Our favorite DIY tools, materials + gear.
QUALITY MATTERS
WATERING TOOLS THAT DELIVER
I’m not a huge fan of yard work, especially watering grass and gardens. So I pay attention to products that make it easier—and Gilmour has come out with two products that do just that.
The Circular Sprinkler with Spike Base (No. 3203) has all the features you want and need, and its design makes it intuitive to operate. You simply slide collars to adjust the spray pattern or pull up the top for full-circle watering. It has a simple lever for adjusting spray distance and an on/off switch to minimize back-and-forth trips to the spigot. Two sprinklers can be linked in series.
The Thumb Control Watering Nozzle with Swivel Connect (No. 4312) feels solid and has an easy-turn outer ring for adjusting the spray pattern. The volume is controlled by a sliding thumb lever—no squeezing or twisting to adjust the water flow.
The hose connection on both the sprinkler and the nozzle rotate independently, minimizing kinks and twists. They cost about $15 each. Learn more at gilmour.com.
READY TO BLOW!
PORTABLE INFLATOR
Air mattresses, inflatable beds, tires, balls, swimming pools— we spend a lot of time fiddling with hand pumps and air compressors. Black & Decker has made life easier with its MultiPurpose Inflator. This football-size tool can be powered three ways: 120-volt AC, 12-volt DC (via cigarette lighter adapter) or 20-volt rechargeable battery (it’s part of the B&D 20V MAX system.) And it’s packed with lot of great features:
This story is from the July/August 2018 edition of The Family Handyman.
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This story is from the July/August 2018 edition of The Family Handyman.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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SETTING FENCE POSTS WITH EXPANDING FOAM
Any fence builder knows you need strong posts for a strong fence, and that means backfilling the postholes with a dense, hard material other than dirt.
PEBBLE MOSAIC STEPPING STONES
COLLECT SOME RIVER ROCK AND MAKE YOUR OWN UNIQUE STEPPINGSTONE PATH
EARTH-FRIENDLY WEED KILLERS
HEALTHIER CHOICES FOR HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DIY! HYDROPONIC GARDEN
FRESH VEGETABLES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
GROW MINI VEGETABLES
GROW A GARDEN IN A TINY SPACE!
BUILD A VERTICAL GARDEN
TIME TO GROW UP!
MODERN WATER FOUNTAINS
A SPLASH OF PEACE FOR YOUR PATIO
9 ALTERNATIVE USES FOR SAWDUST
Every fully stocked wood shop has a table saw. You can usually find a pile of sawdust under it, even if it's used only occasionally. If a shop has a belt sander or band saw, there's probably another pile of finer sawdust under that. Even people without stationary tools have sawdust accumulation on their workbenches.
INSULATE WITH FOAM
IT'S A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO FIBERGLASS
