Tool Guides
Expert guides for every tool you need — from power saws to precision measuring instruments.
Power Saws
Band Saw
Top brands: Jet, Rikon, Grizzly, Laguna, Powermatic, WEN, Delta, Craftsm
A band saw uses a continuous loop blade running over two or three wheels to make precise curved cuts, resaw thick lumber
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Chainsaw
Top brands: Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, Oregon, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, E
A chainsaw is a powerful portable cutting tool that uses a rotating chain with sharpened teeth to cut through wood at hi
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Circular Saw
Top brands: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, SKILSAW, Ridgid, Metabo HP
A circular saw is the most versatile portable power saw in any workshop or job site. Featuring a toothed blade that spin
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Jigsaw
Top brands: Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Festool, Metabo HPT, Ridgi
A jigsaw is the go-to power tool for cutting curves, circles, and intricate shapes in wood, metal, plastic, and other ma
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Miter Saw
Top brands: DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, Metabo HPT, Festool Kapex,
A miter saw is a precision crosscutting tool that pivots left and right to make angled miter cuts and tilts to create be
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Oscillating Multi-Tool
Top brands: Fein (inventor of the OMT), DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita
An oscillating multi-tool (OMT) vibrates its accessory at high speed through a small arc of 2-4 degrees, enabling precis
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Reciprocating Saw
Top brands: Milwaukee (SAWZALL), DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, Ridgid, Metabo H
The reciprocating saw — commonly called a Sawzall (Milwaukee's trademark name) — is the ultimate demolition and rough-cu
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Scroll Saw
Top brands: DeWalt, WEN, Hegner, Excalibur, Delta, Rikon, JWET, Dremel,
A scroll saw is a precision cutting tool designed for intricate, detailed work in thin material. Its fine blade moves up
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Table Saw
Top brands: SawStop, DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, Jet, Powermatic, Grizzly, Ri
The table saw is the centerpiece of most woodworking shops, delivering unmatched accuracy for rip cuts, crosscuts, dados
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Track Saw
Top brands: Festool, Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Triton, Kreg (Ada
A track saw (also called a plunge saw) rides along an extruded aluminum guide rail to produce perfectly straight, splint
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Cordless Drill
Top brands: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Ridgid, Ryobi, Craftsman,
The cordless drill is the single most essential power tool for DIYers and professionals alike. Combining a motor, adjust
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Doweling Jig
Top brands: Wolfcraft, Jessem, Dowelmax, Milescraft, Rockler, General To
A doweling jig guides your drill bit to create perfectly aligned holes for wooden dowel joints. Dowel joinery is one of
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Drill Press
Top brands: WEN, Jet, Delta, Grizzly, Powermatic, Rikon, Shop Fox, SKIL,
A drill press is a stationary drilling machine that delivers perfectly vertical, accurately positioned holes with consis
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Hammer Drill
Top brands: Bosch, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Hilti, Metabo HPT, Ridgid,
A hammer drill combines rotary drilling with a hammering action to bore through concrete, brick, block, stone, and other
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Impact Driver
Top brands: Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, Ridgid, Ryobi, Metabo HPT,
An impact driver delivers rotational force combined with concussive blows to drive screws and tighten fasteners with ast
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Pocket Hole Jig
Top brands: Kreg (industry leader), Massca, Milescraft, Wolfcraft, Gener
A pocket hole jig creates angled holes that accept self-tapping screws to join two pieces of wood together. This ingenio
Read guideSanders & Planers
Belt Sander
Top brands: Makita, DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Bosch, Metabo HPT, Ridgid, WEN
A belt sander uses a continuous loop of sandpaper stretched between two rollers to aggressively remove material from fla
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Benchtop Planer
Top brands: DeWalt, Makita, WEN, Ridgid, Grizzly, Jet, Powermatic, Craft
A benchtop planer (thickness planer) feeds rough lumber through a spinning cutterhead to produce boards of uniform thick
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Drum Sander
Top brands: SuperMax (now Laguna), Jet, Performax, WEN, Grizzly, Powerma
A drum sander (also called a thickness sander) feeds workpieces through a sanding drum on a conveyor belt, producing uni
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Electric Hand Planer
Top brands: Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Ridgid, WEN, Ryobi, Metabo
An electric hand planer is a portable power tool that shaves thin layers of wood using a spinning cutterhead with two or
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Palm Sander
Top brands: Makita, DeWalt, Black+Decker, Bosch, Ryobi, Craftsman, Ridgi
A palm sander (also called a quarter-sheet or finish sander) uses a vibrating rectangular pad to deliver fine, controlle
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Random Orbital Sander
Top brands: Festool, Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Mirka, Ridgid, Ry
A random orbital sander (ROS) spins its sanding pad in an orbital pattern while simultaneously rotating randomly, produc
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Chalk Line
Top brands: Tajima, Irwin, Stanley, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Johnson, Empire,
A chalk line (also called a snap line) is a simple but essential layout tool that creates long, straight reference lines
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Combination Square
Top brands: Starrett, iGaging, PEC, Empire, Mitutoyo, Brown & Sharpe, Wo
A combination square combines a 12-inch graduated rule with a sliding head that features both a 90-degree and 45-degree
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Framing Square
Top brands: Swanson, Stanley, Johnson, Empire, Irwin, Starrett, Woodpeck
A framing square (also called a carpenter's square or steel square) is an L-shaped layout tool with a 24-inch body (blad
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Laser Level
Top brands: Bosch, DeWalt, Huepar, Leica, Stabila, PLS (Pacific Laser Sy
A laser level projects a perfectly level or plumb line of light across a room or job site, replacing chalk lines and spi
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Speed Square
Top brands: Swanson (inventor), Johnson, Empire, Stanley, Irwin, Milwauk
The speed square (officially the Swanson Speed Square) is a versatile triangular layout tool that combines the functions
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Stud Finder
Top brands: Franklin Sensors, Zircon, Bosch, Walabot, Milwaukee, DeWalt,
A stud finder is an electronic device that detects the location of wood studs, metal pipes, and electrical wiring hidden
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Tape Measure
Top brands: Stanley (FatMax), Milwaukee, DeWalt, FastCap, Komelon, Lufki
The tape measure is the single most used tool on any job site or in any workshop. A retractable steel blade marked with
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Torpedo Level
Top brands: Stabila, Empire, Klein, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Stanley, Kapro, I
A torpedo level is a compact spirit level (typically 6-9 inches long) designed to fit in a tool pouch or pocket for quic
Read guideHand Tools
Bar Clamps
Top brands: Bessey (K-Body REVO), Jorgensen, Irwin (Quick-Grip), Jet (pa
Bar clamps are the workhorse of the woodworking shop, providing the clamping force needed for panel glue-ups, assembly,
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Chisel Set
Top brands: Narex, Stanley (Sweetheart), Irwin (Marples), Lie-Nielsen, V
Wood chisels are essential hand tools for cutting, shaping, and refining joints, mortises, and detailed woodwork. A qual
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Finish Hammer
Top brands: Estwing, Vaughan, Dalluge, Stanley, DeWalt, Craftsman, Stile
A finish hammer (also called a trim hammer or claw hammer) is a lighter-weight hammer with a smooth face and curved claw
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Framing Hammer
Top brands: Estwing, Stiletto (Eastman), Martinez, Vaughan, Stanley, DeW
A framing hammer is a heavy, long-handled hammer designed for driving large nails into dimensional lumber during framing
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Hand Plane
Top brands: Lie-Nielsen, Veritas (Lee Valley), Stanley (vintage #4, #5,
A hand plane is a woodworking tool that shaves thin layers of wood using a sharp blade (iron) set at an angle in a flat-
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Nail Set
Top brands: Dasco, Mayhew, Stanley, Starrett, DeWalt, Irwin, Craftsman,
A nail set is a small, tapered steel punch used to drive finish nail heads below the wood surface without denting or mar
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Pipe Clamps
Top brands: Pony (Jorgensen), Bessey, Irwin, Pipe-Master, Yost, Craftsma
Pipe clamps are the most economical way to get long-reach clamping capacity for panel glue-ups and large assemblies. A s
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Pry Bar
Top brands: Stanley, Estwing, Vaughan, DeWalt, Crescent, Irwin, Dead On,
A pry bar is a leverage tool used for pulling nails, separating joined materials, prying apart framing, and demolition w
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Spring Clamps
Top brands: Irwin, Bessey, Wolfcraft, DeWalt, Pony, TEKTON, Yost, ATE, C
Spring clamps (also called hand clamps or pinch clamps) are the simplest and fastest clamping tools available. A strong
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Wood Rasp
Top brands: Auriou, Liogier, Shinto, Nicholson, Microplane, Gramercy (To
A wood rasp is a coarse hand tool with individually cut or punched teeth used for rapid shaping, sculpting, and smoothin
Read guideSpecialty Tools
Biscuit Joiner
Top brands: DeWalt, Makita, Porter-Cable, Ryobi, Lamello, Festool (Domin
A biscuit joiner (plate joiner) cuts crescent-shaped slots in mating workpieces to accept compressed wood biscuits. When
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Brad Nailer
Top brands: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Ryobi, Makita, Metabo HPT (Hitachi), Bost
A brad nailer drives thin 18-gauge brad nails for delicate trim, molding, and assembly work. The slender nail leaves a n
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Dovetail Jig
Top brands: Porter-Cable, Leigh, MLCS, General Tools, Rockler, WoodRiver
A dovetail jig is a template-based device that guides a router to cut perfectly fitting dovetail joints — one of the str
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Finish Nailer
Top brands: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Metabo HPT, Makita, Bostitch, Senco, Port
A finish nailer drives 15 or 16-gauge nails for installing baseboards, door casings, crown molding, chair rails, and oth
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Framing Nailer
Top brands: DeWalt, Metabo HPT (Hitachi), Paslode, Milwaukee, Bostitch,
A framing nailer is a powerful pneumatic or cordless tool that drives full-size framing nails (8d, 10d, and 16d) at high
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Kreg Jig
Top brands: Kreg (dominant market leader), Massca, Milescraft, General T
The Kreg Jig is the brand-name pocket hole jig system that revolutionized woodworking joinery. While 'pocket hole jig' i
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Paint Sprayer
Top brands: Graco, Wagner, Fuji, Apollo, Titan, DeWalt, HomeRight, Earle
A paint sprayer atomizes liquid coatings — paint, stain, lacquer, polyurethane, and more — into a fine mist that produce
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Staple Gun
Top brands: Arrow (T50 series), DeWalt, Bostitch, Stanley, Milwaukee, Ry
A staple gun drives U-shaped metal staples into wood, fabric, insulation, and other materials for fastening, tacking, an
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Wood Lathe
Top brands: Jet, Nova (Teknatool), Rikon, Laguna, Powermatic, WEN, Delta
A wood lathe spins a workpiece on a horizontal axis while you shape it with hand-held cutting tools. This ancient woodwo
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Wood Router
Top brands: DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, Festool, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Porter-Ca
A wood router is one of the most versatile power tools in any workshop. It spins a shaped cutting bit at high speed to c
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