Carpentry Tool Reviews & Buying Guides

When you look at carpentry tool reviews, cordless sanders may not seem like a first choice. Even so, tools like the Makita orbital sanders 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. 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. Our carpentry-focused reviews include best cordless circular saws, best compact miter saws, best orbital sanders, best nail guns, 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.

Bosch FNS138-23 Pin Nailer Preview

Bosch FNS138-23 Pin Nailer Preview

In the past we reviewed the Bosch SN350-20F Framing Nailer, and the Bosch FNA250-15 15 ga Angled Finish Nailer. Now, the company showed us its latest pneumatic nailer product – and this one is really perfect for the avid woodworker. The Bosch FNS138-23 Pin Nailer has a zero nail dry fire lockout mechanism. If ever a nailer needed dry fire lockout, it’s the pin nailer. Designed to shoot nails with an almost invisible footprint, it’s likely you won’t realize you’ve run out of nails until something falls down that you thought was secured. With the way Bosch designed this nailer, you only get locked out when all the bails are gone and you can load up a couple new clips of nails without losing any along the way.

Festool TS 55 R Flush Cut Circular Saw Preview

Festool TS 55 R Flush Cut Circular Saw Preview

Festool has had its popular TS 55 EQ Circular out for quite some time, but a recent scoop of the new tool on a German website told us they are releasing the next update soon. The company revealed a new version of the tool that is tweaked (and perfectly suited for) flush-cutting applications. The new model is the TS 55 R. Festool’s new circular saw has improved handling, and since the blade is now approximately 1/2″ from the edge of the now smooth and flat blade guard, it’s suitable for more applications than ever.

Makita RT0700CX3 1-1/4 HP Compact Router Kit Preview

Makita RT0700CX3 1-1/4 HP Compact Router Kit Preview

Makita is on a roll this week, releasing several new tools to the market. This time it’s the new RT0700C 1-1/4 HP Compact Router. The new Compact Router is also available in a kit (RT0700CX3), which is the only way to buy a router like this as it comes with a plunge, tilt and an offset base for a wide range of routing applications. Compact routers serve a great need in the woodworking and carpentry business – proving a very portable and controllable way to do simple bevels, laminate jobs, etc that would be a bit more of a pain with a full-sized tool. Now, we don’t recommend compact routers for anything heavy-duty – the added weight and bulk of a serious router is always going to outperform when you’re doing some serious projects.

Makita 12V Max Lithium-Ion Recipro Saw Kit RJ01W Preview

Makita RJ01W 12V Max Recipro Saw Kit Preview

Earlier this week we spied out some of Makita’s new 12V tools that had made it to the UK market and wondered how quickly, if ever, they would make it to our shores. Turns out the first product didn’t take very long. Makita just released its new Makita 12V Max Lithium-Ion Recipro Saw Kit (model RJ01W). This is a new one-handed reciprocating saw that gives you power in a compact package to accomplish all sorts of tasks. What’s more, Makita is also offering the new saw as part of a 2-piece combo kit (model LCT212W) where it’s bundled with a 12V max Lithium-Ion 3/8″ Driver-Drill.