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.”

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. 

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.”

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?  

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.

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!  

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.   

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. 

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… 

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.