In this Episode of The Handyguys Podcast we announce the winner of our toolkit contest and discuss some innovative products from Magnogrip, CarMD and PermaFLOW.

Winner

Congrats Andrew. Your toolkit is in the mail. We had a lot of awesome entries so it was difficult to pick our winner. You can read Andrews winning entry here. This duct tape Tie idea put him over the top and it is much cheaper then a Brooks Brothers classic tie. We are going to produce a future podcast that reviews all the great “valid” duct tape submissions. Thanks to True Value for picking up the tab on the toolkit!

Innovative Products

We often get requests to review products on the show. We only want to discuss stuff we think brings value to the listeners of the show without all the unneeded junk. We turn away many product pushers. If we do receive a product to review and it turns out to be junk we absolutely will not discuss it in a positive light during the show.  In fact we try not to even receive products that look like a waste of time.  However, this year we picked three items to discuss. You can decide if they make appropriate Christmas gifts for the Handyguy in your life.

Magnogrip

Magnogrip makes toolbelts, belt clips, wrist bands and other products with magnets built in. Why magnets? When you are working on a project and you have lots of little parts such as screws, nuts, and bolts, you can stick them to the magnets to prevent you from losing them.  Instead of having to continually dig through pockets, they will be handy for when you need them!

Check them out in the Handyguys Amazon Store

• Carpenters tool belt
• Builders tool belt
• Wrist band

CarMD

The Handyguys haven’t talked much about car maintenance. There is only so much information we can cram into our brains. When we look at car problems we want to make diagnosis as easy as possible. When CarMD asked us to check out their diagnostic computer we were intrigued. This product is extremely easy to use.

What does it do? It plugs into your 1996 or newer vehicle and reads the vehicles on-board computer. The computer in your vehicle stores information about what those idiot lights on the dashboard represent. There are a lot of devices on the market to read your computer. Some vehicles you can actually go through a process where your vehicle can blink a series of lights on your dash to tell you what the trouble is. An old reader Brian has gives you a cryptic code you need to look up in a book.

The CarMD plugs in, reads the computer then connects to your home computer, or laptop, via a supplied USB cable. This connection will then synchronize your vehicles details with the CarMD website. On the website you can see details of your vehicle, what may be wrong, etc. You can also then pull up safety recall information or purchase Technical Service Bulletins. You can buy these directly from CarMD.

PermaFLOW

The PermaFLOW is a clear plastic P-Trap for under your sinks and includes a knob to push away any clogs.  We were a little skeptical about this product at first but it works as advertised. If you are handy you may ask yourself why not just disconnect the trap or snake a clog. Well, not everyone is handy. Install something like this for someone who has a p-trap that clogs often and cant, or doesn’t want to, go to the trouble of unclogging the drain themselves. No more harsh chemical drain cleaners if the clog is in the trap. The clear plastic makes it easy to figure where the problem is too. You can pick one of these up at The Handyguys Store.

Disclosure

Related shows:

1. Garage Heater Options And Carmd Discussion
2. New Innovative Tools
3. Choosing a Sawzall Reciprocating Saw

The Handyguys Review “Home Movies”

Home movies? Yes, movies about your home. As we wind down what has been a great first year for The Handyguys Podcast we decided we would take a break from working on our Honey Do List and watch a couple of movies. Listen to the podcast for our complete review and comments.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

First up is Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House. This is an older movie. One of Handyguy Brian’s favorites. It follows Cary Grant, as Mr. Blandings, in his quest to get out of his small Manhattan apartment and into his dream house. Some of the funny aspects are because of what things cost in the 40s versus today, it adds a dimension to the film that didn’t exist when it was first released.

 Brian’s Favorite Scene from Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House

Money Pit

The second movie we discuss is Money Pit with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long. This movie contains a similar plot to Mr. Blandings. A Young couple moves to the country and buy a house without careful evaluation and inspection. If its too good to be true then it probably is… This movie follows the young couple in their quest to fix up the old house, and their relationship. The crazy antics of Hanks and the contractors make this a pretty funny movie.

Paul’s Favorite Scene from Money Pit

You should be able to get these movies before Christmas if you order soon. You can buy them in our Amazon Affiliate Store and help support The Handyguys Podcast. Buy Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by clicking here and buy Money Pit by clicking here.Additionally – Don’t forget to check out our Stocking Stuffer episode for some unusual ideas for the handyperson in your life.The Handyguys will be taking a break for Christmas and the new year. We will return in January with a batch of new shows, some improvements to the site and maybe a few surprises. Stay tuned, subscribe and share The Handyguys Podcast with your friends. Our next show will be online on January 8th. Until then have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Related shows:

1. Exploding Water Heaters And Home Networking
2. Is Your House A Money Pit?
3. Summer Home Improvement