Not everyone has a garage filled with power tools but if you occasionally take on projects around the house there are some basic tools that you will want to have. This article will hopefully show you why it’s important to have these power tools. I am going to assume that you already have some non-powered tools such as a tape measure, hammer, level, combination square, etc. You’ll need these tools for projects as well as the power tools.

Power tools make life easier when you are taking on a home project but they are expensive and no one wants to spend money on something they will only use once. There are some power tools that you’ll use over and over if you are planning to do work around your house on a recurring basis.

1) Cordless Drill

The cordless drill is probably the most common power tool found in most every workshop or garage. The cordless drill can be used for drilling holes in wood, drywall, plastic, metal, masonry and for driving screws. There are countless projects in which you will need a cordless drill. There are many types of drills available but for small projects around the house you should purchase a general purpose drill/driver. The drill should have the following features:

Keyless chuck
Variable speed trigger
Torque adjustment
Lightweight
Lithium-ion battery
Battery charger.

You don’t want to buy the cheapest drill on the market but you don’t have to pay a fortune to get a good drill that will last for years. You might want to consider buying an extra battery if you are taking on projects that require a lot of use. You can have one battery charging while you are using the other one.

 

2) Circular Saw

A circular saw is probably the 2nd most common power tool. You should purchase a circular saw before you buy a table saw. A circular saw can pretty much do anything a table saw can but it is portable. You can use it for cross-cuts, ripping boards and plywood lengthwise, miter cuts and many other cuts. For longer cuts you can make a jig for straight accurate cuts. It’s simple to make a jig….. all you need is a straight board the length of the cut you will be making. Just clamp the jig on board you are cutting, rest the saw fence against the jig and run the saw the length of the board.

You can buy an electric circular saw or a cordless one depending on your preference. Just make sure you purchase a saw that has enough power to cut through hardwood without bogging down. Once again you don’t have to buy the most expensive circular saw on market to get one that will perform well and last for years.

 

3) Random Orbit Sander

Another power tool you should have is a random orbit sander. You can save a lot of time and hard work with this sander. There are other types of power sanders available such as an orbital sander and a belt sander but random orbit sanders are the most versatile of power sanders and are the best for sanding wood quickly to a smooth finish. They use a round sanding pad that turns at speeds up to 25,000 RPM and can sand very quickly and very smoothly.

When purchasing a random orbit sander you should make sure the sander has a dust collection bag. Sanding creates a lot of dust that can cover everything around the area where you are sanding. The dust collection bag will stop a lot of the dust from floating in the air and making a mess. You can purchase a good random orbit sander at a reasonable price that will do a good job and last a long time.

 

4) Jigsaw

A jigsaw is a must have for anyone who will be cutting shapes. This versatile saw is great for cutting curves and shapes in wood. There are different types of blades for a jigsaw and it is important to use the right blade with the right material. There are blades to cut wood, metal, laminate, tile and other materials.

You may only need a basic jigsaw if you are not planning to do projects requiring more complex cuts. More expensive jigsaws may have additional features that help you with many types of cuts. A jigsaw with an orbital cutting action has different settings which change the pitch of the blade from straight up and down to angled for cutting wood more aggressively for a faster cut. A variable speed feature allows you to control the speed of the blade as you are nearing turns and curves in patterns you are cutting. Some jigsaws have a longer blade stroke up to 1 inch which cut through materials faster than the standard ½ inch stroke. You can also purchase a cordless jigsaw which is easier to handle without a cord to worry about.

 

5) Miter Saw

Although the first four power tools mentioned are probably the most important to have in your tool arsenal, a miter saw is also a very good tool to own. Miter saws are used to make crosscuts and miters in narrow pieces of wood and other material. It is mainly used to cut molding and trim.

Making a precise miter cut in crown molding is easy with a power miter saw. The angle of the blade can be changed while the fence stays in place. You can easily set the angle you want from 45 degrees to 90 degrees and lock it in. Then simply put the molding firmly against the fence and line up the blade just to the outside of your cut line then start the blade in motion and pull down on the handle (making sure your hands are away from the blade) to bring the blade down and through the molding. This will give you a very clean and accurate cut and is much easier than trying to wrestle with a miter box and a hand saw.

 

I hope you found this article helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment below.