Power Tools List to Have In Your Workshop

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Home workshops are something that many people need, because not only can it upgrade the looks of your house, but it can also be very handy and save you lots of money. If you or someone you know enjoys working on projects and making their own woodwork items, chances are they have at least some workshop tools.

The trickiest part of putting together such a workshop is deciding which tools to stack it with.  Below are essential power tools used in woodworking and other Do It Yourself projects, that you will find most useful in any home workshop.

Circular Saw

A circular saw is a great tool and one of the most common tools in a workshop. This type of saw is a handy tool that is capable of straight and accurate cutting of a variety of materials, mainly wood, metal sheets and heavy duty timber materials. Also, you can equip your circular saw with a variety of blades that will further rip through almost any other material, including concrete blocks, bricks and metal pipes.

Circular saws have a handle with an on/off trigger switch, an arbor nut to hold the saw in place and guards to shield the operator from touching the turning cutting edge. Additionally, circular saws may have height/depth adjustment for beveling wood.

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Blade Guard – a blade guard provides safety and works efficiently. This is a vital feature  for keeping the operator’s safety.
• Safety Lock – the safety switch should have a lock-out feature to prevent the saw from turning accidentally.
• Base Plate – base plate must be sturdy and stable, to hold the sawing disc in place when spinning in high speed.
• Adjustable and tilting base plate – so that you can use your saw at an angle to cut a bevel.

Cordless Drill

Cordless drill drivers drill holes in different surfaces with ease, convenience and a high level of mobility. As this type of drill runs on batteries, they come without any electric wires or cords that make carrying around quite a hassel. Be it a professional or a first-time user, cordless drills are a must for combining power and convenience for all kinds of drilling jobs. There is a large variety of cordless drills available, so you can choose which one best suits you according to the job needed to be done.  

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Trigger – the trigger on a cordless drill controls the rotation, fastening, and drilling. On most drills, you can control the rotation speed by varying the amount of pressure you apply to the trigger.
• Keyless Chuck – you will find a keyless chuck on most cordless drills. The teeth on these keys work just like the gear in a clutch. Ratcheting keyless chucks are tightened and loosened by hand. This can make fastening the drill bit very convenient.
• Chuck Jaws – chuck jaws are the metal parts that hold the bit tightly in place. Make sure they are of high quality, so as to hold the drill bit tightly in place.
• Handle – get a drill with a sturdy and comfortable-to-grip handle. The precision of your drilling depends on a good, tight grip.
• Battery – a good battery will give you a lot of juice to work with, without needing to recharge your battery.

Jigsaw

A jigsaw is a power tool that performs both straight and curved cuts, crosscuts, ripping, sloping, dive cuts and other custom shapes. Jigsaws can be utilized to cut a wide range of materials, including wood, metals, plastic, fired tiles and many more. As per experts, a jigsaw can substitute the need for other power tools, such as scroll saws, band saws and routers.

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Handle and trigger – a good handle is vital on a jigsaw for user comfort and also because a strong grip is essential in controlling the motion of the tool during cutting.
• Variable speed and delicate start – saws with variable-speed models and dials that enable you to set the engine speed will allow you more cutting control.
• Selectable blade orbit – an important feature in high quality jigsaws is its orbital blade action. This will enable you to cut more aggressively when you need to, through thicker and harder material. This means longer motor and blade life and less work time.
• Tilting footplate – will enable you to make bevel cuts.
• Some more useful features are dust collections and sawdust blower, built in guide light and an adjustable base.

Random Orbital Sander

An orbital sander is a handy little power tool that should have a place in any well-stocked workshop. Almost every woodworking project will require some finish sanding and an orbital sander will help you achieve an excellent, mark-free finished surface. They are used in sanding surfaces that need a random orbital sanding action.

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Dust collection bag – this feature can save you quite a mess when cleaning up.
• Sealed switch – so that no dust finds its way into the circuitry.
• Variable speed controls – to be able to control the wanted level of finish and smoothness.

Table Saw

A good table saw is the heart of any workshop devoted to fine woodworking. The quality of the saw you own can determine how far you can go as a woodworker. A table saw, or a saw bench, is a woodworking tool consisting of a circular saw blade mounted on an arbor and an electric motor that drives the saw. Table saws are very versatile, and should therefore be the first tool to pick if you are limited with the collection of tools you can keep.

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Amps measure the power of the saw motor– Higher amps indicate more cutting power. Choose your saw accordingly.
• Elevation and tilt wheels – should be easy to maneuver and operate, as you will be needing to cut different sized and shaped pieces of wood.
• Dust chutes and blowers – help remove sawdust from the work area and make sure your woodcutting is clean and neat.
• Micro-adjust rip fences – offer fine control over your work.
• Shaft locks or arbor – immobilizes the shaft and blade, making it much easier to change the blade.
• Extendable rip fences –  slide out or fold to allow expanded rip cutting capability when needed.
• Blade guards – these will protect you from dust and debris, as well as kickback and accidental contact with the blade.

Cordless Nail Gun

A nail gun is a power tool used to drive nails into wood, as well as other materials. Cordless nail guns are convenient, durable, and, well, you got it – have no chaotic strings and cords attached. They are controlled by one of two different ways: Either battery powered nail guns that run on rechargeable batteries or fuel cell powered nail guns. Like most power tools, they arrive in an assortment of sizes, makes, and value ranges. This type of nail gun works by injecting a small quantity of fuel into a small chamber in the gun. A spark provided by a battery then ignites this pressured gas, which creates a combustion that exerts force, and drives the nail through the material’s surface.

If you’re building something and know you will need a considerable amount of nails, the mere idea of using a normal hammer can be overwhelming. Cordless nail guns will make this task easy and speedy. You can be sure that you will not split any wood or other surface as you may do with an inadvertent hammer strike.

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Nail gun type – nail guns are generally designed for specific uses. Getting the one suitable for your needs will ensure the nail gun’s proper function.
• Nail magazine type – coiled nail magazines can hold a larger capacity of nails, making them better for big projects. The difference between the coiled and the straight one is its weight, making the straight one more comfortable to work with.
• Trigger types – sequential triggers will be the safest, since a nail won’t be ejected unless the tip of the gun is pressed down against the target surface first.
• Adjustable nail depth – some nail guns can be adjusted for the force by which the nail is shot.

Wire-Feed Welder

The principal of wire feed welding is that you utilize a welding wire that is fed continuously through a wire-feed welding gun when you press the trigger.

The advantage of using such a tool is that it delivers less heat. This prevents metal distortion and enables you to make a higher quality welding when working on thin metal surfaces, such as in auto body work. Even though wire-feed welders feed a consistent stream of wire with the draw of a trigger, you should pick the wire you work with carefully. For example, stronger wire blends would be more suitable for thicker, more robust surfaces.

Important Features to Watch Out For

• Drive roll – very important part of smooth wire feeding. Be sure to choose the right drive roll suitable for your job.
• Make sure to choose the right wire for your drive roll. A drive roll that is to big or small for the wire you use can lead to feeding problems.
• Easy setting of drive roll tension – if tension isn’t right then the wire can either slip or deform, causing instability or burnback.
• Inlet wire guide – so that the wire is guided into the drive roll properly for smooth use.

If owning a workshop is your dream, then picking the right tools for you is important. There are many tools you can choose from, each one made by a different brand. As long as you look out for the most important features of the tool you need, you are bound to make the best choice and pick a tool that will suit your needs most. Happy tool shopping!