This year we are also recognizing tools that are Made in the United States among those ranked in the Top Ten!

NewWoodworker.com

Top Ten Tools of 2011

Quality still grabs lots of attention!

Text and photos by Tom Hintz

Posted – 12-1-2011

Each year interest in the NewWoodworker.com top Ten Tools of 2011 gets bigger and interested parties are speaking up earlier and earlier. But, I am sticking to the same timeframe to put all of this year’s tools on as even of a playing field as possible.

Also new this year is recognizing tools that are Made in America. I thought briefly about making Made in America part of the criteria but that would limit the choices severely. Even though making the tools in the United States is not a qualifier I do want to recognize the companies that continue to manufacturer here.

1. Leigh R9 PLUS Joinery System

Though one of the newest reviews on NewWoodworker.com the Leigh R9 PLUS Joinery System could not have come at a better time. With the economy still lagging badly and woodworkers still clamoring for the famous Leigh Dovetail jigs the $150.00 price point helped push this new tool to the #1 spot on our list. Even before doing the Leigh R9 PLUS Joinery System review I was getting lots of email asking for it or any information I might have. If ever there was a home run in the woodworking marketplace the Leigh R9 PLUS Joinery System has to be it.

Click Here to see the Leigh R9 PLUS Joinery System review.

2. Carter Hollow Roller™ Vessel Turning System

Though I have always liked virtually anything from Carter because of the homegrown quality and ease of use they engineer into their products. I was a little surprised at the venture into woodturning but there was no surprise in seeing the quality and innovative design of the Carter Hollow Roller™ Vessel Turning System. I hadn’t been getting a ton of email about hollowing from the turning faction in woodworking before this review but the floodgates opened as soon as I posted it. LOTS of people were very interested and it appears many were buying as well because for a short time it was hard to find the Carter Hollow Roller™ Vessel Turning System! The Carter Hollow Roller™ Vessel Turning System is Made in America.

Click Here to see the Carter Hollow Roller™ Vessel Turning System review

3. Woodpeckers' Sidewinder Router Lift

Long a favorite manufacturer in woodworking Woodpecker continues to bring new ideas to their product line and woodworkers everywhere are snapping them up. The Woodpeckers' Sidewinder Router Lift may have been based on their venerable Precision Router Lift but they have changed it significantly. The addition of a side crank system for raising and lowering the router/bit also brought with it full-range fine-tuning. Woodworkers love it and so do I! The Woodpeckers' Sidewinder Router Lift now resides in my router table and has performed perfectly ever since I began using it for the review. The Woodpeckers' Sidewinder Router Lift is Made in America.

Click Here to see my review of the Woodpeckers' Sidewinder Router Lift.

4. Easy Wood Tools Turning Tools

And to think I nearly passed on the chance to review these turning chisels from Easy Wood Turning tools. The concept is deceptively simple, make high quality, dead easy to use turning tools and make them in the United States. I am betting that this sounds way easier than it was to make happen. But they did it and the NewWoodworker.com viewers liked these instruments of roundness in a big way.

Click Here to see my review of the Easy Wood Tools Turning Tools

5. JET Vortex Cone™ Dust Collector

JET’s new Vortex Cone™ Dust Collector doesn’t look much different on the outside but it works much better on the inside than the average dust collector does. A cone-shaped deflector plate is the most obvious change but I suspect that there is more that helps this bit of aerodynamic engineering to work so well. I liked it and a bunch of NewWoodworker.com viewers liked the JET Vortex Cone™ Dust Collector.

Click Here to see my review of the JET Vortex Cone™ Dust Collector.

6. Bosch MX25EK-21 Multi-X Oscillating Tool Kit

For several years one brand hogged this small segment of the woodworking/DIY market but now several offerings have shown up. I am a long time Bosch fan and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Bosch MX25EK-21 Multi-X Oscillating Tool Kit. Lots of NewWoodworker.com viewers agreed that this was another quality offering from Bosch that gives us another option in the oscillating tool world.

Click Here to see my review of the Bosch MX25EK-21 Multi-X Oscillating Tool Kit.

7. Work Sharp® 3000 Sharpener

I had received requests to do a review of the Work Sharp® 3000 Sharpener for a long time and finally got around to it. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical but when I got hands on in my shop I became a believer. The Work Sharp® 3000 Sharpener had been very popular before I did this review and afterwards we added a bunch of NewWoodworker.com viewers to that list!

Click Here to see my review of the Work Sharp® 3000 Sharpener.

8. Bessey Auto-Adjust Toggle Clamps

Toggle clamps have been around for decades and frustrating us about as long. Bessey took a fresh look at these clamping tools and gave them a whole new ease of use and greatly extended versatility. I looked at and used the Bessey Auto-Adjust Toggle Clamps in my shop and can’t say that I understand exactly how you can adjust the amount of pressure without changing the throw but it happens. That new ease of use made the Bessey Auto-Adjust Toggle Clamps very popular with the NewWoodworker.com viewers as well.

Click Here to see my review of the Bessey Auto-Adjust Toggle Clamps.

9. Johnson Electronic Self-leveling Horizontal & Vertical Rotary GreenBrite® Laser

I knew going in that some of the NewWoodworker.com viewers were using rotating lasers to help install cabinets and other projects but the interest in the Johnson Electronic Self-leveling Horizontal & Vertical Rotary GreenBrite® Laser caught me by surprise. This is a higher level tool but the woodworking and DIY crowd appreciate its accuracy and ease of use. After building cabinets and other wall-hung projects to the best of their ability they want to get them installed accurately as well. I stand corrected!

Click Here to see my review of the Johnson Electronic Self-leveling Horizontal & Vertical Rotary GreenBrite® Laser.

10. Bosch T4B Gravity-Rise™ Miter Saw Stand

Years ago I did a review of the first Bosch Gravity Rise cart system that came out with their first job site table saw. That cart drew instant curiosity from the NewWoodworker.com viewers so when the Bosch T4B Gravity-Rise™ Miter Saw Stand was released the interest spiked once again. The ease with which you can move around and set up a full on miter saw with the Bosch T4B Gravity-Rise™ Miter Saw Stand is nothing short of amazing.

Click Here to see my review of the Bosch T4B Gravity-Rise™ Miter Saw Stand.