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23-Gauge Pinners
TR-0082
These pneumatic tools drive headless fasteners about the same diameter as a common sewing needle, and excel at jobs where even brad nails prove excessive, such as installing delicate trim or other materials that split easily. We tested 11 pinners - including each brand’s fasteners—to sort out their differences and find the best one for you. |
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Portable Air Compressors
TR-0081
In search of one that will handle most woodworking shop need, WOOD tested 11 units priced from $130 to $325. Although a portable compressor won't cut shape, or join wood, it's one of the handiest tools you'll ever own; you can use it to power pneumatic nailers and other tools in your home, shop, or job site. |
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Biscuit Joiners
TR-0080
If you’re looking for a power tool that will quickly and easily join two pieces of wood then you’ve come to the right place. Among the many joints these machines help you tackle: edge-to-edge, end-to-end, and miter-to-miter. Biscuit joiners have been around since the last 1960s and continue to help woodworkers produce strong joints held with just glue and pressed-wood biscuits. |
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Deluxe 14" Bandaws
TR-0079
Ranging from $695 to $1,495 these saws give you greater power and resaw capability than entry-level modes. Choosing to purchase a 14” deluxe bandsaw says a lot about where you are in your woodworking journey. You’re ready to move into a machine capable of tackling all curve-cutting, ripping, crosscutting, and resawing (ripping on edge) tasks in even the thickest and hardest wood species. |
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Oscillating Multi-Tools
TR-0078
You’ve seen the TV commercials where these tools tack a variety of DIY jobs: scraping adhesive, breaking out tile grout, cutting through pipes, bolts, and drywall. We tested 10 multi-tools and found that, at times, nothing else works as well or as fast. |
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10" Sliding Mitersaws
TR-0077
With all the choices in mitersaws these days (sliders and non slider alike), a 10” sliding compound mitersaw provides the best combination of accuracy, cut capacity, power, price, and portability. To help you find the right 10” slider for your shop, we put 10 saws through rigorous testing in a variety of woods. |
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Do-It-All Routers
TR-0076
We'd all love to have a fleet of routers at our disposal, but few of us can afford that luxury. So we went on a quest for the ultimate router: one machine that does it all. After compiling a list of what's required for a do-everything router, listed below, we rounded up every router that meets the criteria-three dedicated plunge routers and six multibase kits-and put them through extensive testing. |
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Cordless Micro-Drivers
TR-0074
Just as 5'7" Spud Webb stunned the NBA in 1986 by winning the slam-dunk contest, these pint-sized lithium-ion powered tools blew our expectations out of the water. In fact, the larger 14.4- and 18-volt drill/drivers in the WOOD magazine shop now see primarily drilling duty as we reach for our compact 10.8- and 12-volt drivers almost exclusively for driving screws-especially for hinges and small hardware. |
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Shop Tested 3-HP Tablesaws
TR-0073
As we discovered in our test of today's new riving-knife-equipped cabinet saws, it's the subtle differences and helpful features that separate the top performers from the pack. This item is available as a downloadable PDF. |
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The Best Tablesaw Blades under $50
TR-0071
If you can't bring yourself to spend $120 on a tablesaw blade, we have good news for you. We tested nearly four dozen rip, crosscut, and multipurpose blades--all selling for less than half that price--and found several that deliver cut qualities almost as good as the leading premium blades |
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12" Jointer/Planer
TR-0068
Combination machines aren’t just for the pros anymore. With two Asian-made models selling for half the price of European makes, even a hobby woodworker can joint and plane wide stock with one space-saving unit. |
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Drum Sanders
TR-0067
For flattening and smoothing wide panels, as well as reducing stock thickness without grain tear-out, you just can’t beat a drum sander. To help you decide if a drum sander is right for you, and which one to buy, we tested five models priced under $1,200—two closed machines that handle stock up to 12" wide, and three open-ended units that sand twice as wide as their 10"-18" drums. |
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Random-Orbit Sanders
TR-0063
Most 5" models tested deliver a smooth wood surface in a jiffy, but some leave you in a cloud of dust. And only a few combine a superb finish with speed, comfort, and ease of use. Here's what we found in testing palm-style random-orbit sanders. Bonus article: As a bonus to this tool review, we've added the article 5 Random-orbit Sanding Myths, which help you get the best results from this sander. |
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Mid-priced Tablesaws
TR-0038
For $500 to $700, you can choose from a lot of tablesaws (we tested 11 for this article). So how do you decide on one? To find out, we put them through a series of tests cutting hardwoods. |
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Tablesaw Rip Fences
TR-0023a
This tool review includes the following: Biesemeyer BHS52W, Craftsman Align-A-Rip XRC, Delta T250, Delta Unifence, Excalibur EXTT45/78, General F36T52, HTC 850, Incra LS32-TS, Jet 708957DK, Mule Accusquare, Shop Fox W2006, Shop Fox W1411/1413, Vega U50, Wazee WondeRip |
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Cabinet-Style Tablesaws
TR-0021a
Thinking about upgrading from your contractor-style tablesaw to the king of the beasts, a 3-hp cabinet-style saw? To help you choose, we gathered seven 3-hp saws, each equipped with 49"-plus fences, and put them to the test. |
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