5 Budget Woodworking Tools that Are Actually Worth It

5 Awesome Affordable Tools

The links to the tools in this review can be found at the bottom of this post.  Affiliate links are used on this website to help support the website.  For more information, read our affiliate disclaimer.

#1 - Powertec 5-in-1 Set-up Gauge - You’ll use this in the shop for various reasons.  At the table saw, you can use the slots that are graduated in 1/8” increments to set up the height of your blade.  The only drawback is that this won’t set up on its own the way the DFM set-up gauge will.  The DFM is a single-use tool, whereas this is a 5-in-1, and it’s really not that hard to hold it while you set your blade height.

The sliding gauge in the middle will let you set depths or heights for your router bits, like if you’re doing half laps or things like that.  The bottom of that sliding gauge is going to be the same as whatever is sticking out over the top.

The side gauges let you set your bit heights on your router, whether it’s fixed-base, plunge-base, or the router table.  This is where this little tool shines.  Just use this to set your bit height, and you’re off and running.

You can also use this to check the angle of your chisels.  At each of the four corners there’s a gauge for 25-degree, 30-degree, 40-degree, and a 60-degree angle finder.  If you sharpen your own drill bits, there are even a few places to check those.  For under $30, this thing’s as handy as a shirt pocket.

#2 - Infinity Router Bit Vice - If you don’t have one of these, it is a finger-saver.  It is a must-have if you have edge-guide router bits and you need to change out those bearings.  It has slots for 1/4", 8mm, and 1/2" bit shanks.  One side is for loosening the bolt that holds that bearing, and the other side is for tightening it.

If you’ve ever tried holding a bit in your hand and breaking that bearing loose with your other hand, sometimes it’s impossible to do.  You don’t want to use pliers to hold that router bit still because it will make indentations in the shaft of the bit and tear that metal out.  You want something to hold the bit still without messing it up, and that’s where this comes in.  The holes for the bit shanks have a 1-way grip in them, so the bit will catch and prevent the bit from turning. That allows you to turn the wrench in the direction you need to for either tightening or loosening the bearing.

#3 - Magnifier - This is something you young bucks have no idea about, but as you get older (and you start losing your eyesight to see small fine details), that’s where this little jewel comes in.  I’ve got a watchmaker’s 20x magnifier.  I’ll use it to read the fine print on instructions (how long’s the warranty on that?), and if I don’t have my peepers with me in the shop, this will help me out.

Where I use this most is when I need to re-order a router bit.  I look through this magnifier and actually read the model number on the bit shaft.  You can use it to inspect your saw blades, like inspecting the teeth to see if a piece of that carbide got chipped.  If you use it with your phone’s zoom feature, you can get a really magnified look at whatever you’re trying to see.  This helps when you’re trying to inspect your drill bits or router bits for damage or wear.  This is a really handy tool for less than $10.

#4 - Kreg Portable Crosscut Jig - This is a handy little tool if you don’t have a crosscut sled, or you’ve been old-schooling it with a speed square and your circular saw.  That old-schooling method leaves a little bit to be desired.  This jig will help you with that, especially if you’re a beginner.  It gives you a square guide to cut by, and it even has a blade set guide.  They call it a cut line indicator, but it’s a kind of gimmicky plastic thing that slides out.  They should’ve just left that off.

However, this will give you a guide for making a perfectly square cut, and it also gives you a guide for a 45-degree crosscut, which is super handy to have.  This is a nice little jig to have in the shop for making square cuts with your circular saw.

#5 - Montana 2-in-1 Counter Sink/Driver Bit - I like this bit because it’s made in the USA right in the great state of Montana.  If you drill a lot of countersinks, you know how frustrating it is to swap back and forth on bits.  This is super handy to have because you’ve got the countersink drill bit on one end then you flip it over and you’ve got the driver bit.  It drills a nice, clean hole.  On the driver bit side, you can swap that bit out for any 1/4” driver bit.  If you’re using a star drive, for example, you can swap that out.  You just use an allen key to loosen the bit, but that’s not completely necessary.  The bits are held in magnetically, but you can tighten them down with the allen key for a little extra security.

The way it works is similar to a pneumatic fitting.  You push forward on the brass collar, and you can remove the bit to flip it over.  Once you put it back, you just pull back down on that brass collar, and the bit is locked in place.  They sell this in a set for a little under $20, and it comes with extra drill and driver bits.

buyers guideMatt OutlawComment