7 power tools that every woodworker must have

Whether you are a professional woodworker, or just have projects of woodworking in mind, here are the 7 power tools that you must have around to become a great woodworker. The main obstacle for begininng woodworkers is their budget; most are afraid they will not be able to afford a whole shop full of brand new shiny power tools to get started.

Fortunately, most of the time, you don’t have to spend all your hard-earned cash on power tools to be ready for your next woodworking project. Take a look at the best power tools to have for a beginning woodworker, that you should have from the start; most of them are relatively inexpensive. Armed with these power tools, you can tackle quite a number of projects.

Circular Saw

Some purists might consider that the circular saw to be more of a carpentry tool, than a very useful woodworking tool. There may be no more polyvalent basic handheld power tool than a circular saw. Utilized with a clamp-on straight edge, the circular saw can be as precise as a table saw can take on quite a few of the tasks that you would try with a table saw, such as cutting sheet goods like medium-density fiberboard or plywood. If you wish to begin woodworking but have indeed a tight budget, a quality saw must should be the first handheld power tool you purchase.

Our recommendation: DeWALT - 20V MAX* 6-1/2" Circular Saw (Tool Only) - DCS391B - DeWALT - 6-1/2" (165mm) 18V Cordless Circular Saw (Tool Only) - DC390B

Power Drill

Because of its uncontested versatilty, a power drill is expected on a woodoworking tool list. Even though a cordless drill has the hability to be portable, a corded drill has the advantage of being more powerful and versatile, and less expensive than the cordless drills. You need to consider options when choosing a corded power drill, such as whether you want a ⅜ inch or ½ inch, key or keyless chuck, straight drill or hammer drill and so on. Make a wise purchase and learn all about these options to find the best drill for woodworking.

Our recommendation: Makita - 1/2” VSR Corded Drill - 6302H - Milwaukee - 3/8" Corded Drill - 0240-20

Jigsaw

The third tool you must have as a beginning woodworker is the jigsaw. It allows you to cut curved and circular patterns in stock. The professional woodworker would surely prefer a band saw, which is more likely to be accurate and to cut thicker stock. However, a jigsaw (often referred to as a sabre saw) will be perfect for the beginner. For improved versatility, opt for a an orbital-action, corded jigsaw that is comfortable in your hand and that has an easy blade changing system.

Our recommendation: Hitachi - Variable Speed Jig Saw - CJ110MV - DeWALT - 20V MAX* Li-lon Jigsaw Kit (Tool Only) - DCS331B

Random Orbital Sander

The fourth most important basic handheld power tool every woodworking beginning must have is a random orbital sander. Even though palm sanders are less costly and can use plain sandpaper (cut into one-fourth sections), a random orbital sander uses hook-and-loop fastened sanding disks and does not sand in patters, using a random sanding motion instead. This will motion will serve to reduce the chance that any sanding mark will appear on the stock, due the sanding. Make sure you have supplies of sanding disks in a number of grits to fit the model that you choose, as the key to proper sanding is to use progressively grits as you sand to reduce or remove any marks that has been left behind from previous sanding.

Our recommendation: Festool - 5" Random Orbit Sander ETS 125 - 571817 - Hitachi - 1.7 Amp Orbital 1/4 Sheet Sander with Cloth Dust Bag - SV12SG

Table Saw

Now that you have the first four handheld power tools in your workshop, and have become comfortable using them, why not gear up your arsenal with your first and most important tool purchase. Your table saw will become the heart and soul of every woodworking shop, your pièce-de-résistance around which all of the other tools are used and organized; so you want to get the best table saw that your budget can endure. Don’t be afraid to make a little research to learn which features you really need, but also to find the best table saw for woodworking.

Our recommendation: DeWALT - 10" Table Saw (32-1/2" Rip Capacity) with Rolling Stand w/ Guard Detect - DWE7499GD - Makita - 10” Table Saw - 2705

Compound Miter Saw

After find the best table saw for your wood shop, the next major purchase you must consider has to be a compound miter saw. Even though it is not as expensive as a quality table saw, a compound miter saw has not match when it comes to cut compound angles (beveled, mitered, and combination cuts) on the ends of a piece of stock. Once you master the ability to make precise cuts with a compound miter saw, your circular saw will spend a little more time in storage than it used to.

Our recommendation: DeWALT - 10" (254mm) Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw - DW717 - Makita - 10" Compound Mitre Saw - LS1040

Router

The last tool we recommend for every beginning woodoworker is a high-quality router. While many routers that are available on the market today offer two different bases (a stationary base and a plunge router base), for most beginner, a stationary base model is the best to take care of quite a number of tasks, and can also be mounted in router table. Choose a router model that is at least 2-HP and has electronic variable speed controls, a soft start mechanism and is easy to make bit changes.

Our recommendation: Bosch - 1 HP Colt™ VS Palm Router Combo Kit - PR20EVSPK - Milwaukee - 1-3/4 Max HP BodyGrip® Router - 5615-20

With these 7 essential tools for woodworkers, you will be able not only to realize all the projects you have ever dreamed of, but also have quality power tools under hand to achieve them.

Looking to buy a specific power tool ? Contact us and we will be happy to help you!