What Tool Should You Buy Next? A Ranked List for Real Makers

Last Updated on August 24, 2026 by teamobn

Every maker’s shop has ghosts. The specialty tool bought in a moment of enthusiasm that got used twice. The saw that turned out to be a level below what the projects actually needed. The clamps that seemed like too many and turned out to be nowhere near enough.

Tool spending goes wrong in two directions: buying tools that outrun your skill, and skimping on tools you use every session. The next dollar you spend on your shop should land in the middle. A tool that either unlocks a class of project you can’t currently do, or upgrades one you use constantly.

Buy for what you build, not what you might build

The single most useful shift in tool buying is asking “what am I actually going to build in the next 12 months?” instead of “what tools do real woodworkers own?” Storage builders and furniture makers don’t need the same shop. Outdoor project builders don’t need what interior-finish craftspeople need. And the fastest way to build a garage full of unused tools is to buy against someone else’s project list.

The tool-buying principles worth internalizing

• Buy tools you’ll use every session before tools you’ll use twice a year. Nice sanders, sharp chisels, and real clamps pay you back on every project. Specialty jigs and one-off shapers sit on the shelf.
• Skip a tier down on rarely-used tools, up on constantly-used ones. A budget bandsaw for occasional curves is fine. A budget random orbital sander that vibrates your hand numb is not.
• Battery ecosystems matter for cordless. Pick one brand for cordless power tools and stick with it. Battery interchangeability compounds faster than any single tool advantage.
• Used and refurbished are underrated. Vintage hand planes, refurbished cast-iron machines, and estate-sale bench tools frequently outperform their new equivalents at a fraction of the cost.

Six paths, six priority lists

The quiz sorts you into one of six lists based on your builds: Starter Kit for your first real shop, Furniture-Maker for real joinery, Outdoor-Build for decks/fences/sheds, Finish & Small-Craft for gift-worthy detail work, Hand-Tool for the quiet path, or Workshop Upgrade for shops that already have the basics and want machines that separate good from great.

Get your ranked next-8

Answer five questions about what you already own, what you build, your budget, your space, and your preference for power vs hand tools. The quiz returns a ranked list of the next eight tools worth buying, in the order they’ll actually pay off.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the first power tool a beginner should buy?

A quality cordless drill/driver kit with two batteries. It’s the tool every future project uses, and the platform decision (which brand’s batteries) sets your cordless direction for years.

Do I really need a table saw?

For furniture at any scale, yes, it’s the most-used machine in most shops. For storage and small-project work, a track saw or a good miter saw plus a circular saw handles nearly everything. Small shops sometimes skip the table saw entirely in favor of a track saw.

Are budget power tools worth it?

For rarely-used tools, yes. For high-hours tools (drill, sander, driver), spend up. Cheaper tools lose their edge fast, vibrate more, and often can’t run a full session on one charge.

Building out your workshop? Let’s get started…