Best Woodworking Tools That Last a Lifetime: My Top 5 Buy-It-For-Life Picks
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The best woodworking tools that last a lifetime are not always the expensive ones. My list runs from a Swanson Speed Square S0101 that cost me under ten dollars in 1995 to a SawStop PCS175-PFA30 cabinet saw. Here are the five things I would buy once and never replace.
The Short Answer
- Five categories qualify as buy it for life: chisels, layout and marking tools, a table saw, a workbench, and dust collection.
- Prices range from under $10 for a speed square to several thousand for a cabinet saw.
- The best value on the list is the Narex standard bench chisel set at roughly $140 to $150, or the Richter set at $250 and up.
- Buy it for life does not mean expensive. It means good steel, simple construction, and parts that can be replaced instead of the whole tool.
Best Woodworking Tools That Last a Lifetime
A lot of woodworkers have a drawer or a shelf full of tools they regret buying. This list is the opposite of that. These are tools you buy once and keep, and some of them you will hand down to your kids.
The pattern I look for is simple. Good steel that holds an edge, construction with no plastic parts that fail, and a design that can be maintained rather than thrown out. A chisel with better steel needs less sharpening, so the blade wears down slower and lasts longer. A steel setup block has nothing on it that can break. A workbench you build yourself can be modified forever.
The five categories below are ranked by how often people ask me about them. Chisels come first because that is where most woodworkers waste the most money buying the same thing two or three times.
Watch the Full Test
The video shows the tools in hand, including the handle construction on the Richter chisels and the clamping grid on my workbench. Some of that is hard to picture from a description alone.
Narex Richter vs Narex Standard Chisels
Most of us buy a budget chisel set when we start, then replace it two or three times before landing on something good. I am not against budget sets. I like the Kobalt set and the DeWALT set, and both are well priced for what you get. But they will not hold an edge, so you sharpen constantly and wear the metal down.
The Narex Richter set is the top tier option. The steel is chrome vanadium, and after the initial hardening the blades are cryogenically treated down to negative 310 degrees using liquid nitrogen. That changes the steel at a molecular level. They leave the factory at a minimum of 62 on the Rockwell hardness scale, which is harder than most premium chisels on the market.
What surprised me is that they are still not difficult to sharpen. You are not fighting the steel to get an edge, but once you have it, that edge stays. The handles are European ash and they feel incredible in the hand. Each one has a leather shock absorbing washer above a stainless steel ferrule, so you can hit them with a mallet without beating up the handle. The box set runs upwards of $250.
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One step down is the standard Narex bench chisel set at roughly $140 to $150. The blades are chrome magnesium steel hardened to 59 Rockwell, so just under the Richter. They use hornbeam handles, brass ferrules, and steel tangs seated deep into the handle, which means they take real mallet work too. For the money this is an extremely good set.
There are other sets out there like Two Cherries and Sandvik. But for where they are priced, I think the Narex sets are the perfect buy it for life chisel.
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| Spec | Narex Richter | Narex Standard | Kobalt / DeWALT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel | Chrome vanadium | Chrome magnesium | Box store steel |
| Rockwell hardness | 62 minimum | 59 | Not comparable |
| Cryogenic treatment | Yes, negative 310 degrees | No | No |
| Handle | European ash | Hornbeam | Composite |
| Ferrule | Stainless with leather washer | Brass | Varies |
| Price | $250 and up | $140 to $150 | Budget |
How to Sharpen Chisels Without Experience
When I first started, one reason I avoided chisels altogether was that I was nervous I could not sharpen them properly. The G-Sharp sharpener I found last year solved that. Someone who has never sharpened a chisel can get a razor edge with it every time, and it is dead simple to use.
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Buy It For Life Layout and Marking Tools
People assume buy it for life means spending a lot. Layout tools prove otherwise. Some of the ones I reach for most are flying under the radar at prices that do not make sense.
Start with the Swanson Speed Square S0101. I have owned this square since 1995. I bought it when I graduated high school and started construction because I needed a square, and I have probably used it more than any other hand tool I own. It is under ten dollars. I use it to draw square lines, mark angles, and guide cuts. Keep up with it and do not lose it, and it is the last one you will buy.
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Budget T-Squares and Setup Blocks
WEN makes some crazy good hand tools for a crazy low price. Their T-marking squares come in multiple sizes, and they are useful for scoring square lines or drawing parallel lines. For what they cost, they are dirt cheap and dead accurate. Take care of them and you should never replace them. They are layout tools, not hammers.
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Woodpeckers makes a T-square in the same style if you want a step up in build quality. If you are watching for sales on either one, I keep a running list of current Amazon tool deals that I update regularly.
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The 1-2-3 setup blocks are probably the most shown layout tool on YouTube, and for good reason. They are solid steel and nearly indestructible in a wood shop. One inch by two inch by three inch, perfect every time. Use one to set an exact cut height on the table saw, or stack them for 4, 5, and 6 inch layouts.
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The Pentel GraphGear 1000 is my buy it for life pencil. I like the 0.9mm because I press too hard and break the lead on the 0.7mm. You put new lead in it and keep going. It is one of the most popular tools I have ever shown on the channel.
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Premium Layout Squares Worth Buying Once
iGaging makes layout squares that compare closely to the Woodpeckers and JessEm versions. All of them have stainless steel blades and an offset base that locks onto your stock so you can draw parallel lines. The iGaging bench square set, model 36-BS-47, comes in at a reasonable price and sits well above the budget tier.
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Step up from there and you are into JessEm, made in Canada, or Woodpeckers, made in USA. All of these are buy once, never buy again tools. It really comes down to what you want to spend.
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If you want made in the USA and real accuracy, the Woodpeckers 1282SS and 642SS are the squares I use most. Both have stainless steel blades. What I like is the blade that runs down the shoulder, so you can lay them on plywood or a board and they will not fall over. That makes scoring lines and laying out a lot easier.
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A combination square is one of the most useful tools any woodworker can own. You will use it for setting blade heights, bit heights, and general layout. The Woodpeckers SSSQ-06-19 is wildly expensive, and my stomach sank a little when I bought it. I have had it a couple of years now and I do not regret it. There are plenty of cheaper tools I do regret buying.
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Does a Table Saw Last a Lifetime
Go to any estate sale or Facebook Marketplace and you will find very old cast iron top table saws still running. People will tell you they do not make them like they used to, and that is probably true. But if you take care of your equipment, a good saw should last the entire time you are doing woodworking.
Most people get into woodworking in their 30s or 40s. A table saw should last 20 or 30 years if you use it right and maintain it. A part or a piece may wear out along the way, but the tool itself should go the distance. For top tier, you are looking at SawStop, Harvey, or Powermatic. The SawStop PCS175-PFA30 is the 1.75 HP 120v version, and there is a 3HP 220v model if you have the service for it.
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Most of us start on a job site or contractor saw instead, myself included. That is perfectly fine, and I actually think most people are better off starting there. A cabinet saw from any of those high end brands runs several thousand dollars. The SKIL TS6307-00 runs about $300 and gets you working, and you can start making money with what you produce. Just know it is not a buy it for life saw. It is a stepping stone. If you want to watch for price drops on the SawStop, I track them on my Acme Tools deals page.
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A Workbench You Build Once and Keep Forever
The workbench was under your nose the entire video. Build it, or buy the materials to build it, and you should not have to replace it for the rest of your woodworking life. You can also buy a traditional bench from Sjobergs or Pinie and get the same result.
I built mine years ago and it is a massive 4 foot by 8 foot bench. I went that big because I was assembling furniture and I was tired of a leg hanging off the edge. My previous bench was 3 foot by 5 foot and I needed extra space constantly. Mine has 16 drawers, three pullouts for parts, two large storage areas, and a spot for the dust extractor. Plans are on the site if you want to build the same thing and modify it to fit your shop.
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The T-Track Mistake I Would Not Repeat
There is one thing I would do differently. I put T-track in the top because T-track was the hottest thing on YouTube at the time. The problem is I rarely use the hold downs. They were cumbersome, and the spacing never put a clamp where I actually needed one.
Last year I upgraded to the MicroJig grid system instead. It was very easy to do. I screwed a piece of 3/4 inch plywood down to the existing top, then used the grid router guide, model MFRG-400-025, to cut the pattern. Now I can clamp anywhere on the bench. There are accessories for layout, perfect 90 degree setups, and parallel or horizontal clamps that sit flush. This is one of the best upgrades I have made to the bench.
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Dust Collection That Protects Your Lungs
This one is a little different. The tool itself may not last a lifetime, but it protects your life, and that is the point. When I started woodworking I did not think about dust at all. I was just cutting and sanding.
You have to understand the difference between sawdust and woodworking dust. Sawdust is the mess you sweep up at the end of the day. Woodworking dust is the stuff you cannot see. When you are sanding, that fine particle dust goes airborne, and most of it is too small to notice. It settles into your lungs and it never comes out. That can cause cancer and other respiratory problems. Some species are outright toxic in dust form.
I recommend a dust extractor first. You do not have to spend a thousand dollars. The Hercules extractor, model 58966, has HEPA filtration and cost me $350 a few years back. I think it is around $370 now. None of these are cheap, so you have to weigh cost against risk.
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I run two Festool extractors, one at the bench and one under the miter saw station. I also like the Milwaukee extractor. Any extractor with true HEPA filtration is worth a look. If none of that is in budget, get a HEPA filter for your shop vac at a minimum.
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I also run a Laguna air purifier, item 76317, up in the shop. It has two stage filters and helps pull airborne dust out of the room. The main thing is extraction at the source, or a good respirator that filters the fine stuff. If you cannot get an extractor, the respirator is my next step.
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See the Dust Respirator at Rockler Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
All Tools From This Video
Amazon
- Narex Chisels
- G-Sharp Sharp Edge Chisel Sharpener
- Swanson Speed Square
- Pentel GraphGear Pencil
- Woodpeckers T-Square
- 123 Set Up Block
- iGaging Bench Square Set
- Woodpeckers 1282SS Square
- Woodpeckers 642SS Square
- Woodpeckers Combination Square
Rockler
- Narex Richter Chisel Box Set
- Narex Chisel Set
- JessEm Square
- Sjobergs Workbenches
- Laguna Air Filtration
- Dust Respirator
Lowe's
- KOBALT Chisel Set
- WEN T-Square
- WEN Ruler
- SKIL 10-inch Table Saw
- DeWALT 10-inch Table Saw
- WEN Air Filtration
Home Depot
Acme Tools
- SawStop 1.75 HP 120v PCS Table Saw
- SawStop 3HP 220v PCS Table Saw
- MicroJig Grid Router Guide Kit
- Milwaukee Dust Extractor (bare tool)
- Milwaukee Dust Extractor Kit
- Festool Dust Extractor
Harbor Freight
Pinie
731 Woodworks
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does buy it for life mean for woodworking tools
It means a tool you buy once and never replace. For me the test is steel quality, simple construction, and whether worn parts can be swapped instead of throwing the whole thing out. A Pentel GraphGear pencil qualifies because you refill the lead. A job site table saw usually does not, because most people outgrow it in a few years.
Are Narex Richter chisels worth the money
I think so, if you are past the beginner stage. The chrome vanadium steel is cryogenically treated to negative 310 degrees and comes out at 62 Rockwell minimum. That means it holds an edge far longer than a budget set. You sharpen less, so the steel wears down slower and the chisels last longer.
What is the difference between Narex Richter and standard Narex chisels
The Richter uses chrome vanadium steel hardened to 62 Rockwell with a cryogenic treatment and European ash handles. The standard set uses chrome magnesium steel at 59 Rockwell with hornbeam handles and brass ferrules. The Richter box set runs $250 and up. The standard set runs about $140 to $150 and is still an excellent buy.
How long should a table saw last
A good cabinet saw should last 20 to 30 years if you use it correctly and maintain it. Go to any estate sale and you will find old cast iron saws still cutting. A part may wear out along the way, but the saw itself should outlast your woodworking career.
Do I need a dust extractor or is a shop vac enough
A dust extractor with HEPA filtration is what I recommend first. The dust that harms you is the microscopic stuff you cannot see, and it settles in your lungs permanently. If an extractor is out of budget, put a HEPA filter on your shop vac at a minimum. A good respirator is the next best step.
Is T-track worth putting in a workbench
I put T-track in mine and I regret it. I rarely use the hold downs because they are cumbersome, and the spacing never put a clamp where I needed one. I covered the top with 3/4 inch plywood and cut a MicroJig clamping grid into it instead. Now I can clamp anywhere on the bench.
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Five tools you buy once and never replace. Some cost under $10, some cost thousands, and one of them you build yourself.