More Power! How a Fictional 1990s Tool Brand Became Tim Allen’s Ultimate Career Easter Egg

Published: July 10, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

From HOME IMPROVEMENT to TOY STORY to LAST MAN STANDING, Tim Allen takes his favorite made-up tool brand into every project.

HOME IMPROVEMENT, which aired from 1991-1999, followed Allen’s Tim “The Toolman” Taylor into a world of “power tools, parenting and the modern male mystique.” The character hosted TOOL TIME, a show-within-a-show, alongside his mild-mannered assistant, Al Borland. TOOL TIME’s sole sponsor? Binford Tools.

Nearly every tool Allen’s character introduced on the show was part of the “Binford 6100” line. His custom modifications usually involved adding massive engines (like a lawnmower or V8 engine) to everyday appliances, inevitably leading to short circuits, explosions or hospital visits.

The brand made an appearance in TOY STORY. Careful viewers can see that the heavy toolbox trapping Woody in neighborhood bully Sid’s bedroom has the Binford Tools logo on it. This was a deliberate nod to Allen, who voiced Buzz Lightyear, according to Yahoo Entertainment.

In Season 9, episode 2, Allen played a double role in a crossover event where his LAST MAN STANDING character, Mike Baxter, meets his iconic 1990s sitcom character, Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.

When they first meet, Vanessa (Mike’s wife) and Mike are both completely stunned by how identical the two men look, joking that it feels like “The Grandparent Trap.” Then Tim explains that he is visiting from Detroit to check on a franchise for Binford Tools. He mentions that people back home had been telling him for a long time that there was an “outdoor guy” who looked exactly like him.

The two immediately engage in some playful banter. When Tim jabs that Detroit has nothing else to talk about, “certainly not the Lions,” Mike retorts that he doesn’t usually hire handyman help because he is pretty good with tools himself. Next, Tim proudly boasts about his eight-year run hosting TOOL TIME and breaks into his iconic masculine grunting — which Mike finds a little annoying.

Binford Tools also made cameos in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and the Disney movie MIRACLE.

Whether tucked away as a subtle Disney Easter egg or center stage in a surreal sitcom crossover, the enduring legacy of Binford Tools proves that Tim Allen’s brand of “more power” continues to unite his iconic roles across decades of entertainment history.

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