Guide
Which Forstner bits do you need?
Forstner bit rim styles compared: which leave smoother holes, which cut faster, and how slow to run big ones.
Top tools by job
Drill clean, square holes
Drill presses and Forstner bits for straight, flat-bottomed holes.
Where to start
Tool picks
Drill presses
A compact benchtop drill press for your first one and a slower, stronger step up, chosen from independent tests.
Tool picks
Cordless drills
An 18V cordless hammer drill/driver kit for drilling holes and driving screws.
Other jobs
- Clamp a glue-up
- Cut plywood and long boards straight
- Rip narrow strips on a table saw
- Engrave and cut with a laser
- Clear laser smoke from the room
- Carve and cut with a CNC
- Design files without paying
- Collect dust and chips
- Sand smooth surfaces
- Drive framing nails
- Route edges and profiles
- Join boards with pocket screws
- Cut curves and shapes
- Trim and fit joints by hand
- Crosscut boards square and at angles
- Measure and mark square lines
Or browse all Top tools.
We pick tools from independent tests and reviews, not our own testing.