Power: 13 amps Street price: $210 Cut quality: Excellent Router accuracy: Good (Excellent if you don’t rely on scale for depth adjustment) Control and handling: Very good Cut visibility: Very good Ease of bit changes: Excellent
This rack-and-pinion model made the smoothest cuts in our tests, and uses two hefty wrenches and collet nuts for the easiest bit changes. It is well-balanced and comes with a unique hand strap and rubber grip on the motor, which offers better control for some tasks. The control score was hurt a little by the Milwaukee’s soft start, which was jumpier than some. The depth scale was inaccurate, but not all woodworkers use these.
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Craftsman Random Orbit Sander
While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.
The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.
With its graceful curves, cabriole legs, and ornamental back splat, a Queen Anne side chair is a bucket list build for many woodworkers. Dan Faia had a very specific Queen…
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