Cody Bond Arellano Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 Ok so, I've been diy'ing for a little bit, have built a bench, some little things for house and wife. I know what I need more now as far as power tools go but, I'm trying, really trying not to get hung up on being a "brand snob". So, asking for thoughts. What I'm looking for now is a corded jigsaw to replace a ryobi cordless, a router with a plunge kit if possible(never owned router) and a new random orbital sander (have a black n decker square but it's time to upgrade before craps bed). I've been lookin g.d at and I'm partial to(idk why just am) to porter cable, that seems to be best deal for quality, and over all price. I have a hard time not always wanting dewalt, but at same time, bosch and makita are always off to the side winking at me! Like I said, any brands or particular experiences with tha th make yall want or not want? And any recommendations? Do I have to stay with same for all 3, no. And I know that. But, it's more uniformity than just loyalty. Thanks yall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 What are you using for dust collection? This is one of the most important tools in your shop. I favor Bosch for ROS and jigsaw. For routers, I'm a Milwaukee fan but, I cannot speak to their current offerings as mine are all a decade or so old. At that time they were a cut above in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody Bond Arellano Posted February 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 Gee-dub, right now it's just a dewalt shop vac. And I'm set up in garage. I hear that bosch has some better collection than most brands at box stores... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 Routers: Get the cheapest name brand 2-1/4 hp plunge/fixed base kit you can find, but make sure there's an edge guide available for it and factor that into the combined price. Jigsaw: Bosch is pretty standard, but I've used Makita and liked it just as well. The main question is handle or barrel grip, which you need to decide for yourself. Random Orbit Sander: Bosch is my favorite of the 5" variety. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 You ask lots of questions about smaller tools and I agree with gee-dub about dust collection.. I own a lot of Festool and you can have their jig saw. It's flat out not worth the money... I only own 2 Bosch tools and would honestly think I'd be using them to fill your "needs" list. I really do think they're the best game in town for tools where the budget has to be kept in mind. For the record, both of my Bosch tools are routers. If they had better dust collection, I frankly think they'd keep up with my Festool stuff. On that note, to echo gee-dub.. Make sure your DC is in order! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 My closest home center is a Lowes, so the brands I consider all come from there. I've been moving more into the cordless realm, and find the Kobalt 24volt system to be an excellent value. I have both the cordless ROS and Jigsaw, and they perform excellently. I am not the OCD type that loves matched tools, but cordless kind of locks you into a battery system. For the router, forget about owning just one. In no time at all, you will very likely find yourself in the possession of a 2.5 - 3 hp unit to go in a table, another with a plunge base, and a small trim router for lighter work. Then those will breed like rabbits, and you may eventually discover all your bits permanently mounted in a motor. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 49 minutes ago, Cody Bond Arellano said: Gee-dub, right now it's just a dewalt shop vac. And I'm set up in garage. I hear that bosch has some better collection than most brands at box stores... I started with a Ridgid shop vac for DC too. We all start somewhere and for some of us . . . it never ends I should have mentioned the old adage, "if you only get one router, get a plunge". More recently becoming "if you only get one router, get a combo". The great news is that there are a lot of reasonable tools out there for reasonable money at his point in history. Sometimes it doesn't seem so when you see how much some stuff has gone up but, there is also a lot of innovative stuff that wasn't around at such and such a time. Enjoy the journey. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 I personally find a jigsaw pretty unimportant. It gets occasional use when breaking down large, rough stock, but that's about it. I've been reduced to the same Ryobi cordless jigsaw you have and I've rarely been tempted to buy new, even though I dont like that saw and have no faith in most ryobi tools. The ROS? I really like my 6" Bosch, but I like my 5" Dewalt that was pretty cheap, too. I don't use the Dewalt much anymore since I dont really stock paper for it, but it was probably a third the price as the Bosch and left just as good of a finish. My first router was a Craftsman combo kit that was like $120. Dirt cheap for what it is and it is still the Router I use in my router table. My primary stand alone router is a Bosch that was 2-3x that of the Craftsman. I don't think its 2-3x better of a router, though I do like it. I'd go cheap though and buy some decent bits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 I'm a Bosch fan. I have several of their routers, including a Trim with a plunge base. 5" Bosch ROS and a couple others, including their jig saw. The choice is yours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 For sanding I still use the pc 332 and 333. Routers pc or bosch. Not the newer ones. Even on jigsaws I use older bosch. All the newer tools look like they brake too easy Pawn shops and ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdie Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 I'll echo the comments on DC. I have the Tool Shop from Menards but it's pretty much the same one that Harbor Freight sells. For entry level and a lot of years beyond that it's a great starting point. My best sander is a 5" ROS Bosch, in fact I have two. Not a big fan of the jig saw, maybe because I've always had cheap ones. About the only place I use it is for trimming very thin pieces of plywood, like 1/4". Other than that there are better tools for the job. I'll also echo the "routers are like rabbits" comment but my favorite is a 2.75 HP variable speed combo kit I got at Menards. Again, it's their house brand Tool Shop but I'm pretty sure it's a relabeled Milwaukee. I'd suggest a combo to start and then maybe a Porter Cable for the router table you know you're going to build. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 +1 for the HF dust collector. I upgraded to that from a Ridgid shop vac and it is a world of difference. Quieter (or at least lower frequency and not as ear-piercing) than the shop vac and works much better. For everyone recommending the Bosch sander, which model? I am also in the market for a new ROS and went to the Bosch site, they have a bunch of 5" ROS models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Swanson Jr. Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 @Cody Bond ArellanollaArellanollaArellanollaArell Sorry about the weird text above. My phone keeps auto inserting it when I try to delete it? Weirdest behavior I've ever seen. Anyway, if you want a suggestion for a great jig saw at a decent price, check out the Triton at Rockler. I don't have experience using it but it's very popular and the design is really ergonomic. https://www.rockler.com/triton-tjs001-65a-orbital-action-jig-saw 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coyote Jim Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 Go with this router. It is worth every penny: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=52609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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