<P> Timothy `` Tim '' Taylor ( Tim Allen ) -- Tim Taylor ( the character has a birth date of October 1954 ) is the father of the family . Ever the know - it - all , Tim believes he has an incredibly wide knowledge of tools , electronics , and general mechanics . In reality , he is highly accident - prone . He actually does have a significant amount of skill as a general handyman , but can be overly confident and prone to spectacular mishaps . He often forgets a crucial step , ignores instructions , makes ill - advised modifications , or comes to inaccurate conclusions . The only exception to this ineptitude is when working on cars , at which he excels . He is left - handed but actually does a great deal of his work with his right hand . Taylor 's `` arch enemy '' , so to speak , was the real - life home improvement specialist , Bob Vila . One episode saw Tim competing against Bob Vila in a lawnmower contest for charity . Tim actually installed a jet engine on his machine - which resulted in Tim causing unintended chaos and destruction . Tim hosts a home improvement show called Tool Time with his co-host and friend , Al Borland . While Al is his co-host , Al constantly must remind Tim of safety regulations and practices . Tim often ignores Al 's advice , and this frequently results in an accident . While it is constantly mentioned that Tool Time is a limited local home improvement show that sits very high on the channel dial , Tool Time seems to have a very wide audience in the state of Michigan , and is progressively broadcast to more outlets across the Midwest ( A season 5 episode has Tim , Al , and Bud brainstorming for ideas on how to bring the show into the Chicago markets ) . Tim often boasts at his popularity for hosting the show , although many people state that they like Al better . A running gag involves people encountering Tim in public and stating , `` Oh , we always watch Tool Time ... we love Al . '' To which an annoyed Tim would reply , `` Oh yeah , we all love Al . '' In later seasons , however , it is learned that Tim actually has a higher fan base than Al . </P>
<P> Timothy `` Tim '' Taylor ( Tim Allen ) -- Tim Taylor ( the character has a birth date of October 1954 ) is the father of the family . Ever the know - it - all , Tim believes he has an incredibly wide knowledge of tools , electronics , and general mechanics . In reality , he is highly accident - prone . He actually does have a significant amount of skill as a general handyman , but can be overly confident and prone to spectacular mishaps . He often forgets a crucial step , ignores instructions , makes ill - advised modifications , or comes to inaccurate conclusions . The only exception to this ineptitude is when working on cars , at which he excels . He is left - handed but actually does a great deal of his work with his right hand . Taylor 's `` arch enemy '' , so to speak , was the real - life home improvement specialist , Bob Vila . One episode saw Tim competing against Bob Vila in a lawnmower contest for charity . Tim actually installed a jet engine on his machine - which resulted in Tim causing unintended chaos and destruction . Tim hosts a home improvement show called Tool Time with his co-host and friend , Al Borland . While Al is his co-host , Al constantly must remind Tim of safety regulations and practices . Tim often ignores Al 's advice , and this frequently results in an accident . While it is constantly mentioned that Tool Time is a limited local home improvement show that sits very high on the channel dial , Tool Time seems to have a very wide audience in the state of Michigan , and is progressively broadcast to more outlets across the Midwest ( A season 5 episode has Tim , Al , and Bud brainstorming for ideas on how to bring the show into the Chicago markets ) . Tim often boasts at his popularity for hosting the show , although many people state that they like Al better . A running gag involves people encountering Tim in public and stating , `` Oh , we always watch Tool Time ... we love Al . '' To which an annoyed Tim would reply , `` Oh yeah , we all love Al . '' In later seasons , however , it is learned that Tim actually has a higher fan base than Al . </P>
his character on home improvement is tim the toolman taylor
his character on home improvement is tim the toolman taylor
Tim Allen
Tim Allen