Getting Started

The starting woodworker is bombarded with advertisements as to who manufactures the best tool, and what they should buy. The various wood magazines have articles where tool ratings are discussed. Since I subscribe to a number of woodworking magazines, I've seen where they actually contradict each other, only adding to the confusion.

In my unscientific opinion, the woodworker needs to assess the type of work that they plan to do. They should also assess the volume of work that they plan to do. When I first started out, I usually bought the tools that Sears had on sale. A drill is a drill right? Not necessarily so. For light duty use, a low end Sears or Black and Decker do a fine job. The reasonable prices they charge for their tools make it possible for almost anyone to own one. Under heavy or continuous use, they don't hold up very well. In my experience this was usually due to bearing failure. The lower end tools are typically manufactured with sleeve bearings. While this is perfectly acceptable for lighter use, the heavy use causes overheating, resulting in seizing and failure. If you think you would need heavy use out of your tool or, you can afford to spend a little more on the tool, look for ball bearings. The higher end Sears tools offer this as well as Black and Decker through their professional line. When you shop for a higher end tool, you will find plenty of choice. A good rule of thumb to use, to measure power the tool can provide, is to use the amperage rating as your guide and not necessarily the horsepower ratings. The horsepower ratings can be a bit ambiguous. You will find that the higher end tools usually don't use horsepower ratings. Porter Cable, Dewalt, Makita and Bosch to just name a few, provide power specs in terms of amps. If you think that you're going to get serious about your woodworking, serious meaning more than an occasional hobby activity, and you can afford it, the high end tools is a better long term investment. Typically designed for the trades, these tools take a lot of use for a lot of years.

Next step for the woodworker is stationary power tools. The first major purchase is usually a Table Saw or Radial Arm Saw. Until I relocated to my current shop, which is considerably smaller than what I used to have, I had both. Each tool served a viable purpose. For crosscutting the Radial Arm Saw was great. You move the saw instead of the material. For ripping, the Table Saw is best. Cutting raised panels, I found to work out better on a Table Saw. Faced with a choice of one or the other, I took the Table Saw. I think it's safer over a larger range of work. A lot of the dadoeing that I used to do across a board I know do with a router. Plowing and Tenoning I do with the Table Saw. You could do this with a router as well but, I find the Table Saw with a dado head more convenient to use.

As to which stationary tool to buy? The same rules apply. How much work do you intend to do and what type. Horsepower on stationary tools are ambiguous as well. Use amperage as a guide. It's more reliable and consistent. There are numerous choices in Table Saws, from the lumber yard saw for a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. The lumberyard saw is designed for portability from job site to job site. These saws are identified by their smaller tables. This was what my fathers old saw was like. We built a table that we inserted the saw into. A larger table makes it a lot easier and safer to cut larger width stock. The stationary saws usually have the larger tables and better fences which make them more precise. A good fence saves a lot of time when setting up for rip cuts. The stationary saws are usually heavier, which makes them more stable and less prone to vibration. In my unscientific opinion, if you have the space and can afford it, I would suggest the Sears or Delta Contractor Saw. These are 2 saws that can handle a wide range of work and will last a long time. Over time as you become more proficient at the craft and you demand more of your saw, you may want to consider a cabinet saw like the Delta Unisaw, General or Powermatic. You might also want to consider an import like, Grizzly, Jet or Enlon to name a few.

Other stationary tools to consider are a Planer, Jointer, Bandsaw and Drill Press. Prior to the move, when I had the space, I had floor standing models of each. The only floor standing machine that I have left is the Bandsaw (of course). I sold off the others and replaced them with bench top tools. With my space constraints, this has been working out well. I put them on the bench when I need them, and put them on a shelf when I don't. The individual floor standers are convenient, they have more capacity and they are always at the ready. Don't cut the bench top tools short. I've been impressed with the capability and quality of what they produce. The space savings is a real plus.

In summary you have to go with what's good for you. Without doing a reiteration, you've got to decide what it is you want from the tool. Be a smart shopper, watch for sale ads. The magazine tool reviews are a good starting point but, you really have to go out there to get the feel of the tool. What's works for you, is the right tool for you but, what works for you, may not be the right tool for someone else.

I hope I've helped out here. If you want to discuss or share an opinion, drop me an email.