If you are starting out I would recommend you read up on the Basic Tool kit and come back for more.
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Many beginners when trying to start with woodworking take one look at their budget and feel discouraged about not being able to afford a shop full of power tools. Fortunately, one does not need that many. There are only 5 relatively inexpensive power tools you need to get started and tackle almost every project.
Power Drill: A power drill is a staple for a carpentry workshop, in fact for every home. My very first power tool purchase was a Black and Decker hammer drill back in 2015 bought for repairs and maintenance around the house.
I was still using it when I started building and didn't know the difference between an okay drill and a good drill until I bought my Ryobi. Having a compact, well-balanced cordless drill made a world of a difference. When selecting your drill, the grip should feel comfortable with an ergonomic design. Go for compact size and powerful motor, allowing it to enter tight spaces.
Circular Saw: A circular saw is a versatile tool in the shop. Most feel it is not up to the mark for fine woodworking but mainly to slice through sheet goods. Although if you are careful about the measure, with a set of clamps and an edge jig, a circular saw can be surprisingly accurate. While working on a budget, a quality circular saw is an important tool purchase. I own a Bosch, and it is pretty badass.
A circular saw will make straight long cuts, very fast and very easy. There is no variable speed here. So if you need a saw to make a cabinet, or say a table or bed, or cut through sheet goods, buy a circular saw.
Jigsaw: Jigsaws have a thin blade that moves on the verticle axis allowing it to cut through tight areas and curves. Though it can't cut thick stock, it is still a versatile tool to have in a beginner workshop. You can make many projects with a friendly little Jigsaw before you move to a Bandsaw. Go for a corded one that is well balanced and has variable speed settings. My Black & Decker is serving me well, I didn't have the budget for a Bosch or Makita when I bought mine, although they are considered better.
A jigsaw is mainly useful if you need control. Its thin blade and variable speed allow for cutting through small pieces and curves. Not that it can't make long straight cuts, it can, but they won't be clean. If you are looking to buy a saw for smaller straight cuts, or curves, go for a jigsaw. Adding a Jigsaw fence will significantly improve control and help you make straight line cuts with a jigsaw.
Orbital Sander: The fourth important tool every woodworker must buy is a random orbital sander. While you will find cheaper models of china made brands or palm sanders that use regular sandpaper cut into quarters, an orbital sander is class apart. The hook and loop system of sandpapers may feel expensive in the long run but the orbital motion will not leave scratches on your project whereas a palm sander would. Trust me, you want that. Close your eyes and go for Bosch here. Nobody makes them better.
Router: I put off buying a router for a long time and finally bought one when I absolutely needed it for a project. To route means to 'remove material' and a route does that and more. Like a power drill, a router moves in a circular motion on a central axis at a very high RPM. The magic lies in the variety of bits. Have you seen designer edge moulding on furniture, grooves, or dado in a piece, a right angle groove on the edge of a photo frame, where the glass goes? or a large hole in the middle of a workpiece; all router, everything is possible using a router. There are mainly two types, a fixed and plunge base. we'll get into their details in a separate post. For a beginner, I would recommend a palm router aka a trim router. This tool will stay with you in use even if later you buy the heavy-duty one. It's easy to use, lightweight and portable. Bosch and Makita both have their own merits and setbacks. A woodworker friend of mine has also recommended the Dongcheng, I haven't used it myself but for under 2000 bucks, it may very well be a steal.
If you have more questions in general or about these tools, put them in the comments below and let the community help you.
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Thank you for this awesome article. I have already an orbital sander bought from Bob Smith Tools, and I'm very satisfied with this tool. I'm new in this area, working with wood and so on. Now I train more in woodworking and I learned about many useful things in this article and now I know that in addition to the orbital sander I need to have more tools.
Thank you so much for such an informative article! The circular saw listed here is currently unavailable on amazon. What other circular saw would you recommend?