Michael Springer

About Michael Springer

Craftsman and former tool magazine editor Michael Springer specializes in testing tools and covering the tool industry for construction and woodworking professionals. Based in Boulder County, Colorado, but going wherever the story takes him, Michael crisscrosses the country yearly visiting tool manufacturers and industry personalities and attending trade shows. He also treks to major manufacturers in Europe to stay apprised of the newest tool developments and track the design influences that shape many construction tool products long before they reach our shores. When not out sleuthing or at the shop or job site running the kilowatts through the latest power tools, Michael enjoys unplugging and getting his hands on his collection of antique and new wood shaping tools. He enjoys nothing more than a day of rustic woodworking, starting with a log and making the chips fly with chain saw, axe and adze.

The Buzz About Husqvarna’s New Chainsaws

Michael Springer April 1, 2019 Leave a Comment

Home Fixated’s roving reporter Michael Springer here, fresh from the latest Husqvarn-event. Not so fresh actually, I got stuck down south for a few extra days due to some crazy weather events, but I made it back to work eventually. Husqvarna held its special media event at the Biltmore estate in Ashville, North Carolina to launch five new gas chainsaws and some interesting cutting and climbing accessories that are new to the brand. The event location was chosen in honor of the fact that the property was the site of the first forestry school in the United States. The Biltmore Forest School was established in 1898 and used the Vanderbilt’s 125,000 acres of thickly wooded hills as its campus. And speaking of noteworthy dates, this year marks the 60th year Husqvarna had been manufacturing chainsaws, a fairly recent development however, considering that the company has been in business since 1689. Read More

Highlights of the 2019 International Builders’ Show

Michael Springer March 3, 2019 Leave a Comment

Roving reporter Michael Springer here with coverage of the 2019 International Builders’ Show (IBS), held in snowy Las Vegas, Nevada. The weather was unusual, but it was still warmer than where many of us were visiting from so no biggie. The 2019 IBS marks the 75th anniversary of this trade show, and this year the show featured more than 1,500 exhibitors sprawled out over 600,000 square feet. Now combined with the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), every hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center was filled, and the attendee count broke the 100,000 people mark. I wandered as much of the acreage as I could (including the outdoor exhibits), and I encountered cool tools and gear, building materials and fasteners, and everything else that goes into a house. Read More