Buying guides
Which one, for what you actually make
A hub compares everything in a family. A guide answers one question — a budget, a material, a garage that also holds a car — with a ranked shortlist and a reason for the order.
- Table saws
The best table saw for a home workshop
Three table saws for a home workshop, ranked by what the fence does rather than by motor wattage — with the one specification that decides whether a saw is accurate.
- Mitre saws
The best mitre saw for trim and flooring
Mitre saws ranked on cut line and crosscut capacity — with why a shadow line beats a laser and why the blade in the box is the wrong one.
- Band saws
The best band saw for resawing
Which band saws can actually resaw and which are curve-cutting machines — the distinction most listings avoid making.
- Track saws
The best track saw for breaking down sheet goods
Track saws compared as systems rather than as machines — because the rail you commit to matters more than the saw on it.
- Planers
The best planer thicknesser for a small shop
Combination planers and portable thicknessers compared — including the one thing a thicknesser cannot do, which catches most first-time buyers.
- Routers
The best router for a table, and for the hand
Table routers and handheld routers are different purchases. Which specification matters for each, and why collet size decides more than wattage.
- Sanders
The best workshop sander for curves and small parts
Belt, disc and oscillating spindle sanders compared on the job each actually does — and on the consumable sizes that decide the running cost.
- Lathes
The best wood lathe to start on
Lathes compared on swing, speed steps and the specification nobody advertises — mass — plus the spindle thread that decides every accessory you will ever buy.
- Drill presses
The best drill press for woodworking
Drill presses ranked on quill stroke — the specification most listings omit and the one that decides what you can bore in a single plunge.
- Extraction
The best dust extraction for a small workshop
Chip collectors, workshop vacuums and dust classes explained — including why the letter on the label matters more than the suction figure.
- Joinery
Biscuit, dowel or pocket hole?
Three joinery systems compared by what the joint has to resist — the question that actually decides which machine you need.
- Benches
The best workbench when space is short
Folding tables, portable benches and solid benches compared on the specification that matters most and is never advertised: mass.