The practice of woodworking is notorious for causing accidents. Studies have shown that over 64% of people working in woodshop have sustained injuries from various woodworking tools. This serves as an important reminder about the most critical aspect of woodworking, safety. With that, we will jump right into our list of 10 essential woodworking tools for beginners.

10 Basic Woodworking Tools for Beginners

1. Protection Gear

The woodworking workshop is quite noisy and dusty, thanks to the machines used to carry out the work. These machines also perform quite vigorous activities, and in most cases, you will be using your hands to control them. This may lead to a hand injury. Protecting your eyes, ears, lungs, and hands while working is a serious matter and should be treated as such.

Before embarking on any woodworking project, ensure that you have the necessary protective gear. These include masks, glasses, headphones, gloves, and boots. You also don't want to risk walking on sharp wood pieces, which can cause severe injuries to your feet.

To protect your eyes from dust, shards, and sticks, use safety glasses like Honeywell S0250X. These are wrap-around uni-lens which come with vented side shields for total eye protection. They provide adjustable temples for your comfort, and you can choose an anti-fog or anti-scratch option. A woodworking mask will protect you against dust, which can lead to lung infections. The Outdoor Anti-Dust Mask is also a great choice, as it's quite comfortable and provides up to 99% protection from dust, pollen, and fumes.

Pros

• Protects face, eyes, and lungs from infection and injury
• Makes work comfortable
• The mask can be washed, and the filters are replaceable
• Easy to put on and take off

Cons

• The best quality of the protective gear is costly
• Low-quality gel may compromise your safety

Final Verdict

Get the best safety gear for your eyes, ears, lungs, hands, and feet before commencing your work.

2. DEWALT Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Any woodworking project involves cutting of materials. There's no perfect wood length when starting on any woodworking component, and you will need to rip and cross-cut before it takes any shape.

The DEWALT DWS779 Sliding Compound Miter Saw is one of the best beginner woodworking tools. It's a powerful saw which runs on 15-amp, 800 RPM motor to deliver extended power and durability. It is designed with a back fence that allows it to cut at 90 and 45 degrees with dimensional lumber of up to 2X16 and 2X12, respectively. This saw comes with an efficient dust collection mechanism to capture most of the generated dust, ensuring the safety of your lungs, eyes, and chest.

A miter saw is a versatile tool, which does not need to bevel or slide, but they are useful features, especially if you're working on frames. They are perfect for beginners as they make more accurate cuts for compound angles.

Pros

• Powerful
• Very efficient
• 3-year warranty
• Safe to use
• High capacity and precision

Cons

• Doesn't have a laser
• Heavy

Final verdict

A miter saw is a must-have tool since it's sturdy and easy to use.

3. SKIL Circular Saw

A circular saw can handle several tasks, including sheet cutting for plywood and MDF. It's an essential item in all woodworking workshops, which allows you to make accurate cuts. This handheld machine is super versatile and mobile, enabling you to bring the tool to work as opposed to dragging a workpiece onto a table.

The SKIL 5280-01 Circular Saw is a lightweight machine designed to reduce fatigue while ripping, cross-cutting, and cutting circles. It comes with a powerful 15-amp motor, which delivers excellent speed and results in faster cuts. The carbide-tipped blades range from 7-1/4 inches and are fitted with spindle lock for easy changes. There's also a set depth for blades.

The SKIL Circular Saw comes with a 51-degree bevel capacity, with an arbor size of 5/8 inches and a 6 feet cord length. You don't have to worry about the fine sawdust; the duct blower ensures that your line-of-cut is free from dust at all times. This fantastic circular saw also uses a laser to help you in cutting straight lines.

Pros

• Easy blade changes
• A powerful motor
• Reliable duct blower
• A laser beam for straight cuts
• A guarded trigger to reduce startup accidents

Cons

• The depth may break with continuous usage
• Not suitable for heavy tasks

Final verdict

A circular saw is a critical item that produces accurate and quick cuts, emerging as one of the best carpentry tools for beginners. If you still don't have it, get yours today.

4. Ridgid Drill and Impact Driver

The Ridgid X4 R9602 Drill and Impact Driver are essential beginner woodworking tools that will help you complete small, medium, and massive projects with ease. This combination of both a driver and a drill comes with a top-mounted removable plastic handle, giving you excellent leverage when drilling holes on the hardwood.

The impact driver is heavy-duty and can be used to drive large fasteners through thick materials quickly. The base of these tools features an LED guiding light and a belt clip to increase convenience. Its adjustable clutch enables you to work with both small and large fasteners.

This kit comes with two compact batteries, each 1.5 amp per hour. You don't have to worry if you are working in chilly conditions, because these batteries give your tool long-lasting power to withstand temperatures as low as -4 degrees Celsius. You can charge these Lithium-ion batteries to full strength using the dual chemistry charger that's a part of the set. On its side, there is a LED gauge that shows you when the batteries are defective.

Pros

• Heavy duty
• Can drive both large and small fasteners
• Two compact batteries
• Highly convenient
• Powerful
• Comes with a tool bag

Cons

• No warranty if purchased from Amazon

Final Verdict

Get this powerful drilling kit to help you in driving fasteners on all your woodworking projects. It will work even in the coldest environments to ensure that your work does not stop.

5. Simple Woodturning Tools Set

Approaching a fast spinning chunk of wood using a pointy piece of metal is very scary for beginners. However, once you master this stage, you will need to master your woodturning tools to perfect the art and make work easier for you. The best woodturning tools for beginners come as a kit that contains five to eight devices.

The Simple Woodturning Tools Set is an essential kit for beginners, which contains a modest set of 7 chisels. They are made of solid stainless steel with 1/2-inch square and 5/8-inch round tools, which are fixed to a solid aluminum handle. The handle is interchangeable and has a foam grip.

The handle features solid aluminum for maximum durability. It is also quite attractive, soft, and comfortable, giving you excellent tool control. To change the tools, simply loosen the stainless-steel screws.

Five of the tools have square shafts, which makes them stay stable on the tool rest. This set includes a simple shear cutting finisher, which has a round 5/8-inch shaft. This cutting finisher has a cupped carbide cutter to give you a beautiful surface finish.

To turn from 6 inches up to 24 inches diameter, use the full-size tools and go up to a maximum of 12 inches in depth. These tools are recommended for all types of projects, so they're a great choice when it comes to wood turning for beginners.

Pros

• Durable
• Made of solid stainless steel
• Square shaft to prevent slipping
• Interchangeable handle

Cons

• You'll need to change cutters with time
• Costly

Final Verdict

These are high-quality woodturning tools that will provide you with all the options you need in a single purchase.

6. Makita Compact Router Kit

This kit is one of the most versatile woodworking tools for beginners that can do so many different things. You will use it a ton, regardless of whether you need to add edge profiles, add rabbets, cut mortises, or any other job, the Makita RT0701CX7 Compact Router Kit is up to the task.

This tool delivers high performance and precision with a maximum horsepower of 1-1/4 and a plunge base. Its heavy-duty aluminum motor housing insulates it to increase its durability. It comes with a variable speed control dial and electronic speed control for maintaining a constant speed and load. With a soft start feature, you are off to a smooth start.

The Makita Compact Router Kit is fitted with an easy-to-read depth scale and a smooth depth adjustment system for high precision. To help you with base installation or removal, and easy depth adjustments, a convenient cam lock system is used. The base is designed with high visibility to improve performance and handling.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Hand-held
• Highly convenient
• Great comfort and control
• Smooth and ergonomic design
• Easy depth adjustment

Cons

• Does not include an adapter for plunge base
• It can get unstable

Final verdict

Makita is one of the most recommended woodworking kits for beginners. Its portability and high precision make it easy to use, and it can withstand vigorous projects.

7. PORTER-CABLE Jointer

The Porter-Cable PC160JT Jointer is used for perfectly flattening surfaces and making woodworking projects easy and fun. It is a crucial tool for beginners, those who carry DIY projects, and general woodworking tasks.

This jointer is a must-have tool for any beginner who wishes to have superior control over their work. It allows you to select and adjust the right speed, depending on your material's size and hardness. It comes with an extra-long table, which has a fence mounted at its center for your comfort and accuracy.

This tool helps you size and shape your wood accurately, producing straight and flat surfaces. You can flatten and square the board's face to make perfect masterpieces regardless of whether you are making fences, chairs, tables, or frames.

When it comes to redoing projects, the jointer is a convenient tool. It will enable you to fit doors and cabinets while developing your creativity. It is easy to change knives and adjust the fences. This tool shines when it comes to variable speeds and deep cutting adjustment, so it's ideal for face jointing, edging, and flattening.

Pros

• Offers variable speeds
• Deep cutting adjustments
• Accurate in edge jointing
• Extra-long table
• Easy adjustment and replacement
• High quality and durable

 Cons

• Any adjustment needs full re-tweaking using a precise square
• Table may become curved with time

Final verdict

This jointer is one of the basic woodworking tools for beginners who love cabinet resizing and fitting doors. You will be in full control of this device as you can adjust it to your comfort.

8. RIKON Mini Lathe

When it comes to making round wooden items, a wood lathe is quite handy. RIKON mini lathe is a straightforward machine for forming any wood into the desired shape, like a vase, a bowl, or any decorative wood items.

RIKON 70-100 Mini Lathe is the best wood lathe for beginners. It spins the piece of wood you're working on at various speed levels and enables you to apply different techniques to your project. The speed change feature is easily accessible, so you don't need to stop working or slow down on your project to switch gears.

Although its motor is small in size, it is quite powerful and can help you cover different projects. Whether you are working on small projects like bowls or flower vases, or medium projects like totem sculptures, this 1/2 HP engine will serve you satisfactorily. The available accessories allow customizing this lathe to fit your exact needs. There is the option to add multiple extensions, as well as use different sizes of tool rests.

The self-ejecting tailstock saves you time; all you need to do is to loosen the locking lever.

Pros

• Convenient and versatile
• Easy and quick speed changes
• Can add multiple extensions
• Self-ejecting tailstock

Cons

• The headstock protective cover does not close well

Final Verdict

For any beginner dealing with woodwork shaping, the RIKON lathe is a must-have tool. It's easy to use, fast, and powerful.

9. Craftsman Tape Measure

You cannot work on any woodworking project without carrying out measurements, no matter how small the project is. A tape measure is one of the essential carpentry tools for beginners.

The Craftsman CMHT37225S Tape Measure offers fast and accurate measurements. It comes with a self-locking mechanism to let the blade stay extended as long as needed. You can also lock the blade if you need extra tension or unlock it for a smooth and controlled retraction by pressing a button. If you want to stick to the traditional slide lock mechanism, you can disable this feature.

This tape measure comes with printed fractions on the blade and can measure up to 25 feet. The blade comes with a durable coating that improves its lifespan. You don't have to worry about dropping the tape measure because the over mold offers impact protection as well as a better grip.

Pros

• Quick and easy measurements
• Durable and versatile
• Can measure up to 25 feet
• Auto-lock mechanism

Cons

• Somewhat heavy
• The measurements may be too small and hard to read for some people

Final verdict

No woodworking toolbox is complete without a good tape measure. It will help you make accurate measurements fast so you can commence your work quickly.

10. Olympia Tools Work Bench

Power tools don't matter if you don't have a robust, sturdy place to build and assemble everything. A workbench is a work-holding system build to accommodate various mechanisms like board jacks and more. It is usually a substantial tool that's fixed in place when you are working.

The Olympia Tools 84-906 Work Bench is made of high-quality hardwood, which makes it durable and long-lasting. It also comes with a tool cabinet essential to help you fix and repair issues quickly. It is a solid woodworking bench with a clear finish.

This workbench comes with a storage shelf and a trough for storing your tools. It is fitted with large vises that are adjustable for proper machined guides.

Pros

• Easy to clean
• Strong and long-lasting
• A load capacity of 330 pounds
• Built-in vise

Cons

• Not foldable
• Hard to move around
• The finish could have been better

Final Verdict

The Olympia Tools Work Bench is a powerful tool that will get you started on your woodworking. It will help you organize your project pieces and tools conveniently in the drawer and shelf.

Conclusion

There you have it. The tools mentioned above will get you to a quick start of your woodworking projects and make your work easier, leading to faster turnaround time. These tools are ideal for most woodworking plans for beginners, guaranteed to help you improve your skills, master your craft, and turn any idea you have into reality.