When you look at carpentry tool reviews, cordless sanders may not seem like a first choice. Even so, tools like the Makita LXOB01 orbital sander and others have made incredible strides. Some of our guys swear by them as they save tons of time in setup. Another unusual tool that has taken off is the cordless finish nailer. The RYOBI P360 Airstrike finish nailer was quickly followed by the DeWalt 20V Max angled finish nailer and others. Now, Milwaukee, Makita, Senco, and others have tools in this growing category. With these tools, you can get in and out without using a compressor or dragging an air hose. Carpentry Tool Reviews for Pros Our carpentry-focused reviews include miter saws, sanders, nailers, hand tools, and other woodworking tools. In carpentry, quality, convenience, and portability are key. A lot of times you deal with built-ins or other locations where you need everything on-hand. Newer cordless tools are helping, and so are advances in hand tools to do more with less. Above all, quality tools make the difference, so every tool gets a thorough exam against those high standards.
Bottom line is that the Rigid R3020 Twist Handle Orbital Reciprocating Saw is not your regular reciprocating saw. With a number of really useful features and very manageable size, this saw is a solid performer. The fact that no tools are needed for blade changes or any of the other adjustments is a major benefit. Aside from our trouble with the blade change lever this saw is definitely a step up from your regular reciprocating saw.
The Ryobi HPL51K electric hand planer is a budget tool that includes some very nice features such as a left/right dust ejection dial, adjustable depth knob and blade-protecting kick stand. This tool really enables easy planning of uneven surfaces – up to 3/32″ in a single cut – and even performs edge and rabbet cuts with the included edge guide.
Bosch really put everything into their 1590EVSK orbital jigsaw. Now, depending on what you do for a living (or in your do-it-yourself project world), a jigsaw may not be your standard go-to tool. However, with 4-stage orbital control, tool-less blade changes & bevel adjustment, and variable speed control with trigger lock, this is a one-stop jigsaw shop. We’ve used lots of jigsaws before, but Bosch’s take on this staple seems to put it on higher ground and leave nearly nothing out of the mix.
The Black & Decker JS515 4.5 amp Jigsaw can be found for a reasonable “street” price and offers reliable, if simplistic performance. The saw is your basic model and certainly doesn’t feature many frills besides tool-less changing of both universal and t-shank blades and a handy magnetic storage area for up to 3 blades. If you can find it on sale you may have a deal, but paying retail isn’t something we’d recommend for this model.
Husky, the Home Depot house brand, has some very nice value-oriented knife packages. With their value pricing, the Husky utility […]
