Six tools you will actually use in the workshop
Beginners usually buy a set of twenty tools and use three. This list goes the other way: six items you can expect to pick up every week.
1. Cordless hammer drill
The most used thing in the workshop. Save on the brand, not on the battery — two packs are essential, otherwise you spend half your time waiting.
2. Random orbital sander
It strips old varnish and polishes a surface before oiling. Cheap sheet sanders look similar but leave swirl marks that only show up after finishing.
3. Jigsaw
More versatile than a circular saw. You need a guide for straight cuts — without one the blade wanders, especially in thicker stock.
4. A set of clamps
The most underrated item. Four is the minimum, six is comfort. A glued joint without pressure simply does not hold.
5. Digital calipers
They cost very little and save hours of wondering why something is half a millimetre off.
6. Workshop vacuum
A boring item nobody buys first — and yet it decides whether you will want to come back to the workshop at all.