good tools you're 100% satisfied with or BETTER

The DowelMax gets my vote! It completely changed my woodworking abilities!! Love it; love it; love it.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks Debbie! I appreciate your comment :) G

-- Editor, www.ToolCrib.com

Lie-Nielson Planes
Add a vote for Kreg
Add a vote for the PC routers

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

everything Kreg, My old Stanley planes,

-- Thos. Angle

Incra Jig Ultra
Porter-Cable router (0ld pre-LR model)
Kreg jig

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Add a vote for the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig. I’d put that right at the top of my list as well.

I love my Woodworker's 6 inch Dial Caliper from Highland Hardware.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Oh and my WorkSharp

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

My Nova DVRXP exceeded my expectations
My Dowelmax exceeded my expectations
My Lie Nielsen Dovetail saw exceeded my expectations
My Kreg Jig exceeded my expectations
My Woodpeck Precision Router Lift (PRL) exceeded my expectations
My Lee Valley Fence and Sled exceeded my expectations
My Festool TS55 exceeded my expectations
My Festool ES150 exceeded my expectations
My Festool MFT 1080 exceeded my expectations
My Incra Miter 1000SE and Mitre Express exceeded my expectations
My Festool Domino met my expectations
My GRRippers met my expectations
My Dewalt 621 router met my expectations
My Akeda Dovetail Jig met my expectations
My Lee Valley Veritas Planes met my expectations
My Callaway FT-5 Driver exceeded my expectations :)

I have a lengthy list of tools that didn’t cut the mustard too, but this bunch is the cream of the crop in my shop.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I have a few tools that have met my expectations:
My Bosch Table Saw Far Exceeds my expectations
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
Incra Miter Express Sled and Incra 1000SE Miter
My Keller Dovetail Jig
My Performax 16-32 Drum Sander

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

Add my new Fein Multimaster sander/scraper/saw oscillating wonder tool. Just removed petrified window glazing (2” offset scraper blade), flaking paint (60 grit carbide rasp) from 6 48×20 windows. Finish sanded them (triangular sanding head and 80 grit velcro backed paper. We primed and glazed them tonight by the light of a Coleman duel fuel gas lantern (another classic tool). The wife had nothing for praise for the thing and no evil eye for dropping 300 bucks and change for a sander. Easily saved $500 remodeling dollars. This tool rocks! Now could somebody lift my glass of Tang™ to my mouth…I can’t seem to raise my arms.

Douglas “Ladder-Calves” Bordner

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Doug I have that tool too and recommend it to everyone I can.
Shortly I am going to test the saw blade for quick and accurate dovetails.
Only a guy who has had one of these things running will know what I am getting at.
I have quite literally done impossible jobs with the tool.
I just did a repair to 6×12”cedar beams that had dry rot.
I was able to cut out the rot and replace the damage with a new plug and you cannot even see the repair.

I alsolove my Triton 3-1/4 hp router.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Lie-Nielson Low-Angle Block Plane
Porter-Cable Routers
Incra 1000SE Miter Jig
My Old Stanley Planes (#3,#4,#5 & #8)
General International Contractors Table Saw

-- Chris

Definite vote for the Kreg
Was just talking about the DW718 sliding compound miter on another thread
love my Bosch 4000 with the wheel stand
add me to the PC router list
Dewalt’s 9 piece 18V cordless combo was worth it just to get rid of all the extension cords.

-- I've cut that board three times and it's still too short!

I agree with the DeWalt router votes. I just got the Starrett protractor and Kreg jigs, so I need to use them more first, but would probably add them as well.

I would also add the Wixley angle gauge to the list. I can set up the table saw or miter saw to 45 degree angles or other settings and be sure of the cut.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I have an old Stanley block plane, I love it. It’s all worn and shiney from my hand, makes quick work of lots of stuff. I’ve got a mixed array of other old planes that are a joy to use.

I’ve got a Dewalt 12 inch miter saw that I use the heck out of, and a Dewalt driver- love’em.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Without Question:

1- The Triton Router – Exceeded expectations
2- Porter Cable 4212 Dovetail Jig- idiot proof, which I need
3- Dewalt 682 joiner – Again idiot proof, and value priced.
4- Delta 12” VS Bench Top Drill Press- value priced for the cost it can sit until you need it…that it is a charm.
5 – Lumber Jocks – simply amazing how much you can learn from this community !

-- Bill - - Ad-Marketing Guy, Ramsey NJ

I give a vote for Dewalt routers and Kreg pocket hole jig

1. Jessum sliding table for my table saw. The BEST money I ever spent.
2. Dewalt biscut cutter.
3. Rockler router table and router lift plate with Porter Cable router.

-- I don't make mistakes, only design changes....www.dgmwoodworks.com

My vote:

Woodworkers best tool – Between their ears.

Second best – hands.

-- There is no such thing as scrap wood!, http://www.saltrivergallery.com

this is one of my favorite tools when i comes to performing its duties

http://homerefurbers.com/blogs/tag/fein+multimaster

Where to start? Those that have exceeded my expectations and made my woodworking life more of a joy, if such a thing is possible:

1. Starrett 3” double square
2. Festool MFT, plunge cut saw and mini dust extractor (eliminates the need for a chop saw and radial arm saw in my shop)
3. Lie-Nielsen low angle block plane (the small one)
4. Stanley #80 scraper plane
5. Bridge City Tools flush cut saw – the best darn flush cut saw EVER
6. Tite Mark marking gauge

—Lakey

-- "No Board Left Behind"

Lie-Nielsen hand planes and socket chisels
Lee Valley hand planes, card scrapers
Festool Domino
Delta planer
WorkSharp
Starret combination squares
Titemark marking gauge

-- Hailey, ID

I have two tools that have gone above and beyond…......
My Milwaukee Sawzall and
My Porter Cable 12V Drill driver.
Both of these have been put through hell and keep going.
The Sawzall is about 15yrs old and the Drill is over 10 still using the original batteries.
I will be replacing the drill soon with a lithium ion model.
Most likely a Ridgid because of the battery replacement policy.

-- Frank Auge---Nichols NY----"My opinion is neither copyrighted nor trademarked, but it is price competitive."

Lets see . . .
5 hp Sawstop Cabinet saw
Festool MFT 1080
Festool Custom 3 (1080×3) panel assembly table
Festool 55 plunge saw
Festool Domino
Festool Vac (yes I am a festool fan)
Festool 150
Powermatic 20” planer with byrd cutter head (wow)
Leigh FMT M&T Jig

-- Anchul - Warrensburg, MO: As a Pastor, I am just trying to get closer to Jesus. He was a woodworker too.

i got the kreg pocket hole jig for x mas 2 years ago and havent had my plate jointer out once sence i love this thing so much it has replace almost all the lose tennons in my shop

-- I buy tools so i can make more money,so ican buy more tools so I can work more, to make more money, so I can buy more tool, so I can work more

My Craftsman 10” table saw has far exceeded my expectations. I’m getting good performance from a very inexpensive machine.

Sketchup has saved me from hours of error making; far exceeding my expectations.

Triton 2 1/4 hp router…I expected it to be fun to use but, man, not this much fun.

A small unknown brand block plane that I use just about everywhere. Once I tuned it up and sharpened the blade it continues to impress me.

I am still amazed how useful the Internet (esp LJs and the FWW web page) have been to learn about what and how to do things as well as what not to do. Exceeded expectations.

I bought a Mastercraft recip saw from Canadian Tire for ~$90… to remove some badly placed shrubs and trees from our new lot. I expected it to die after the brutal pounding in dirt and muck I gave it removing those shrubs and trees…but it took it and asked for more. I am still using it so I figured I’ve easily recovered the cost of it in avoiding paying a landscaping company to remove the trees/shrubs for me.

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

My Leigh FMT and Dovetail jigs
All my Wixey stuff. (angle, table saw, planer, etc.)
Both my Dewalt and Porter Cable routers
Niesen Planes
Whiteside router bits
My Grizz table saw and jointer

-- making sawdust....

All of my Bosch tools – 1590EVS Jigsaw, 1617PK Router (with fixed & plunge bases), 3727 ROS – meet or exceed my expectations. My Craftsman Jobsite Table Saw 21830, while not as accurate as a cabinet ts, works very well for me. In fact, the only tool that I feel I wasted my money on is a power planer I purchased from the Handyman Club – probably the nut behind the wheel, but I just cannot seem to get a smooth edge with this tool. The tool that has probably done the most to improve my woodworking is the Incra 6” T-Rule – so much easier to measure when you can see the graduations!

Jim