For router bits, buy a big set of inexpensive bits. The ones that you wear out and wear the paint off of are the ones you should invest money on a _good_ bit. The rest will probably never come out of the case. For the occasion you need that odd-ball bit, you've got one.
It’s also good advice because in the beginning your lack of experience will cause you to abuse your bits more than when you’re a little more knowledgeable. There are cases where you definitely should try to buy your second [fill in the blank] first, but I think this isn’t one of them.
Probably a flush trim bit is the first one anyone would definitely splurge on. It might be slightly more work and dirty. But it's satisfying to get perfectly flush edges.
I've been a professional custom furniture builder for 50 years. You can do so much more with a tablesaw versus a mitersaw it should be bought first. I did without a mitersaw for 35 years and only bought one when I started doing home remodeling. Otherwise I think your list is pretty spot on.
Table saw #1. CAST IRON TOP TABLE SAW FROM THE 1960's-70's. NEVER A PLASTIC TOY...JUNK! There are a lot of good used tools out there usually for dirt prices. Hand Sander...get a DA like used in a body shop but electric. For $20-30 you can get multiple other hand sanders, about the same with older drills if they aren't beat. They die it's a trip to a fast food joint to replace.
As a professional carpenter, I commend your video on the essential power tools for beginner woodworkers. Your breakdown of the first five tools, including the drill and driver combo, circular saw, sander, miter saw, and router, provides practical advice. Your recommendations on brand selection, battery options, and the importance of investing in quality tools will greatly benefit beginners in their woodworking journey. Keep up the great work!
Im 19 1 month in im a weight weenie i live ryobi but then again i only used Ryobi nd dewalts basic kits there my grandpas but cant wait to have my set of tools that are suited towards my comfortability
I‘m into woodworking for many years now but I will never understand why so many people immediately get a circular and a miter saw instead of a band saw. To me the band saw is the most flexible tool out there and is far cheaper than a miter saw. The other saws are nice sure, but as a beginner do you really need them? I‘d say especially for the miter saw hell no.
Ryobi tools get a lot of crap but I don't make money on my tools and they've been completely perfect for the DIY stuff that I do. Christmas sales, daily deals, and Direct Tools give me prices that I can't beat. I started buying into the Ryobi system almost 2 years ago and I'm already up to 14 tools. The reasonable prices allow me to buy specialty tools that I wouldn't even consider if I had gone with the DeWalt, Makita, or Milwaukee.
Yeah, I went the Ryobi route as well and so far no complaints. That said, I did recently purchase the DeWalt Plunge router because it just seemed to be a really legit and well reviewed tool. Also, since it's wired it's not like I'm having an oddball battery. So, for some tools, probably like table saws and what not good to do some research. But for battery powered thus far Ryobi has worked out for me.
I've been a Ryobi guy when the color was still blue... drill, driver, mitter saw (finally broke after many years and replaced it with a Dewalt sliding saw), drill press (probably 18 years old still works good) Most of Ryobi will last a long time. On palm sanders (corded) there is quite a difference when using it vs a Dewalt (less noise, less vibration in the hand with dewalt)
Same. I'm no pro, but I try to diy anything I can. Built multiple decks, tables, stands, shelves, catios, traps, auto work etc. My power tool collection is probably 95% Ryobi, Wen, and Harbor Freight. I have pretty much every main power tool except planer/jointer. Over the past 7-8 years, I've only had to part ways with one tool: the harbor freight Chicago Electric table saw. The old red and black one. It worked fine, but the fence was crazy bad. Like, fear for your life bad. All of the Ryobi stuff has been great. Zero complaints. If I want cordless, I go Ryobi. Everything else is HF.
Same here, but for certain tools. If I'm not going to use it as much, I'll buy a Ryobi. They haven't let me down. Got gas chainsaws, but tried out a Ryobi 40v pole saw because I didn't need it as much, and it has been solid. Guided me to buy their weedwacker, edger, and recently an electric planer for my fledgling wood working. I'm very happy with it, and for the money, the performance and quality is fine
I am 22 y/o started doing framing with my dad after high school at 18, 4 years in & im finally starting to get into wood working as a hobby, have so much enthusiasm for it, thanks for all the tips & tricks provided, been binge watching these videos trying to soak up all that knowledge, thank you 🙏🏼
This video makes me feel privileged. I had a Grandfather who was a wood worker and my Father had tools for building small projects and for home repairs. My 1st purchase was a belt sander then a router.
As I was getting started, I had a store rep talk me into the 18 volt Makita brushless drill/driver combo. I am SO glad. I have continued to purchase tools in that line and love everyone of them. So far, I have the sander, small vacuum, multi tool, hammer drill, demo saw, and 4 1/2” grinder. The batteries have held up great and the charger is really fast. The tools are super tough and powerful. I have been able to also use some of my father in laws DeWalt 18 volt but they just don’t match up.
I found that my dad's Dewalt 18v didn't stand a chance vs my husband's 18 v Makita. My dad had an adapter for a 20v on the drill but the battery never showed up after he passed. Even have the 20v charger. Upon deciding which to buy (amphours) hubby said go with 4+ the 18v for the Dewalt was like a 2 and his makita was a 4 or 5. I went and got a 5 for the Dewalt and now our drills are equivalent in many if not all areas mine is just heavier cause of the converter attachment which is hardly noticeable tbh.
Current dewalt lineup is very impressive and easily on par, if not better than makita. I have mostly makita stuff but I've spent the last few weeks working with the new dewalt flexvolt range and they really are lovely tools. Must say I'm tempted to go dewalt at some point in the future.
You nailed it. The first tools that I bought back when I was still living in a small apartment were a drill/driver, handheld jigsaw, quarter sheet sander, and a 7-1/4 inch circular saw. I built lots of stuff for that apartment with just those four tools. Later on, when I had more space, I got a router and a table saw. Not sure about the miter saw being essential for a beginner - I guess it depends on what kind of projects you're doing - like lots of molding trim. I actually get by with a high quality miter box and hand miter saw for furniture trim.
Just started woodworking when I inherited some tools from my late father. Thanks a bunch for the useful tips. I plan to get a planer before a table saw. I already have the other 4, and I figure saving all that time from hand planning is going to be worth it. I might be missing something, but I can do most of what I think I need already with the miter/circular/router. I might even go for a lathe before a table saw, just because of the added application.
Cabinet saw, planer, drill press, router table and band saw. That will get you started. Then add a hollow chisel mortiser. I was able to do that for under $5,000. Not bad. Then add the hand tools like specialty saws, chisels, mallets, etc. I found it very easy to go down the rabbit hole and never had enough tools! I converted $$ into projects and loved it. Great hobby!
Just saying. I bought a ryobi 5 piece tool kit back in 2016. It’s still going strong. My impact just recently started to smell. Was wanting to try a different brand but ryobi has never let me down actually. Plus, it’s hard to go to another brand when I have so many ryobi batteries lol.
That Dewalt miter saw was the first big tool my son and I bought for our business. absolutely essential for crown molding, and like you said doing precise repeat cuts you can't beat it.
My uncle left two tools at out house that i ended up using. (Art crafting wood work) I had a jigsaw and a dremel tool. I worked with those. Yet the first thing i bought was a grinder from a neighbor for $20 or $30. Couldn't afford a router yet. Went creek walking and found a router that worked for a few pieces that afforded me to buy a router and circular sander. After more money it was the circular saw. Belt sander then a miter saw. IF I was starting out with a little money at the start my first 5 would of been basically your 5 with two differences. It would be the first 6 tools. Dremel, belt sander (hand held), router, circular saw, miter saw, and table saw. There is a 7th tool I like alot was an alternative to the table saw that I have that I like better for a few reasons. It's a rockwell bladerunner that's basically a a jig saw on a table and a blade stabilizer. It can preformed better than a jigsaw do cuts I can see better and go where ever I push it. Not the fastest for straight cuts like the table saw but can still got it done.
I still remember my order and i stand by it. Impact, combi, drill and sircular saw starter pack. Everyone should start with that. Choose carefully thats you battery platform for life. I went makita. If i had my time again i would go milwalki . Then i got a jigsaw a multi tool and a an sds. after that an auto feed screw gun. Thats hilti dont bother with any autofeed other than hilty or festool. I got the autofeed so soon because drywall and decking is easy money and that work funded my expansion and alowed me to learn basic skills that carry forward. After that i got palm router and a plane .Then i got sick of hammering so i got a 1st and a second fix nail gun. Both hikoki . Finally a tiny 18v mitre saw for tiny tiny pieces of trim i cant quite hold my square on and run the sirc saw down. Anything bigger than a one by one i find holding the square method perfectly accurate. Ive no interest in large mitre saws or table saws. Cant be bothered to move it or set it up . Just get good with a secular saw and you will never need one. When i see chipies go to the van fetch an entire mitre saw and table to do a bit of dor trim im embarrassed for them . If you reset me to just the 2 drills circ saw and hand tools i could still do every job just a bit slower .
I agree with 80% of this list, but I have a different experience with the miter saw. I sold mine because it took up too much space in my small workspace, and I really haven't missed it. To me it's a more specialty tool for people who need to make precise cuts at the end of long boards, like doing trim. For furniture and other smaller projects, you can use a circular saw to cut the work piece to it's approximate dimensions then use a crosscut or miter sled on your table saw to cut it to precise dimensions. If you have unlimited budget and space it's nice to have, but my advice to beginner woodworkers is to get a track saw instead. Since they won't have a planer/jointer yet they will most likely be working with sheet goods and a track saw is indispensable making straight cuts on sheet goods. I'd even put it ahead of a table saw because It can do the job of a jointer and/or table saw in a pinch. Cheers!
Yeah there’s nothing wrong with miter saws. But having a miter saw and a table saw in addition to a circular saw on a top five list is not efficient. Beginners need tools that give them a way to do different tasks. These tools do the same thing except the table saw does way more. The key is buying tools that let you do more things. Not buying tools that make the same things you can already do easier. Band saw, drill, planer, table saw, router, and then building a bunch of jigs is what would unlock all the woodworking abilities. Sander, jointer, miter saw, circular saw, etc. those tools just make the tasks you can already do easier. I know beginner don’t want to spend money and they don’t know if they will even stick with the hobby. But I think it’s worth thinking about whether a tool lets you do something new or if it just makes something you can already do easier.
@@CarlYota Exactly this. A mitre saw has it purposes, but for most things a beginner is going to do, a table saw does it more accurately with less messing around and for smaller pieces is often safer as well. Table saw should definitely come ahead of a mitre saw for a wood shop. Construction may be a different story, but in a wood shop when you building furniture, cabinetry and other small items, table saw is the more useful tool by far.
Picking a battery system that has a LOT of future options is important. Higher voltage => more power. My first cordless tools were a Rigid drill/driver combo that still works fine. However, I went to the Makita 18 volt system and now have drill, driver, impact wrench, circular saw and chainsaw. YMMV but look at the offerings in the system. (Look at the charging stations in YT videos with 2, 3 or even 4 different chargers. That’s a PITA and the batteries are expensive.) Don’t be afraid to buy tools with cords. Cordless is cool but the power/weight ratio is bad compared to old fashioned cords. Dewalt router comes to mind, as well as a sander. You don’t want a heavy sander - trust me. I also have an ancient Bosch drill that can turn big hole saw bits and drill through anything. My little Rigid drill bogs down with bigger bits. I bought a track saw before getting a table saw or miter saw. With the accessories available today for parallel and 90 degree cuts, you can get a lot done with just a track saw. It’s also a lot more flexible if you have limited space.
Can confirm on the Dewalt table saw. Can be had regularly on sale and built like tanks, a great value. Small downside is that it's only a 8 1/4" blade so you can't use a dado, although Dewalt makes a basically identical saw with the 10" capacity for a few hundred bucks more if that's something you think you'd use often. In my case it wasn't an issue so the 8 1/4" has been just fine. The fence is indeed still perfectly square 4 months in and it's been super easy to use. One benefit of the smaller size blade (and hence a smaller motor required to power it) is that in most cases, you can have a (small) vacuum running on the same circuit as the saw for dust collection without popping a breaker. If you had the 10" and were cutting anything thick I feel there's a chance it would get bogged down and you'd need a separate circuit for it, which isn't always an easy solution for those of us in garage/basement shops, so take that into account if you're in the market for a jobsite size saw.
Don't be afraid to check out pawn shops - especially if you have one that's reputable. We have several in my city, but only 2 of them have good reputations. They always have a lot of tools to sell. I have several tools I got from these 2 places and nothing has died on me yet. The oldest tools from pawn shops are the ones I use the most - my DeWalt cordless drill, my Bosch driver and my Bosch router. In fact, the DeWalt I got for $20 and was for someone else who wanted to help rebuild my deck. 6 years later, it's still working great. Brand new, it was over $100.
@@thenewsydneyguy8662 Yeah, that's true. I have walked away if it's too high $$ for used. But, the 2 good pawn shops in town have a 30 day warranty on everything, so there's at least some time to try it out. I even got a Troy Bilt 2 stage snow blower for $400. Brand new, this model was $1000. It had never been used, not a mark on it. It's ran great for 5 years so far.
I work at a Batteries Plus and another recommendation I would make is to get an extra battery pack or two if there is a deal to do so, and make sure to alternate charging the batteries. If left to discharge it can kill the battery, or left on the charger it may overcharge the battery and kill the overall health. The cost of the batteries nowadays is almost the cost of a brand new tool that comes *with* a new battery. That creates a lot of waste because where can you recycle these tools? Also, rebuilding these battery packs are stupidly expensive too. This comes from having a lot of woodworkers coming in for new batteries and finding out that a new battery can cost around $60 bucks for a new one, or $70-$80 for a rebuilt one. Yeah, makes no sense at all to me but. Just fyi to anyone starting out.
You are a really good teacher. I appreciate the honesty when it comes to what works and what doesn't, and the enthusiasm for products you really believe in. Keep up the good work!
"it could come down to the colour, but thats okay" I love hearing this. I'm new to woodworking and getting my first tools. SO many snobs on the forums/SM will literally belittle somebody if they get a 'cheap' brand or people say they got a drill because they simply liked the look. I sadly can't afford Dewalt or the top brands...and i prefer the funky colours lol Side note: What are peoples opinions on Black and Decker?
4 of those were my first tools… I waited on the miter saw for a while, and got a jigsaw instead. Glad I got the jigsaw, but should have gotten a miter saw earlier.
Amen on what you said about the fence on a table saw! I bought a low end Ridgid three years ago and it's been a headache ever since because of a lousy fence. If the fence isn't square the saw isn't worth having!
Oddly, I just got to needing number 5 on the list. and for me it's a plainer. I feel like with a miter and circular saw I can do just about everything I need for the most part. I'm a super novice beginner just piecing it together and playing around with woodworking. A plainer for me would allow me to square things up allot better!
I just threw away my very first orbital sander today. It was an old Porter Cable, back when they made good tools. Just picked up a new Bosch today, and it's like sanding heaven.
i used to have anxiety about if tools will increase the quality of my work but now looking back I realise I could skip through this video because I had everything. great video
hmm, I work from old rough cut dried sawn timber so my list is somewhat different 1 - a drill, or more than one really so you don't spend all your time swapping bits 2 - a good track saw and rail (preferable in 2 or 3 extendable section so you can end up with a final 3m or so rail or just have a under 1m one for stuff you would do on a miter saw 3 - a good planer / jointer. I consider this essential, it is probably the power tool I use the most since rough timber is borderline useless unless you can get a good plank out of it and pre processed wood is outrageously expensive 4 - a router 5 - a sander
the WEN trim router is great, I think I paid less than $50 direct from WEN, FREE s-h, I have purchases several WEN pdts, their 6" Jointer is way cheaper than Craftsman, and I am happy with it. I just have a small garage wood shop, and 75 years old. My table saw advice, look at the very best 1 you can afford, then get a model the next step up.
Starting out about 20 years ago there weren’t a lot of sliding miter saws, so I bought a Ridgid 12” and it’s been excellent, with a 15 amp motor and lifetime warranty. I looked at the standard 12” Dewalt at the time, which was about the same price and 9 lbs lighter, but mine is bolted down to a section of ply I can move around, and the weight doesn’t matter to me, plus the Dewalt had their 1 year warranty only. I also got the Ridgid TS 2424 contractor table saw, so not having the sliding miter hasn’t been too bad. I wish I had snagged that beautiful Dewalt 12” sliding miter when it came out, but the way I have my bench setup I really don’t have the room behind it for the slider, and it was $500 at the time.. For wider longer boards I can’t crosscut on the table saw I’ve gotten pretty good at flipping the boards and getting the kerf just right. The Ridgid miter also has holes for outfeed support, and I built two 3’ extensions with dowels I can slide into each side to give me nearly 8’ of support. Made the mistake early on of buying a VERY heavy Black and Decker circular saw. Cuts fine and built a bookcase with it, but had trouble keeping it locked at 90 degrees. Later I got a Skil Worm Drive which has been an excellent saw. I typically use stock lumber so haven’t got a thickness planer yet, but what I really want is a bandsaw but I’m almost out of space. I think I can fit the bandsaw and thickness planer in if I keep it on a movers dolly close to the floor, but absolutely no space for a planer/Joiner, not that I have really needed one for the simple projects I do. Appreciate the overview. 👍
I had a Dewalt 18v combo set that worked really nice until both batteries died after less than 2 years. After seeing the price of the batteries, I went Ryobi and have since accumulated several tools and batteries. For hobbyists and home owners, I fully endorse Ryobi 18v
I just bought my first two tools: a Bosch Drill and Jigsaw. I think those are two good starters. I was gonna go with DeWalt but the Jigsaw I bought was defective out the box-- the blades didn't slot into those wheel guides. So if returned in and got Bosch instead because I think they are German designed or whatever.
Have you ever bought a Kobalt tool? I love them. I am super rough on my tools and work with them everyday. I am a die hard Kobalt man. I think it's the blue color. 🤣
As an advanced beginner, I would pass on the miter saw and get a brad / pin nailer cordless or with a compressor combo. Ever since I got the Dewalt job site saw, the miter saw doesn’t see a lot of action. I would put the miter saw #6. Thanks for the video.
I agree, though would put the miter saw further down the list, even. I'd rather spend that money on a better table saw. Look at used. Often you'll see an old Craftsman or Delta (same thing) contractor's saws around for well under $1000. I don't like direct-drive (universal) motors on table saws. They won't take the beating and are next to impossible to replace. Induction motors for contractors or cabinet saws are relatively cheap and pretty much all the same form-factor. I also agree that a compressor is much more important, though I'd go corded for my first one. My first one was a pancake compressor with two brad nailers and a stapler for $99. I think I've had it 20 years and it's still my go-to. For a bigger one, Horror-Fright is reasonable for a basement woodworker, though I have a Dewalt in the garage that I keep meaning to plumb down into the basement. A thickness planer would be way down on my list. A thickness planer, probably not on it until one gets well beyond beginner status. I think a planer and jointer should share a slot. With the pretzel-wood we see these days, both are really needed.
Nice video. I think maybe the table saw might be replaced with a good track saw for the beginner. If you have a great miter saw and a track saw then you can virtually do anything for the beginner. I know it’s $$$ but bought my Festool track saw TS 55 years ago and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Cutting down sheet goods or just ripping 1/2 inch off solid stock on 8 foot boards is so easy without the worry of the board racking against a table saw fence. Plus the peace of mind with safety. I can rip 1/2 inch of solid stock for edge gluing my shelves so easy. Plus for new woodworkers I would be nervous around a table saw until they get use to some of the tools and nuances of working with a table saw. Just built uppers and lowers for two full kitchens and only thing I used my table saw for was the dados in my cabinet sides and back. Love your content. And put a link in the bio for the Jesus shirt merch also :-).
You americans love your miter saws. I have been doing woodworking as a hobby for nearly two decades, and i have not used a mitre saw once. We have table saws with sliding table to take care of business. My list would be: 1. Cordless drill 2. Bandsaw 3. Planer/thickneser 4. Tablesaw 5. Bench drill or lathe.
The only reason I have a miter saw is because it’s great for home remodeling, trim carpentry, framing, deck building etc. If you have it for this purpose you can use it for some woodworking cuts. But I wouldn’t go out and buy one for woodworking. Buy a table saw for that. I agree with your list as how to get maximum function and ability for an woodworking ship. But I don’t think beginners are trying to do that. I think they are DIYers who don’t even know if they will stick with woodworking. So it’s kinda about giving them the functionality to build a basic table out of framing lumber. Not so much getting them a fully functional woodworking shop in as few tools as possible.
If, like me, you are just working in your workshop (doing occasional DIY around the house), I would not recommend cordless. I did try a cordless drill. They just don't have the power, a large drill would bind in the hole, plus you have to worry about charging batteries all the time. Then each make has its own batteries and chargers (reminds me of the old days with cell phones). Batteries have a limited life. You will want to hitch up your sander (possibly the router) to a dust extractor in any case, so you already have that tube trailing around. It seems to me that cordless is a fashion, for the makers it has the attraction that once you have decided on, say, a make of drill, you end up hooked to that maker because of compatibility. Mains tools are simpler, cheaper, and more powerful, and they don't run out of charge.
Also I bought that skil table saw off of your recommendation when you first made the review! It is amazing! Cheaper and can do dados, unlike DeWalt. It is pretty high pitched but I'm ok with that since it is lighter with the open design.
Right now I'm at a Drill/driver set, a pretty nice cordless 1/2 gallon HEPA vac that's been great for the conference room installs I have to do sometimes at work, and a corded random orbital sander, and looking at a cordless jigsaw/router combo deal. Do want a circular saw and eventually a track saw, but I think the jigsaw will work better for getting started in my "apartment dweller" setup.
You could simply this down even further. If we’re sticking to just power tools than I’d say miter saw and drill with a pocket hole jig. You’ll just have to plan your projects to the exact sizes of boards that lowes or homedepot sells. As for table saws, I got my hitachi (now metabo) tablesaw in 2017, love it. Was like $300 at the time, no issues so far to this day
My 1st purchase was a RIDGID 18v hammer drill/impact driver w/2 4Ah's combo kit with a circ saw on the side. Love them, still use them after 4+ years. But now also have many DeWalt & Metabo/HTP's & love them all. Use what you can afford until you can afford what you need. Thanks, Matt. Love your videos. 👍👍👍
I like your shirt. It’s the truth. Thanks for the video. And yes, I agree with another one of your videos, Ryobi tools are very nice. I have owned many different kinds of Ryobi’s for years and I am a farmer
I have that exact same DeWalt table saw, miter, and router 😂 I also have the Milwaukee M18 hand router. I go with Milwaukee for my cordless and DeWalt for my corded tools.
We started with ryobi combo kit as basic homeowner starter kit. A few years later I’m still at the beginner stage and still using the same tools we bought years ago
Are you saying I have small hands??? Lol. These videos are amazing. I’m going to transform our third car garage into a woodshop first week of June thanks to your videos!! Let’s see what I can build in 20 Saturday’s.
I think table saw before a planer. In the start, a lot of lumberyards and big box sell 4s4 wood. So the planer is not needed as much. And most of what it is needed for in the start can be done with a jack plane, eg a no5 or 5 1/2 can flatten a panel that is slightly off.
A beginner is most definitely not buying a jack plane unless they want to go hand tool focused. They agree though they will use s4s from the big box so a can layer is definitely after a table saw.
I just upgraded my table saw to the Sawstop compact table saw. Plus I got the Incra miter express with the 1000HD miter gauge. This new setup was not cheap but I'm loving it and it is working extremely well for my application. Stay awesome.
Kregg makes a circular saw cross cut station - I do a lot of work in my house and using this is easier than hauling around my 12 inch compound rigid miter saw
Ryobi, Ridgid, Hart and Milwaukee are all made by the same manufacture, TTI. In fact, the Hart brand that Walmart sells are just recolored Ryobi's with a deferent battery layout. the Ryobi Brushless tools are top notch. I know several professional mechanics that use the Ryobi 3/8 and 1/2 brushless impact wrenches. and those are guys that swear by everything Snap-on. my only complaint with Ryobi is also one of its strong points, and that is the battery platform. it is unchanged, other brand batteries are much more compact. but the current batteries still fit all my old blue and yellow Ryobi tools. I have found that there are only a couple of real manufactures, and that the make several different brands. example, Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman and Black and Decker are all made by Stanley, Black and Decker. Chervon makes Kobalt, Skil, Flex and Ego.
Here’s perhaps a different perspective on tool selection… I have a very small shop. You know the proverbial - so small I have to step outside to change my mind… Well, It’s small. Rough measurements are about 8ft by 8ft. I bought into the idea of battery tools and cleat walls. My battery storage and battery chargers take up far more space than I realized. An advantage of corded tools is I eliminate some of that needed storage. I am in the process of switching back to corded tools and I am shocked at the impact on the space I am reclaiming. And yes, I optimized by sticking to 2 different brands. Because of desired features, comfort, etc. I couldn’t quite do just one brand. So think about the space required to store 2 chargers plus the individual tools. Now add in the battery storage for at least on battery per tool… You need back up batteries because what happens when you are in the midst of a big project and your 1 to 3 total batteries are dead or charging… Sanding goes through a lot of batteries. To optimize charging, I also have 2 chargers per brand… Don’t get me wrong, there are times the battery tools are handy so I will keep a few but VERY few.
Hello from North Africa (from Canada)! Ryan here. 🤓 I'm preparing to return to the earthquake epicenter and now in the process of building some prototype, miniature, expandable homes and came across your channel (i.e., 3m × 1.5m or smaller that is easy to transport and can expand to 3m × 3m). Love the shirt, amen! I'm curious, what's '731' all about? Keep it up! Ryan
731, I loved this video, it was not all about buying the most expensive tool, it was good for all income and skill levels, and recognized the fact that if you are not a pro, you don't really need the 'top of the line' tool. Too many TH-camrs talk about the the 'best' most expensive tool, not the most cost effective to get the job done. Thank you! 👊
Interestingly exactly the way I bought my tools, tho I bought the drill early on as everybody should have a drill to fix things at home. #6 was a drill press and #7 a planer, together with a high flow dust collector, as my shop vac showed me the bird and packed his bags, when he saw me adding a planer to the mix. Tho I styed mostly with one brand (Bosch blue in my case), you should only do that for your cordless tools, to use the same batteries. Multiple battery systems are way to expensive and take up space. For all other tools, buy what is best in your price range and maybe snipe some good stuff on sales.
Currently, I have only the miter saw and the circular saw from this list. I’m definitely planning to but the table saw soon, because personally i hate working with the circular saw and I’m always reluctant to use it. The first thing that bothers is the precision- this might be due to my very low skills, but no matter how much time i spend on the setup the cut is never ideal, despite having a guide rail to my saw. Secondly, i’m always scared shitless when i’m about to use it. I’ve experienced a couple of kickbacks early on and was absolutely terrified. I feel much safer around stationary tools.
Same dude. Kickback scares the crap out of me. I've found that a band saw + router + track saw or circular saw with a Kreg rip jig can handle pretty much everything the table saw can do, and much safer. It may sound stupid, but if there were a way to use a table saw while standing behind some kind of blast shield or something, I'd totally do it.
The sander part felt unnecessary. Most kits will have them. Definitely I would buy a big kit; especially if it has a jigsaw with it. Most will have the standard circular saw, drill and impact drill; bonus if it also has sawzall, and multi tool. A jigsaw has a bit more utility the others dont have. I would definitely get a good chop saw or sliding chop. I lucked out and got both used for $100 together. Craftsman chop; and ryobi sliding. I use the chop more than anything. Soooo much easier getting consistent accurate cuts. Love my router for flush trimming edges. Sure is messy tho! My next big purchase/ project will be to have a really good dust collection system. Looking at building a box fan filter for air quality and thrifted a 220 hvac blower fan.
I just got a new dewalt job site table saw a dewalt miter saw and matching stand the table saw was 599 the miter was 599 and the stand was 160 ish almost 1400 bucks but so worth it but I use mine for rough framing
I'm a Craftsman shop for the most part, but I would like to see Kobalt added to some of your comparisons. It's a Lowe's exclusive (I know you are a HD guy), but I almost went with that line when deciding on my battery platform. It's targeting the DIY and semi-professional market. It would be great to see how these compare to some more common brands.
Keep in mind this is a woodworking video, not a DIY maker video. Woodworking tends to mean you have a shop space with dedicated woodworking tools. Not a ton of battery powered stuff in many woodworking shops. I really don’t think it matters if your cordless drill is kobalt or Milwaukee. Your table saw, band saw, planer, and full size plunge router is going to be corded. Plus the last thing you want to do is build a five thousand dollar garage woodworking shop and have to replace all the tools because you bought battery and they all dies and the company changed battery styles in ten years. In other words, what are we really bickering about, the brand of cordless drill? Because almost everything a woodworker has is corded.
Nearly every tool I have came from Harbor Freight. The tools have worked great for the small projects I do. It’s great you have grown your business to the point you can afford Dewalt, but most home DIYers cannot. As someone else mentioned, the Bauer and Hercules lines do very well. I think you should include more of their tools with price comparisons and functionality. Your clamp review actually showed that HF has some quality tools yet you still snub their tools.
The ryobi table saw fence is easy to set square. Screws on top tweak it and screw on the end adjusts tension making it lock in square. Mine tracks square everytime. Ryobi also has a advantage in they can use dado stacks that many others can't including the much more expensive dewalt. I spent a big part of last week running 5/8 wide 5/8 deep dado's in oak and pine and the saw never slowed down. A vacuum is a must though but that would be true with any saw running a dado stack due to large amount of wood chips coming off. My only gripe is the miter slots but that's easily fixed as well if it matters to you.
I have a ryobo "job site" table saw. How did you fix the slots ? I tried to make a few things but it didn't work (not staying straight, too hard to push etc..)
Im new to woodworking and need to do small jobs around the house. Great videos. Im surprised craftman didnt make your lists. I usually see those on sale. Are they any good or avoid those? I have a Craftman drill i been using over 3 years and chainsaw.
The Brands are very unpopular here in europe: her you can go for Bosch, AEG, Black&Decker, Einhell, FeinMakita, Dewalt, Metabo, Skil, Stanley, Worx, Wiha, Ryobi (only since a very short time), but Brands like Rigid are unknown here, Milwaukee is only partly known (my Father had a Milwaukee set he bought used in the early sixties. Perhaps mostly uncommon due to use of imperial instead metric system (here in europe a killerargument) except at the islandmonkeys (but also them are getting more and more to metric system.
Thank you for the information and awesome video. I bought a sander from Walmart and it's a palm sander, what sand grit should I use for that? There were sand grits that came with it but I cannot find any more to go with it at the two Walmart's I went to. I skimmed my walls, and it turned out great now I need to sand my wood and I ran out of sandpaper that came with the sander.
You know, getting started has truly been agonizing for me, trying to decide which simple projects I could produce with just a few simple battery powered tools (I sold a lot of big stuff that I now wish I had.) that I currently have, and in a large enough quality to get a hobby/business off the ground and rolling so that I can get busy and stay busy, and suppliment our income. Keeping things simple is paramount for me. I need low cost high yield.
Main reason i became a dewalt guy was because I was tired of my electricity going out. I wanted a battery operated fan. My search got me to the dewalt fan and the flexvolt battery 9ah. I was able to get nearly 4 days of mid power fan time so I was able to sleep. My light sleeping with no sound will keep my mind active. I can hear a fly in a 16 by 16 foot room. I can hear their wings.
Everyone's always so concerned about what's going to sell and what's not. I'm just trying to save money on furniture, doors and windows in my house that fit my needs and don't cost hundreds, even thousands to get otherwise. I'm in the process of replacing one of the back doors to my house. I'm making it for about $50. It's solid wood, it's got a window, and I'm taking the old dog door out of the previous door, and I'm taking the old door knob/locks, and hinges out of the old door as well because they're still good as well. Meanwhile my wife was pricing what it would cost to buy a new door like what we want and the cheapest she could find was about $160 for a piece of crap, and about $400 for a decent one and about $700-$800 for a high end one. Once I finish this door, I'll gonna do the other two doors in back, and it all it should cost me less than $200 total, saving me about $1,000 on doors vs if we were to buy decent ones pre-made. Plus, it's just fun and rewarding doing these kinds of projects being able to point at something in your house and say, see that? I made that.
For a drill , almost any 18V will do just fine. As DIY guy the rest can be corded as you will do most projects at home with an socket right next to you. most saws ,sanders will be connected to a dustcollector anyway. So going for a battery version is pretty useless . Dont get stuck on one brand as some brands have features you need and "your" brand doesn't offer it. I have dewalt ,Makita, Bosch,Metabo and some store brand (Parkside , pattfield) tools
Agreed. Woodworker tends to mean someone with a shop who makes furniture or other wooden stuff. As opposed to a carpenter who goes to job sites and makes buildings typically. As a woodworker your entire shop is going to be corded. Debating battery platforms amounts to what cordless drill do you want. Because everything else is corded anyway. You would either be foolish, rich, or sponsored to be kitting yourself out with cordless tools that, not only cost more, but require batteries that cost as much as the tools, which will die in less than a decade, and everything will eventually need to be replaced when we realize lithium ion sucks and isn’t sustainable and better tech comes around. Meanwhile your sawstop and 2hp plunge router and Dewalt planer will still be good as new because the power cord on them will never be obsolete in n this lifetime.
I'm trying to build my own shop in my basement again lost most of my tools around the pandemic when me and my wife lost our house and now in a townhouse so it's not easy now days.
I really thought #5 was going to be a jig saw. I do have all the other ones as either purchases or gifts. The table saw (specifically the skil one) will be a future soon purchase. I need to figure out my storage situation first though. I have a small shop.
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Corded Drill - amzn.to/44y89kJ
Ridgid Combo with Circular Saw - homedepot.sjv.io/bakOV6
DeWalt Combo with Circular Saw - amzn.to/44wWF0N
Sander Recommendations:
Festool ETS125 (My personal Favorite) - amzn.to/429XWcN
DeWALT Sander - amzn.to/3NJctaQ
Budget Sander Option - amzn.to/41dlgVI
3M Cubitron Best Sand Paper - amzn.to/428GqFR
Box I keep My Sandpaper Sorted In - amzn.to/3VDkHDi
Tigershark Sand Paper -
Diablo Sand Paper -
Miter Saw Recommendations
DeWALT DWS779 - amzn.to/3nByjCt
WEN 10 inch Miter Saw (Budget Pick) - amzn.to/42vS51a
Festool Kapex - amzn.to/41jLHcs
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Whiteside 4 Bit Set - amzn.to/3NKNeVD
DeWALT Corded Router with 2 Bases - amzn.to/3B2Jffs
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Ryobi Router - homedepot.sjv.io/oeAXEo
Ridgid Router - homedepot.sjv.io/x9xVKy
Table Saw Recommendations:
Skil Table Saw - amzn.to/3NKoUDb
DeWALT Table Saw - amzn.to/3VG6Zzq
Delta Table Saw - www.lowes.com/pd/DELTA-Contractor-Saws-10-in-Carbide-Tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Table-Saw/1001385562
Compact SawStop - amzn.to/3B3N18x
Full Size SawStop - amzn.to/3LDAGwD
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For router bits, buy a big set of inexpensive bits. The ones that you wear out and wear the paint off of are the ones you should invest money on a _good_ bit. The rest will probably never come out of the case. For the occasion you need that odd-ball bit, you've got one.
That is actually a great tip. I am starting out and will do just this.
Sound advice!
It’s also good advice because in the beginning your lack of experience will cause you to abuse your bits more than when you’re a little more knowledgeable. There are cases where you definitely should try to buy your second [fill in the blank] first, but I think this isn’t one of them.
Probably a flush trim bit is the first one anyone would definitely splurge on. It might be slightly more work and dirty. But it's satisfying to get perfectly flush edges.
Terrible advice
I've been a professional custom furniture builder for 50 years. You can do so much more with a tablesaw versus a mitersaw it should be bought first. I did without a mitersaw for 35 years and only bought one when I started doing home remodeling. Otherwise I think your list is pretty spot on.
Table saw #1. CAST IRON TOP TABLE SAW FROM THE 1960's-70's. NEVER A PLASTIC TOY...JUNK!
There are a lot of good used tools out there usually for dirt prices. Hand Sander...get a DA like used in a body shop but electric. For $20-30 you can get multiple other hand sanders, about the same with older drills if they aren't beat. They die it's a trip to a fast food joint to replace.
As a professional carpenter, I commend your video on the essential power tools for beginner woodworkers. Your breakdown of the first five tools, including the drill and driver combo, circular saw, sander, miter saw, and router, provides practical advice. Your recommendations on brand selection, battery options, and the importance of investing in quality tools will greatly benefit beginners in their woodworking journey. Keep up the great work!
Im 19 1 month in im a weight weenie i live ryobi but then again i only used Ryobi nd dewalts basic kits there my grandpas but cant wait to have my set of tools that are suited towards my comfortability
I‘m into woodworking for many years now but I will never understand why so many people immediately get a circular and a miter saw instead of a band saw. To me the band saw is the most flexible tool out there and is far cheaper than a miter saw.
The other saws are nice sure, but as a beginner do you really need them? I‘d say especially for the miter saw hell no.
Ryobi tools get a lot of crap but I don't make money on my tools and they've been completely perfect for the DIY stuff that I do. Christmas sales, daily deals, and Direct Tools give me prices that I can't beat. I started buying into the Ryobi system almost 2 years ago and I'm already up to 14 tools. The reasonable prices allow me to buy specialty tools that I wouldn't even consider if I had gone with the DeWalt, Makita, or Milwaukee.
Yeah, I went the Ryobi route as well and so far no complaints. That said, I did recently purchase the DeWalt Plunge router because it just seemed to be a really legit and well reviewed tool. Also, since it's wired it's not like I'm having an oddball battery. So, for some tools, probably like table saws and what not good to do some research. But for battery powered thus far Ryobi has worked out for me.
I've been a Ryobi guy when the color was still blue... drill, driver, mitter saw (finally broke after many years and replaced it with a Dewalt sliding saw), drill press (probably 18 years old still works good)
Most of Ryobi will last a long time. On palm sanders (corded) there is quite a difference when using it vs a Dewalt (less noise, less vibration in the hand with dewalt)
Same. I'm no pro, but I try to diy anything I can. Built multiple decks, tables, stands, shelves, catios, traps, auto work etc.
My power tool collection is probably 95% Ryobi, Wen, and Harbor Freight. I have pretty much every main power tool except planer/jointer. Over the past 7-8 years, I've only had to part ways with one tool: the harbor freight Chicago Electric table saw. The old red and black one. It worked fine, but the fence was crazy bad. Like, fear for your life bad.
All of the Ryobi stuff has been great. Zero complaints. If I want cordless, I go Ryobi. Everything else is HF.
Same here, but for certain tools. If I'm not going to use it as much, I'll buy a Ryobi. They haven't let me down. Got gas chainsaws, but tried out a Ryobi 40v pole saw because I didn't need it as much, and it has been solid. Guided me to buy their weedwacker, edger, and recently an electric planer for my fledgling wood working. I'm very happy with it, and for the money, the performance and quality is fine
In my area they are often on our auction site and you can get fabulous deals.
I am 22 y/o started doing framing with my dad after high school at 18, 4 years in & im finally starting to get into wood working as a hobby, have so much enthusiasm for it, thanks for all the tips & tricks provided, been binge watching these videos trying to soak up all that knowledge, thank you 🙏🏼
This video makes me feel privileged. I had a Grandfather who was a wood worker and my Father had tools for building small projects and for home repairs. My 1st purchase was a belt sander then a router.
As I was getting started, I had a store rep talk me into the 18 volt Makita brushless drill/driver combo. I am SO glad. I have continued to purchase tools in that line and love everyone of them. So far, I have the sander, small vacuum, multi tool, hammer drill, demo saw, and 4 1/2” grinder. The batteries have held up great and the charger is really fast. The tools are super tough and powerful. I have been able to also use some of my father in laws DeWalt 18 volt but they just don’t match up.
I found that my dad's Dewalt 18v didn't stand a chance vs my husband's 18 v Makita. My dad had an adapter for a 20v on the drill but the battery never showed up after he passed. Even have the 20v charger. Upon deciding which to buy (amphours) hubby said go with 4+ the 18v for the Dewalt was like a 2 and his makita was a 4 or 5. I went and got a 5 for the Dewalt and now our drills are equivalent in many if not all areas mine is just heavier cause of the converter attachment which is hardly noticeable tbh.
Current dewalt lineup is very impressive and easily on par, if not better than makita.
I have mostly makita stuff but I've spent the last few weeks working with the new dewalt flexvolt range and they really are lovely tools.
Must say I'm tempted to go dewalt at some point in the future.
You nailed it. The first tools that I bought back when I was still living in a small apartment were a drill/driver, handheld jigsaw, quarter sheet sander, and a 7-1/4 inch circular saw. I built lots of stuff for that apartment with just those four tools. Later on, when I had more space, I got a router and a table saw. Not sure about the miter saw being essential for a beginner - I guess it depends on what kind of projects you're doing - like lots of molding trim. I actually get by with a high quality miter box and hand miter saw for furniture trim.
table saw was the last think i have bought cause i can do everything with the other tools mentioned but its oh so nice to have one
Just started woodworking when I inherited some tools from my late father. Thanks a bunch for the useful tips. I plan to get a planer before a table saw. I already have the other 4, and I figure saving all that time from hand planning is going to be worth it. I might be missing something, but I can do most of what I think I need already with the miter/circular/router. I might even go for a lathe before a table saw, just because of the added application.
Cabinet saw, planer, drill press, router table and band saw. That will get you started. Then add a hollow chisel mortiser. I was able to do that for under $5,000. Not bad. Then add the hand tools like specialty saws, chisels, mallets, etc. I found it very easy to go down the rabbit hole and never had enough tools! I converted $$ into projects and loved it. Great hobby!
100% agree. I'm looking at a table saw, router and then planer after buying a drill (Dewalt combo), and saw.
Dust collection system after that.
My 5 tools. Jack plane, drill/driver, chisels, rip saw, tenon saw
Can use sand paper for sharpening but #6 is a set of sharpening stones.
Just saying. I bought a ryobi 5 piece tool kit back in 2016. It’s still going strong. My impact just recently started to smell. Was wanting to try a different brand but ryobi has never let me down actually. Plus, it’s hard to go to another brand when I have so many ryobi batteries lol.
That Dewalt miter saw was the first big tool my son and I bought for our business. absolutely essential for crown molding, and like you said doing precise repeat cuts you can't beat it.
My uncle left two tools at out house that i ended up using. (Art crafting wood work) I had a jigsaw and a dremel tool. I worked with those. Yet the first thing i bought was a grinder from a neighbor for $20 or $30. Couldn't afford a router yet. Went creek walking and found a router that worked for a few pieces that afforded me to buy a router and circular sander. After more money it was the circular saw. Belt sander then a miter saw. IF I was starting out with a little money at the start my first 5 would of been basically your 5 with two differences. It would be the first 6 tools. Dremel, belt sander (hand held), router, circular saw, miter saw, and table saw.
There is a 7th tool I like alot was an alternative to the table saw that I have that I like better for a few reasons. It's a rockwell bladerunner that's basically a a jig saw on a table and a blade stabilizer. It can preformed better than a jigsaw do cuts I can see better and go where ever I push it. Not the fastest for straight cuts like the table saw but can still got it done.
I still remember my order and i stand by it. Impact, combi, drill and sircular saw starter pack. Everyone should start with that. Choose carefully thats you battery platform for life. I went makita. If i had my time again i would go milwalki . Then i got a jigsaw a multi tool and a an sds. after that an auto feed screw gun. Thats hilti dont bother with any autofeed other than hilty or festool. I got the autofeed so soon because drywall and decking is easy money and that work funded my expansion and alowed me to learn basic skills that carry forward.
After that i got palm router and a plane .Then i got
sick of hammering so i got a 1st and a second fix nail gun. Both hikoki .
Finally a tiny 18v mitre saw for tiny tiny pieces of trim i cant quite hold my square on and run the sirc saw down. Anything bigger than a one by one i find holding the square method perfectly accurate.
Ive no interest in large mitre saws or table saws. Cant be bothered to move it or set it up . Just get good with a secular saw and you will never need one.
When i see chipies go to the van fetch an entire mitre saw and table to do a bit of dor trim im embarrassed for them .
If you reset me to just the 2 drills circ saw and hand tools i could still do every job just a bit slower .
I agree with 80% of this list, but I have a different experience with the miter saw. I sold mine because it took up too much space in my small workspace, and I really haven't missed it. To me it's a more specialty tool for people who need to make precise cuts at the end of long boards, like doing trim. For furniture and other smaller projects, you can use a circular saw to cut the work piece to it's approximate dimensions then use a crosscut or miter sled on your table saw to cut it to precise dimensions. If you have unlimited budget and space it's nice to have, but my advice to beginner woodworkers is to get a track saw instead. Since they won't have a planer/jointer yet they will most likely be working with sheet goods and a track saw is indispensable making straight cuts on sheet goods. I'd even put it ahead of a table saw because It can do the job of a jointer and/or table saw in a pinch. Cheers!
Yeah there’s nothing wrong with miter saws. But having a miter saw and a table saw in addition to a circular saw on a top five list is not efficient.
Beginners need tools that give them a way to do different tasks. These tools do the same thing except the table saw does way more.
The key is buying tools that let you do more things. Not buying tools that make the same things you can already do easier.
Band saw, drill, planer, table saw, router, and then building a bunch of jigs is what would unlock all the woodworking abilities. Sander, jointer, miter saw, circular saw, etc. those tools just make the tasks you can already do easier.
I know beginner don’t want to spend money and they don’t know if they will even stick with the hobby. But I think it’s worth thinking about whether a tool lets you do something new or if it just makes something you can already do easier.
@@CarlYota Exactly this. A mitre saw has it purposes, but for most things a beginner is going to do, a table saw does it more accurately with less messing around and for smaller pieces is often safer as well. Table saw should definitely come ahead of a mitre saw for a wood shop. Construction may be a different story, but in a wood shop when you building furniture, cabinetry and other small items, table saw is the more useful tool by far.
My girlfriends dad gave me his used miter saw and it's changed everything. It's fantastic
Picking a battery system that has a LOT of future options is important. Higher voltage => more power. My first cordless tools were a Rigid drill/driver combo that still works fine. However, I went to the Makita 18 volt system and now have drill, driver, impact wrench, circular saw and chainsaw. YMMV but look at the offerings in the system. (Look at the charging stations in YT videos with 2, 3 or even 4 different chargers. That’s a PITA and the batteries are expensive.)
Don’t be afraid to buy tools with cords. Cordless is cool but the power/weight ratio is bad compared to old fashioned cords. Dewalt router comes to mind, as well as a sander. You don’t want a heavy sander - trust me. I also have an ancient Bosch drill that can turn big hole saw bits and drill through anything. My little Rigid drill bogs down with bigger bits.
I bought a track saw before getting a table saw or miter saw. With the accessories available today for parallel and 90 degree cuts, you can get a lot done with just a track saw. It’s also a lot more flexible if you have limited space.
Can confirm on the Dewalt table saw. Can be had regularly on sale and built like tanks, a great value. Small downside is that it's only a 8 1/4" blade so you can't use a dado, although Dewalt makes a basically identical saw with the 10" capacity for a few hundred bucks more if that's something you think you'd use often. In my case it wasn't an issue so the 8 1/4" has been just fine. The fence is indeed still perfectly square 4 months in and it's been super easy to use. One benefit of the smaller size blade (and hence a smaller motor required to power it) is that in most cases, you can have a (small) vacuum running on the same circuit as the saw for dust collection without popping a breaker. If you had the 10" and were cutting anything thick I feel there's a chance it would get bogged down and you'd need a separate circuit for it, which isn't always an easy solution for those of us in garage/basement shops, so take that into account if you're in the market for a jobsite size saw.
Thanks for the tip.
Don't be afraid to check out pawn shops - especially if you have one that's reputable. We have several in my city, but only 2 of them have good reputations. They always have a lot of tools to sell. I have several tools I got from these 2 places and nothing has died on me yet. The oldest tools from pawn shops are the ones I use the most - my DeWalt cordless drill, my Bosch driver and my Bosch router. In fact, the DeWalt I got for $20 and was for someone else who wanted to help rebuild my deck. 6 years later, it's still working great. Brand new, it was over $100.
Pawnshop is the best. But you kinda pay a bit of premium
@@thenewsydneyguy8662 Yeah, that's true. I have walked away if it's too high $$ for used. But, the 2 good pawn shops in town have a 30 day warranty on everything, so there's at least some time to try it out. I even got a Troy Bilt 2 stage snow blower for $400. Brand new, this model was $1000. It had never been used, not a mark on it. It's ran great for 5 years so far.
Hyper tough sanders man.. 35 bucks from Walmart, I use mine almost every day, paired with diablo sanding disc's, it is a workhorse. I love mine lol.
I work at a Batteries Plus and another recommendation I would make is to get an extra battery pack or two if there is a deal to do so, and make sure to alternate charging the batteries. If left to discharge it can kill the battery, or left on the charger it may overcharge the battery and kill the overall health.
The cost of the batteries nowadays is almost the cost of a brand new tool that comes *with* a new battery. That creates a lot of waste because where can you recycle these tools? Also, rebuilding these battery packs are stupidly expensive too.
This comes from having a lot of woodworkers coming in for new batteries and finding out that a new battery can cost around $60 bucks for a new one, or $70-$80 for a rebuilt one. Yeah, makes no sense at all to me but. Just fyi to anyone starting out.
Solid. In my experience, I like the Jig Saw before the router, but that just may have been more to do with the projects I was working on at the time.
You are a really good teacher. I appreciate the honesty when it comes to what works and what doesn't, and the enthusiasm for products you really believe in. Keep up the good work!
"it could come down to the colour, but thats okay"
I love hearing this. I'm new to woodworking and getting my first tools. SO many snobs on the forums/SM will literally belittle somebody if they get a 'cheap' brand or people say they got a drill because they simply liked the look. I sadly can't afford Dewalt or the top brands...and i prefer the funky colours lol
Side note:
What are peoples opinions on Black and Decker?
My first and only drill is a black and decker. It is frowned upon, but hey, guess what, it does the job
I appreciate the time and effort you invest in your content. Keep up the excellent work!
4 of those were my first tools… I waited on the miter saw for a while, and got a jigsaw instead. Glad I got the jigsaw, but should have gotten a miter saw earlier.
Amen on what you said about the fence on a table saw! I bought a low end Ridgid three years ago and it's been a headache ever since because of a lousy fence. If the fence isn't square the saw isn't worth having!
The table saw is one tool you do not want to cheap out on. They will work so much better and will be safer to some degree
My Hercules router I just bought also has plunge and fix base soft start 2.25 horse. 129.00😮 I like it
Oddly, I just got to needing number 5 on the list. and for me it's a plainer. I feel like with a miter and circular saw I can do just about everything I need for the most part. I'm a super novice beginner just piecing it together and playing around with woodworking. A plainer for me would allow me to square things up allot better!
I just threw away my very first orbital sander today. It was an old Porter Cable, back when they made good tools. Just picked up a new Bosch today, and it's like sanding heaven.
i used to have anxiety about if tools will increase the quality of my work but now looking back I realise I could skip through this video because I had everything. great video
hmm, I work from old rough cut dried sawn timber so my list is somewhat different
1 - a drill, or more than one really so you don't spend all your time swapping bits
2 - a good track saw and rail (preferable in 2 or 3 extendable section so you can end up with a final 3m or so rail or just have a under 1m one for stuff you would do on a miter saw
3 - a good planer / jointer. I consider this essential, it is probably the power tool I use the most since rough timber is borderline useless unless you can get a good plank out of it and pre processed wood is outrageously expensive
4 - a router
5 - a sander
the WEN trim router is great, I think I paid less than $50 direct from WEN, FREE s-h, I have purchases several WEN pdts, their 6" Jointer is way cheaper than Craftsman, and I am happy with it. I just have a small garage wood shop, and 75 years old. My table saw advice, look at the very best 1 you can afford, then get a model the next step up.
Starting out about 20 years ago there weren’t a lot of sliding miter saws, so I bought a Ridgid 12” and it’s been excellent, with a 15 amp motor and lifetime warranty. I looked at the standard 12” Dewalt at the time, which was about the same price and 9 lbs lighter, but mine is bolted down to a section of ply I can move around, and the weight doesn’t matter to me, plus the Dewalt had their 1 year warranty only. I also got the Ridgid TS 2424 contractor table saw, so not having the sliding miter hasn’t been too bad. I wish I had snagged that beautiful Dewalt 12” sliding miter when it came out, but the way I have my bench setup I really don’t have the room behind it for the slider, and it was $500 at the time.. For wider longer boards I can’t crosscut on the table saw I’ve gotten pretty good at flipping the boards and getting the kerf just right. The Ridgid miter also has holes for outfeed support, and I built two 3’ extensions with dowels I can slide into each side to give me nearly 8’ of support.
Made the mistake early on of buying a VERY heavy Black and Decker circular saw. Cuts fine and built a bookcase with it, but had trouble keeping it locked at 90 degrees. Later I got a Skil Worm Drive which has been an excellent saw. I typically use stock lumber so haven’t got a thickness planer yet, but what I really want is a bandsaw but I’m almost out of space. I think I can fit the bandsaw and thickness planer in if I keep it on a movers dolly close to the floor, but absolutely no space for a planer/Joiner, not that I have really needed one for the simple projects I do. Appreciate the overview. 👍
I had a Dewalt 18v combo set that worked really nice until both batteries died after less than 2 years. After seeing the price of the batteries, I went Ryobi and have since accumulated several tools and batteries. For hobbyists and home owners, I fully endorse Ryobi 18v
If you're planning to batch out items a bench/table saw is invaluable. Mitre saw is also a good one to have.
I just bought my first two tools: a Bosch Drill and Jigsaw. I think those are two good starters. I was gonna go with DeWalt but the Jigsaw I bought was defective out the box-- the blades didn't slot into those wheel guides. So if returned in and got Bosch instead because I think they are German designed or whatever.
Have you ever bought a Kobalt tool? I love them. I am super rough on my tools and work with them everyday. I am a die hard Kobalt man. I think it's the blue color. 🤣
The way, the truth, the life. 1000000000%
Subscribed.
As an advanced beginner, I would pass on the miter saw and get a brad / pin nailer cordless or with a compressor combo. Ever since I got the Dewalt job site saw, the miter saw doesn’t see a lot of action. I would put the miter saw #6. Thanks for the video.
I agree, though would put the miter saw further down the list, even. I'd rather spend that money on a better table saw. Look at used. Often you'll see an old Craftsman or Delta (same thing) contractor's saws around for well under $1000. I don't like direct-drive (universal) motors on table saws. They won't take the beating and are next to impossible to replace. Induction motors for contractors or cabinet saws are relatively cheap and pretty much all the same form-factor.
I also agree that a compressor is much more important, though I'd go corded for my first one. My first one was a pancake compressor with two brad nailers and a stapler for $99. I think I've had it 20 years and it's still my go-to. For a bigger one, Horror-Fright is reasonable for a basement woodworker, though I have a Dewalt in the garage that I keep meaning to plumb down into the basement.
A thickness planer would be way down on my list. A thickness planer, probably not on it until one gets well beyond beginner status. I think a planer and jointer should share a slot. With the pretzel-wood we see these days, both are really needed.
i got that specific DeWalt table saw, best tool i bought. If you can only get 1 DeWalt thing, make it his table saw 😮
Nice video. I think maybe the table saw might be replaced with a good track saw for the beginner.
If you have a great miter saw and a track saw then you can virtually do anything for the beginner.
I know it’s $$$ but bought my Festool track saw TS 55 years ago and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Cutting down sheet goods or just ripping 1/2 inch off solid stock on 8 foot boards is so easy without the worry of the board racking against a table saw fence. Plus the peace of mind with safety. I can rip 1/2 inch of solid stock for edge gluing my shelves so easy. Plus for new woodworkers I would be nervous around a table saw until they get use to some of the tools and nuances of working with a table saw.
Just built uppers and lowers for two full kitchens and only thing I used my table saw for was the dados in my cabinet sides and back.
Love your content. And put a link in the bio for the Jesus shirt merch also :-).
Correction, I see the link to the shirt :-)
Gathering my tools and workbench. Thanks so much. the perfect video for me!!
You americans love your miter saws. I have been doing woodworking as a hobby for nearly two decades, and i have not used a mitre saw once. We have table saws with sliding table to take care of business. My list would be:
1. Cordless drill
2. Bandsaw
3. Planer/thickneser
4. Tablesaw
5. Bench drill or lathe.
The only reason I have a miter saw is because it’s great for home remodeling, trim carpentry, framing, deck building etc.
If you have it for this purpose you can use it for some woodworking cuts. But I wouldn’t go out and buy one for woodworking. Buy a table saw for that.
I agree with your list as how to get maximum function and ability for an woodworking ship. But I don’t think beginners are trying to do that. I think they are DIYers who don’t even know if they will stick with woodworking.
So it’s kinda about giving them the functionality to build a basic table out of framing lumber. Not so much getting them a fully functional woodworking shop in as few tools as possible.
If, like me, you are just working in your workshop (doing occasional DIY around the house), I would not recommend cordless. I did try a cordless drill. They just don't have the power, a large drill would bind in the hole, plus you have to worry about charging batteries all the time. Then each make has its own batteries and chargers (reminds me of the old days with cell phones). Batteries have a limited life. You will want to hitch up your sander (possibly the router) to a dust extractor in any case, so you already have that tube trailing around. It seems to me that cordless is a fashion, for the makers it has the attraction that once you have decided on, say, a make of drill, you end up hooked to that maker because of compatibility. Mains tools are simpler, cheaper, and more powerful, and they don't run out of charge.
Depending on where you live, you can get great deals at pawn shops. I got a lot of these tools like new at pawn shops when I was starting.
Also I bought that skil table saw off of your recommendation when you first made the review! It is amazing! Cheaper and can do dados, unlike DeWalt. It is pretty high pitched but I'm ok with that since it is lighter with the open design.
Glad to hear it!
Right now I'm at a Drill/driver set, a pretty nice cordless 1/2 gallon HEPA vac that's been great for the conference room installs I have to do sometimes at work, and a corded random orbital sander, and looking at a cordless jigsaw/router combo deal.
Do want a circular saw and eventually a track saw, but I think the jigsaw will work better for getting started in my "apartment dweller" setup.
Super happy with the cordless Dewalt drill, impact drive, router, jigsaw, circular saw. Watch for set deals. Excellent video.
yes me also the XR series has done me great for 3yrs now
Nice choices for a beginner, I have several of your choices, next I was thinking a table saw..
You could simply this down even further. If we’re sticking to just power tools than I’d say miter saw and drill with a pocket hole jig. You’ll just have to plan your projects to the exact sizes of boards that lowes or homedepot sells. As for table saws, I got my hitachi (now metabo) tablesaw in 2017, love it. Was like $300 at the time, no issues so far to this day
My 1st purchase was a RIDGID 18v hammer drill/impact driver w/2 4Ah's combo kit with a circ saw on the side. Love them, still use them after 4+ years.
But now also have many DeWalt & Metabo/HTP's & love them all.
Use what you can afford until you can afford what you need.
Thanks, Matt. Love your videos.
👍👍👍
I like your shirt. It’s the truth. Thanks for the video. And yes, I agree with another one of your videos, Ryobi tools are very nice. I have owned many different kinds of Ryobi’s for years and I am a farmer
I have that exact same DeWalt table saw, miter, and router 😂 I also have the Milwaukee M18 hand router. I go with Milwaukee for my cordless and DeWalt for my corded tools.
I got a 10” compound miter saw from harbor freight. I couldn’t be happier.
Table saw. Best thing in the world. I regret so much that I didn't buy it sooner.
We started with ryobi combo kit as basic homeowner starter kit. A few years later I’m still at the beginner stage and still using the same tools we bought years ago
Thanks was going to buy the Ryobi table saw, will probably get the Skill table saw instead
I got the skil table saw. It's awesome.
Are you saying I have small hands??? Lol. These videos are amazing. I’m going to transform our third car garage into a woodshop first week of June thanks to your videos!! Let’s see what I can build in 20 Saturday’s.
I think table saw before a planer. In the start, a lot of lumberyards and big box sell 4s4 wood. So the planer is not needed as much. And most of what it is needed for in the start can be done with a jack plane, eg a no5 or 5 1/2 can flatten a panel that is slightly off.
A beginner is most definitely not buying a jack plane unless they want to go hand tool focused. They agree though they will use s4s from the big box so a can layer is definitely after a table saw.
I just upgraded my table saw to the Sawstop compact table saw. Plus I got the Incra miter express with the 1000HD miter gauge. This new setup was not cheap but I'm loving it and it is working extremely well for my application. Stay awesome.
Awesome! nice set up!
Kregg makes a circular saw cross cut station - I do a lot of work in my house and using this is easier than hauling around my 12 inch compound rigid miter saw
Ryobi, Ridgid, Hart and Milwaukee are all made by the same manufacture, TTI. In fact, the Hart brand that Walmart sells are just recolored Ryobi's with a deferent battery layout. the Ryobi Brushless tools are top notch. I know several professional mechanics that use the Ryobi 3/8 and 1/2 brushless impact wrenches. and those are guys that swear by everything Snap-on. my only complaint with Ryobi is also one of its strong points, and that is the battery platform. it is unchanged, other brand batteries are much more compact. but the current batteries still fit all my old blue and yellow Ryobi tools. I have found that there are only a couple of real manufactures, and that the make several different brands. example, Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman and Black and Decker are all made by Stanley, Black and Decker. Chervon makes Kobalt, Skil, Flex and Ego.
Alright - I need that sandpaper organizer…that’s fantastic
Here’s perhaps a different perspective on tool selection… I have a very small shop. You know the proverbial - so small I have to step outside to change my mind… Well, It’s small. Rough measurements are about 8ft by 8ft. I bought into the idea of battery tools and cleat walls. My battery storage and battery chargers take up far more space than I realized. An advantage of corded tools is I eliminate some of that needed storage. I am in the process of switching back to corded tools and I am shocked at the impact on the space I am reclaiming. And yes, I optimized by sticking to 2 different brands. Because of desired features, comfort, etc. I couldn’t quite do just one brand. So think about the space required to store 2 chargers plus the individual tools. Now add in the battery storage for at least on battery per tool… You need back up batteries because what happens when you are in the midst of a big project and your 1 to 3 total batteries are dead or charging… Sanding goes through a lot of batteries. To optimize charging, I also have 2 chargers per brand… Don’t get me wrong, there are times the battery tools are handy so I will keep a few but VERY few.
Hello from North Africa (from Canada)! Ryan here. 🤓 I'm preparing to return to the earthquake epicenter and now in the process of building some prototype, miniature, expandable homes and came across your channel (i.e., 3m × 1.5m or smaller that is easy to transport and can expand to 3m × 3m). Love the shirt, amen! I'm curious, what's '731' all about?
Keep it up!
Ryan
731, I loved this video, it was not all about buying the most expensive tool, it was good for all income and skill levels, and recognized the fact that if you are not a pro, you don't really need the 'top of the line' tool. Too many TH-camrs talk about the the 'best' most expensive tool, not the most cost effective to get the job done. Thank you! 👊
Thanks Mr Gunn 👊
Buy far the table saw over planer. I like that better than the miter saw. I have good luck with Rigid as i need it to be portable in my garage.
Interestingly exactly the way I bought my tools, tho I bought the drill early on as everybody should have a drill to fix things at home. #6 was a drill press and #7 a planer, together with a high flow dust collector, as my shop vac showed me the bird and packed his bags, when he saw me adding a planer to the mix.
Tho I styed mostly with one brand (Bosch blue in my case), you should only do that for your cordless tools, to use the same batteries. Multiple battery systems are way to expensive and take up space. For all other tools, buy what is best in your price range and maybe snipe some good stuff on sales.
Currently, I have only the miter saw and the circular saw from this list. I’m definitely planning to but the table saw soon, because personally i hate working with the circular saw and I’m always reluctant to use it. The first thing that bothers is the precision- this might be due to my very low skills, but no matter how much time i spend on the setup the cut is never ideal, despite having a guide rail to my saw. Secondly, i’m always scared shitless when i’m about to use it. I’ve experienced a couple of kickbacks early on and was absolutely terrified. I feel much safer around stationary tools.
Same dude. Kickback scares the crap out of me.
I've found that a band saw + router + track saw or circular saw with a Kreg rip jig can handle pretty much everything the table saw can do, and much safer.
It may sound stupid, but if there were a way to use a table saw while standing behind some kind of blast shield or something, I'd totally do it.
The sander part felt unnecessary. Most kits will have them. Definitely I would buy a big kit; especially if it has a jigsaw with it. Most will have the standard circular saw, drill and impact drill; bonus if it also has sawzall, and multi tool. A jigsaw has a bit more utility the others dont have.
I would definitely get a good chop saw or sliding chop.
I lucked out and got both used for $100 together.
Craftsman chop; and ryobi sliding.
I use the chop more than anything. Soooo much easier getting consistent accurate cuts.
Love my router for flush trimming edges. Sure is messy tho!
My next big purchase/ project will be to have a really good dust collection system.
Looking at building a box fan filter for air quality and thrifted a 220 hvac blower fan.
I also have the DWS779 and the Cordless 10” Makita. I started wood working 2 years ago and I absolutely love it and I get better and better with time
I just got a new dewalt job site table saw a dewalt miter saw and matching stand the table saw was 599 the miter was 599 and the stand was 160 ish almost 1400 bucks but so worth it but I use mine for rough framing
I'm a Craftsman shop for the most part, but I would like to see Kobalt added to some of your comparisons. It's a Lowe's exclusive (I know you are a HD guy), but I almost went with that line when deciding on my battery platform. It's targeting the DIY and semi-professional market. It would be great to see how these compare to some more common brands.
As a Girl in the Kobalt 24v line, I really love my tools for the things I do. I'm a DIYer of many sorts, so these are great for me.
Keep in mind this is a woodworking video, not a DIY maker video. Woodworking tends to mean you have a shop space with dedicated woodworking tools. Not a ton of battery powered stuff in many woodworking shops.
I really don’t think it matters if your cordless drill is kobalt or Milwaukee. Your table saw, band saw, planer, and full size plunge router is going to be corded.
Plus the last thing you want to do is build a five thousand dollar garage woodworking shop and have to replace all the tools because you bought battery and they all dies and the company changed battery styles in ten years.
In other words, what are we really bickering about, the brand of cordless drill? Because almost everything a woodworker has is corded.
The Delta is the best saw at that price point. If you like orange the Rigid is identical to the Delta, both built by Delta.
Nearly every tool I have came from Harbor Freight. The tools have worked great for the small projects I do. It’s great you have grown your business to the point you can afford Dewalt, but most home DIYers cannot. As someone else mentioned, the Bauer and Hercules lines do very well. I think you should include more of their tools with price comparisons and functionality. Your clamp review actually showed that HF has some quality tools yet you still snub their tools.
The ryobi table saw fence is easy to set square. Screws on top tweak it and screw on the end adjusts tension making it lock in square. Mine tracks square everytime.
Ryobi also has a advantage in they can use dado stacks that many others can't including the much more expensive dewalt. I spent a big part of last week running 5/8 wide 5/8 deep dado's in oak and pine and the saw never slowed down. A vacuum is a must though but that would be true with any saw running a dado stack due to large amount of wood chips coming off.
My only gripe is the miter slots but that's easily fixed as well if it matters to you.
I have a ryobo "job site" table saw. How did you fix the slots ? I tried to make a few things but it didn't work (not staying straight, too hard to push etc..)
@@Loiczzr I just ground off the tabs. When I was close to smooth I used a file to flush them up.
Id say table saw and planer over miter saw. Table saw just has more versatility in my opinion.
Im new to woodworking and need to do small jobs around the house. Great videos. Im surprised craftman didnt make your lists. I usually see those on sale. Are they any good or avoid those? I have a Craftman drill i been using over 3 years and chainsaw.
The Brands are very unpopular here in europe: her you can go for Bosch, AEG, Black&Decker, Einhell, FeinMakita, Dewalt, Metabo, Skil, Stanley, Worx, Wiha, Ryobi (only since a very short time), but Brands like Rigid are unknown here, Milwaukee is only partly known (my Father had a Milwaukee set he bought used in the early sixties. Perhaps mostly uncommon due to use of imperial instead metric system (here in europe a killerargument) except at the islandmonkeys (but also them are getting more and more to metric system.
One video and I understand it all! Awesome video
I bought the craftsman 8 powered tool bundle for $250
Thank you for the information and awesome video. I bought a sander from Walmart and it's a palm sander, what sand grit should I use for that? There were sand grits that came with it but I cannot find any more to go with it at the two Walmart's I went to. I skimmed my walls, and it turned out great now I need to sand my wood and I ran out of sandpaper that came with the sander.
You know, getting started has truly been agonizing for me, trying to decide which simple projects I could produce with just a few simple battery powered tools (I sold a lot of big stuff that I now wish I had.) that I currently have, and in a large enough quality to get a hobby/business off the ground and rolling so that I can get busy and stay busy, and suppliment our income. Keeping things simple is paramount for me. I need low cost high yield.
Great channel!! As a beginner I'm taking a lot notes from you, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
As a milwaukee guy I like the green tools
Hope you mean Festool 😂
@@giovannymedina3984 😅
Different shade of green. I like the red ones too, but not Milwaukee.
Main reason i became a dewalt guy was because I was tired of my electricity going out. I wanted a battery operated fan. My search got me to the dewalt fan and the flexvolt battery 9ah. I was able to get nearly 4 days of mid power fan time so I was able to sleep. My light sleeping with no sound will keep my mind active. I can hear a fly in a 16 by 16 foot room. I can hear their wings.
As a festool guy (all corded) I love my green Ryobi (pronounced ree-oh-bee).
Everyone's always so concerned about what's going to sell and what's not. I'm just trying to save money on furniture, doors and windows in my house that fit my needs and don't cost hundreds, even thousands to get otherwise.
I'm in the process of replacing one of the back doors to my house. I'm making it for about $50. It's solid wood, it's got a window, and I'm taking the old dog door out of the previous door, and I'm taking the old door knob/locks, and hinges out of the old door as well because they're still good as well.
Meanwhile my wife was pricing what it would cost to buy a new door like what we want and the cheapest she could find was about $160 for a piece of crap, and about $400 for a decent one and about $700-$800 for a high end one.
Once I finish this door, I'll gonna do the other two doors in back, and it all it should cost me less than $200 total, saving me about $1,000 on doors vs if we were to buy decent ones pre-made.
Plus, it's just fun and rewarding doing these kinds of projects being able to point at something in your house and say, see that? I made that.
Just bought a total circular saw and the max angle is like 94-95 degree. So i always have to set it to 90 degree. Table saw is the answer
For a drill , almost any 18V will do just fine.
As DIY guy the rest can be corded as you will do most projects at home with an socket right next to you.
most saws ,sanders will be connected to a dustcollector anyway. So going for a battery version is pretty useless .
Dont get stuck on one brand as some brands have features you need and "your" brand doesn't offer it.
I have dewalt ,Makita, Bosch,Metabo and some store brand (Parkside , pattfield) tools
Agreed. Woodworker tends to mean someone with a shop who makes furniture or other wooden stuff. As opposed to a carpenter who goes to job sites and makes buildings typically.
As a woodworker your entire shop is going to be corded. Debating battery platforms amounts to what cordless drill do you want. Because everything else is corded anyway. You would either be foolish, rich, or sponsored to be kitting yourself out with cordless tools that, not only cost more, but require batteries that cost as much as the tools, which will die in less than a decade, and everything will eventually need to be replaced when we realize lithium ion sucks and isn’t sustainable and better tech comes around.
Meanwhile your sawstop and 2hp plunge router and Dewalt planer will still be good as new because the power cord on them will never be obsolete in n this lifetime.
I always like seeing different opinions on this topic. Keep it up, dude.
I picked up a dewalt table saw and plainer at the same time on Amazon. Nine hundred bucks
A like for the plain and easy to understand video, a follow for the shirt!
I'm trying to build my own shop in my basement again lost most of my tools around the pandemic when me and my wife lost our house and now in a townhouse so it's not easy now days.
My garage bleeds black & yellow! I couldn't be happier...Except, for a few of the purchases didn't live up to expectations.
I really thought #5 was going to be a jig saw. I do have all the other ones as either purchases or gifts. The table saw (specifically the skil one) will be a future soon purchase. I need to figure out my storage situation first though. I have a small shop.