Tools that are much better than you expected

[Thomas Marr]

I have a lot of tools. My career was in new product innovation, so I'm always curious about new tools. I thought I'd start a thread about tools that were better than expected.

1. Ryobi cordless brad nailer: I have a friend who knows the guy that invented the technology TTI uses (or so he said). I was curious and bought one (now own two). I found this thing very useful in a number of unexpected situations. It's so easy to tack something in place for a glue up or to hold a board until you can place a proper fastener. Air powered tools do the same but this tool is always ready to go anywhere (assuming the battery is charged of course).

2. Fein Multimaster: I could never see why I'd want one of these saws. Especially for the price. After the patent expired, I bought a HF version on a whim "just to see." I was shocked at how often I found a use for the tool. Especially in any remodeling or rough construction (e.g. framing). I now own two Feins and a Dewalt cordless. I still have the HF version somewhere but it was abandoned once I bought the Fein. BTW, I like the Dewalt cordless version MUCH better than the Fein cordless. Less vibration and trigger controlled variable speed.

3. Skil HD 5510 circular saw: This small 5 1/2" "professional" circular saw is outstanding. I have two and it's my "go to saw" for framing. Small but very powerful, it's realatively light weight and the small blade causes less kickback. I have about 10 circular saws and it's my favorite by far. Unfortunately, it isn't made anymore.

4. Impact drivers: I've had impact drivers for years but I image there's still someone out there without one. They're simple fantastic for driving screws, nuts and bolts.

5. Shopvac "6.5 HP" 5 gal. vacuum: With a claimed capacity of 200 CFM, this little vac has a lot of power. It's small and easy to grab for a quick job. I hooked it to my Kapex and measured greater CFM's than my CT 36 was pulling. And I can buy 7 Shopvacs for each Festool CT 36 and HEPA filters are available on Amazon. It's so small and cheap that I have "dedicated" units for some tools.

[Frederick Skelly]

12" JET Shopline Series Bandsaw. It was a closeout and I think I paid $175. I love that little saw. I just couldn't part with it. I use it more than my 14" Rikon.

HF Wood Lathe (model #34706). This is the one that's a twin sister to JET's low-end lathe. This lathe, and my set of HF lathe tools, gives me a lot of capability for the money. Both are better than I expected, which is why they're typically on the list of HF gems..

[Mark Bolton]

Best recent one is a little Rockwell 4.5" circular saw bought for a single tight space job and I just love the little saw. Use it more than our 7 1/4" saws now.

Mirka Ceros would be another.

[Bruce Wrenn]

$9.99 HVLP spray gun from HF. Saved enough in paint on first job painting stair rails to more than pay for them. I say them because I bought two, one for primer,and another for black finish coats. Also HF multi tool. Saved enough time on first job I used it on, that I went back and bought a second in case first one did, which it did five years later.

[Wayne Fuder]

I bought a used Leigh D4 several years ago and was too busy at the time and never gave it a try until this summer. Opened the manual and wondered what I was about to get into. I tried through dovetails, half blind and even inlaid dovetails. The manual is excellant and everyone of the different styles I tried turned out way better than I expected. The only shortcoming i see is the length of time needed for set-ups. When I start doing drawers this winter, I plan to use two routers to avoid switching bits all the time.

[Bill Dufour]

Hilti Hammer drill. i have owned several so called hammer drills the Hilti blows them away. I think it is rated 1/2 hole at 18" per minute in concrete.
Bill

[Peter Christensen]

Mark Bolton mentioned the Rockwell saw. I was given one (mine is 3 3/8" diameter though) and had it a couple years before using it much as I thought it was more or less a toy. I was so wrong.

I don't like cordless tools and needed a drill and screw gun as mine were in a shipping container while the house was being built. I found that Royobi makes a corded drill driver much like their cordless ones and it is cheap too at about $70Can. Now I don't always have to have a screw gun and a drill when I make stuff.

[Chris Hachet]

I bought a used Leigh D4 several years ago and was too busy at the time and never gave it a try until this summer. Opened the manual and wondered what I was about to get into. I tried through dovetails, half blind and even inlaid dovetails. The manual is excellant and everyone of the different styles I tried turned out way better than I expected. The only shortcoming i see is the length of time needed for set-ups. When I start doing drawers this winter, I plan to use two routers to avoid switching bits all the time.Two routers makes it infinitely faster and more enjoyable IMHO.

[Charles Wiggins]

Just about all of my Ryobi One+ tools, but especially the drills. Shot tons of screws, drilled tons of holes, even in cinder block and concrete (neither is a hammer drill), and they still going strong after more than ten years. I've upgraded to lithium ion batteries, but that's it.No problems or repairs.

[rudy de haas]

I bought my shaper used and it came with a power feeder. At the time I didn't think much of the feeder - a pain to set up etc. However... it has turned out to be the thing that makes the shaper an efficient and effective machine for many jobs.

When I got the jointer I splurged on a Starret straight edge - expecting, in ignorance, to use it once in a blue moon for testing and set-up. Ha, turns out I use it on nearly every project - often merely as a ruler, but still..

[Ben Rivel]

All my Festool tools (minus the Trion jigsaw) were much better than I expected. Does that count?

[Will Boulware]

Not new tools by any means, but stepping up to a big jointer and a big bandsaw was an eye-opener for me. Both tools opened up more possibilities than I thought they would. Definitely better than expected.

[Johanna Johanson]

The little Ridgid palm router is now my go-to router for inlay work and edge routing on small projects - also great for hinge mortises. It's only drawback is that it does not have a base that accepts template guides. I plan to make one for it.

[Michael Koons]

Have to agree with Will. I never realized how nice it was to shop for wood and know that almost any width would fit on my jointer.

[Thomas Marr]

All my Festool tools (minus the Trion jigsaw) were much better than I expected. Does that count?

Sure. For me though, none of my Festools have exceeded my expectations. That's because my expectations were high...to go along with the price I paid.

That said, some Festools have not met my expectations. The Trion as you mention. The Kapex is very good but I still need to mod the dust extraction a bit (there's a thread on here somewhere about how to fix it). I'm not impressed with the vacuums for the money. I don't see much innovation over a standard vacuum with an after market vacuum switch and HEPA filter. The drills are OK but I have some Dewalt drills and drivers that are better in some ways.

Overall, I like the Festool products and find them well made. But I was expecting that giving the innovation and price.

[Victor Robinson]

Agree with the Fein and Rockwell Versacut for remodeling type work. Those two have been indispensable and more useful than I thought. Carbide blades on the Fein was a revelation.

[John TenEyck]

Yep, the $10 HF purple HVLP spray gun has far exceeded all expectations. It sprays anything below about 45 seconds #4 Ford cup beautifully. The HF corded oscillating multi-tool is another great buy - paid for itself the first time I used it to cut some baseboard w/o removing it from the wall. But the machine that has exceeded all expectations I originally had for it is my very own horizontal router mortiser. Mortises of nearly any size are fast, easy, accurately and safely cut, plus it can do so much more.

John

[Ted Reischl]

Wixey Angle gage. No more "tweaking ad nauseam" to set up bevel cuts. Also useful for squaring up other machines. Can be used to set the miter gage on the TS too. Handy little dude for about $30. Saved that in trial cuts and frustration.

[Matt Day]

Lee valley saddle square. I use it on every project. Super handy.

[Steve Demuth]

A couple:

- Starrett English fractional dial caliper (for about $100). Never used a dial caliper and never worried about 1/128" of an inch before. Now I use it constantly. Be a Starrett, I expected quality, of course, but this tool has transformed the way I do many things.

- My "vintage" Stanley 9 1/2 block plane that I bought for $3 at an auction and refurbished. The adjustable mouth makes all the difference.

- My Stanley 113 compass plane. I bought several junkers with broken parts and rebuilt a single good one out of them. I figured it for a shelf-keeper except for some very special purpose jobs, but it is a wonderful tool for making curved patterns in mdf for router reproduction, and has done yeoman's work in cleaning up bent laminations on multiple projects. Properly tuned, it's a marvelous tool.

[Joe Jensen]

Hilti Hammer drill. i have owned several so called hammer drills the Hilti blows them away. I think it is rated 1/2 hole at 18" per minute in concrete.
Bill

Yes, simply amazing. It replaced a Bosch of similar size and there is no comparison

[John TenEyck]

Steve, you are spot on with respect to the Stanley 113 compass plane. I have one, too, and it is THE best tool I've ever used for fairing curves on templates and most curved work. How could I have overlooked it?

John

[John K Jordan]

Boy, that's easy. Too many tools have exceeded my expectations. It helps to buy good tools.

Fein Multimaster for me too. A master at multi things.

The tiny Grex pistol grip pneumatic random orbital sander. So nice for woodturnings and in tight places with 1" and 2" disks.

Festool router.

Dewalt impact wrench for working on vehicles/tractor.

A set of gimlets. Use them almost every day.

Brown & Sharpe 5" Depth Gauge

Bosch Titanium Twist Drill Bits. I've bought several of the 18-bit sets. I drilled numerous 1/2" holes in 1/2" mild steel with one and it was still cutting

Bosch laser distance measure. I can't believe how useful it was when building my shop, especially since I was working by myself.

A set of screwdrivers made for gunsmiths. Parallel ground. All flat bladed screwdrives should be made this way. I bought a set by Grace.

Starrett combination square and double square. I like Starrett in general but the squares are a even a step above what I expected.

I agree with the impact drivers. I bought three after using one a friend had.

Dewalt cordless 4.5" angle grinder and Dewalt reciprocating saw. I can't believe how much I use these around the farm, under things, on ladders.

The Bosch Glide miter saw. Got it for building the shop but it's better than I expected.

The little Kubota diesel RTV truck for the farm. Not a shop tool but a farm tool and better than I expected. I love the hydraulic bed lift.

I don't shop at Harbor Freight but I expect anything I bought there would be better than I expected since I wouldn't expect much...

JKJ

[Robert Chapman]

My SawStop PCS with 1.75 hp motor and the Industrial Base. Not only is this a very safe saw due to SawStop technology - it is also a very high quality table saw with excellent engineering and finish. It was a joy to assemble with excellent instructions. I have been using mine for about 3 years with absolutely no problems.

[Mike Kees]

A couple of years ago I bought a General International 6x89 edge sander from a relative of friend who had just lost her husband. At the time I was just helping her out. Once I started to use it and discovered how useful it truly is ... I use it constantly now even though it started out as the most underrated large power tool in my shop. Mike.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

On January 1980 my father gave me his caliper as part of our commemorations because I was starting my Engineering graduation. It was a Czechoslovakia made model he had bought for himself by the end of 1950s. I had no idea then it would be my oldest tool 37 years later. It is extremely precise and handy, I use it frequently for mechanics and woodworking
My father had lots of cheap tools and I saw him frequently upset with them. I decided to go for less tools but at the best quality my money could afford limited by the local availability. The 1980s also was the time I purchased most of my screw drivers and wrenches from either French Facon or Brazilian Gedore and Belzer. Despite they were very much used and abused, they are yet my main tools for that application. These pliers and drivers probably will outdated me. The same for my excellent (Portuguese) Ramada hand saws
In the Summer 1992 I purchased some clamps at Seven Corners store in Minnesota. They were a few Pony 50 and eight "revolutionary and new" Quick-Grip bar clamps from American Tools... yes, on that time tools were made in the US... believe me or not they are yet my main clamps!
At the beginning of 1990s I purchased my first cordless drill. It was a model from Makita I used extensively. It was replaced for a similar model a few years afterwards because my original one was stolen. Eventually I replaced it by Bosch model I bought in Germany and finally for a DeWalt 12-volt model ten years ago. Recently I decided to change some of my power tools, actually, I decided to upgrade most of them. In the specific case of cordless drill, I decided for a combo of two tools, one drill and an impact driver with brushless technology. I looked for Makita but it was difficult to find them in my area and I went to DeWalt. My God, what a difference in torque and mainly life span for the 4Ah 20 volt batteries! What great improvement an impact driver is over traditional drill for screw driving!
As part of my upgrade activities I also (finally) purchased an air compressor and a brad nailer: another surprise. I have no idea how I survived all these years without a pneumatic nailer


There are several examples of amazing tool acquisition in my life. Actually only a few tools surprised me negatively... perhaps I am a luck man... ;)

[Nick Decker]

Osvaldo, I just wanted to comment that I always enjoy reading your posts. Your English is better than many that speak it as their first language!

[Mike Cutler]

Groz square set. This set is always out, for every project.

Rolair JC10 air compressor. For a little over $200.00, this is a very difficult deal to beat. It's a joy to use in the house, or in the shop when I don't want to run the big compressor.

Harbor Freight inline air tool oiler. As long as you don't drop it, and break the plastic reservoir, this saves you from having to contaminate an air hose with oil. ( Don't buy their air connection fittings, they're pretty cheesy. Very thin walled.)

[Erik Christensen]

festool router with track & micro adjust - can put a dado anywhere & sneak up on a perfect fit in less time than it takes to setup other tooling - things like tapered sliding dovetails are really simple to do precisely

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Nick, how kind of you to let me know... Thank you. :D

[Ben Rivel]

Sure. For me though, none of my Festools have exceeded my expectations. That's because my expectations were high...to go along with the price I paid.

That said, some Festools have not met my expectations. The Trion as you mention. The Kapex is very good but I still need to mod the dust extraction a bit (there's a thread on here somewhere about how to fix it). I'm not impressed with the vacuums for the money. I don't see much innovation over a standard vacuum with an after market vacuum switch and HEPA filter. The drills are OK but I have some Dewalt drills and drivers that are better in some ways.

Overall, I like the Festool products and find them well made. But I was expecting that giving the innovation and price.
Think Id have to agree with you on all points made. Ive avoided the Kapex due to the growing number of people reporting motor failure issues. Well that and the fact that I cant figure out how to justify the cost of it over the other leader miter saws. And yes the vacuums are nice, but if youre working in a garage/shop where you dont need a "quieter", HEPA filtered, tool powering vacuum, a good shop-vac style vacuum can handle most vacuuming duties. Its just very convenient to have the Festool vac if you already have their other tools. And the drills, well yea Ive skipped over all Festool cordless tools. No need for them. Cant stand that proprietary bit holding thing they use on their drills. Why they wont make a head that takes standard 1/4" bits eludes me. Theyd sell more drills and make money off the accessory. My 18V LiIon and 12V LiIon DeWalts have never been anything short of awesome. Never felt a need to make the jump. Especially since I can own three DeWalt drills for the price of one Festool.

[Jay Larson]

I have a couple from the last few years.

First is a DeWalt planer. When we were building our house, my fiance changed her mind about the stairs to the basement. "Instead of full width carpeting, can we go with a runner?" Sure, but have you priced maple stair treads? Well, I found a local lumber mill where I could get 5/4 maple in the sizes I needed for a reasonable price. Ended up making all the treads risers for the staircase. Along with the price of the planer, I saved over $400 on the project. Since then, it opened up so many possibilities on projects. Instead of thinking in 3/4" increments for thicknesses, it becomes what looks better.

The second is a HF bandsaw that I bought from a friend down on his luck and losing his house. I already had a 10" table top Rikon that I used a lot. At first, it couldn't cut a straight line or a consistent curve. Tried a few things, but eventually started completely over. Bought a new blade, tuned it up and set it up. Now I can cut 1/16" slices all day long. I am so impressed with that saw that I sold the Rikon.

[John Sincerbeaux]

My new Martin tablesaw.
I obviously had extremely high expectations buying arguably one of he best made saws in the world. The fit and finish is amazing as I expected. I had seen Martin machinery many times at all the big WW shows.
Operating this fully automatic, motorized machine is really a joy. But, the biggest surprise is how much safety and precision this saw brings. I knew a "slider" was going to take a bit to get used to as I have operated only cabinet saws for the last forty years. Another concern of mine was that a slider is generally not considered a saw used for fabricating small, intricate work? I have read here that many guys have a slider for large case-work and a cabinet saw for small work.

My greatest realization is that a slider can not only do the most intricate work you have ever dreamed of but also 100 times safer than any cabinet saw ever could. The slider holds the wood so you don't have to. Your hands never come close to the blade. I had a Fritz and Franz jig made as soon as I received my saw. This jig combined with the sliding table has completely changed my approach to cutting wood on a table saw.

Here are a few pics of fabricating the stops for the T-track on the F&F jig. I plan on posting another thread just on the Fritz and Franz jig and the safety benefits.

366112366113366114

[Larry Foster]

I've been pleasantly surprised by my Harbor Freight power tools.
Wrenches and stuff, not so much.

I have an air compressor, drill press, log splitter, router (haven'y used yet), cordless drill that runs all over my Craftsman and a multi-tool.
I'm sure there's more.

As far as that little Rockwell circular saw, I've been disappointed.
It seems more like a toy

[Mark Bolton]

My new Martin tablesaw.
I obviously had extremely high expectations buying arguably one of he best made saws in the world. The fit and finish is amazing as I expected. I had seen Martin machinery many times at all the big WW shows.
Operating this fully automatic, motorized machine is really a joy. But, the biggest surprise is how much safety and precision this saw brings. I knew a "slider" was going to take a bit to get used to as I have operated only cabinet saws for the last forty years. Another concern of mine was that a slider is generally not considered a saw used for fabricating small, intricate work? I have read here that many guys have a slider for large case-work and a cabinet saw for small work.

My greatest realization is that a slider can not only do the most intricate work you have ever dreamed of but also 100 times safer than any cabinet saw ever could. The slider holds the wood so you don't have to. Your hands never come close to the blade. I had a Fritz and Franz jig made as soon as I received my saw. This jig combined with the sliding table has completely changed my approach to cutting wood on a table saw.

Here are a few pics of fabricating the stops for the T-track on the F&F jig. I plan on posting another thread just on the Fritz and Franz jig and the safety benefits.

366112366113366114

I always thought the skewed, ergonomic handle, on the pusher was about the best part of thier jig.

[Phillip Gregory]

I can think of a few.

1. DeWalt GE 7 1/2 hp 16"/20" medium arm radial arm saw. I sucked up about 10 pounds of nasty old MDF dust, ungunked a frozen rollerhead bearing, made a new table, replaced the shot motor bearings, put on a new blade, tuned it up, and wired it up I originally got it to handle cutting through some very large old reclaimed rafters and barn timbers. I'd briefly used RASes before, but the typical 10" Sears ones so using a really good one was an eye opening experience. The GE works so much nicer for crosscuts and dados than my 3 hp Unisaw clone that I largely use my cabinet saw just for ripping now. Running a dado blade on a good RAS for the first time is a very pleasant surprise.

2. Whitney No. 134 4 hp direct drive double spindle shaper, mine has the 1 1/8" spindle tops. I had to go through this one a little bit as it had been used and abused for decades in a furniture factory that ended up going belly-up. Fortunately nothing was broken or missing and the bearings fortunately were fine. I'd never used a shaper before and seeing how much and how well it cuts vs. a router in a table put a big grin on my face. This is the other half of why I never run a dado head on a cabinet saw any more as a shaper is much better at rabbets and grooving. I don't think it does too badly for being just shy of 100 years old.

3. Baldor 1215W 12"x2" 2 hp 1725 rpm pedestal grinder rebranded as a Powermatic 2100-25. I've used cheap bench grinders before and this replaced the last one of those. This grinder just needed new motor bearings (super easy), hooked up to the VFD, and a light dressing on the ruby red wheels it came with. The first thing I did was sharpen a set of mower blades just to try it out. It was nearly silent, had essentially no vibration, and let me sharpen the blades in about 1/3 of the time as with the last crappy grinder, and without any even hint of overheating of the cutting surfaces. The tool rests are solid instead of flimsy and the guards actually keep most of the sparks and swarf from pelting me. The VFD also stops the wheels in about 8 seconds which is pretty neat as every other grinder I've used has yowled and buzzed on for minutes after being shut off.

4. Hitachi 23 gauge pin nailer. This isn't a super impressive piece of equipment and I got it to put some glass stop in a door, and I didn't think I'd be using it a whole lot. I end up using it on pretty much every project as shooting a couple of pin nails to tack something into place during glue-up is extremely handy.

[Bill Serino]

Ridgid 18ga brad nailer and a cheap HDX 1/2ga compressor.

The amount of work I've gotten done with those is remarkable. A true "must have" of any home owner IMHO.

[Bob Cooper]

Earlex sprayer

[Nick Shattuck]

The HF pocket hole jig is way nicer than I expected.

I bought it to check my drill press table alignment, but I use my Woodpecker's mini-square all the time on just about every saw I own.

The i-Socket Autoswitch is incredibly useful for me when sanding.

Now that I have a decent 0.5 mm mechanical pencil, my Incra precision marking t-rule gets a lot of use.

[Martin Wasner]

OMGA miter saws. Bar none the best value for money in a saw. You've got to make a lot of cuts to make that realization though.

I bought a domino for one specific project and haven't used it much since. When it gets used it's pretty handy. Festool is really nice stuff, but way overpriced. Somebody brought up their vacuums, I think that's the only thing they sell that's actually competitive in price to other vacuums.

Fein multi tools, that thing has saved my butt a few times cutting things that weren't possible any other practical way.

[Brian Holcombe]

OMGA miter saws. Bar none the best value for money in a saw. You've got to make a lot of cuts to make that realization though.

I bought a domino for one specific project and haven't used it much since. When it gets used it's pretty handy. Festool is really nice stuff, but way overpriced. Somebody brought up their vacuums, I think that's the only thing they sell that's actually competitive in price to other vacuums.

Fein multi tools, that thing has saved my butt a few times cutting things that weren't possible any other practical way.

I regret buying a Kapex rather than going the whole mile and buying an Omga. I've reset the Kapex to be precisely square more times than I would have expected to. I gave a Hitachi to my father, the Kapex is an improvement over that but not quite the precision I was looking for.

[Martin Wasner]

the kapex is really nice, my next portable saw will be a kapex. But bolted down in a shop, we'd kill it in no time. The capabilities aren't necessary in a full shop either as there's usually a better tool available for the task.

The OMGA's just don't die. Being able to put them on 480v is a plus too, we've got three on one 20amp circuit and it's still oversized. I've got a single phase derda as well, (which is a Polish clone of the omga), it's 23 years old and has done a lot of cutting since it was the only cut off station I had for years. Still cuts perfectly square.

A plastic saw just can't compete with the mass of an omga or a CTD.

[Martin Wasner]

To add salt to the wound, the most I've paid for an OMGA is $800... I paid $250 for my first one.

[Jim Morgan]

Much more mundane: a multi-hole pencil sharpener. Who isn't always in need of a sharp pencil? I have an electric one, but would have been perfectly happy with a manual as well. I have some colored pencils for marking on dark woods that would not fit the standard pencil-sharpening hole. Also handy for tapering dowels of various sizes for draw-boring.

[Brian Holcombe]

To add salt to the wound, the most I've paid for an OMGA is $800... I paid $250 for my first one.

Nice! In the field I'm sure the Kapex is hard to beat. Festool has always struck me as being about as good as it gets for a mobile system, great for installers. In the shop I always feel there is a better tool for the job in cases outside of rough cutting the edges off slabs.

[Bob Falk]

Track saw. I never joint long boards anymore. Plane them flat and then track saw one edge before a final pass on the jointer. Saves time, frustration, and safer than trying to joint out crook on a board longer than the jointer. IMHO, a track saw is right up there with the table saw as an essential shop tool.

[Glen Johnson]

I bought a set of machinist gage blocks. It really speeds up set ups for setting fences, router bit height, and it seems they are one of the most used measuring tools in my shop.

[Frederick Skelly]

I bought a set of machinist gage blocks. It really speeds up set ups for setting fences, router bit height, and it seems they are one of the most used measuring tools in my shop.

Glen, could you please describe why using the machinist blocks is easier/faster than using a good square?

Thank you,
Fred

[Glen Johnson]

In the first place gage bocks are easier to use with my bad eyes. Second, the measurements are exactly repeatable if one is moving fences back and forth. You just set a reference stop and measure off of it. I also find that measuring a fence against a round router blade is more accurate. I find that doing joinery where one just wants to take a couple of thousands easier to make small adjustments.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks Glen!

[David Tolsky]

This might sound funny but I have to say my Craftsman Pro Industrial Random Orbit Sander. I remember picking it up new in Sears and it just had a good feel in my hand and looked well built. It's the only Craftsman tool I have in my shop and probably always will be. It is one of my workhorses for sure, I think I've had it more than 12 years now. Vari-speed and well built and it just doesn't want to die.

[Chris Parks]

I always thought the skewed, ergonomic handle, on the pusher was about the best part of thier jig.

I have made at least four F&F jigs and none of them have handles just because I can't be bothered making them but then I have never found the need either.

Going back a lot of years when the first cordless drill was introduced I bought one thinking I might get a bit of light use out of it and quickly realised that I was never going to be without one again. The nail gun has fallen into that category as well, I never realised I needed one until I bought one on a whim.

[Alex Snyder]

Great thread! I'll add by limiting myself to my favorite tool per phase.

Felling: Stihl MS261. I have multiple saws, but this one gets the most use due to size and power.

Skidding: Wallenstein FX90 skidding winch. Not only can you haul the whole forrest out, but it is powerful enough to pull hangers out of the canopy.

Milling: John Deere 60" grapple. This grapple attachment does so much, but precision positioning large logs on the mill is key! Far better than forks.

Milling (in the shop): the silent cutter head. With so many loud tools it is so nice to take the ear muffs off for a little while and even have a conversation. It also leaves an incredibly smooth finish.

Measuring: anything Woodpeckers with a Fastcap flatback tape measure.

Dimensioning: Festool TS75 track saw. The ease of setup, stickiness of the tracks, and little dust make working with live edge slabs so much easier. Honorable mention goes to the Bosch 12" gliding miter saw.

Assembly: Festool Domino XL700. Lining up for glue ups is so much easier with a tight "biscuit." I have yet to have a joint fail. I bought it solely for building desks, but use it on most projects....even the little ones (Seneca).

Finish Sanding: the card scraper. Such a simple tool is so amazing at smoothing wood.

Finish: depends on the project.

Miscellaneous

Carving: Arbortech Turbo plane. So easy to control and excellent intermediary step between the chainsaw and sander.

Safety headwear: 3M Worktunes. Podcasts or audio books, while working, are a great way to pass the monotonous parts.

Safety bodywear: Pfanner ventilation chainsaw pants. Made for climbing trees, so nicely flexible when working in the woods all day.

Sharpening: Tormek. I don't think it matters which model. As long as you're not just sharpening a single tool, the setup is well worth going through to knock out all the dull things in your arsenal quickly.

[Brandon Speaks]

My Harbor Freight 10x18 lathe.

I have outgrown it now but it has turned alot of wood and does not seem to struggle until you but an 8in out of balance wet blank on it (but still got those bowls done too). It did far better than I expected.

[Prashun Patel]

Veritas shooting plane. Expectations were high and performance exceeded that.

Harbor freight 6" f clamps. Expections were low and performance exceeded that. Good grip, no slip, flex not an issue on shorties.

Igaging striking knives. Cheap and durable. Thick edges are easy to freehand sharpen. Too fat for tight work, but great for general marking.

[John Sanford]

Preppin' Weapon sanding blocks

Rigid Oscillating Belt/Spindle Sander

Nupla 2lb Deadblow Hammer - seriously, it's a hammer. Oh, but what a wondrously useful hammer it is...

Contico "Stool Box" - MAGIC!!

[Terry Wawro]

I have to comment on a couple. The $20 Harbor Freight Reciprocating Saw. I bought it for a one time use project so I didn't care if it didn't last too long. Little did I know how handy these things are. It's now 12 years and two houses later. I've used (and abused) this saw over and over and somehow it keeps on working. I've got way more than $20 value out of it. If it dies today it owes me nothing.

Another is the HF multi-tool. Same thing. I think I paid around $14 at the time. From cutting in tight places to scraping. It solves so many problems.

I would not depend on these if I used them professionally or on a daily basis. But they are an incredible bargain for the occasional user and far exceeded my expectations.

[Bill Webster]

Sure. For me though, none of my Festools have exceeded my expectations. That's because my expectations were high...to go along with the price I paid.

That said, some Festools have not met my expectations. The Trion as you mention. The Kapex is very good but I still need to mod the dust extraction a bit (there's a thread on here somewhere about how to fix it). I'm not impressed with the vacuums for the money. I don't see much innovation over a standard vacuum with an after market vacuum switch and HEPA filter. The drills are OK but I have some Dewalt drills and drivers that are better in some ways.

Overall, I like the Festool products and find them well made. But I was expecting that giving the innovation and price.

I have about a half dozen German power tools and the quality of them all is good, but the ergonomics of them all is awful. If I had huge hands it would be better.

[Larry Frank]

My Festool track saw exceeds my expectations every time I use it.

[Al Launier]

My hobbyist woodworking world really opened up when I picked up a DEWALT DW735 thickness planer, a Rigid JP0610 6" jointer, and a Grizzly G0555 14" band saw a few years back. Until that time I was locked-in to finished lumber leaving me few options for flattening, squaring & sizing. Once I worked out a shimming problem on the jointer the combined use of these tools allowed me to purchase rough lumber & make basically whatever I wanted.

[Ira Matheny]

I'm a retired contractor as well as a avid woodworker. But the best tool is not a tool but a system.
I watched my crews spend lots of time dealing with power cords, electricity, hammers, and nails. So we changed.
I purchased Milwaukee 18v drills, mini 'skil' saws, impact drivers, recip saws, portable band saws and SCREWS.

Threw away power chords, nails and hammers.

Production skyrocketed. Quality improved.

Undoubtedly, the battery powered tools were the greatest improvement.

[Al Launier]

I would like to use battery powered tools, but am concerned about the life & power of the tool & the cost of replacement batteries which can be almost as expensive as the original tool. Plus, those that can be re-charged seem not to have the same power as original. Can dead batteries be rebuilt by the consumer? I currently have a dead Porter-Cable 18V drill and last time I checked (~ yr ago) that would cost $79 to buy a replacement battery, probably more now.

[Lee Schierer]

I've had several tool purchases turn out better than expected. The first was my Kreg Jig that my wife talked me into at a wood show many years ago. I purchased it and it sat on my work bench for at least a year other than the initial playing with it. Then I was working on a project and need to add a piece inside a project and the only method to do that was to attach each end of the piece with the Kreg jig. I've used it extensively ever since.

The second purchase I made was a set of Dewalt cordless drills (used from a member of SMC). I thought that they were a weak alternative to putting screws in by hand. Now I wonder how I ever built anything with out them.

The third tool purchase was of a jig saw to replace my old B&D one that finally died. I purchased a Bosch Barrel grip jig saw and was amazed at the lack of vibration, power and quality of the cut. Some of their progressor series of blades will give cross cut surface finish quality that rivals a $100 carbide blade.

[Curt Harms]

..........................................
And the drills, well yea Ive skipped over all Festool cordless tools. No need for them. Cant stand that proprietary bit holding thing they use on their drills. Why they wont make a head that takes standard 1/4" bits eludes me. Theyd sell more drills and make money off the accessory.
.........................................

I wonder if they feel that people would use 'inferior' bits and accessories in their Festool drills, get "not-up-to-Festool-standards" results and blame the drill rather than the tooling? Only reason I can think of. Or maybe the same reason inkjet printer manufacturers have started putting chips on their ink cartridges to make using 3rd party ink difficult - it's all about the $$$.

[Bill Dufour]

Countersink cage. Depth adjustable by 1/1000". per click. Piloted countersinks.
Bill

https://www.browntool.com/Listview/tabid/344/CategoryID/62/Level/a/ProductID/222/Default.aspx

[Charles Lent]

Two years ago I bought a CRB7 jig and all of it's available options. It is a router positioning edge guide, a router circle cutting jig 3/4" - 60+" radius, a router mortising jig, a router edge trimmer, and probably a few more capabilities that I'm forgetting. I have 11 routers with many kinds of jigs and fences for them, but it seems like every time I need a fence or circle cutting capability for one of my routers since buying the CRB7, that I reach for it. Any router with the side holes for edge guide rods no matter what size can be used with it. The CRB7 comes with two sizes of guide rods, but two more sizes of rods are available for it, and they all screw together end to end for making the very large diameter circle cutting capability. With one pair in the jig to attach the router and the other three pair screwed together end to end and attached to the jig I can cut a circle with over a 60" radius. But the jig alone can cut a radius from 3/4" up to 7" and the pivot pin for small diameter circles is stored in a hole in the CRB7 base magnetically, so it's hard to lose it. The CRB7 base has a fine position adjustment for moving the router to the exact position that you need whether routing an edge or cutting circles. This fine adjustment moves one of the guide rods, so with the router clamped to this rod, the fine adjustment can be made, then locked in place by locking the adjustment as well as the router attachment to the other rod.

I recently bought two gauges from MiterSet. One of them allows you to set any standard 3/4 X 3/8 bar miter gauge in 0.5 degree increments up to 50 deg in either direction very accurately.
The second gauge is called MiterSet Segments and is used to set the same standard miter gauge to the angle needed for cutting segmented circles. You don't even need to know the angle for the number of segments that you want, Just move a pin to the desired number of segments and a second pin for the zero reference.Just push the miter gauge face up against the pins and tighten the lock. Then using a stop for the segment length, you can miter cut all of the segments and they will perfectly fit together. These gauges are CNC machined and built with Aerospace hardware quality. I'm very impressed with them. I was able to cut a perfectly mitered 17 segment circle on my first try.

Charley

[mark mcfarlane]

I wonder if they feel that people would use 'inferior' bits and accessories in their Festool drills, get "not-up-to-Festool-standards" results and blame the drill rather than the tooling? Only reason I can think of. Or maybe the same reason inkjet printer manufacturers have started putting chips on their ink cartridges to make using 3rd party ink difficult - it's all about the $$$.

My Festool drill included a normal 'jacobs' style chuck, and a right angle chuck, along with the semi-proprietary centrotec one. FWIW, its the small CXS version, very light weight, nice for tight places with the right angle chuck, but not good for heavy duty jobs. I tend to grab a Makita instead unless I'm in a tight space.

[Mark Gibney]

The #33 hand plane from Harbor Freight. Bought it out of curiosity, fettled it, I use it a lot in the field more of less like a block plane, especially to shave plywood edges or rough looking wood where I'd be afraid to use a good blade.

https://www.harborfreight.com/no-33-bench-plane-97544.html

The retail price has increased a massive 50% since I bought the plane. It's now $15, up from $10.

[Tyler Walters]

Lee, I couldn't agree more on the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig! I've had mine for only a few months and have used it on dozens of projects.

I'm not sure the technical name for them ("twist bit" maybe) but a set of drill bits that have an adjustable counter sink cutter attached will change your life.

[Paul McGaha]

I've thought about posting on this thread for a few days now. Thinking it over. I think I'll go with a couple of the tools:

1) I have a Powermatic PJ882 jointer with a Helical Head on it. Due to the length of the tables (combined about 7'), decent power and dust collection, it is a pleasure to use and probably the best power tool in my shop.

2) I bought some of the steel straight edges (1 foot, 2 foot and 3 foot) from Veritas and also a set of feeler gauges from them. All are really very nice and a pleasure to use.

PHM

[Jacob Mac]

I've thought about posting on this thread for a few days now. Thinking it over. I think I'll go with a couple of the tools:

1) I have a Powermatic PJ882 jointer with a Helical Head on it. Due to the length of the tables (combined about 7'), decent power and dust collection, it is a pleasure to use and probably the best power tool in my shop.

2) I bought some of the steel straight edges (1 foot, 2 foot and 3 foot) from Veritas and also a set of feeler gauges from them. All are really very nice and a pleasure to use.

PHM

How much do you think your straight edges from LV helped you enjoy using your jointer?

I ask bc I'm setting up a new shop and need a good straight edge to get everything properly calibrated.

[Paul McGaha]

How much do you think your straight edges from LV helped you enjoy using your jointer?

I ask bc I'm setting up a new shop and need a good straight edge to get everything properly calibrated.

Hi Jacob,

For setting up the tools I'd recommend good straight edges and feeler gauges. The ones from Lee Valley are very good and I think fairly priced. I chose the steel ones.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=56676&cat=1,240,45313,56676

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32527&cat=1,43513,51657,32527

PHM

[Kevin Perez]

The ones from Lee Valley are very good and I think fairly priced. I chose the steel ones.


FWIW, I chose the aluminum one and love it. It is very stable and works well for checking stock, machines, etc.

[Frederick Skelly]

FWIW, I chose the aluminum one and love it. It is very stable and works well for checking stock, machines, etc.

I have one of their long aluminum (30") ones and love it. Glad to hear the steel ones are good value!

[peter gagliardi]

Vortex brand router bits are the best I have used by a loooooooooooong shot.
Seriously, nothing I have used comes even close.
Either their geometry, or their sharpening, or both is just in a class above.
The level of finish, along with the almost effortless amount of force it takes to cut a full 1" deep in Hemlock in 1 pass with a 1/2" diameter bit, coupled with how quietly it does it is impressive.

My Barr brand cabinet chisels are the best I have found. Great edgeholding, and easy sharpenability.

[Frederick Skelly]

Vortex brand router bits are the best I have used by a loooooooooooong shot.
Seriously, nothing I have used comes even close.
Either their geometry, or their sharpening, or both is just in a class above.
The level of finish, along with the almost effortless amount of force it takes to cut a full 1" deep in Hemlock in 1 pass with a 1/2" diameter bit, coupled with how quietly it does it is impressive.

Peter,
Have you had a chance to compare them to Freud Quadracuts? If so, I'd love to hear your experiences because the Freuds have been the same thing for me (so far).

Good tip on the Barr hand forged chisels too. Thanks.
Thanks,
Fred

[peter gagliardi]

Fred,
no, I actually stopped buying anything Freud a few years back- they cut good for about 10 minutes, then the edge is toast.
They were plenty sharp, but the edge just did not last- router bits, sawblades are what I have used. Maybe their carbide is different.
I do think the Vortex quality is in proportion to their price, but I generally can't stand cheap stuff- especially tools.

[Frederick Skelly]

Fred,
no, I actually stopped buying anything Freud a few years back- they cut good for about 10 minutes, then the edge is toast.
They were plenty sharp, but the edge just did not last- router bits, sawblades are what I have used. Maybe their carbide is different.
I do think the Vortex quality is in proportion to their price, but I generally can't stand cheap stuff- especially tools.

Thanks Peter!

[Joshua Bass]

Wixey Angle gage. No more "tweaking ad nauseam" to set up bevel cuts. Also useful for squaring up other machines. Can be used to set the miter gage on the TS too. Handy little dude for about $30. Saved that in trial cuts and frustration.
Woah. How are you setting the miter gauge with that angle gauge?

[Matt Lau]

I'm not sure if it's bad form to revive an old thread?

For me: Fein vac (the older, variable suction, tool activated one); Makita Tracksaw. Mirka Deros, Sawstop JSS;
Those were truly gamechangers for me. Before, i had no dust collection, couldn't work with sheet goods, hated sanding, and didn't trust using a tablesaw.

Out of those, the Deros/vac combination is probably the biggest gamechanger.

[John C Cox]

The worksharp 3000 and their kitchen knife motorized belt sharpener. Sharpening is very much not my favorite thing to do... These make it way way more enjoyable.

WoodCraft Woodriver socket chisels. I was a bit iffy but decided to try one out. These have become my go-to favorite bench chisel.

Jet 22/44 drum sander. How did I ever live without this thing?

Dewalt brand Fein Multimaster knock off... I think this tool gets used at least once in every single project I do... Wow these things are fantastic.

[Jordan Lane]

John i look forward to your post on the fritz and franz jig...yours appears to be one of the best i have seen...will you detail the construction of it?

[Osvaldo Cristo]

1. Makita AF505N Brad Nailer - it was my first pneumatic tool purchased last year after almost 30 years at woodworking. By the heavens, how did I survive so long without one?

2. Lie Nielsen no. 60 1/2 Block Plane - I had mixed feelings when using hand planes for decades, up to see the light! This stuff is now used by myself frequently making glorious shavings

3. Modern battery tools - I use battery tools since 1985 and I had purchased several of them in the past years but up to recently my newest one was 15 years old. I purchased last year drill and impact driver from DeWalt, brushless 20V. The difference is day to night from my old tools (I gave or trashed all my other battery tools since I got DeWalt's). The surprise continued when I purchased recently the portable DeWalt light (20V battery, 1,000 lumens). All absolutely great and useful tools. It is a joy to use them

4. Freud Professional table saw blades - a completely different league from my old Irwin, DeWalt, Makita or Bosch blades... I liked them so much I have purchased in the last few months three different Freud Professional 10-inch blades for my table saw

5. Starrett EC799A-6/150 Electronic Caliper - I won my first caliper when I went to the University on 1979/1980, an East European model my father purchased for himself at 1950s... of course, it isn't digital. I graduated in Engineering and I never was tempted to look for a digital version for that tool up to I decided to give a chance... OMG, what a surprise!

[Charlie Jones]

HF allen or hex key wrenches are excellent quality.

Bosh 12V max drill driver set.

My new Bosh Colt palm router.

[Peter Kelly]

Kärcher WD5 Shop Vac. More suction power than my CT 26 at a fraction of the price.
Fein 18V Brushless drill. Toolnut had a crazy sale on these a while back so I bought two. Now wishing I'd purchased two more for the other shop.
Felo driver bits and wooden handle screwdrivers. The tips on both seem to last forever.
Tekton socket sets and wrenches. Amazingly nice stuff for the price. Quality is very near Snap-on and certainly a cut above the old Craftsman wrenches.

[David Zaret]

martin tablesaw - for sure. i expected a lot, and, it's better.

one at the top of my list is the set of Mac Campshure Airtight clamps. they are fantastic. it's changed the way i use my slider, and in fact, my fritz-and-franz jig is now pretty much in storage...

oh, and the Kremlin sprayer is unbelievable, faster and higher quality than i knew was possible.

[David Zaret]

Fred,
no, I actually stopped buying anything Freud a few years back- they cut good for about 10 minutes, then the edge is toast.
They were plenty sharp, but the edge just did not last- router bits, sawblades are what I have used. Maybe their carbide is different.
I do think the Vortex quality is in proportion to their price, but I generally can't stand cheap stuff- especially tools.

peter i've also been using the vortex cutters, they do seem nice. have you compared them to the amana coated cutters - especially the compression cutters? just curious if the advertised life expectancy of the coated amanas actually exceeds the vortex...

[Tim M Tuttle]

The surprise continued when I purchased recently the portable DeWalt light (20V battery, 1,000 lumens). I bought one of those a few months ago. It's awesome.

[Marshall Harrison]

Ryobi 18-volt ONE+ tools. I love the drill and impulse driver I have along with the 4" circular saw. Plan to add the battery powered nailers to replace my air tools. I hate having to stop an hook up air.

The HF mobile miter saw stand. Really quite good for the price.

[Roy Turbett]

Toro electric leaf blower. Sweep up the big stuff and blow the rest of it out the door.

[anne watson]

Don't laugh,my old Geenie Shopsmith. I have all sorts of power tools, BUT having a horizontal boring drill, and 2 types of sanding disks, flat and round with the variable speed function. On the other end I have a fine grindstone for touching up lathe tools. I could go on and on about the other functions but these are the ones I use the most.

[Jon Wolfe]

My new Craftsman 10 inch bevel cutting sliding miter saw. Don't laugh, Craftsman used to be a great brand and I did a lot of research before settling on this saw. I thought I was downgrading from a Dewalt but this saw will cut 12 inches and the best thing is the way the rails are stationary and the saw slides (forward) on the fixed rails. I can set it up almost against the wall in my shop and get full cuts. I got it online for less than $200 delivered and new. Nice construction. I am VERY impressed and happy with this saw.

Here's my set up.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?263942-Mr-Wolfe-s-Miter-Saw-Station

and a link to the saw...

https://www.craftsman.com/products/craftsman-10-single-bevel-sliding-compound-miter-saw-21237

I had to join Sears "Shop Your Way Max" club but it was a free trial... got free shipping and some bonus bucks that brought the price down something like $40.

Bonus... Sold the Dewalt on CL and it was an even exchange (few bucks in my pocket).

[Carlos Alvarez]

I had the Fein Multi-master as well as the cordless HF version. Both served a purpose, and the HF was surprisingly good. The Fein was better, but corded. When I switched to all DeWalt Li-Ion tools, I got their version of it, and it's the best of the bunch. Sold the Fein (for more than the DeWalt cost). I love it. Another DeWalt battery tool that is shockingly good is the grinder. Sold the corded one, no need any more.

A decent impact driver will change your life. I have the 12v and 20v DeWalts; the little one is so light and easy to use, the big one is not huge, but very powerful and controllable with its brushless motor. I can adjust a screw in half turns with it, instead of using a hand driver. I rarely reach for the hand driver any more at all.

My Ridgid belt/spindle sander is shockingly good. I got it for $25 on CL. It's not on the order of a high-end sander, but it's excellent for a small cheap machine. Very flexible.

[Peter Kelly]

Festool Domino XL. Somewhat expensive though compared to a stationary slot morticer it starts to look fairly reasonable. Well worth the money imo.

[Carlos Alvarez]

Festool Domino XL. Somewhat expensive though compared to a stationary slot morticer it starts to look fairly reasonable. Well worth the money imo.

There seems to be a general consensus that this is the best domino machine by far.

[Peter Kelly]

Other than the tracksaw, I think the XL the best thing Festool has made.

[Johnny Barr]

Jessem table saw stock guides. ...... I use them for about 99% of my rips including narrow ones despite everyone saying you can't. Believe it or not I have ripped down to 1/2" using them. As the guides do an excellent job of holding the stock down and towards the fence you only need to worry about pushing and that can be done horizontally. I made a few thin push sticks that travels under the rollers. This way I can rip narrow pieces. So they are not just for large sheets. They are also a great safety device. The push sticks that I've made are fairly long, that way I can stand back from the table and be no where near the blade. If my shop got destroyed and I had to buy another table saw then they would be the first add on I would get. I forgot to say that the other 1% of rips is using the Grripper when the stock is small.

[John Jenkins4]

+1...........


Jessem table saw stock guides. ...... I use them for about 99% of my rips including narrow ones despite everyone saying you can't. Believe it or not I have ripped down to 1/2" using them. As the guides do an excellent job of holding the stock down and towards the fence you only need to worry about pushing and that can be done horizontally. I made a few thin push sticks that travels under the rollers. This way I can rip narrow pieces. So they are not just for large sheets. They are also a great safety device. The push sticks that I've made are fairly long, that way I can stand back from the table and be no where near the blade. If my shop got destroyed and I had to buy another table saw then they would be the first add on I would get. I forgot to say that the other 1% of rips is using the Grripper when the stock is small.

[Brian Nguyen]

So your push stick is just a long stick? (God that sounded like the dumbest question I've ever had to ask) If not, can I just use a long stick to push stock through?



Jessem table saw stock guides. ...... I use them for about 99% of my rips including narrow ones despite everyone saying you can't. Believe it or not I have ripped down to 1/2" using them. As the guides do an excellent job of holding the stock down and towards the fence you only need to worry about pushing and that can be done horizontally. I made a few thin push sticks that travels under the rollers. This way I can rip narrow pieces. So they are not just for large sheets. They are also a great safety device. The push sticks that I've made are fairly long, that way I can stand back from the table and be no where near the blade. If my shop got destroyed and I had to buy another table saw then they would be the first add on I would get. I forgot to say that the other 1% of rips is using the Grripper when the stock is small.

[Chris Parks]

My new Martin tablesaw.
I obviously had extremely high expectations buying arguably one of he best made saws in the world. The fit and finish is amazing as I expected. I had seen Martin machinery many times at all the big WW shows.
Operating this fully automatic, motorized machine is really a joy. But, the biggest surprise is how much safety and precision this saw brings. I knew a "slider" was going to take a bit to get used to as I have operated only cabinet saws for the last forty years. Another concern of mine was that a slider is generally not considered a saw used for fabricating small, intricate work? I have read here that many guys have a slider for large case-work and a cabinet saw for small work.

My greatest realization is that a slider can not only do the most intricate work you have ever dreamed of but also 100 times safer than any cabinet saw ever could. The slider holds the wood so you don't have to. Your hands never come close to the blade. I had a Fritz and Franz jig made as soon as I received my saw. This jig combined with the sliding table has completely changed my approach to cutting wood on a table saw.

Here are a few pics of fabricating the stops for the T-track on the F&F jig. I plan on posting another thread just on the Fritz and Franz jig and the safety benefits.

366112366113366114


I knocked up an F&F jig out of two bits of 18mm MDF and used it for about three years, it greatly exceeded my expectations as it was an experiment to see how effective the jig was when we learnt about them initially. $1 dollar for three years works for me.

[Timothy Shouldice]

For me...

+1 on the Jessem table saw stock guides, I too don't think I could live without them.

Digital depth gauges, angle finders, calipers and protractors - not every project lends itself to cutting or thicknessing everything at one go so its nice to have the repeatability at a high level of accuracy

Carbide tipped bandsaw blades - we use carbide table saw blades, why fight ever dulling steel bandsaw blades?

Incra Mitre 3000SE + Mitre Express - this is my only crosscut sled

Whiteside Ultimate flush trim bit - beautiful results with great flexibility

Rockler Dust Right Quick Change system - I have a centrally located dust collector that I attach to each tool as needed using the dust right quick change system - works great and time to attach hose to each tool is pretty close to opening a blast gate. Plus when done you can quickly get any dust missed by detaching and using the quick connect handle as a portable vacuum. I also have the floor sweep attachment and that is really handy for getting the fine dust off the floor.

Dylos Air Particle Meter - you can't manage what you can't measure. Takes the FUD out of workshop dust control and makes it scientific. Let's me know when to wear a dust mask, when to run the overhead cleaner and when to run the dust collector open to the shop - all to manage real measured dust levels. It also helps demonstrate which activities produce the most dust - the dust raised by just sorting through my wood pile really surprised me.

Rockler Silicon Glue Applicator kit - bye, bye PITA acid swabs, wood sticks and fingers.

LED shop lighting - more light for the same wattage - win, win

Lee Valley Magnetic-Mount LED Work Light - gives that extra light to see pencil lines when bandsawing, mortising and using my Domino - quite indespensible

[Johnny Barr]

So your push stick is just a long stick? (God that sounded like the dumbest question I've ever had to ask) If not, can I just use a long stick to push stock through?


Any thin stick(s) will work as long as it goes under the rollers and you push horizontally and its long enough to keep your hands a fair way from the blade. Then you can rip narrow pieces.

[Don Jarvie]

HF 8 inch grinder. No vibration right out of the box. Tool rests stink but I can live with that.

[Larry Frank]

I agree with the Shopsmith. Mine is over 50 years old. I just had the head rebuilt with all new bearings, belts and alignment. It is such a versatile tool for me. It is a great horizontal boring machine. I use it for several types of sanding. I built a flat sander to go on it, a pneumatic drum sander, 12" disk sander, and other sanding. The variable speed is great. I also use it as a lathe...

I would not be without it.

[Ron Kellison]

I've been surprised a lot by tool purchases but if I had to pick just two it would be the 1st generation Lamello biscuit joiner complete with a wooden box, wrench, extra blade and manual ($20) and a big Elu router ($50) that is just a jewel of a tool. The plunge mechanism is just so much smoother than the big Dewalt it replaced and I'm convinced that my grandchildren will still be using it long after I'm gone. Elu was every bit as good in it's time as Festool but then they were acquired by the Black & Decker/Dewalt borg and the brand just disappeared.

[Peter Kelly]

I bought an old Elu 3303 on CL a while back for $20. After a bit or grease on the plunge mechanism and a new power cord, I'd have to say it is one of favourite power tools.

[John Gulick]

1950's vintage Delta Rockwell 12-14 table saw including Biesmeyer fence and original miter gauge. $550. local pickup, simple restoration

It's a beast and smooth too

[Kevin Beitz]

Junkyard tools... Most all exceeded my expectations. They turn out better than expected. Never know what I might find...

[Bill Carey]

The worksharp 3000 and their kitchen knife motorized belt sharpener. Sharpening is very much not my favorite thing to do... These make it way way more enjoyable. .

+1 for the worksharp 3000. I have arthritis in my hands and sharpening on stones was very hard for me to do, and I would be out of the shop for a day or 2 while it calmed down. So I didn't sharpen as often as I should have, and nothing takes the joy out of working with wood like DULL. The WS3000 gives me back sharp tools. Are they as sharp as blades worked on for hours on wet stones? Probably not. But they are mighty sharp and a pleasure, again, to use.

[Bill Adamsen]

Yes, simply amazing. It replaced a Bosch of similar size and there is no comparison
Good to know ... my Bosch SDS finally gave up the ghost and I was debating a rebuild or replacement. Assuming Hilti makes SDS.

[Chris Brennan]

Tajima plumb bob...20+ years of millwork installation of high end,tight tolerance work....its dead on accurate ,hands free and never goes off...levels get banged up and go off ,they're open to interpretation....EVERY carpenter in NYC has one, don't see them as much outside the city.....

[Chris Parks]

My Clearvue Cyclone, working in a clean work shop is so much nicer than in a dusty dirty one.

[John K Jordan]

My Clearvue Cyclone, working in a clean work shop is so much nicer than in a dusty dirty one.

Amen. My shop is by no means "clean" but could be far worse. The bandsaw cabinet never accumulates dust. The drum sander doesn't get the Dylos upset. I'm still amazed when I see dust and shavings come off the lathe and do a 180 and head for the dust pickup behind the lathe. I'd like to try to get a good photo of that.

JKJ

[Frank Pratt]

The original 7.2V Makita cordless drill. I got one probably 35 years ago, but it's long since departed. It was small, light, good power & even though it had no variable speed or braking function, it was still pretty easy to control for driving screws. Of course, by today's standards, it was crude & battery life was short. But back then it was a total game changer for me. Used it all day, every day at work.

My Dremel was given to me by me wife & I thought it would be completely useless. That was until I really needed it. There are many things that just can't be done any other way as easily or as quickly. I don't use it often, but I wouldn't want to be without one.

[Jon McElwain]

Bent nose pliers from Ace Hardware. I've got a whole drawer filled with pliers, but I grab these 9 out of 10 times. The bend has just the right angle to see what you are using them on, and gives an advantage to pull on whatever it is I'm reaching for.

397067

[Nick Lazz]

My Clearvue Cyclone, working in a clean work shop is so much nicer than in a dusty dirty one.

Plus 1.
Also Hammer A3-31 joiner/planer combo. Gives me a way bigger joiner than I’d ever have stand alone and saves a ton of room.

[John Goodin]

The Incra 1000SE miter gauge. Last week someone was asking if they were a good investment and I thought about how many times I have bang that around and it is always spot on.

It has been many years but still remember being amazed the first time I used an ROS -- a big time saver from the 1/4 sheet vibrating sander. Also, the first impact driver I used. I never thought I could drive a three inch screw in just a few seconds.

[Jack Frederick]

Knipex Camlock Pliers. I have the small and medium sizes and I just always seem to have them in my hand. My box and open end wrenches seem to languish in the tray. Fabulous tool.

[Van Huskey]

Knipex Camlock Pliers.

Are you talking about the Knipex pliers wrench? If so they are AWESOME.

[Carlos Alvarez]

Knipex EVERYTHING! But I think he's talking about the ones that replace Channel Lock pliers with a different design?

[Zachary Hoyt]

The Incra 1000SE miter gauge. Last week someone was asking if they were a good investment and I thought about how many times I have bang that around and it is always spot on.

It has been many years but still remember being amazed the first time I used an ROS -- a big time saver from the 1/4 sheet vibrating sander. Also, the first impact driver I used. I never thought I could drive a three inch screw in just a few seconds.

I was amazed the first time I used a DeWalt deck screw driver, I got it at an auction for $10 and it was older already, but it goes 0-2500 RPM so it will drive a 3" screw in a second or so. I use it for building access ramps at people's houses around here.
Zach