Let me introduce you to the Redneck Engineering subreddit. This page is famous for celebrating all of the stupid and yet simultaneously genius solutions to everyday problems that creative people have come up with. They might not be the most conventional ways to go about things, but if you are not as concerned about aesthetics as you are about saving money or doing the grunt work yourself, there’s nothing wrong with these masterpieces. Enjoy this list of pure innovation, and be sure to upvote all of the pics that inspire your inner redneck engineer. Then let us know in the comments if you have ever dabbled in the realm of redneck engineering yourself, and if you’re interested in even more of these crazy creations, you can check out some of Bored Panda’s previous articles on the same subreddit here and here.
#1 My Neighbor Using A Blower Taped To A Skateboard On A Rope To Clean The Roof
Image credits: CaBBaGe_isLaND
The Redneck Engineering subreddit was created in 2013 and has amassed over 561k members since then. Full of images of trucks with unthinkable modifications and plumbing solutions that appear to be verging on dangerous, this subreddit is a treasure trove of redneck innovations. In a previous interview with Bored Panda, the founder of the subreddit, Flounder19 said that the idea for the group came from this post on r/Funny, which features a couple of rednecks floating on a makeshift picnic table/boat on a lake.
Flounder19 just knew there must be countless other redneck creations out there, so he created a space to gather them all. He also told my colleague Jonas that redneck engineering does not require special tools or expensive materials. “The things you can do with duct tape and zip ties alone is amazing. Plus it doesn't need to look good as long as it works right,” he said. But he was sure to add some sage advice as well: “Don’t die, please.”
#2 I'm A Skateboard Fan
Image credits: EndersGame_Reviewer
#3 I Do This So Often That I Made A Jig
Image credits: BackAlleyKittens
The term “redneck engineering” may sound questionable, as rednecks are often given a bad rap, but there’s nothing wrong with embracing the term for fun, especially when celebrating your genius engineering innovations. According to JStor Daily, the term redneck dates all the way back to the 1800s, but it has often been used as a derogatory term since then. However, it originally just alluded to the commonly sunburned backs of farmers’ necks in the south, and some working class people even claimed the term as a “badge of class pride”.
Today, the term is sometimes used to imply that someone is racist or bigoted, but that’s only a stereotype. Just because someone is a farmer or lives in the country does not mean they hold prejudices. (And just because someone is "high-class" does not mean they are an advocate for equality...) There are plenty of kind and open-minded rednecks who simply just want to build hot tubs out of their old truck beds and construct floating picnic tables.
#4 Pool Heater
Image credits: Longjumping-Sir-6687
#5 Homemade Kitty Backpack. Ratchet Straps, Cardboard Box, Tape And A Colander
Image credits: Lofwyr2030
#6 Found On Fb, Thought It Was Pretty Slick
Image credits: reddit.com
Having a “redneck aesthetic” was actually trendy for a while there, and much of the fashion from decades ago is still beloved by vintage enthusiasts today. According to Patrick Huber, author of A Short History of “Redneck”: The Fashioning of a Southern White Masculine Identity, in the 1970s, redneck chic was born. “Suddenly, trendy white Americans across the country affected phony southern drawls, dressed up in Levi’s and cowboy boots, sipped Lone Star and Pabst longnecks, tuned into Waylon and Willie, and hankered for meals of fried pork chops, grits, greens, and biscuits and gravy. ‘Redneck chic’—which anticipated by half a decade the western-wear and bull-riding fad created by the blockbuster hit film Urban Cowboy (1981)—spawned its own distinct body of literature, to use the term loosely.”
#7 Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions
Image credits: washedupprogranner
#8 This Counts, Right?
Image credits: LinuxUser13301939
#9 Don't Throw Out That Broken Broom Just Yet
Image credits: Dr_Zol_Epstein_III
Even today, there are “up-scale” or “postmodern” rednecks, like country music stars and famous comedians, who have comfortable lifestyles but still embrace their Southern roots. “These are the ‘rednecks’ who frosted their hair and wore camouflage; who played golf and ditched school to shoot and then eat deer, ducks, and turkeys; who wore suits and rode four-wheelers; who joined preppy fraternities and took their dates mud-hogging (look it up),” explains Kelli Marshall of JStor Daily.
“And today, these are the same ‘rednecks’ who post to social media photographs of their families in Grand Cayman and Disneyworld—right alongside shots of themselves disemboweling deer, wearing overalls, and chewing tobacco.” The choice to "redneck engineer" something does not necessarily mean that a person was not capable or did not have the funds of doing it any other way; they might just like humble solutions. And if how their projects are done doesn't bother them, why should their methods bother anyone else?
#10 Spotted These Life Jugs On A Trip To The Lake In Tennessee
Image credits: parothed28
#11 Fastest Way To Crack Your Nuts
Image credits: u/Accomplished_Kick435
#12 My Gas Cap Stopped Closing Properly, So I Came Up With A Solution
Image credits: 0311fml
I’m sure this goes without saying, but a person also does not need to actually be a redneck to embrace “redneck engineering”. Anyone can partake, despite their background or where they live. Redneck engineering doesn't discriminate! All they need is to channel their inner MacGyver and become inspired by these cheap, odd and creative solutions to problems. But when embarking on a DIY project, one thing to keep in mind is safety. There is a very fine line between creating something that looks hilarious and deserves a, “That’ll do!” And putting yourself and/or others in danger. Particularly with projects that involve plumbing, vehicles that will be on the road or contraptions that will be floating on water, every redneck engineer knows that they need to ensure there will not be any fires or flooding/drowning risks.
#13 Dog Accessories
Image credits: reddit.com
#14 Door Bell
Image credits: hypernutz_79
#15 No Guitar Hero Guitar? No Problem
Back in 2006 we lived in Thailand and I couldn't find a Guitar Hero controller for my PlayStation 2 so I made one out of a mosquito zapper. It even had a mercury switch to activate Star Power.
Image credits: Tominator2000
Some tools and DIY projects are more prone to involving accidents than others. So we consulted this analysis from Porch explaining what the most dangerous tools are and how to be more careful when using them. When you imagine injuries happening during DIY projects, you might be picturing sharp tools and having dozens of bandaids on hand, but you may be surprised to hear that ladders were actually the cause of the highest number of injuries, by far. In 2017, accidents involving ladders led to over 193k trips to the emergency room in the United States. So if your DIY projects involve ladders at all, it might be a good idea to wear a helmet next time… Just in case!
#16 It Ain't Stupid If It Works
Image credits: trollfaceofgod
#17 Ahoy! I Humbly Submit A Photo From My Redneck Pirate Ship Build
Image credits: JodyShackelford
#18 Build Me A Yacht With Everything On Board. I Don't Care How Much It Costs!
Image credits: donebeenforgotten
After ladders, hardware (such as nails, screws and tacks), lawn mowers, power saws, cleaning equipment, manual garden tools, knives with replaceable blades, cleaning agents, grinders/polishers/buffers, chain saws, and hammers are the next most dangerous tools to use at home. Cleaning agents and cleaning equipment might be surprising compared to all of their sharp and high powered counterparts, but apparently they are a sneaky contributor to lung decline. If you are ever working with chemicals or anything that could be toxic, be sure to protect yourself. Porch notes that regular exposure to toxic cleaning products can actually have a similar effect on your lungs to smoking.
#19 PC Automatically Alt-Tabs When Door Is Opened
Image credits: u/reloadthewords
#20 Feast Your Eyes… My Brother’s Gaming Chair
Image credits: YoungBeef03
#21 Business In The Front Party In The Back Like A Sweet Mullet
Image credits: Lotus_Stalker
When it comes to what tools are damaging what parts of people’s bodies, you might not be thrilled to learn that there is something to target every part of you. Whether it’s falling off a ladder and getting a concussion or stepping on a nail that shoots into your foot, DIY projects can be responsible for injuries head to toe. Even internal organs can be affected by batteries, bleaches, and other cleaning supplies. Be sure to wear protective glasses when using any grinder, polishers or buffers to protect your eyes, and be careful with your fingers when busting a bench or table saw. And I mentioned helmets when using ladders before, but you might also want wrist pads, knee pads, elbow pads, and what the heck, throw in a neck brace while you're at it.
#22 I Accidentally Broke Off 1 Blade, So I Clipped 2 More To Keep The Fan Balanced
Image credits: Cancerix1700
#23 Can't Afford 20" Rims? No Problem
Image credits: Rob_Haggis
#24 Made Pasta Before Realizing I Had No Strainer
Image credits: crackheadonskis
When it comes to who is being injured the most during DIY adventures, over 70% of accidents occur with men. This might just be because men are more likely to think of themselves as handy and run full force into a project, but women might also just be more careful when using tools. The age group that sustains the most injuries from tools is people in their 50’s, but once a man reaches 25, his risk of injuring himself using a tool shoots up and continues to grow until after age 60. Dudes seem to have several solid decades of confidence in conducting DIY projects, but maybe they should be a bit more careful…
#25 They Fixed It
Image credits: alex_int
#26 Coworker Kept Taking My Hole Punch... Well Not Anymore
Image credits: Hunter_Rodrigez
#27 Home Alone - No Help To Replace The Bottom Washer
Image credits: Sunstoned1
We hope you are enjoying this list of genius redneck innovations that people have shared online. Perhaps you are getting inspired to do some renovations to your master bathroom now or upgrade your truck's bed into a cozy hang out spot. Keep upvoting all of the creations that you find so stupid they might actually be brilliant, and then let us know in the comments what your best feat of redneck engineering has been. And if you want to check out even more of these pics, don't forget to read Bored Panda's last article featuring the same subreddit right here.
#28 I Call It The Meth Mobile
Image credits: haserhello
#29 Never Underestimate A Redneck…
Image credits: murho82
#30 Backup Camera Where There Is None
Image credits: yourstrulyjarjar
#31 I Think This Qualifies?
Image credits: Low_Adhesiveness_763
#32 My 11 Year Old Scotch Taped The Phone To His Face So He Could Play Xbox And Talk
Image credits: Caffeinequeen86
#33 When You Sit Next To The Stoner Kid From The Technical School
Image credits: argie1991
#34 I Guess This Is Better Than Taking It To A Junk Yard
Image credits: darkman21
#35 On This Day, 11 Years Ago, My Friend Didn't Bring His Picnic Chair To Camping, But We Had A Roll Of String
Image credits: Grothorious
#36 Hmmm
Image credits: babiescantswim
#37 When The Keurig In The Office Breakroom Finally Dies; You Improvise!
Image credits: clayorrnot
#38 Certainly An Interesting Setup
Image credits: SilveradoSurfer16
#39 Yup That'll Hold
Image credits: Lotus_Stalker
#40 Foundation
Image credits: SleepyJoeBiden1001
#41 Mouse Belt Buckle.
Image credits: Tatarkingdom
#42 Never Thought I’d Have To Worry About Buying Secondhand Tools With Athlete’s Foot, But Here We Are
Image credits: SasquatchEmporium
#43 Man I Get That The Economy Incentivises Not Spending Much But Some Landlords Go A Bit Too Far
Image credits: Renkij
#44 Serious Inquiries Only
Image credits: Granola90
#45 Jetskiyak
Image credits: dacoobob
#46 Found This On An Old Project File, I Was Ahead Of My Time
Image credits: Danthedepresedman
#47 Why Would Anyone Buy A Weedeater?
Image credits: acidmine
#48 Used A Leaf Blower And A Funnel To Inflate A Pool. Actually Worked Fairly Quickly
Image credits: crazyanne
#49 Honestly.... Not In A Big Rush To Fix It
Image credits: fgtrtd007
#50 Redneck Backyard Jacuzzi
Image credits: nokedl0218
#51 5th Wheel Unified School District…
Image credits: XROOR
#52 My Brother’s Homemade Antenna
Image credits: shoveitupyoassss
#53 Redneck Dumptruck Courtesy Of My Grandpa
Image credits: Arborix
#54 Presta Valve Broke, But Instead Of Walking To The Nearest Bikeshop With A Flat Tire.. I Ziptied My Handpump On Some Spokes And Rode There. The Mechanic Couldn't Believe Wat He Saw
Image credits: Neliszz
#55 Does This Count As Redneck Engineering? My Partner Rigged It Up For Me Last Night When I Was Super Hot
Image credits: SabrinaT8861
#56 The Price Of Electricity Is Too Damn High!
Image credits: Fleosca
#57 How My Uncle Charges His Laptop
Image credits: TophusAurelius
#58 You Little Sh**s Won’t Get My Catalytic Converter Next Time
Image credits: An-person
#59 They Got Pulled Over, Fined $139 And Got Their License Suspended For This, The U-Haul Was Overdue Too
Image credits: vaporwave_enthusiast
#60 I Got Tired Of The Air Blowing Across The Ceiling And Not On My Face. Probably Should Have Asked The Marketing Team For Help With The Name Tho
Image credits: Atillion
#61 A Tractor Carrying A Truck, Carrying A Truck, Carrying Another Truck
Image credits: Many_Respect4967
#62 I Think They Could Have Found Better Scrap To Make This
Image credits: darkman21
#63 Gate Broken? No Problem! Use A Wood Pallet And Plastic Wrap For Hinges
Image credits: The_muffinfluffin
#64 My Buddies’ Homemade Quadtoon
Image credits: redditAPsucks
#65 The Reddest Of Seller Necks
Image credits: Upstairs-Gur-7178
#66 Stole From Another Sub
Image credits: Mylo-s
#67 A Tube TV Dies, A Table Born
Image credits: tiulau
#68 The Most Authentic Taco Stands
Image credits: OriginalTRaven
#69 Max Ac In The Desert
Image credits: Key_Understanding_84
#70 Local Fb Marketplace Find
Image credits: megomyegoooooo
#71 A Mark 5 Golf With A Working Forklift-Mechanism
Image credits: Discobastard
#72 Must Be Preparing For A Flood Lasting For 40 Days And 40 Nights
Image credits: Lotus_Stalker
#73 I Call It The Pigeon Remover 3000
Image credits: Vitasovec
#74 Ain’t She A Beaut??! Saw This On A Yardsale Group Offering Installation
Image credits: grumpycreature
#75 Found At A Rural Gas Station:
Image credits: meowmixalots
#76 Three Different Hardware Stores Said “You’re Gonna Have To Jerry Rig It”
Image credits: fernmurda
#77 I Mean, I Could Put On A New Doorknob, But, If It Ain't Broke...
Image credits: clhomme
#78 My Grandfather Fixed This Cheese Slicer With A Piece Of Wire. What’s The Crazy Part Is He’s Been Dead For 15 Years And We Have Never Had A Problem Since It Was Fixed
Image credits: Both-Imagination4319
#79 Now They Will Never Steal My Tools
Image credits: drpepperserverdude
#80 Redneck Moment
Image credits: Infiltron
#81 Found Random On Internet
Image credits: KicksterCZ
#82 Christmas Tree Stand Broke. I Was A Single Dad. Found This Old Pic
Image credits: Don_e_Darko
#83 My Neighbor Built A New Wall
Image credits: silver-saguaro
#84 I Wanted Some Sous Vide Steak Very Badly, So I Made A Quick-And-Dirty Temp Control
Image credits: ichthyosandr
#85 My 70 Year Old Grandpa Made A Barbecue Pit Out Of An Old Gambling Machine
Image credits: anuarsalas
#86 Turning A Bouncy House Blower Into A Floor Dryer
Image credits: oopewan
#87 Saw This On Carsales...
Image credits: steinyboi
#88 1st Floor Projector Was Vibrating While People On The 2nd Floor Were Walking Around. Added In Some Premium Damping To Stabilize It. Can't Wait To Send My Bill To The Boss
Image credits: HecklerusPrime
#89 Cruise Control
Image credits: Dylan-Dank
#90 I Mean If It Works...
Image credits: Urdadfrom20yearsago
#91 At Least It's Still An Actual Fuse, Right?
Image credits: acidmine
#92 Wrap A Kids Bmx Tire Around The Drive Wheels And The Power Wheel Will Almost Never Get Stuck!
Image credits: johhnytexas
#93 Kayaking Is Cool And All But... What If You Stuck A Prop On A Drill? Testing Begins This Week
Image credits: fgtrtd007
#94 Just Like Brand New Again
Image credits: Lotus_Stalker
#95 Redneck Pool Heater
Image credits: DirtLPs
#96 Lawn Mower T-3000 Cuts A Quarter Mile In 10 Secs
Image credits: Lotus_Stalker
#97 An Older Dude Drove This Up To The Gas Station
Image credits: Good-Fucking-Luck
#98 Homemade Charcoal Starter. Actually Worked Quite Well
Image credits: Sinner72
#99 Cousin Fixed The Closet Door With A Marble
Image credits: ojpap
#100 Almost Can’t Tell…
Image credits: Kgmercier
#101 Found This Beautiful Extension Cord Today. There Is A Hand Cranck On The Other Side
Image credits: LinuxUser13301939
#102 My Brother's Solution To Clearing Out Brush And Saplings Instead Of Renting A Brush Hog. That Man Makes Me Proud
Image credits: 7XN