Does a 5 minute fan take 5 minutes to install? The Handyguys find out. Watch this video to see if Handyguy Brian can beat the clock while installing a Hunter 5 minute fan.

We picked up the ceiling fan and everything needed to install it at our local True Value.

We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Related shows:

1. Last Minute Christmas List ideas
2. Fall Home Improvement Checklist
3. LED Christmas Lights for Energy Savings

In this audio episode of The Handyguys Podcast tiny houses are discussed as well as the announcement of office hours on Facebook.

Tiny Houses

Handy guy Brian read an article about small houses which prompted the discussion. The original article is here.  The article talks about how the market for tiny houses is thriving due to people concerns about sustainability, job security and the housing market bust.

The Handyguys discuss the pros and cons of living in a smaller house. Brian isn’t willing to give up his garage shop. It sure would make you re-think all the ‘stuff’ that has accumulated. Listen to the podcast for the lively discussion.

If you are interested in learning more about tiny houses you may want to check out the Tiny House Blog that we mention in the podcast.

Facebook Office Hours

Announcement - The Handyguys will be holding “Office Hours” all next week on Facebook. Make sure you visit the True Value Facebook page where The Handyguys will be fielding questions from anyone who happens by.

Related shows:

1. LED Christmas Lights for Energy Savings
2. Basement Systems Continued and How To Remove Paint
3. Installing A Co Detector

In this video episode of The Handyguys Podcast we show you some aeration, hauling, bagging and other attachments that can add significant value and utility to your lawn tractor.

We put some John Deere attachments & accessories through a workout in this video:

Aerator

The key thing in using this aerator is to have weight on it. It also helps if your ground is moist.

Bagger

The Deere bagger does a great job picking up the clippings. It’s a little awkward to put on the first time so have a helper. Once you do it a few times it will become much easier.

Cart

We have used the Deere cart for hauling firewood, branches, tools, lumber and many other things. It works well, is lightweight and it wont rust.

Bumper

We put on a bumper on one of our evaluation tractors. The bumper protects the front of the tractor.

Sun Shade

If you are doing a lot of mowing and want to keep the sun off consider a sun shade

Cover

If you are going to store your tractor outside you should cover it. Yeah a tarp will do but a fitted cover will less likely blow away and it looks good.

John Deere has provided The Handyguys the products used in this evaluation. However, the opinions of The Handyguys are entirely our own and we have not been paid to make positive comments.

Related shows:

1. John Deere LA115 Lawn Tractor Controls Overview Video
2. Tractor and Mower Maintenance Video – Oil, Fuel, Air, Grease and Spark
3. Selecting a John Deere Lawn Tractor 100 series 300 series

In this video episode of The Handyguys we discuss some common tractor and mower maintenance for your John Deere.

We discuss changing oil, checking air filters, the location of spark plugs, grease points and fuel filters.

John Deere sells a Home maintenance kit specifically for your tractor. It contains most of the items you will want for DIY maintenance of your tractor. One thing the kit does NOT contain is a grease gun and grease. This Grease Gun from Amazon is similar to the one used by The Handyguys in the video and works nicely. .

John Deere has provided The Handyguys the products used in this evaluation. However, the opinions of The Handyguys are entirely our own and we have not been paid to make positive comments.

Related shows:

1. John Deere LA115 Lawn Tractor Controls Overview Video
2. Accessorizing a lawn tractor video – Aeration, hauling, bagging and more
3. Controls, Maintenance And Cutting Techniques Of A John Deere La115 Lawn Tractor

The Handygys discuss three topics on this audio podcast – what tools are used to cut metal, are CFLs safe in kids rooms and are water saving flush valves a good investment.

Cutting metal

From time to time homeowners need to cut metal. What do you use to cut metal? Paul grills Brian on what tools he would use.

It will depend on several factors such as:

• What the metal is
• Quality of the cut
• How quickly you need to cut
• How easily you need the cut

Some possible tools are:

• Hacksaws
• Angle grinder
• Cutting torch
• Cut-off saw
• Jigsaw
• Reciprocating saws
• Snips
• bolt cutters
• Rebar cutters
• pipe cutters

CFLs in a kids room

CFLs in a kids room? What is the issue? Handyguy Paul has several young kids and is concerned that if a lamp gets knoced over he will have to deal with mercury contained inside a typical CFL bulb is the bulb breaks. Is this a valid concern? What are people doing? Is LED a viable option? Are there mercury free CFL bulbs? Rugged CFL bulbs?

Water Saving flush valves

Handyguy Brian came across a discussion regarding “water saving fill valves” for your toilet. The principle is they do a half flush (.8 gallons of water) when you do not have solids and a normal 1.6 gallon flush when you need it. In areas where water is scarce this is important, if you have a well that runs dry its extremely important to conserve every drop. The question is – Do these devices make sense for people who are in areas of the country where there are not water restrictions, there are not scarcity issues, and water is plentiful? If you are on your own well then no. How about those that pay for “city water”?

Doing the math

A toilet like this one doesn't use ANY water!

If you pay for water and, like we said, you are in an area where water isn’t scarce, these devices do not make sense. Here is why:

These fill valves cost about $25

The average cost of city water in the US is $1.50 per 1000 gallons or $0.0015 per gallon

That equates to an average cost per flush in the US of $0.0024

If you round the numbers that is about four flushes for one penny or $0.0096

If half the flushes required a full flush and half could use a half flush and the toilet is used 10 times per day you would save half a penny a day!

The savings would be about $2.19 per year. You would need to use the product for 11 years before you can see a return on investment (ROI).

Okay – we rounded the numbers and made some assumptions but the point is the same. If you don’t live in an area where you don’t have water restrictions or shortages you do not need a product like this.

Make sure you listen to the podcast for all the riveting discussion!

Related shows:

1. Ideal Water Pressure, Fixing A Damaged Wall And V-Jaw Pliers
2. Exploding Water Heaters And Home Networking
3. How To Turn Off The Water In An Emergency

The Handyguys look at some subtle differences between two models of Sawzalls and discuss when you would want each.

Milwaukee Tools sent The Handyguys a press release describing two new Sawzalls. At first glance the specifications seemed the same.

The only difference is the “Stroke Length”. What is the benefit of a longer stroke? When would you prefer a shorter stroke? In this video The Handyguys actually do a test to see the differences in making a cut with each version. We were surprised at how noticeable the differences are!

The shorter 3/4” stroke length is ideal for better control in tight areas, while the longer 1-1/8”stroke length delivers more aggressive cuts for heavy demolition. Both saws do an awesome job cutting through wood embedded with nails (a common thing in demolition). See them in action, along with a much older Sawzall for comparison.

Our longtime fans may recall we did a similar “test” a while back where we compared a corded Milwaukee Sawzall to Makita Cordless reciprocating saw. We used an almost identical methodology in this video.

We hope you find this information useful when shopping for a reciprocation saw. Thanks for checking it out.

If you like the video go ahead and subscribe. If you have iTunes you can get our videos right on your computer the moment they are live. The RSS subscriptions are for a variety of readers and video players. And, of course, feel free to subscribe to our audio shows while you are at it.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation has provided The Handyguys the products used in this evaluation. However, the opinions of The Handyguys are entirely our own and we have not been paid to make positive comments.

Related shows:

1. Battery Versus Corded Reciprocating Saws
2. How To Cut Metal, CFL Safety And Water Saving Flush Valves
3. How To Repair A Porch Post And Choosing A Jigsaw

In this video The Handyguys discuss installing a wall sconce to add ambiance lighting, that wont glare on the screen, to a basement home theater.

Glare is the issue, planning is the answer

When you are considering lighting for your home, whether it be for a home theater, television viewing area, home office, kitchen or other places, it is important to consider placement of lighting so it will not cause glare. When Brian finished his basement he included a home theater. (It’s really not that grand, more a movie watching area) The lighting Brian originally installed were some recessed can lights. Once the wide-screen TV was acquired, the surround sound set-up and the furniture placement finalized, it became apparent that light from the recessed cans would cause glare on the TV screen.

The solution became to install some wall sconces. Brian was lucky to find Rejuvenation Lighting out of Portland, OR. Rejuvenation has a large selection of wall sconces. Even better, they had lights that had an old-time movie theater look.

Installation

We wont cover fishing wire in this video, that will be sometime later this year maybe.

1. Locate box location, trace fixture box, cut hole for box
2. Shut off power
3. Test that the power is off
4. Pull wires into hole and then into box – half inch of the Romex sheath should be inside the box
5. Install box in cutout
6. Connect fixture wires to house wiring – white to white, black to black, ground to ground. If your fixture doesn’t have a ground wire, the Romex ground should be connected to the fixture bar ground screw.
7. Mount the fixture according to the directions that came with it

That’s it, in a nutshell, if you have any questions about installing a light or any other questions for The Handyguys feel free to contact us.

Related shows:

1. Installing Recessed Lighting
2. Installing A Tile Back-splash For Your Kitchen
3. Installing A Co Detector

Yes, The Handyguys are planning to get a lot done on their Honey Do Lists but will also take some time for some fun with their families.

Summer is upon us and the Handyguys are busy working on some new projects. In this episode of the Handyguys Podcast, Brian and Paul provide a preview of things to come in the next few months.

Website Changes – Video

Before we preview our Summer content we want to highlight the changes to our website. We now have video integrated with our audio podcasts. You can subscribe just video or audio or both. We only have three videos posted now but we expect to have several new videos available over the next month or so.  Our videos can be viewed here on the site or through our youtube channel. In addition, you can view them via Apple TV and we hope to have them available on the Roku box as well. If audio is your thing, you will still find our regular weekly audio podcast on our website or via your favorite audio device (iPod, Zune, etc.). If you see anything wrong on the site or have suggestions feel free to let us know.

For the summer we have some exiting news.

For those with larger yards or those who just dream of a yard large enough for a lawn tractor, the Handyguys will be reviewing and discussing the John Deere consumer product line of riding mowers. Specifically, we will provide some video and podcasts on the highly acclaimed LA115 lawn tractor. We will discuss it in relationship of the entire JD consumer line to help perspective customers find the right mower.

For those who do not need a riding mower, you are in luck as well. The Handyguys are working with a leading hardware store to provide some exiting new podcasts and videos. We may even give away some new hardware to those who are short a screw…. I mean screwdriver.

We also have a new Whirlpool/Kenmore/Kitchen-aid dishwasher video for those who still have trouble getting your dishes clean. More videos are on their way so sit back, relax and enjoy your Summer.

Email newsletter

Please fill out out our email subscription form even if you subscribed in the past. If you subscribe now, you will get notices of our new podcasts and we plan to send out occasional special offers and we may create an occasional newsletter just for our email subscribers. Who knows, maybe we can even provide you with a discount on tools from one of our favorite tool vendors.

Related shows:

1. Fall Home Improvement Checklist
2. DIY And Home Improvement Book Recommendations
3. Home Improvement Tips, Rapid Fire