21 Types Of Power Tools You Should Know

Power tools have revolutionized the world of carpentry, construction and DIY. The earliest versions were powered by steam engines in the late 18th century, but it wasn't until much later that electric power became available.

With these machines at their disposal, carpenters could speed up production times dramatically - not to mention make their jobs a lot easier.

What is power tools?

Power tools are mechanical devices that increase the force applied to the workpiece. This is done in a different way depending on whether it's a hand-held power tool, or it's one that's connected to an electric motor and can be connected to other machines.

The following two categories are :

  1. Hand Held Power Tools – manually operated power tools that can be held in your hand.

They are used for small applications in workshops and home use. Handheld power tools are usually powered by an external electric motor, battery or both. Many handheld power tools use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries or fuel cells which causes less pollution. The size of the tool naturally determines its function. Hammers, angle grinders and chisels are all classified as handheld power tools.

  1. Stationary Power Tools – These are fixed in place and can be connected to other machines or equipment such as saws, sanding machines etc. They are also powered by electricity or diesel engines which then drives a mechanical means of applying force to the workpiece.

In this article, we will focus more on the stationary power tools because they are larger and more powerful.

The following list is 21 types of power tools that you need to know:

1. Saw

Circular Saw

This tool has a circular blade that is used to cut materials such as wood, plastic and metal. It can be powered by electricity or battery power which makes it useful for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Jig Saw

Jigsaw is basically a circular saw, but with a smaller diameter to fit in tighter areas where circular saws are too big. It is used to cut curves and other shapes in wood, plastic or metal. Jigsaws are more portable than circular saws because it can run on batteries and smaller blade sizes allow for better maneuverability.

Jigsaw vs Circular Saw

A jigsaw will be able to cut through harder materials like plastics, while a circular saw will have an easier time cutting through metal or dense wood. A circular saw can be used on materials up to 2 inches wide, while a jigsaw is limited to approximately 1 inch in diameter.

Table Saw

The table saw is a stationary power tool that has a flat surface for the workpiece. The blade is below the surface and can be adjusted to different angles. This allows you to cut materials at different angles, so it's more versatile than a circular saw. It comes in both corded and cordless varieties, although most people prefer electric motors due to their higher power.

Band saw

Another stationary tool, a band saw consists of a flat surface with an oscillating blade below it. The blade is curved in order to cut materials such as metal, wood and plastic. It is similar to a table saw, but operates on lower speeds and has thinner blades.

Miter Saw

Miter saws are similar to table saws, but can only make angled cuts. They have a tiltable blade and is used with materials that are up to 6 inches wide. It's portable enough to be taken out of the workshop and used for outdoor applications such as a job site, if needed.

Reciprocating saw 

Used for demolition work, a reciprocating saw has a long blade that's able to cut through materials such as wood and metal. It can be powered by corded electricity or battery power.

2. Drill Press

Drill presses are used to get deep holes in hard materials like metals and stones. They allow you to start the hole deeper than the bit length. The drill press consists of a base, column and clamping device to hold the workpiece in place.  

3. Sander

This tool can be handheld or stationary, depending on its size. They are used to remove rough material from wood, metal and plastic surfaces with help of an attached sandpaper disc under the workpiece. They are sometimes called disc sanders, but this can refer to other types of power tools as well.

Tools used with a sander:

Belt and disc sanders – These come in hand-held varieties for smaller jobs and also larger stationary models that can handle heavier stock removal. Belt sanders use an attached belt under the workpiece, while disc sanders use an attached disc.

The speed of a belt sander is determined by the motor's RPMs while the speed for a disc sander is usually determined by both its RPMs and the attachment size.

4. Drain Auger 

Drain augers are used to remove drain clogs in sinks, toilets and other plumbing areas. They consist of a long flexible shaft with an attached blade or drill bit at the end.  The blade is rotated by a manual crank, and the length of the shaft allows you to reach difficult areas.

5. Impact Wrench

An impact wrench has an attached coil-spring mechanism that operates similarly to a transmission brake. It uses fast-rotating gears to produce high striking force which makes it useful for loosening or tightening bolts.

Impact wrenches are used in tougher situations where you might need to loosen a rusty bolt that's too tight to move by hand. They have the ability to break free and remove fasteners that were previously impossible to budge. To prevent damage, don't use an impact wrench on materials that can be damaged by high torque such as thin sheet metal or weaker metals.

6. Extension Wand

An extension wand is an attachment for some power tools, such as cordless drills and circular saws that allows you to reach places that are otherwise inaccessible.

They consist of a long tube with an attached electrode head, which can be used to drill into surfaces.  They come in various sizes depending on the power tool that they're intended for.

7. Coring Drill Set 

A coring drill set is a tool that comes with several different bits and is used to remove material from areas such as the ground without causing serious disruption. It can be attached to a machine or operated manually by hand.  

They can even be used for underwater drilling of soft materials, although they cannot penetrate concrete when operating under water.  

8. Nail Gun

This tool is used with nails to fasten materials together. It has an attached magazine that holds nails and a mechanism for pulling the trigger. The nail gun can be either cordless or pneumatic, although both require compressed air in order to work.

The main difference between a pneumatic nail gun and one that uses an air compressor is that it can fire nails continuously with the help of compressed air. It also has a smaller trigger pull force than a pneumatic nailer, which makes it easier to use.

9. Corner Sander

A corner sander is basically a disc sander that's been turned on its side, allowing you to get into tight corners when smoothing rough material. Whether it's attached to a base or being used manually by hand, it can be very effective for smoothing and leveling rough surfaces.

10. Power Planer 

A power planer is a tool that's used to smooth rough material and remove burrs. It has an attached blade or drum underneath the workpiece that rotates with the help of an electric motor.  

They are usually intended for larger jobs because they remove large amounts of material. They are also sometimes referred to as "planers", "planers and shapers", or "shapers". Some models are designed to only be used horizontally while others can be used on a 90° vertical angle for more applications.

11. Cordless Screwdriver 

Some power tools operate with nothing more than screws or bolts, which are then attached to metal workpieces. A cordless screwdriver is a hand tool that's used to drive and remove screws in such situations. It has an electric motor for driving screws and a chuck for holding the bit in place before it's inserted into the drill bit holder.

12. Angle Grinder

An angle grinder is a handheld power tool that has a small circular saw blade affixed to the end of it. It's used for grinding, cutting, and carving.   They can be used for removing steel, wood, and construction materials.

A grinder is a tool that has rotating abrasive discs or grinding wheels in order to smooth rough surfaces. It's mainly used when dealing with smaller jobs that require precision. One of the more common attachments for grinders is an angular head attachment, which comes with various wheels and attachments for different uses such as cutting, grinding, sanding, polishing and sawing.

13. Foam Hammer

A foam hammer is a type of drill bit attachment that can be used with an electric impact wrench or pneumatic impact wrench in order to drill or drive into soft materials such as plywood, cork, and fiberglass.

They're used in instances where you need to make a small hole into thin material without causing significant damage, especially when working with delicate surfaces like glass.

And because they're made of foam, the problem of overheating that tends to plague traditional drill bits is negated.

14. Impact Driver

An impact driver is a tool that uses an electric or pneumatic motor to drive fasteners into soft materials such as wood, plastic, and metal. It's used in place of a standard power drill because it has the additional ability to remove screws just as easily as it can put them in.

For those who have a hard time getting standard power drills to drive screws into drywall, an impact driver is the perfect option because it can drive through wood and steel as if they were butter. They're also much faster than traditional electric or pneumatic drivers because their main focus is driving fasteners rather than drilling holes.

15. Plunge Router

A plunge router is a power tool that has an electric motor for driving bits and a vertical clamping mechanism in the middle of it. It's designed to be used on any surface, as long as you have enough room to get your hand around the device without hitting anything around you. The main advantage gained from using a plunge router is the ability to accurately make holes in order to ensure that aligned edges and surfaces are properly fitted.

16. Belt Sander 

A belt sander is a power tool that has steel or nylon belts attached to it. It's used the same way you would use an orbital sander, but its more powerful motors allow for faster results and much smoother finishes.

You can buy sandpaper disks separately in order to smooth out uneven surfaces such as wood or metal. It is more than capable of smoothing out the surface on both drywall and plaster.

Belt Sanders are used for rough sanding, shaping, or smoothing wood or metal. The belt sander operates with a belt that's quickly turned by a motor in order to move it back and forth against the workpiece.

They're much better than orbital sanders because they're capable of smoothing out more material in less time.

Belt Sanders can also be used to polish concrete, despite looking like they'd be more effective for rougher surfaces. To do this, you'll simply need to use a lower grit belt and make sure that there's no dust on the concrete.

FAQs

- What are the benefits of a belt sander?

The belt sander is beneficial because it's able to get the job done without having to take so much time like an orbital sander would.

It's also good for those who don't have a lot of room.

While belt sanders are much more effective than orbital sanders, they aren't very good for finishing the job.

- Which belts are suited for belt sanders?

In order to provide a well-rounded finish, you'll want to use medium or fine grits.

A heavy grit will remove material too quickly, producing a rough finish, and a light grit won't remove enough material to be effective.

- What is an impact driver?

An impact driver is a tool that uses an electric or pneumatic motor to drive fasteners into soft materials such as wood, plastic, and metal.

It's used in place of a standard power drill because it has the additional ability to remove screws just as easily as it can put them in.

For those who have a hard time getting standard power drills to drive screws into drywall, an impact driver is the perfect option because it can drive through wood and steel as if they were butter. They're also much faster than traditional electric or pneumatic drivers because their main focus is driving fasteners rather than drilling holes.

- How do you use an angle grinder?

Thread the wire through the hole in the grinder's wheel with a screwdriver. Put on goggles or protective eye wear to avoid eye damage from sparks. Keeping your hands about six inches behind the head, press down on the head of the grinder, then swing it back and forth at a high speed.

When using an angle grinder, you'll want to stand with your feet apart with the ground under you.

Conclusion

A power tool is a hand-held machine that performs an operation such as cutting, drilling, grinding or sanding. There are many types of power tools and they differ in the way they use energy to perform their operations. In this article we have introduced 21 types of power tools with brief descriptions about each type along with what benefits you will gain from using them.

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