Choosing the right tools can be a hard task considering all the options available. The Saw Guy is dedicated to making the task of picking the best tool for your job or project as easy possible. We take into account the latest online reviews, videos and hands on tests of all the tool types we offer and bring you the best information to allow you to make a decision.
Some brands are obviously higher priced than others but they can all be compared and priced with online websites such as Lowe’s, Home Depot and Amazon. Be careful not to get fooled with tool prices that don’t include key parts or accessories that you may need. For example if you’re looking for the best job site table saw and you compare prices but one brand or website is lower than the other be sure to check that they both include a table saw stand. Compare the same packages and then compare shipping to get the best price on power tools you can.
Best Price vs Best Quality: Be very careful to shop only on price. Quality and durability can be very expensive if you sacrifice them. How much will your customers or your projects suffer if you use an inferior tool for the job that results in an ugly cut or holes that do not line up. Choose the best tool you can afford for each job and be sure you are getting the model and package that you need to achieve the quality you want.
Tool Brands:
The top power tool brands in the world are all the best at something and sometimes they lack in other areas. Some brands are the best in job site table saws where others may have the best cordless drills. There are a couple things to consider first before jumping into the pricing game or find the best of that tool type.
Which brand are you familiar with? If you already have a brand that suits your needs and you know how to operate that tool then start your search there. If you need another tool related to the tool you know and use then again, start with that brand. It can be tempting to think that the grass is always greener and that latest and greatest new feature that you see on a new tool is going to be better, that’s not always the case. More times than not, the tool brand you choose and like performs very well in the main areas that matter to you. For example, our shop uses DeWALT circular saws, cordless drills and even tape measures. The reason we like DeWALT for these types of tools is the fact that all our batteries can interchange and we enjoy the power and torque offered. This isn’t to say that any other brand wouldn’t offer these features as well but once we found a solution for our shop we now tend to go straight to this same brand for replacement tools or additions to our shop lineup. The other key benefit of using the same brand once you are satisfied (assuming you stay satisfied) is the learning curve is dramatically lower when you buy a new tool. You will know the features, how they adjust, how to maintain them and what the tool’s tendencies are and that can be very important when working with a tool. If you know that a Craftsman table saw will begin to bind under a certain amount of pressure then you can avoid problems and make a better cut because you know the tool very well.
Do you need an upgrade or do you want the best performance in a particular area such as a smooth cut, high speed or comfort? Sometimes the tool brand you have is simply not doing the job in the way you prefer. This can lead to poor results, dangerous conditions or simply wear you out. In these cases you should list the top areas of the job or task you need to have go right, these are your must haves. Using your must have list search our site using the key things you need, for example; best portable table saw, best router bit for hardwoods. Check out the specs for each type and brand you find and check the reviews both good and bad looking for the points you have listed in your must haves.
Milwaukee
DeWALT
Makita
Bosch
Stihl
Rigid
Craftsman
Dremel
Let’s face it even the best tools can have problems or need replacement parts. Some brands and models of tools may be made with high quality components in their main body or core parts of the tool but the saw blades, drill bits or other parts may not be as good as you need. Here are some of the key categories we cover that should help you locate the best replacement parts for your tools:
Cords: Power cords, extension cords, charging cords all seem to eventually get damaged or simply begin to fail and need replacing.
Batteries: More and more tools are now cordless and if your battery fails your tool is now helpless. Some of the best batteries still need a backup or need replacing and we have you covered with all the major tool brand batteries.
Belts: Any tool with a major belt system will eventually need replacement and picking the right one can be challenging.
Bits: Drill bits, router bits, masonary bits all need replacing and sometimes a different brand or type is better for your project. In each of our categories covering tool bits you can find the latest technology and get the best bit for your project.
Switches: Not all tools have switches and some don’t have switches you can replace but those that do can be hard to find or even difficult to tell whether a new tool is needed or not.
Wheels: Some tools such as cabinet saws, large table saws, wood planers, duct collectors and others include wheels to allow the customer to maneuver the machine around the shop or even transport the machine. The issue here is some brands may have high quality wheels that rarely fail and others may not put much quality into their wheel systems and failure is common. Learn which systems have a good wheel or replacement wheels and which are to be avoided due to wheel issues.
There are a few different types of tool comparisons you can find at The Saw Guy. We compare different types of tools to give you an idea of which tool you need for a particular project or task. For example if you you need to know which type of saw you need to cut with such as miter saw vs chop saw, table saw vs circular saw or jigsaw vs reciprocating saw we have got you covered. We also offer the best power tool brands compared head to head such as Makita vs Dewalt or Porter Cable vs Dewalt and many more. These comparisons may be based on certain types of tools each brand offers or they may simply be a comparison of the brands quality, price and durability. The other type of tool comparisons you can find are tool model comparisons such as Dremel 3000 vs 4000 and the Dewalt Miter Saw comparison DWS709 vs DWS 779. All of these tool comparisons can help helpful if you know what type, brand or model you are mainly looking for. If you can’t find what you need please use our search feature to locate other comparisons or ideas that can help.
In this resource guide I will be discussing what torque is, and what does the torque rating really mean?, and what torque settings are in power tools and how to use them. In this resource guide I also created a conversion chart and linked to an online torque conversion chart to help you convert measurements.
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