Customer Reviews

Family Handyman (1-year)

5 star:		(99)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Here's a fun and enjoyable magazine for a homeowner, or anyone who needs to do small to large home projects.

This is not a stuffy magazine on how to install your Italian marble whirlpool or how to remodel your 1875 New England Colonial. This is for the typical homeowner who wants ideas on new projects, and how to repair the everyday items around your house. Humor and well laid out instructions are the backbone of this magazine. (One of the best things is they admit where they made errors along the way of the project.)

What I like about this magazine?

***Ask Handyman
Here are questions from readers that are answered on various projects.

***Workshop Tips
In this section readers offer suggestions to use in your workshop to make a project go smoother.

***Handy Hints
More reader suggestions to help around the house. (It's like having that wise old handyman offer you tons of tips and ideas.)

***Great Goofs
Funny errors do-it-yourselfers offer on projects they attempted.

What I don't like about the magazine?

***New Products Section

These are the short, usually a paragraph or two, tips and suggestions that include a new product that makes a project easier. A web address or toll-free number to order the product follows the article. I often wonder if the product is really good or if the manufacturer just paid the magazine to talk it up.

As you can see the number of advantages far outweighs the disadvantages so a strong rating is a must for this magazine. I hope you enjoy it!

This magazine strikes the perfect balance between ambitious home improvements and simple quick fixes of home maintenance. As a "weekend warrior" around the house, I want to see projects that I can actually do in a reasonable amount of time and without every specialty tool known to mankind.

Every issue there is one project that might take 3 weekends and even if I don't intend to do them, I always learn something. Very clear, easy to understand instructions and tips along the way.

There are a good selection of cool tools and time saving tips for everyday projects. They embed enough humor to keep the reading interesting. About the only bad thing I can say is that occasionally, they get a bit corny with their jokes but even that has seemed to drop off lately.

My ONLY gripe with this magazine is that the pictures are like those you would find in GQ magazine: they hire models to show you driving a nail or shoveling dirt for that new patio. These people use only brand new tools (brand name label showing of course) in a perfect-world dust free environment. The pictures make it look like it's a Sears catalogue.

Aside from that, the articles are great making it one of the best magazines for the do-it-yourselfer. I have saved more money from the tips in this magazine than any other magazine I subscribe to. Most articles can be done by any semi-skilled craftsman with access to a decent set of tools, making it an approachable magazine for the DIY'er.

I highly recedommend this magazine in conjunction with Fine Homebuilding magazine. In that magazine you will find that the pictures are of real people operating used tools in a real environment. The articles in Handyman are a bit more down-to-Earth, but together you will get the most benefit.

I like the information brought forth in this magazine. Some things were relevant, some not (25 steps to cleaning my car is not very relevant). The only gripe I had with this mag is the effluous flow of Viagara and "Better Sex" video ads sprawled throughout the magazine-- I counted SEVEN such ads in one issue! My kids love to read "This Old House" and "Old House Journal," but "Family Handyman" was off limits. Too bad. To the magazine writers: Not EVERY handyman-type magazine reader is a man, and not EVERY magazine reader needs to be bombarded with the same crap that floods my email inbox.

I am a DIY'er and have not yet found a better home improvement magazine than "The Family Handyman." An easy read with easy instructions for weekend projects, along with many tips and tricks.
When and if I find a better magazine I'll be sure to let you know.

This is the first review I have ever written on any website. I purchased 10 issues and when I received the second magazine there was a letter that stated "We are pleased to present you with this very special, bigger-than-ever November issue....This edition is so big, in fact, that we are treating it as a special issue that will count toward two of your subscriber issues, so the duration of your subscription will be adjusted accordingly....It's loyal customers like you who make our magazine so successful."

This issues is SOOOOOO BIG that it is 20 whole pages longer than the previous one, 108 vs. 128. WOW!!
I wonder how many magazines I will actually receive now because of other reviews I have read and the fact that they could try and do this again and again.

This is unacceptable to myself, and if they expect to have "loyal" customers then they need maintain proper/high business practices, values, standards, and ethics. I am about to email them, customercare@thefamilyhandyman.com.

I too have been a longtime subscriber to The Family Handyman magazine. I found their "Double-issue" scam to be unethical and offensive. I figure my subscription is a contract: I pay my bill and I get a fixed number of issues. To arbitrarily announce that this is a "Double Issue" and my subscription will be reduced by one issue, amounts to breach of contract. The same has happened with subscribers to Rachael Ray's "Everyday" magazine. (They are both published by Readers Digest Association.)
Furthermore, I have always resented their sending me "red-letter notices" about my "subscription renewal" implying that my subscription was about to expire. My subscription wasn't scheduled to expire for 2 years !! I have cancelled my subscription !!

When I pay for 12 issues, I expect to receive 12 issues. The most recent issue of Family Handyman contained a letter saying that they were so proud of the current issue, they were going to count it as two. If you object to this please contact customer support. WHAT A RIPOFF! I cannot believe that these people would even attempt such a thing. I contacted customer support and I was told that my subscription end date had been restored back to Apr 2012. I really wonder how many times they have done this to me in the past. I almost threw away the letter that explained they were doing this thinking it was just another pitch to get me to extend my subscription. I checked through the magazine with the idea of contacting the advertisers and explaining to them what kind of people they are paying the advertising money to. That is when I noticed that this magazine does not even have an adverisers index.

I found this link on the internet. Please make your voice heard. I know I am going to.

[...]

This is one of the best sources for ideas on home improvement. Beyond the great ideas, they also give you detailed directions on projects along with a good number of pictures. I have learned how to do a great number of things I used to hire others to do because I thought I didn't have the skills - they make most projects around the house seem accessible, but not by oversimplifying the process. Some may argue that they give too much detail, but this is essential for anyone new to a project and can be breezed through for those that are more experienced.

The only downside is that they give you ideas for things you never knew you needed!

This is by far the premier magazine for Do-It-Yourselfers and family handymen. The ideas, projects and material are laid out in easy to follow drawings, diagrams, illustrations and pictures with well written text. These are really collector type magazines in that you will want to save each one so that as you have a household project to do you can refer back to a specific magazine to help you.