Tools
Gifts for Woodworkers: Tools I Actually Use
If you're shopping for someone who works in a shop like mine, start with the tools I actually own. Each one already has a hands-on owner review on this site, with my shop photos and a Where to buy list of plain store links — no affiliates. I don't list prices here because they change; see the current price at the store before you buy.
Smaller gifts
Milwaukee M12 FUEL Orbital Detail Sander (2531-20)
This is the one I'd pick for someone who already has a bigger random-orbit and still can't get into corners, profiles, and tight trim. It's light, cordless, and sold tool-only. The pack in my shop photos is a third-party / aftermarket 12V pack, not a Milwaukee pack.
- Milwaukee 2531-20 product page (external site, opens in a new tab) — maker page (this review's tool-only SKU)
- Home Depot: Milwaukee 2531-20 (tool-only) (external site, opens in a new tab) — same bare tool; see the current price at the store; local stock varies
- Ace Hardware: Milwaukee 2531-20 (tool-only) (external site, opens in a new tab) — same bare tool; see the current price at the store
- Amazon: Milwaukee 2531-20 (external site, opens in a new tab) — tool-only listing; see the current price and stock at the store
Porter-Cable 7346 random orbit sander
If they need a corded 6-inch random-orbit for flat, swirl-free faces on boards and panels, the 7346 is the workhorse I keep on the bench. It has a side handle and a speed dial that actually changes how the cut feels, but it doesn't collect its own dust, so a respirator is part of using it.
- Porter-Cable 7346 product page (external site, opens in a new tab) — maker page (no direct sales)
- R.S. Hughes: Porter-Cable 7346 (external site, opens in a new tab) — exact 7346 (industrial supplier); see the current price at the store
- Home Depot: Porter-Cable 7346SP (external site, opens in a new tab) — same sander sold as the 7346SP kit (adds a polishing pad); see the current price and stock at the store
Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig K4
I'd give the K4 to a hobbyist or someone in a small shop who's building cabinets, face frames, shelves, or furniture. It's a proven benchtop jig with the thickness marks printed right on it; if they change stock thickness constantly and hate adjusting the clamp, look at Kreg's 720 instead.
- Kreg: Pocket-Hole Jig K4 (external site, opens in a new tab) — maker store; see the current price and stock at the store
- Home Depot: Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig K4 (K4B) (external site, opens in a new tab) — see the current price at the store; local stock varies
- Amazon: Kreg Pocket Hole Jig K4 (external site, opens in a new tab) — see the current price and seller at the store; the seller may be a third party, not Amazon, and it can change
Cordless tools
DEWALT DCW600 20V MAX XR compact router
I'd give the DCW600 to someone who already runs DEWALT 20V MAX and wants a compact router for edge profiles, flush-trimming, and light dados without dragging a cord. It's sold tool-only (DCW600B), and it's not a full-size plunge router — the plunge base is sold separately.
- DEWALT DCW600B product page (external site, opens in a new tab) — maker page (tool-only)
- Home Depot: DEWALT DCW600B (tool-only) (external site, opens in a new tab) — see the current price at the store; local stock varies
- Ace Hardware: DEWALT DCW600B (tool-only) (external site, opens in a new tab) — see the current price at the store
- Amazon: DEWALT DCW600B (external site, opens in a new tab) — tool-only listing; see the current price and seller at the store. The featured offer may be from a third-party seller, not Amazon.
DEWALT DCN692 20V MAX framing nailer
This is the one I'd pick for someone who wants to sink 2-inch to 3-1/2-inch paper-tape nails without dragging a compressor hose across the shop or a job site. It's sold as the tool-only DCN692B, or as the DCN692M1 kit (tool + 4.0Ah battery + charger + bag).
- DEWALT DCN692M1 kit product page (external site, opens in a new tab) — maker page for the kit (lists kit contents; the tool-only version is DCN692B)
- Home Depot: DEWALT DCN692B (tool-only) (external site, opens in a new tab) — see the current price at the store; local stock varies
- Home Depot: DEWALT DCN692M1 (kit) (external site, opens in a new tab) — tool + 4.0Ah battery + charger + bag; see the current price at the store
Bigger shop upgrades
Husky C271H 27 gal. 200 PSI vertical air compressor
If they need one 120V compressor that can run the nailers in a woodshop, air up tires, and blow off the bench, this is the one in my corner. Skip it if their main air tool is a sander or spray gun that runs nonstop; it's also loud in a closed shop, so hearing protection is part of the setup.
- Home Depot: Husky C271H 27 Gal. 200 PSI Oil Free Vertical Air Compressor (external site, opens in a new tab): see the current price at the store. Husky is a Home Depot brand, sold at Home Depot. Local stock varies by store.
Grizzly G1030Z2P dust collector
This is a bigger gift, and it needs a 240-volt, 20-amp circuit. I'd only point someone here if their shop has moved past a shop vac into real chip-producing machines — table saws, planers, jointers, bandsaws. Then it keeps pace.
- Grizzly G1030Z2P product page (external site, opens in a new tab) — maker store; see the current price and freight at the store
- Home Depot: Grizzly G1030Z2P (external site, opens in a new tab) — same Polar Bear unit; see the current price at the store
All seven of these, with shop photos, specs, and the honest limits I've run into, live on my Tools I actually use page.