Benchtop and Portable Tools
Like a magic diet pill, these machines make thick boards thinner with no sweat and little heavy lifting—unless you include hefting the planer itself.
These tools finesse tiny brass screws in to place, muscle big lag screws into lumber, and churn drill bits through the hardest woods.
Few woodworking joints rival a mortise-and-tenon for strength and beauty. The only problem is the time and effort required to precisely cut all those mortises by hand. That's where these machines come to the rescue.
Great news! Many of the 12 models we tested cost $100 or less, and we even got good performance from a $30 nailer!
DeWalt issues an 18-volt Ni-Cd nailer with several good features for attaching trim and molding, or creating jigs in the shop.
Jet will launch in March a variable-speed version of its 12-inch mini-lathe. This new lathe will be similar to Jet's current 12-inch lathe, but feature industry-leading speed ranges.
