Need Recommendations for Tools

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

Well I'm not quite hardcore enough to buy a table saw, although I can afford it, I'm putting it off for a while. What I do need is a few of the basics.

I need a good plunge router. This will be the first time I've owned or used a router so it doesn't need to be the best there is. Cheaper is better as long as there is no absolutely unbearable defects/problems.

I need a more powerful cordless drill. Right now I have the cheapest 6V Wal-Mart drill. Somehow it managed to build a box, but it was barely powerful enough and needed to be charged about 5 times, which took all night.

I need a bits for the router. I remember somebody posted a link to a whole set of bits, like 20 of them, for about $50. I'm sure they aren't going to be the most long lasting or quality bits, but for the price, and my first time using a router, I'm sure I can make do.

I need a jasper circle cut-out jig as well. I know they are all pretty much the same...I'm just looking for the cheapest place to find one.

If you can provide links to cheap places to buy them that would be awesome. I'm never buying another tool locally because they are all ridiculously overpriced at lowes/home depot.

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[Paul73 10+ year member]

Cheap tools = waste of money in the long run. Buy the best tools you can afford, they will last a lot longer and make the finished product better. Definitely don't cheap out on bits, just my .02.....Oh and if you think Home Depot and Lowes are expensive you have not shopped for real tools yet lol. Amazon has some pretty good deals most of the time.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

Amazon doesn't have good deals, they charge MSRP on everything, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid by buying online.

I'm not trying to buy the cheapest tools I can find, I'm trying to buy the cheapest decent tools I can find. I could go the lowes and buy the cheap $50 router, or I could come online and probably find something three times as good for less than $100.

Nobody knows any websites to buy decent tools for less than retail online? With as much as the people on here trade and sell audio equipment and search around for deals, I find it hard to believe that everybody on here buys tools locally.

 

[kross 10+ year member]

I love my Porter Cable router. It came with interchangable bases, so it's both a plunge router and a regular router. I bought it new from Lowes, so I didn't get as good a deal as I could have. I could have saved money shopping ebay or wherever.

As for bits, there is no need to buy a 20-bit kit. You won't use all 20 bits. You'll only use a couple, so you've basically spent $50 for two cheap bits. Instead, buy them one at a time, as you need them, and buy good, carbide ones. It's the same thing with those knife kits at Ikea. $30 for a set of 10 knives or whatever, when you should really spend the money on one high quality knife that you'll use every day.

That's all I got.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

I actually found the bits I was referring to on eBay and they look really cheap, I don't think I'm going to buy them. But there has got to be something cheaper than lowes who wants $20 for their cheapest single bit.

I probably only need a spiral upcut bit for cutting circles (correct?) and then maybe a few sizes of roundover bits for cleaning up the edges of boxes.

As for the router and the drill...if anybody can link to me a place to buy a router worth buying for under $100 that would be great, same for a good drill.

 

[kross 10+ year member]

I don't know why you say Amazon is expensive. Maybe they are for power tools, I don't know. I just searched Amazon for some router bits, here's a 3/8"-shank Bosch spiral up cut carbide bit for $10.75, free shipping on orders over $25:

http://www.amazon.com/85928M-Carbide-8-Inch-1-Inch-Spiral/dp/B000GYBVDU/ref=sr_1_5/002-7366090-2246426?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1189572375&sr=1-5

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

hmmm maybe they are cheaper on some things than others...

anyway I actually found out my dad has a router. It's a Skil 1820 2HP Plunge router, should do the job.

Can anybody link me to a circle cut out jig that will fit on it?

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

for drill.. 12v or 14v makita from ebay

 

[kross 10+ year member]

Will the Jasper fit on it?

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=365-250

Mounts directly to the base of 19 different models of plunge routers including Bosch 1613 and 1615, DeWalt 621 and 625, Freud FT2000E, Hitachi M8V, TR12 and M12V, Porter Cable 690 series and 7539, Skill 1823 and 1835, and all Sears, Ryobi and Makita models. Made in the U.S.A.

It says 1823 and 1835...so...I don't know

 

[W8 a minute 10+ year member]

I bought this set off of ebay and it works great so far.

http://cgi.ebay.com/WHOLESALE-50PC-1-2-CARBIDE-ROUTER-BIT-SET-WOODWORKING_W0QQitemZ160154669882QQihZ006QQcategoryZ50386QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You'll also want a spiral up cut bit. I haven't been able to find any of those cheap. I paid about 20 bucks each for mine.

As often as I use router bits they should last a long time. I mostly use them on soft MDF anyway.

Sears has a great plunge router for about 70 bucks.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00917540000P?vName=Tools&keyword=router

Not sure if your router will fit the Jasper but I will say the Jasper has a multitude of mounting options.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

Well I can't borrow tools forever, and I'll definitely be using it a lot in the future. So you think the Sears router is a good buy at $70? Decent quality at a good price? Plus I know the jasper jig fits on it.

 

[W8 a minute 10+ year member]

I have a Porter Cable but it costs three times as much. I put my hands on the Craftsman at the local sears and it "felt" every bit as nice as mine.

Plus the Craftsman has a soft start which is really nice, takes 1/4 and 1/2 inch bits, has a debris shield AND a vacuum shield (so I assume you can connect directly to a shop vac?), and it has an LED worklight which is more helpful than you might think.

It looks like a good choice. If it sucks Sears will probably take it back. Ask them first, if they say you can't then ask them if you can bring in some wood to try it out on. LOL

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

lol I think I'll pick it up monday after I get paid, thanks for the suggestion.

anybody finds a good powerful cordless drill for cheap let me know, I'm on the lookout, but not necessarily searching for one since I have a cheapo one now that does the job...it's just a PITA

 

[kross 10+ year member]

I had a Craftsman router about 20 years ago that sucked big time. Sounds like they've improved a lot since then. How's the height adjustment on it? Easy to make small, acurate adjustments, and easy to lock into place?