TOP 5 CORDLESS TOOLS FOR A WOOD SHOP
While all woodworkers know that any great shop has a multitude and variety of tools that can perform various tasks, some tools are better suited as cordless. Usually one would stick with a single brand so that the cordless tool batteries are universal and easily swapped or used between tools. In my shop, I use the DEWALT 20V line of cordless tools. Check out a full list of tools I use here. Like many others, I have a plethora of cordless tools but decided to talk about my Top 5 Cordless Tools For A Wood Shop. I explain in this article why these tools are handy to have as well as why they are better suited as cordless rather than corded.
DRILL
This is a no brainer. The drill is used for EVERYTHING it seems and is versatile. A drill can be used with driver head bits as well as auger and bore bits. Drills can also be useful for hole saws, pocket holes, pocket screws, and more. I find myself using a drill more than anything so having a cordless version is such a convenience rather than toting a drop cord around my shop.
2. JIGSAW
Some may view a jigsaw as a speciality tool or one that doesn’t get used very often, but I find myself using it all the time. Many times I will use a jigsaw in lieu of my bandsaw simply because my cordless jigsaw is more portable and I feel more comfortable using it. The jigsaw is also versatile in that it can be used to rough cut, cut straight lines, or cut circles and curves.
A cordless jigsaw is especially nice in that when cutting curves and circles there is no cord that gets in the way. The saw moves freely with nothing attached to mess up your work. Online corded jigsaws that take a few seconds for the blade to power down and stop, the cordless jigsaw blade stops moving the second you release the trigger button.
3. CIRCULAR SAW
The circular saw made this list again because I find myself using it often. When I need to rip down large sheet goods that are too big for my table saw, I go for the circular saw. The cordless circular saw is nice because I can take it to the top of a workbench or even the shop floor to work without having to worry about extending a power cord. Another benefit is that you do not have to worry about a cord being in the way of your cut and possibly cutting the cord with your saw! While corded saws are obviously more powerful, I do not think the slight loss in power with the cordless saw is a deal-breaker to not own a cordless circular saw.
4. BLOWER / VACUUM
This one comes in handy for small cleanup. I have an efficient dust collection setup in my shop but all woodworkers know that there’s still going to be dust. For example, jigsaws, hand tools, circular saws, and other tools do not have dust collection and can make large amounts of chips and dust. A small cordless vacuum is nice to hand for small cleanup projects that cannot be cleaned from the dust collection system. The small corded vacuum prevents you from dragging a full-sized shop vacuum around the shop. A blower can also be handy for simply blowing chips off of a flat surface onto the floor to eventually vacuum or clean with a dust collection system.
5. OSCILLATING MULTI-TOOL
I consider an oscillating tool to be one that is not always needed, but extremely nice when it is needed…even if its only rarely. I use the oscillating tools occasionally to snip ends of wood, trim molding or corners, etc. I use the oscillating tool when I can’t seem to figure out which other tool I want to use. I think this is again handy to have in the cordless version as it can be used in tight spaces, weird angles, corners, and more without the hassle of a cord.
There you have it. My Top 5 Cordless Tools For A Wood Shop. Hope this helps and provides some information that you can use when deciding what tools to purchase when forming or expanding your shop!
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