot point fastener into the circle centerpoint on your workpiece.
6. If possible, start and adjust the router in a location away from the workpiece. Use the depth adjustment on the router to lower the bit and make passes of 1/8-to 1/4-in. at a time. Change the bit’s depth with every pass until your circle is routed.If the layout of your circle will not allow you to start and adjust the router in a location where it is not touching the workpiece, you’ll need to do a plunge cut. Plunge cuts are where you start the tool and introduce the spinning bit to the workpiece by plunging it in. To avoid damaging the workpiece or creating a potentially dangerous situation, the router should be started with the bit clear of the material.

How to cut an arch with a router circle jig

A circle-cutting jig can also be useful when cutting arches. Arches are cut in the same manner as circles, with the exception of where the router bit lands during the process of cutting. When cutting circles, you should place the router bit groove around the outer edge of the circle. An arch, however, should have the groove inside of it. That said, when routing an arch, instead of measuring the distance between the innermost point of your router bit and the pivot point, measure from the outermost point of the bit to ensure it lands inside the arch.

FAQ

How big can I make a circle with a Router Circle jig?

A circle cut using a router jig can be as big as you make the jig. You will need to ensure you can run the length freely. I have seen eight-foot circle cutting jigs to make huge circles.

Can I make a Router Circle jig out of something other than wood?

Yes! Many make their router jigs out of acrylic or polycarbonate. The longer you get with acrylic or polycarbonate, the thicker you will want your materials to avoid it from sagging or snapping in half.

The post Cut Perfect Circles Every Time With This Easy DIY Router Circle Jig appeared first on Family Handyman.

How Does This Car Insurance Scam Work?

In the insurance scam caught on camera, the scammers break-checked the person in back of them in an effort to cause a crash, but when that failed, they backed into the victim. The group of con artists then shuffled around in the car to cause further confusion about who the driver was. They rub their necks and hold their heads in their hands and start taking photos in order to get the victim to react quickly. But when they noticed the dash cam on the victim’s car, they fled the scene.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says scams like this are more common in areas that see higher traffic, and that scammers will  “often target new, rental, or commercial vehicles because they tend to be well-insured.”

If this insurance scam had gone according to plan, the scammers would have reported the accident to insurance to collect the payout. Since the victim was the one in the back, in the absence of video proof, it would have be hard to prove they were not at fault, leaving them with a higher insurance premium and an accident on their record that wasn’t actually their fault. Making matters worse, the scammers would have been free to go off and repeat their scam.

How to Protect Yourself From Car Insurance Scams

The number one thing you can do to protect yourself from fake accident insurance scams is to have video evidence exonerating you. If you ever find yourself in this unfortunate situation, it’ll be your word against the scammer’s, and in most cases, the rear car is legally at fault.

Don’t just film on your phone the whole time; it isn’t safe, and it’s also an unnecessary drain on your battery. Instead, you might want to invest in a dash cam for your car. That’s what stopped this scammer, and it may protect you from this and other car accident scams.

In addition to having a dash cam, you should also be aware of who these scammers tend to target most. According to the NICB, scammers will opt for women driving alone or senior citizens more often. This is likely because they’re perceived as easier targets. Be cautious. Research common insurance scam scenarios to know what to look out for. And finally, record as much as you can in order to have evidence on your side.

Sources

• Attempt at Insurance Scam Caught on Camera, ABC News 2024
• Staged Auto Accident Fraud, National Insurance Crime Bureau

The post Fake Car Crash Insurance Scam Exposed — How to Protect Yourself appeared first on Family Handyman.

While these 2-in-1 tools sound like they’d be a major investment, they can be pretty affordable. Case in point: The Toro Ultra Blower Vac is a model you can pick up for around $100. We took this budget-friendly blower vac into our Testing Lab to see if it’s up to the task of a fall cleanup. Here’s everything you need to know about this model.

What is the Toro Ultra Blower Vac?

The Toro Ultra Blower Vac is an electric leaf blower that also functions as a leaf vacuum. It has a 4-inch cord and a detachable leaf bag you wear on your shoulder while vacuuming up leaves and debris. In our studio, this blower weighed in at 7.45 pounds. Between its lightweight design, two handles and easy-to-use power knob, the Toro Ultra Blower Vac is comfortable to hold and easy to maneuver.

In blower mode, its motor produces a velocity and air volume of up to 340 cubic feet per minute (CFM), shooting air out at 260 miles per hour (MPH). In vacuum mode, it operates at an impressive 405 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and mulches everything it sucks up. While the manufacturer doesn’t specify the bag’s capacity, it had no trouble sucking up the 30 gallons of leaves we spread out. Once you’re finished, simply empty the contents into a disposable bag and you’re free to go about the rest of your day.

Keep reading for a full breakdown of the Toro Ultra Blower Vac’s features and to find out why it’s one of our budget-friendly picks.

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Toro Ultra Leaf Blower Vac

Affordability, performance and ease of use make the Toro Ultra Blower Vac a worthy addition to your tool collection.

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126.996% OFF$118.93 at Amazon

Toro Ultra Blower Vac Features

Versatility

As mentioned above, the Toro Ultra Blower Vac functions as both a leaf blower and leaf vacuum. To switch between functions, simply attach the vacuum tube and bag and press the fan inlet cover into place. No tools required!

Mulching Capabilities

In vacuum mode, the Toro Ultra Blower Vac’s metal impeller shreds debris into mulch and deposits it into the bag. According to the manufacturer, this machine shreds leaves and reduces their volume by a ratio of 8:01. Though still fairly fine, our testers noted that the mulch produced by this blower is larger than that produced by some other models.

Variable Speed Knob

The Toro Ultra Blower Vac has one knob which starts and stops the unit. This knob also adjusts the air speed in both blower and vacuum mode.

How We Tested It

The Product Testing Team, led by associate product testers Sheri Kaz and Dylan Fischer, took the Toro Ultra Blower Vac into the Testing Lab to see whether it could meet the demands of a fall cleanup. They carefully assessed its assembly and setup, as well as its performance as both a leaf blower and leaf vacuum. Of all the units they tested, the Toro Ultra Blower Vac’s user manual was their least favorite. Unclear instructions made assembly more difficult, especially when it came time to attach one piece in particular. “There’s a detached ‘bottom inlet cover’ that needs to be attached, and the directions that supposedly explain how to do so are very poor,” explains Kaz.

Once they finished their initial assembly, however, the team was impressed by the unit’s ergonomics, noting that the two handles are nice to hold and the built-in cord management system is well designed and secure.

To test the Toro’s performance, our team scattered dry leaves around a yard, then blew them into a designated 4×10-foot area, evaluating the blower’s directional control, ease of use and noise level. According to our testers, this unit performed best when kept at exactly the right angle. “Blowing capabilities are a lot weaker,” notes Kaz. “You need to be at a pretty low angle to get the best performance from this one’s blowing function. Dylan was bent over much of the time when using this machine.”

After they finished blowing the leaves, Fischer and Kaz set out to test the vacuum function on the Toro Ultra Blower Vac. To convert the machine from a leaf blower to a leaf vacuum, they had to swap the blower tube for the vacuum tube and press the fan inlet cover into place. While it seemed easy enough, it required a bit of elbow grease from Fischer. “It was a little finicky to convert the blower to the vacuum. The plastic fittings were not smooth, which made us wonder if we were doing something wrong,” explains Kaz. “We referred back to the user manual several times while using and it took both of Dylan’s hands to press this fan inlet cover into place—it was very stiff.”

To test the Toro’s vacuum capabilities, the team spread roughly 30 gallons of leaves across two rectangles of grass. One rectangle they covered in dry leaves while the other had damp leaves which they’d misted with a hose. Our testers timed how long it took to suck up each rectangle’s leaves while evaluating the machine’s ergonomics, maneuverability, noise level and more. According to Kaz and Fischer’s report, it took just under three minutes to suck up all of the dry leaves and about one minute to suck up the wet ones. Fischer and Kaz agree that it was much easier to use the Toro Ultra Blower Vac as a leaf vacuum than as a leaf blower.

Despite some setbacks, our Product Testing Team recommends the Toro Ultra Blower Vac to anyone shopping on a budget. Given its low price point, vacuum performance and maneuverability, it’s a great value overall. “The placement of the grip handles allow for solid maneuverability, which ended up being very useful as we had to bend over to get the best performance out of the blowing function,” says Fischer.

Pros

• Under $100
• Lightweight
• Two grip handles enhance maneuverability
• Versatile power-adjustment knob
• Sturdy metal impeller

Cons

• Weak blowing performance
• Cumbersome to alternate between functions

Why You Should Trust Us

Our editors and testers on the Product Testing Team have years of experience in the commerce space. Many of us are also homeowners or renters with yards of our own to keep clean. We’ve tested dozens of leaf blowers and leaf vacuums including the best backpack leaf blowers and cordless leaf blowers in order to help you make informed decisions before you buy.

FAQ

How does Toro Blower Vac work?

The Toro Ultra Blower Vac pushes out air at a speed of 260 miles per hour (MPH) in order to blow leaves and other debris away from your house, garden and driveway. In vacuum mode, it sucks leaves and other debris in through the main tube. It then finely mulches leaves through a sturdy metal impeller and deposits them into the attached bag. When you’re finished, simply empty the mulched leaves into a disposable bag or compost pile.

How do you turn the Toro Ultra Blower Vac into a blower?

Once assembled, the Toro Ultra Blower Vac is a blower by default. It has a fan inlet cover which is held in place by a quick-release latch. This cover must be attached or detached in order to switch between blower and vacuum functions.

What Other Reviewers Had to Say

The Toro Ultra Blower Vac has over 5,650 five-star ratings on Amazon. Here’s what real users have to say about it.

After six months of use, five-star reviewer Gabriel’s Dad calls the Toro Ultra Blower Vac a must have for yard work. “I used this in the fall to vacuum up and disintegrate the leaves that were all over my yard. This thing did it wonderfully,” he raves. “A big pile of leaves piled about 3 feet tall was reduced to a dense pile of pieces that barely came halfway up one of those paper lawn yard-waste bags. Amazing.”

Another Amazon customer and verified purchaser calls this an amazing tool. “As a leaf vacuum and mulcher, it’s a huge time saver. We have two large trees in our front yard and we usually spend six man hours raking and packing leaves every fall. I also run the mower at different times during the fall to mulch smaller leaf drops. I did the whole yard by myself in about three hours, and collected some 400 lbs of leaves,” they write. “The bag looks like it could get heavy, but by the time it’s full, it’s rarely more than 10 or 15 lbs. The leaves are chopped up pretty well.”

And five-star reviewer Lar P swears that in their 60-plus years, this Toro Ultra Blower Vac is the best they’ve ever had. “This thing moves leaves—and here is a big tip with this Toro, don’t impede the speed with any of the end nozzles—just let this thing blow unabated, and do the work for you,” they write.

Product Comparison

Our Product Testing Team tested a total of six blower vacuum combos, including the Toro Ultra Blower Vac. They crowned this unit the best budget option for its affordability, maneuverability and performance. Other corded styles we tested were double the price of the Toro. Of course, you could opt for a gas-powered leaf blower or heavy-duty machine like the Billy Goat Leaf Vacuum, but expect to pay upwards of $200.

Final Verdict

The Toro Ultra Blower Vac offers a fast and inexpensive way to keep your yard free of leaves and other debris. This versatile blower vac is lightweight, easy to maneuver and gets the job done. But most importantly, it saves a ton of time, leaving you free to enjoy your days off however you please.

Where to Buy the Toro Ultra Blower Vac

According to the manufacturer’s website, the Toro Ultra Blower Vac retails for $80, though we’ve found it closer to $100 across stores. It’s currently available at Walmart, Ace Hardware, Lowe’s and Amazon.

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Toro Ultra Leaf Blower Vac

Affordability, performance and ease of use make the Toro Ultra Blower Vac a worthy addition to your tool collection.

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Shop on Lowe's

126.996% OFF$118.93 at Amazon

The post The Toro Ultra Blower Vac Is the Budget-Friendly Tool to Keep Your Yard Clean All Season appeared first on Family Handyman.

Not only do they make your yard look unkempt, but they can produce mold, hinder new growth and provide shelter for pests. Of course, you can use a rake or a leaf blower to clean up fallen leaves. Or, you can opt for a leaf vacuum. The best leaf vacuums suck up fallen leaves and condense them into bags for quick and easy cleanup.

“Vacuums are more effective for cleaning up smaller spaces and tight areas,” explains Francisco Fuenmayor, an insured handyman at LocalProBook. “For example, cleaning leaves in bushes. A leaf blower won’t be able to blow the leaves out of there.” Fuenmayor goes on to add that leaf vacuums are a quick and effective way to get rid of leaves.

We tested close to a dozen leaf vacuums and found one that stood out among the rest: the Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum. This machine has the ability to clear your yard in no time, and we don’t think you’d even break a sweat. Here’s everything you need to know about the Billy Goat leaf vacuum.

What is the Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum?

The Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum is a gas-powered, walk-behind leaf vacuum. Its powerful suction allows it to clean up huge piles of leaves and other backyard debris, and its intuitive design makes it easy to use. In spite of its bulk and weight—it weighs 112 pounds—this self-propelled machine is surprisingly easy to maneuver. That’s because most of its casing is plastic, so it’s easy to tilt the machine back and take sharp turns.

Another reason we love this machine? It’s loaded with extra features, including an on-board 2-inch chipper, optional hose kit and shredding screen, caster kit, liner sleeve and felt bag. You can even adjust the height to best suit the surface you’re working on. Read on for more about Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum’s features.

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we tried it

Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum

This self-propelled, gas-powered machine has a five-blade serrated metal impeller and on-board 2-inch chipper to handle large fall cleanups.

$1795 at Amazon

Shop at Lowe's

Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum Features

Zipperless Bag

Rather than fumbling with a zipper, the Billy Goat leaf vacuum uses two bottom-loading, marine-style clasps. This allows you to easily open and close the bag when dumping debris. “The snapping pieces work way better than a zipper,” says our product testing team. “The bag comes on and off easily from the machine once you figure it out the first time.”

Integral Dust Skirt

The dust skirt, which is made of breathable mesh, keeps dust down and away from you as you walk behind the vacuum. An optional felt bag is available for even better dust control. Just note that a new felt bag requires a break-in period. According to our testers, this entails running the unit at half throttle for the first half-hour on a clean hard surface.

This will allow the air coming in through the nozzle to create effective pathways through the pores of the bag. If these pores become blocked, the overall suction power of the unit will be greatly diminished. We completed this process on concrete.

5-Blade Serrated Impeller

This blade mulches everything that crosses its path, maximizing both suction and debris reduction.

On-Board 2-Inch Chipper

An optional on-board 2-inch chipper allows you to add branches for even more thorough cleanups.

How We Tested It

The Billy Goat leaf vacuum was a freight delivery and arrived on a pallet. To our surprise, it arrived fully assembled and even had some gas in it. Our first order of business was to complete the bag break-in period. As mentioned above, this necessary break-in period required us to set the machine on concrete and run it at half throttle for the first half-hour. The process is to allow the air in through the nozzle to create effective pathways through the pores of the bag.

We then set out to see what this machine was really made of. We scattered roughly 30 gallons of leaves across two 10-by-4 rectangles of grass. One rectangle had have dry leaves, and the other had wet leaves. Our testers recorded the time it took the Billy Goat leaf vacuum to such up each set of leaves on the highest setting.

For both the wet and dry leaf test, the Billy Goat passed with flying colors, sucking up everything in its path in just two passes. “Of the two walk-behind vacs we tested, this one is much more comfortable to push around. The weight feels more evenly distributed, and it’s much easier to make turns with,” explains the product testing team. “Pulling the clutch bar will also propel this thing. It can easily fly out from your hands if you’re not ready for it.”

Once everything had been sucked up, it was time to empty the bag. Though the zipperless design makes it easy to remove the bag, our testers found it difficult to do alone due to its bulk.

“Emptying the bag is hard because it was bulky even halfway full,” explains the product testing team. “It’s a two-person job to remove the bag when it’s full. It’s too large to empty into a paper leaf bag or a standard-size trash can, and we had to use multiple receptacles to clear this one fully. It would be much easier to dump this one directly on a compost pile.”

Another thing to consider is the fact that the wet leaves left stains near the top of the felt bag where it connects to the vacuum. And while our testers note that this doesn’t bear any effect on the actual performance of the machine, it is pretty unsightly.

FAQ

During testing, our product testing team found that the Billy Goat leaf vacuum is quite intuitive. All you have to do is start it up and push it around your yard until all of the leaves and other small debris are gone. Then empty the bag, and you’re good to go until your next cleanup.

What Other Reviewers and Experts Had to Say

Admittedly, the Billy Goat leaf vacuum doesn’t have a ton of reviews. In fact, Amazon user JW almost didn’t buy this leaf vacuum for that very reason. “I have been eyeing this machine for the past year or two and always decided not to buy it due to lack of reviews,” writes JW in his five-star Amazon review.

However, he took a chance on this machine and was glad he did. “This unit has more than met my expectations. It can quickly and easily handle tons of leaves, twigs, trash, acorns, and stray mulch,” he raves. “…It is infinitely faster than a rake. After about an hour, I had cleaned up half of my backyard, a task that would have taken me four or five hours by hand.”

According to verified user Richard O’Brien, the Billy Goat leaf vacuum is the best he’s owned over the year in his five-star review. And yet another refers to the Billy Goat leaf vacuum as “a tough little machine.”

Billy Goat Lawn & Litter Vacuum vs. DR Leaf and Lawn Vacuum

Our experts on the product testing team tested two leaf vacuums: The Billy Goat Lawn & Litter Vacuum and the DR Leaf and Lawn Vacuum. While the team loved the DR lawn vacuum’s chipper, they found that it was more difficult to maneuver than the Billy Goat lawn vacuum. While the Billy Goat is self-propelled and easy to move and turn, our testers noted that the DR is too stiff to be able to easily tilt the machine back for quick turns.

Moreover, the DR is harder to start. “The big issue here is the choke lever. It’s a flimsy-feeling piece of metal that you’re told needs to be pushed inward,” explains the product testing team. “In reality, it needs to be pulled more to the side when starting the engine, then slowly released per the engine noises until it sounds good. There’s a choke lever on the Billy Goat as well, but it’s way more automated, as it’s just a flip of a switch.”

Additionally, there’s the issue of dust. According to Fuenmayor, leaf vacuums can create a lot of dust in hot, dry weather. “The dust passes through the bag’s membrane and sticks to any exposed, sweaty skin, leaving you dirty,” he says. Our testers didn’t run into any noteworthy issues with dust while using the Billy Goat lawn vacuum.

But when testing the DR, Fischer took quite a bit of dust to the face. “No matter what amount of leaves you’re running over, you WILL be taking some debris to the face due to the tubing that spits out debris toward the top of the vacuum instead of the bottom,” says the product testing team.

Overall, the Billy Goat lawn vacuum is the better choice here because of its performance and ease of use.

Final Verdict

“If you have a big lawn that requires heavy-duty equipment, then you’ll find a lot to like about Billy Goat’s surprisingly maneuverable walk-behind leaf vacuum,” says associate product tester Dylan Fischer. And there certainly is a lot to like. Between the large 40-gallon bag, built-in chipper and 5-blade impeller that mulches leaves and debris as it sucks them up, the Billy Goat leaf vacuum will have your yard clean in no time.

Where to Buy the Billy Goat Lawn & Litter Vacuum

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we tried it

Billy Goat Leaf & Litter Vacuum

This powerful vacuum cleared roughly 30 gallons of wet and dry leaves in under two minutes.

$1795 at Amazon

Shop at Lowe's

The Billy Goat lawn vacuum sells for $1,795 on Amazon with the mesh bag and dust skirt. The on-board hose kit can be purchased separately for $350 on Amazon. You can also shop the lawn vacuum at Lowe’s. The leaves will fall again before you know it, so add this dream machine to your cart ASAP.

The post The Billy Goat Leaf Vacuum Is the GOAT When It Comes to Leaf Removal appeared first on Family Handyman.

Different types of paint sprayers cater to various project needs, providing versatility for a range of home improvement tasks. HVLP (high-volume, low-pressure) sprayers, for example, are great for detail work and achieving a fine finish on furniture and cabinets. Airless sprayers deliver high-pressure coverage, perfect for big jobs like painting an entire fence.

Once your project is complete, the sprayer and its accessories can be neatly stored in the durable storage case. It keeps everything organized and ready for the next use. This convenience ensures that the Wagner Flexio 3500 is always prepared to help you tackle your next painting project with professional results.

What is the Wagner Flexio 3500?

The Wagner Flexio 3500 is an HVLP (high volume low pressure) paint sprayer designed for DIYers. It is especially well-suited for small projects and detail work but is also capable of tackling medium-sized projects such as entire walls or treating a deck. It requires only electricity and ships with two nozzles that are capable of using most types of paints, stains and finishes.

Once your project is complete, the sprayer and its accessories can be neatly stored in the durable storage case, keeping everything organized and ready for the next use. This convenience ensures that the Wagner Flexio 3500 is always prepared to help you tackle your next painting project with professional results.

PAMELA BANDURANT/FAMILY HANDYMAN

Wagner Flexio 3500 Paint Sprayer

Shop at The Home Depot

Wagner Flexio 3500 Product Features

The Flexio 3500 Electric Handheld HVLP Paint Sprayer makes your painting projects faster and more efficient. It sprays 10 times faster than a traditional brush, allowing you to cover an 8-by-10 wall in just five minutes. This makes it perfect for both interior and exterior projects, including walls, decks, fences, furniture, cabinets and more.

One of the standout features of the Flexio 3500 is its variable-speed X-Boost turbine, which provides the power needed to spray unthinned paints and stains. This versatility means you can tackle a wide range of painting jobs without the hassle of thinning the paint. The sprayer also has a compact and lightweight design, making it easy to handle and maneuver, and is 10% lighter than previous Flexio models, reducing hand fatigue during extended use.

The sprayer offers multiple adjustable settings to suit your specific project needs, providing flexibility and control over your painting. The iSpray nozzle is ideal for achieving a textured finish on broad surfaces like exterior siding, walls and ceilings, while the Detail Finish Nozzle is perfect for a smooth, fine finish on cabinets, furniture and trim. These interchangeable nozzles make the Flexio 3500 a versatile tool for both professional and DIY projects.

Cleaning and Material

Cleaning and maintaining the Flexio 3500 is a breeze thanks to the Lock-N-Go system that allows for quick disassembly. The included Bonus Cup Liner further simplifies cleanup, making it quick and easy. For added convenience, the durable storage case keeps the sprayer protected between projects. Plus, you can access Wagner+ by scanning the QR code on your product for instant digital access to product registration, how-to guides, manuals and more, ensuring you have all the resources you need at your fingertips.

Lastly, the sprayer is capable of spraying:

• Latex and oil-based paints
• Semi-transparent stain
• Solid stains
• Water-based lacquers
• Urethanes

How We Tested It

The first thing that stood out to me about this sprayer was the case that it came in. I often find that molded plastic cases are almost useless as it seems impossible to get the tools back into their designated slots. In this case (pun intended), the parts were easily stowed and the case could be buttoned up.

The next thing I noticed is what I would call “built-in” nozzles. Most of the hand-held sprayers that I’ve used utilize a type of two-part metal nozzle wherein you pick the fluid tip size based on your material. You then insert a matching needle tip, which is prone to getting lost, even if just dropped onto carpeting or grass, not to mention floating around at the bottom of a tool box. These needless nozzles seemed like a bonus and definitely were.

I set out to paint the exterior of one of my wooden sheds, which was in serious need of painting. After power washing it, scraping off some old paint and waiting for it to dry, I filled the 1300-milliliter (approximately 1/3rd gallon) that works with the iSpray nozzle with an inexpensive, acrylic-based exterior paint and primer in one. I attached the “iSpray” nozzle, which is supposed to mimic the texture of a roller, and plugged in the sprayer. Since it was just an outside shed, I eschewed practice and fine-tuning in water or on cardboard and went straight for the shed.

Tuning and Usage

As expected, some fine-tuning was required. I ended up with a few drips, but that was entirely user error and not a result of the settings, which I had adjusted based on the usage—having set the “X-boost” power dial (I.e., the air power) to the middle of its range and the material flow control to the middle of its range. Also, I had the spray width set to wide, and after some technique adjustments, this worked out to be a great combination of power and volume for the paint.

I went through the first container of paint rather quickly due to my futzing around with the technique. As such, I was a little worried about how much paint I was going through. But by the time I was onto my second container of paint, I was getting great distance and coverage. I was able to get a single coat onto approximately 60 square feet with less than 1/3 of a gallon of paint. This amount is spot on if estimating that I can spray 150 to 200 square feet per gallon.

The coating was even at the start and end of the spray cycle, as well as at the edges of the spray pattern. I used the common “overlap” technique with horizontal paths and completed the edges with the spray width set to the narrow setting. The nozzle cleanup was quick and painless. I was really pleased with the results: The shed went from a sad and dreary backyard eyesore to looking like a proud member of the outdoor decor.

Pros

• Carrying case
• Multiple nozzles and containers
• Easy to clean
• Detail finish and spray at the same time
• Variable air power control
• Can use stains, enamels, paints and more

Cons

• Not great for large projects
• Pricier than most handheld HVLP sprayers

Why Trust Us

I’ve been painting homes for nearly 40 years, and while much of the process remains the same, the paints and sprayers have improved greatly. I’ve been using modern DIY and professional sprayers for a couple of years and have been impressed with their capabilities, especially at such reasonable prices.

When I learned that I would be reviewing a selection of paint sprayers, I was eager to find out firsthand how they would stack up. I reviewed the equipment from the vantage point of a non-professional, intent on offering DIYers an idea of what each sprayer could and could not do. My review offers potential consumers a realistic and practical guide to an array of sprayer options.

FAQ

Do you have to thin paint for Wagner Flexio 3500?

You don’t have to thin paint for the Wagner Flexio 3500, but sometimes, it may be necessary. Wagner advises users that most paints do not need to be thinned and that optimal spray performance can be achieved by adjusting the airflow, spray width and material flow control. If thinning, it’s advised to delete the material in steps of 5-10%.

Can I use Wagner Flexio 3500 to paint a ceiling?

With some practice, spraying a ceiling can be done without too much mess. You’ll want to be cautious of where you align the pickup tube when using the Flexio to paint a ceiling. It’s ideal to spray with a horizontally held sprayer, but that isn’t possible when painting a ceiling. So, when painting a ceiling with the Flexio 3500, point the pickup tube toward the handle of the sprayer. The paint is then taken up in the tube when the sprayer is pointed upward. Wagner warns that the sprayer should not be used at greater than a 45-degree angle. If the angle is too steep, material could get into the turbine and damage it. Eye protection and a mask are always recommended when using a sprayer, but especially important when painting a ceiling.

Can I leave paint in my Wagner paint sprayer overnight?

Ideally, you wouldn’t leave paint in the sprayer overnight because the paint may dry on the nozzle and clog it. The system is somewhat “closed” to the elements, so it is ok to leave paint in the sprayer for short periods between use, such as overnight or for a break. Before using the sprayer, after it has sat, be sure to mix the paint in the container. Also, it will likely be necessary to remove paint from the hardened nozzle tip. Once it’s cleared, you should be good to go.

What Other Reviewers/Experts Had to Say

Five-star The Home Depot reviewer Brian1 claims, “I purchased the Flexio 3500 about six weeks ago when we were in the middle of remodeling our master bathroom. We had urethane-finished birch wood that we wanted painted. The sprayer delivered beyond our expectations. The finish was exceptional (factory-like finish). It was easy to use, and clean-up was a breeze.”

“So far, I’ve used it to paint doors and the whole exterior of my stucco house. It worked well. On stucco, it does cover in one go, but be ready to buy extra gallons of paint. I tried rolling, and the spray would cover way more in such a short time! It is super easy to clean thoroughly, ” says 5-star reviewer fonf64.

Eric on The Home Depot gives the Wagner Flexio 5 stars and says, “I bought this item just in case/backup for doing my house. I ended up having to use this for the whole house. The house came out great. Saved me about $20,000 to do this my self. The one thing that I wish there was an easier way to have a faster fill method. I believe that is what took me the longest to do. But besides [that], it’s great with thick and thin paint. I recommend this product 100 percent.”

Wagner Flexio 3500 vs Earlex HVLP Sprayer

Lately I’ve been using an Earlex HVLP sprayer for my smaller projects. The Earlex HVLP sprayer is a good comparison for the Wagner Flexio 3500 as they are both handheld HVLP sprayers. The Earlex comes in at a lower price and is lighter so let’s take a look at the usage.

The Earlex is differs from the Wagner in that it uses nozzles that are matched to your material and desired finish. On the other hand, the Wagner just has two nozzles—one for fine spraying and one for wider, textured spraying. Another key difference is that the air cap, either fine or wide spray, must be selected on the Earlex. The Earlex does not come with a case and it’s important to keep all the nozzles together with the sprayer. I keep my nozzles and tools in a plastic bag but still don’t have a convenient way to ensure that the bag is with the sprayer. It’s these factors along with the cleanup that makes the Wagner a clear winner for being easier to use.

Final Verdict

At first, I wasn’t convinced the two-nozzle solution was going to be adequate. It proved to be more than adequate and I’m sold. A lot of the experimentation and guesswork were taken away by knowing that the either nozzle could handle whatever material I was going to use. Plus, the cleanup was such a breeze that I don’t dread pulling out the sprayer. This sprayer will be taking a front-and-center space in my collection of painting tools. I look forward to more projects with it.

Where to Buy the Wagner Flexio 3500

You can pick up the Wagner Flexio at The Home Depot or order it online for under $180.

Wagner Flexio 3500 Paint Sprayer

Shop at The Home Depot

The post I Tried Out the Wagner Flexio 3500 Paint Sprayer and the Results Were Flawless appeared first on Family Handyman.

Feedback from conversations with two knowledgeable sales reps helped me craft my overall view to answer the question, whether a Tesla Cybertruck is a good work truck.

A couple of caveats:

• Although the regional Tesla dealership I visited had a Cybertruck on the showroom floor, I could not road-test it. (Note: Everything Cybertruck, from scheduling a road test to purchasing one, is done strictly online.)
• Since the truck has only been out for around six months, there is no quality, reliability or crash test data to assess this new vehicle completely.

That said, read along to see what was learned.

Cybertruck All-Wheel Drive Specifications

Cybertruck Bed Size vs. Standard Short and Long Bed Pickups

A typical standard short bed on a four-door crew cab pickup is approximately 70 inches (63 cu. ft. of storage), while the longer bed is approximately 80 inches (72 cu. ft.). The short bed on a traditional two-door pickup is approximately 80 inches (72 cu. ft.), and the long bed 99 inches (82 cu. ft.).

The four-door Cybertruck cargo bed is 73 inches long and has additional storage compartments and a weather-tight hidden cargo space, for a total storage space of 67cu.ft.

Cybertruck bed shape

The Cybertruck’s bed shape mirrors that of traditional pickup trucks. With the tailgate down, you can haul a 4 x 8 ft. sheet of plywood or drywall.

How Much Can a Cybertruck Haul?

A Cybertruck’s payload rating is 2,500 lbs. As with any vehicle, never exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or Curb Weight (the total mass of a vehicle with all necessary operating fluids and without passengers or cargo).

Cybertruck Towing Capacity

The Cybertruck has an excellent towing capacity of 11,000 lbs.

How Much Does a Cybertruck Cost?

As of this writing, the currently available Foundation model list price for Tesla’s Cybertruck is $99,990. In addition to an optional range extender battery, there are several options you can add, including a spare tire with a tool kit, air compressor, and jump seats.

If you’re going to use a Cybertruck as a work truck, an external tailgate and bumper cover protect the body from damage. Roof rack crossbars for carrying ladders or supplies and a tailgate ramp are options to consider.

Cybertrucks cost compared to other new pickups:

The Cyber truck is priced similarly with comparable new fully loaded EV quarter-ton rated pickups:

• 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Series starts at approximately $88,000.
• 2025 Rivian R1S starts at $89,000.
• 2024 GMC Denali e4WH has a list price of $99, 495, said Ben Shoolin, Buick/GMC Mark of Excellence Sales and Leasing Specialist.
• 2025 GMC Hummer EV 2X e4WD has a list price of $98,845. Shoolin added that adding several classic General Motors options and accessories can place the list price of the Hummer EV 3X Edition at well over $140,000.

Is the Cybertruck a Good Work Truck?

Even with the caveats, if you want to spend $100,000 on a Cybertruck, and based on Consumer Reports Tesla new car reliability, my gut says yes, it will make a good work truck. I was seriously impressed with the Cybertruck I looked at, touched and sat in. It was solid as a rock. The size, fit and finish, in my opinion, were spot on.

There are some cons, such as limited visibility, but the six external cameras and all-wheel steering (AKA “crab-walk”) would make moving around a work site safer and easier.

As a Tesla sales rep described, the 20 in. tires, the armor plate protecting the battery against damage from rocks and debris when driving through rough terrain and different off-road modes (including one mode that employs an adaptive air suspension raising the suspension and pressurizes the high-voltage battery to prevent water intrusion when driving through shallow water) all reduce the possibility of damaging the battery and undercarriage when driving around a work or construction site.

Currently, Tesla does not offer a way to mount snowplowing equipment or a bed cab for additional storage, but I did find a few sites online that offer unique and functional accessories to nicely outfit the Cybertruck as a work truck. The Cybertruck comes standard with exceptional towing and load ratings, the ability to power your home or power tools, and all the refinements, essentials and qualities you want and expect in any decent work truck.

About the Expert

• Ben Shoolin has been professional new vehicle General Motors salesperson for over 45 years and is an award-winning Buick/GMC Mark of Excellence Sales and Leasing Specialist at O’Neil Buick in Warminster PA., a multiyear award-winning, General Motors Customer Satisfaction dealership. (August 18, 2024)

Sources

• Consumer Reports: “Tesla and Nissan Make the Most Reliable Electric Vehicles; CR’s reliability data reveal proven EV standouts” (2022)
• Edmund: “2025 Ram 1500 REV” (2024)
• Forbes: “America’s Love Affair With Full-Size Pickup Trucks” (2023)
• Ford: “Find your 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning” (2024)
• GMC: Build and Price 2025 Hummer EV Pickup (2024)
• GMC: Build and Price Denali Edition 1 e4WD (2024)
• Rivian: “Choose your build” (2024)
• Technicians Service Training (TST): “Let’s discuss Automotive training” Webinar (2024)
• Tesla: Cybertruck Accessories “Featured Products” (2024)
• Tesla: Cybertruck: Owner’s Manual (2024)
• U.S. News: “2024 Tesla Cybertruck” (2024)

The post Would the Tesla Cybertruck Actually Make a Good Work Truck? appeared first on Family Handyman.

While some of our testing results were surprising, both models performed well in their capacities. The GLM100-23 proved easy to use and accurate indoors within sixteenth of an inch. The GLM50C performed well when paired with the app.

Here are our testing results for both Bosch laser tape measures, along with information about other Bosch models to help you decide if Bosch is the right brand for you and which model will fit your DIY or professional needs best.

What is a Bosch laser tape measure?

Understanding how to read a tape measure is crucial at home or on the job site. However, Bosch is working to simplify the task through its extensive lineup of laser measuring tools. The company offers multiple laser tape measures via its Blaze line, and there are models to meet any DIY budget.

Bosch also blurs the line between DIY and professional-grade laser measure tools, with some models featuring green lasers meant for outdoor use and others with Bluetooth and mobile app functionality.

Our product testing team noticed that the backlit displays of both models we tested were easy to read and navigate. Both were easy to operate, and using each felt intuitive to our testers. One tester noted that the GLM50C, the most expensive of the two, is designed well enough to perform well for both DIYers and pros alike.

The Bosch Laser Measure GLM100-23 is a simple laser measurement tool with fewer features. You might call it a laser measure for purists. Priced at around $45, our testers noted that it was the most compact laser tape measure they tested, and its accuracy is a plus for smaller projects.

On Sale

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Bosch GLM50C Laser Distance Measure

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Bosch Laser Measure Features

Bosch GLM100-23

The Bosch GLM100-23 is the most basic of the two Bosch laser measure tools we tested. The GLM 100-23 would work well in a DIYer’s or professional’s tool kit to supplement a standard tape measure. The device features no metric measuring functions; however, it does have instant point-and-shoot measuring ability in an impressively compact design. It’s also incredibly accurate at taking precise measurements indoors.

Bosch GLM50C

The GLM50C is more advanced. Its many features make it a solid choice for professionals and avid DIYers who primarily work indoors. The tool incorporates a bright and easy-to-read screen, rotating display, canvas carrying case, clip and Bluetooth capability. Additionally, it’s designed for use with Bosch’s MeasureOn mobile app, which provides more advanced features as well.

How We Tested Them

Our testing team evaluated and tested both Bosch Laser Measure devices. The testers reported on everything from unboxing and standard use to mobile app functionality for each one.

Testing involved manually checking accuracy under several typical working conditions, reporting on the device’s size and comfort, operating all of the device’s functions and mixing combinations of functions when applicable. The product testers recorded their results as testing took place to ensure accuracy and minimize bias. Finally, the team generated a report that included their findings and a rating score for each tool.

The Bosch Laser Measure GLM100-23 ranked as the best basic laser measure in our review, and the Bosch Blaze GLM50C earned the badge of being the best splurge, according to the test results.

FAQ

How do you use a Bosch laser measure?

A digital tape measure guide can help you learn about all of the functions of a laser tape measure. However, we found the Bosch laser measures relatively easy to operate.

Some models only require you to point and shoot the device for an instant measurement reading, while others include functions to calculate areas and volumes of spaces. The processes for more complex models include setting your desired measurement (metric or standard), choosing the functions you wish it to perform and letting the device do the rest.

Can you calibrate the Bosch laser measure?

The user can’t calibrate typical consumer-grade Bosch laser measures. In most cases, the devices are accurate within 1/16th of an inch. However, if your Bosch laser measure is showing inaccuracies, there are a couple of things to check.

First, be sure the device is aimed correctly at the object you’re measuring. If that fails, try to aim at surfaces that aren’t shiny. Placing cardboard or something similar in front of a shiny object can increase accuracy. Finally, ensure there are no objects in the way of your measurement, including heavy airborne particles such as sawdust.

What app for Bosch laser measure?

Bosch provides its MeasureOn mobile app for use with its Bluetooth and app-compatible measuring devices. Our product testing team says the app is extremely useful and features excellent tools for avid DIYers, designers, construction workers and engineers.

What Others Have to Say

Reviews for Bosch laser measures, in general, are overwhelmingly positive, with 85% of The Home Depot reviewers recommending the product they purchased. The tools carry a 4.4 out of 5-star rating on the platform.

While the models we tested included red laser technology, intended for indoor use only, the company’s outdoor-capable green laser devices, such as the Blaze 165 ft Green Laser Distance Measuring Tool, also earn an average of 4.7 stars with The Home Depot customers.

Positive reviews typically cite the tools’ compact designs, lightweight, spot-on accuracy and durability as the reasons for the high praise. However, some negative reviews exist. Reports of inaccurate measurements and an inability to operate red laser technology devices outdoors are the top reasons for lower ratings.

Bosch Laser Measure vs. Leica Laser Measure

We also tested the Leica Laser Measure and compared it to our Bosch Blaze Bluetooth-Enabled device. While the devices are pretty similar in function, the Leica Laser Measure has a measuring capacity of up to 330 feet, while the Bosch maxes out at 165 feet.

Both devices can function with a proprietary mobile app and provide additional functions like distance measuring, multiple measurements, data-point storage, and area and volume calculations.

The Leica offers a Pythagoras function and a 60-second timer delay option. However, Bosch’s MeasureOn app is free to use, while Leica’s requires a paid subscription. The MeasureOn app from Bosch is more functional, too. Our testers discovered some connectivity troubles with the Leica app as well.

Additionally, the Leica tool is more costly, retailing for $199 against Bosch’s $119 price tag.

Final Verdict

While the two Bosch laser measuring tools we tested are very different from each other based on functionality, both impressed our testing team for performing well in compact, well-designed and easy-to-operate forms.

The lower-cost choice will best serve DIYers looking for a basic tool to make measuring distances easier than with a standard tape measure. The tool can also be a supplemental device for quick measurements and layouts.

The higher-cost Bosch device will work well for serious DIYers with a lot to accomplish, as well as for professionals who are looking for a fast way to convert numerous measurements into complex calculations.

While we were hoping to find a Bosch laser tape measure that we could use outdoors at an affordable cost, that didn’t pan out for us.

Where to Buy a Bosch Laser Measure

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Bosch GLM100-23 Laser Distance Measure

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$54.88 at Amazon

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Bosch offers numerous laser measure tool choices, ranging in price from under $50 to over $250 for its top-of-the-line professional-grade model, the Bosch GLM400CL, which includes up to 400 feet of measuring accuracy, Bluetooth compatibility and a camera viewfinder. You can shop the Bosch GLM100-23 for under $50 on Amazon and the Bosch GLM50C for $85 at The Home Depot.

The post Bosch Laser Measure Review: We Tried Two Models, and Here’s How it Went appeared first on Family Handyman.