With spring at hand and summer just around the corner, soon you’ll be hauling the hose all all over the yard. In my experience, the worst part of dealing with a garden hose is reeling it back in, so this No-Crank hose reel definitely appeals to me. After you’re done with the hose, just pull the lever on the No-Crank — and a motor powered by house water pressure reels it back in.
Here’s another classic tv moment. While it’s not as violent as our first Doh! ladder blooper, it’s just as funny. Note to producer: let your presenters have some prep time with the product before going live.
A friend of mine had a leaky upstairs toilet, and he didn’t find the problem until it had caused $40,000 in damage to his home. The water destroyed flooring, sheet-rock, and some framing. Zircon’s Leak Alert electronic water detector could’ve saved my friend some grief — you simply place it near sinks, toilets, sump pumps, fish tanks, water heaters, or any other appliances that use water, and the Leak Alert does the rest.
Last week we wrote about The Screw Up, but the “As Seen On TV” vibe it emanated soured the post. After looking around for a better option, we found the Wolfcraft hook driver. The hook driver can drive almost any kind of hook, including screw hooks, eyelet screws, and L-hooks.
To install screw hooks, you have to tediously screw them in by hand and finish with a pair of pliers when that gets too hard. So how can a horribly named product from an ambiguously named company make your life easier? Sophron Marketing’s The Screw Up features magnetic sockets that hold the hook in line with your shank. You can even thread The Screw Up into an extension pole, to install hooks in places where you previously had to use a ladder.
We can’t count how many times a button has popped off and/or been ripped off our favorite flannel in the shop. The Buttoneer might actually be able to help in short order, without any needle-threading.
Though the science of knot-tying is becoming arcane knowledge, there’s still the need to secure things down. Into this knotless world of bungee cords, ratchet straps, and duct tape comes the Grip Twist. The Grip Twist gives you the ability to secure items as easily as you close up your bread bag.
Simply put, the Grip Twist is a giant, padded twist tie. The 1/2” cords consist of “medical grade EVA foam” around a “proprietary alloy.” The padding prevents damage, and the alloy allows it to be twisted and untwisted over and over again. The Grip Twist can hold up to a hundred pounds by giving at least three twists and then folding the ends back on themselves. They come in three lengths: 17”, 34”, and 64”.
The Grip Twist costs $8 for one 64” length, two 34” lengths, or four 17” lengths. It’s a quick and easy solution — but just remember you have other options.
Grip Twist [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
Everybody needs a good set of scissors/shears in their toolbox. I always keep around a pair of these EMT utility-style scissors, and you owe it to yourself to get a set. Any EMT or first-responder is familiar with these — they’re meant to quickly cut through fabric to get at wounds. The side benefit: They’re so tough, they’ll cut through most anything you can throw at ‘em. I’ve used ‘em to cut thin metal as well as to snip off extra lengths of wire — a great all-around tool.
If you’ve ever tried to cut heavy-pile carpet with a utility knife, you know the results aren’t so pretty. Robert’s pro-quality loop pile cutter will cut any kind of carpet without damaging that luscious shag.
You can’t overstate the importance of having a fire extinguisher in your shop or garage. There’s really no excuse not to have one — they’re relatively cheap and available in a variety of ratings and sizes. Now companies like First Alert have even introduced fire extinguishers that look and act like spray cans.
One such product, the Tundra, comes in a 14 oz. spray can with a nozzle that delivers a wide spray. Supposedly the Tundra lasts four times longer than traditional fire extinguishers, and it’s appropriate for kitchens, garages, workshops, boats, automobiles, or anyplace where there are fire hazards.
First Alert claims another potential benefit of their product — easy cleanup. If you’ve ever let a chemical fire extinguisher rip in your kitchen and had the fine yellow powder spread through your whole kitchen, you know what a pain it is to clean up.
At about $16 to $20 the Tundra is pretty reasonably priced — but does the fact that it doesn’t look like a regular fire extinguisher cause confusion in the heat of a fire? Are Tundra and similar spray can extinguishers really as effective? Let us know your opinions and your experiences in the comments.
Tundra [First Alert]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
A former drywall professional invented Erase-A-Hole to take care of small patch jobs around the house. As an added bonus, the deodorant-like applicator and the suggestive name might make you crack a grin.
A reader sent us a link to this Unclutterer post about Pottery Barn’s solution for kids that need a little help reaching the sink. While I’m not sure that I’d shell out for the Pottery Barn version, this looks like a first-class idea for a home project — especially if you’ve been thinking about updating that vanity cabinet anyway.
(Thanks, Jet!)
Pottery Barn’s Hide-Away Step Stool [Unclutterer]
Two part foam spray-in insulation is becoming the standard in new home construction. It installs quickly, it boasts a high R-value per inch, and it prevents energy-stealing air leaks. Until fairly recently only pros could do this job, but lately companies like Dow Chemical have released products like the Froth-Pak 12 — it’s the same foam the pros use, but scaled down for smaller Jobs like fixing those pesky air leaks.
You’ve probably seen these hammer/screwdriver combination tools — maybe in your junk drawer, or by the cash register at your local hardware store. Drillspot.com is running a deal that gets you a dozen of these things for less than $2 each, complete with a fancy “Art Nouveau” finish.
The claw hammer serves mostly as decoration — it’s a bit hard too swing. The screwdrivers only come in progressively tinier sizes. That being said, think of the satisfaction of being able to lend these out, and not being sad if they don’t come back. They’re perfect for giving away for IKEA furniture assembly, or to some poor tool-less soul.
Hammer/Screwdriver Combo [Drillspot.com]
Collins Complete DIY Manual will show you how to perform dozens of home improvement projects and repairs, from painting and decorating, to freezing a section of pipe for maintenance. Collins illustrates each topic with many colorful diagrams and photographs. Although this book is geared more toward homeowners than apartment dwellers, it’s an excellent reference for everyone.
Though as Toolmongers we probably see more orange Black & Decker gear than their appliances, here’s one that’s made for the kitchen — but kick-ass for the shop: the Slice Right electric knife. It’ll carve the toughest turkey, but you’ll wish you had one the first time you try cutting any foam.
With twenty bucks and some elbow grease, you can turn your litter-strewn, sticky-countered, beer-stained place back into the gleaming pad you had (or wished you had) before your New Year’s party. And you can do it with completely eco-friendly cleaners made from natural, nice-smelling ingredients like almond and cherry oils (dishwashing liquid), lemon oil (hard surface cleaner), coconut-based soap with vinegar (glass and mirror cleaner), and cedar oil with citric acid (toilet cleaner).
www.flickr.com
|
