The First 5 Power Tools Every Beginner Woodworker Should Buy

▼EXPAND FOR TOOL LINKS and INFO▼ Watch Next = First Router You Should Buy - https://youtu.be/O2B5eEHUwXw&list=UULFSLClJLzdUMRMe0E4SPfc-w PLANS use code BEGINNERBONUS to save 25% off: www.731woodworks.com/store 12v Milwaukee Drill / Impact Combo - shrsl.com/42014 Ridgid Drill / Impact Combo - homedepot.sjv.io/OrYebG Ryobi Drill / Impact Combo (Brushed Budget Pick) - homedepot.sjv.io/b3xBWm DeWALT Drill / Impact Combo - amzn.to/3nGqdIH 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 Router Recommendations: Whiteside 4 Bit Set - amzn.to/3NKNeVD DeWALT Corded Router with 2 Bases - amzn.to/3B2Jffs Milwaukee Router - shrsl.com/42016 DeWALT Cordless Router - amzn.to/42pX2bE 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-Carbi… Compact SawStop - amzn.to/3B3N18x Full Size SawStop - amzn.to/3LDAGwD T-Shirt I'm Wearing - bit.ly/3nE4lO8 Ariat boots I wear (super comfortable) - ariat.dkkdet.net/vNDPDv Check this video's description for links to all the videos I discussed. If you use one of these Amazon and other affiliate links, I may receive a commission Some other useful links: Daily Tool Deals on my website: www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals Subscribe to our email Newsletter: mailchi.mp/7e44c16eefdc/731-woodworks-email-newsle… Check out our easy-to-follow woodworking plans: www.731woodworks.com/store Outlaw's Board Butter - So Good it Should be Outlawed: www.731woodworks.com/store/boardbutter

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 🙏🏼

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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. 👍

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.

Gathering my tools and workbench. Thanks so much. the perfect video for me!!

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

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.

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.

I always like seeing different opinions on this topic. Keep it up, dude.

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.

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.