Another great video, so many youtubers with their obscenely priced gifted tools, it's great to get a good honest review on alternatives. The one tool there is no alternative for though is....... BURT! 😢Burt we miss you! Thanks for your dedication to excellent content.
A really good video highlighting the fact that you DON'T need the overly expensive tools to produce quality work. I like the way your videos are going, Bert or no Bert. Thank you!
I’m happy that you demonstrate cheaper alternatives for most woodworkers. Many other channels only boast on the pricey options and despise anything else.
I have said for years that Woodpecker tools are for the pretentious woodworker (Look what I have) Truth is, these days with computers and CNC machinery, you can buy the cheapest squares etc even from the dollar store ( I have done it) and they are both accurate enough for woodworking. You do a great job.Just like Denis on "Hooked on wood"
Thanks so much John! Really appreciate that. You are so correct. The more people get some CNCs that can tackle wood, the more we will see a lot of cheaper come out I think. Great observation and thanks so much for watching!
I had a Festool track saw, it died. Repair was going to be almost the cost of a new saw. I picked up the Makita. For me the Festool was much. Several of the adjustments knobs on the Makita are much harder to adjust, the Makita bogs down rather easy. I never noticed the Festool boging down. I use the tracksaw quite a bit. I wish I had stayed with the Restool.
@@johnterdik4707 Thanks so much for sharing John. Good to know. I've never been disapointed with the festool. Really impressive tool. I probably bought it too early in my woodworking carear, but I"m glad I did. I use it on almost every project i do. Heck I even used it this week when making a duck display case for my son! :)
Leave a little (1/32") space between the two tracks. Don't rely on the ends of the tracks to be square. A straightedge to align the track is indeed necessary. I find the ratchet style clamps are better when coming up from the bottom of the MFT. The screw style also slip and it's a PITA on the bottom of the MFT. I have a Woodpeckers metric/imperial 6" stainless and a set of the metric/imperial aluminum Pelini rulers. I've had them for many years (since the first time they came out as "One-time Tools"), so I don't know if they're still available. I never use the aluminum rulers as rulers. There is just too much parallax. The stainless version is thinner, so better in this way.
Thank you so much for sharing all these great tips and observations about the pocket rules. Great idea abou the tracks as well! Really appreciate it and I'll be doing that with my tracks for sure! Excellent point on the paralax. They are pretty thick and it can definitely be hard to get a precise measurement if you going right off the ruler without the stop. THanks so much for sharing and watching kwilliams!
Damn Dog! I'm a snow Mexican up in Canada and Those paolini rulers are $70 + theft! They also have some basic set up blocks (similar to Kreg) and they are $140 +!? Your freedom dollar's seem to go a lot further than our monopoly money when it comes to Neitra! I've done the math and even if I were to move and downsize my home to purchase them I feel like I'd still be ahead going woodpecker lol. Good vid though👍... Also, I'd love to see all the takes of you (not) catching those tools at the end of each vid!
Haha! thank you so much for making me laugh today cblack! :). You know it's funny on those tool catches, I'm actually getting better at them the more videos I do. I remember when I first started out it could be as many as 20 takes. Now I'm down to about 5 for each catch! :). It's kind of like a sport i guess! :).
My first Wen tool was a little bench grinder that my mother bought me with Green Stamps. I have several Wen tools that I like and they seem to last. Do you know if this Wen will work with my Kreg track saw?
Interested to know how the Neitra compared to the Woodpecker on the accuracy of the measurements. Neitra vs Woodpecker and Neitra vs Neitra vs Neitra….
Excellent question. Neitra vs. woodpeckers was spot on for the ones i looked at. I can only assume that neitra vs. neitra worked as well. But now I want go to the barn and double check! Thanks so much for watching Damon! Really appreciate it as always! :)
Thanks for investigating and sharing these tools. I did buy the battery powered nail gun from your previous post. It works great in softer woods, like pine, plywood, and poplar. However, i could not sink a nail in some harder woods like hickory, ash, and sometimes mdf. There is an adjustment knob that did not help in the harder woods. I also know you can adjust the preload pressure but the valve that comes with the gun is a nonstandard size and I haven’t been able to adjust the pre-pressure because i cannot find an adapter to load pressure. It’s too bad because the nail gun is lighter and fires faster than two other brands I own. I’ll probably return it. A suggestion for future reviews, when applicable, maybe perform tests over a range of factors to help us get a better perspective. I think this gun would be fine for many woodworkers. But it isn’t working well for me. This isn’t criticism just a suggestion I like your channel.
Thank you so much for sharing this mwoody. I'm so sorry you have had some problems with the linknal nailer. I am doing a follow up video in a few months on tools that have not lived up to my expectations and I have encountered the same problem with this nailer. I was using it on some oak a couple of weeks ago and I too could not get it to completely tape the wood. I adjusted it also, and still not able to do it. I'm so sorry for the misdirection, I did not test it on hardwoods when I used it I simply used it on pine. I'm going to take the link for tha tool down right now.
Dogg man, I guess because you are used to generic Lunch Loaf, it's a natural progression to throw money at knock off tools. You're going to have to build another barn to warehouse all these tools you keep buying. Can't you take the handle off the clamp so that you can put the rail through the hole and then re-attach the handle to the shaft? Paolini...Paolini! You know that means push-ups here in the shop. The meatballs are knocking them out (it'll be a few more months before I can join them). We're glad that all that time behind the scenes was used to "Google deep" as we had other ideas as to what you might have been doing. You got all "mathy" in this one. We'd say that you're about 100% of the best.
You aren't lying on the room in my shop. I'm trying to get to a point where I'm only reviewing tools I absolutely need. I'd been eyeing those corner clamps with the right angle for some time. Really liked them. The wen track was my biggest score on this video!. I'm going to have you start doing push-ups for neitra now! :). Great question on those wen clamps. I'll need to double check but I don't think they come off the clamp easily. But excellent point if they do. I'll be kicking myself if that is the case, but I'm guessing I would have looked at that... But it wouldn't surprise me. I feel like they had a bolt or knob on them that made them so they wouldn't come apart. Thansk so much as alwasy fro watching Meat! Hope you and the meatballs have a great weekend!
Can you test the montana countersink bits. I have them but I don't use them as much as you do so I'm interested in seeing how durable they are and will be.
@@FlynndoggWoodwork Okay, you name the new company that we should use as our push-up prompt; then, depending on what the tool is, we'll come up with the number of repetitions we will do every time we see it in a video. We're sure you did check out that clamp because you are a thorough guy. Here's an idea: if the clamp does have a nub on the bottom, you might be able to grind it off and then slide the handle off. Hey, at that bargain price what have you got to lose ($34)? We are so jealous. You're the man...take some time and go fishing with your boys.
@@Kreacher1974 Thanks for sharing that brand actually. I hadn't heard of the montana brand. Looks pretty nice. I'm going to definitely be checking those out. Thanks so much for sharing Kreacher1974
Oh nice! That will do the same thing! I wish I would have known about those before i bought my track saw. Might of held off for a bit. Thanks so much for watchign! Really appreciate it Rebel!
The WEN track is great (though sadly the 110" is currently unavailable on Amazon and the 100" set is just a little too short to not be awkward when breaking down a full 4x8 the long way), but I would highly recommend getting the Powertec clamps over the WEN ones for just a couple bucks more.
Great suggestion palegod! I looked at those powertec items as well. I'm a pretty big fan of powertec. In fact I'm getting ready to make a drill press table using all powertec hardware. Great suggestion and thanks for watching!
I have that wen tracksaw, came with everything even clamps for 200 out the door, and it's done everything I've thrown at flawless...hard wood, ply..I mean flawless with great dust collection....I don't understand why wen gets a bad rap, so I got their 8" jointer and it's awesome! Square and flat out the box with spiral head even, this shocked me as I wasn't expecting it to not be that good, tool snobs is the only explanation for the bad rap IMO...I highly recommend both ive mentioned....
Holy cow, I didn't realize you get all that with the Wen. The Wen brand has really impressed me since i started this channel. There will be more wen tools in my inventory in the future. Thanks so much for sharing and watching Ravenheart. Really appreciate it!
Glad to see there are woodworking tools and squares that everyone can afford. I would never buy woodpecker, personally I think they are overpriced, but to each is own. I bought squares from Temu and they all are perfectly square.
I'm a knock off junkie as well because I like to vote with my wallet. Just like in your cool videos, sometimes I win and at times I end up with a doorstop. I found the difference between the featured clamps was in the construction of the tool's frames. The Kreg clamps have a built in ribbing whereas the knock offs are flat steel, which can bend if a bit too much pressure is used to close them. The Kreg is definitely more sturdy, but their prices are in the sky. Given that knowledge, if one is careful, they can do equal work.
Great points Peter! Thanks so much for sharing and watching. I also like to vote with my wallet. Especially now that I have this channel! It gets pretty pricey always trying to come up with new tools! :).
I've been kind of watching some of your content. After this video, I've subscribed. I'm a believer in using the best tools possible for how they hold up. I've got too many squares that I can't trust. But we certainly don't all need to have the priciest tools. I'm sure that a Festool is a great tool to own and worthwhile for some businesses. I don't see myself needing it. I'm sure many other You Tube providers have to be careful due to their need for sponsors.
Excellent orazha, I totally agree with you. Price doesn't always mean higher quality or better results. Sometimes of course it does but not always. I was actually using that wen track today! Thanks so much for subcribing and watching. Truly appreciate it!
Maybe its been said but it wood be awesome if you tried out a corded or cordless track saw made by WEN. They have a lot of options under $200. Would be nice to see them compared to Festool. Anyway, great video and comparisons
Thanks so much e.z.e. that is a great suggestion. I'll put this on my list of ideas for videos. I've always had a cordless track saw, but i've always wondered if I could tell the difference. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching e.z.e932. Now I've got an eazy e song in my head! Thanks a lot! :)
Regarding the Track: If you use Festool Paralel guide this track wil not work, it’s more a copy of Makita track, I assume other Festool accessories wil also not work if you neet the second T slot.
You and me both! :). You know I'm sure there is a brand out there that can compete. Now you got me wanting to look for that! :). Thanks so much for watching Skippylippy!
I don't look to ruler stops for squareness, It's more of a scribing tool for me. I wish I had known about the Neitra before I bought a set of black aluminum ruler stops. They work fine but the angled stop would be nice to have.
Yeah, I try not to either, but if I didn't show it people would ask! :). The neitra is a pretty nice set. Been pretty pleased with it so far. Been trying to use it as opposed to the woodpeckers to make sure that I still like it and no complaints so far. Thanks so much for watching vandrewsan!
I have zero knowledge in this fiels, but I'm thinking, the tools are comparable, but will the cheaper ones hod up after a year or two? That could be the real difference.
Did you check on the Paolini Rule vs the Neitra measurements? Those tend to be different when it comes to cheaper rulers. Also hard to be certain but it looks like the Neitra has a wider gape at the bottom of the lines you struck for the "Square test".
Excellent question remnantwoodworking. I did line up the two rulers together and saw no difference with my vision, although that doens't mean there wasn't any. Another viewer mentioned that there could be issues with parallax since the neitra was a little thicker, which I thought was an excellent point as well. Woodpeckers SS are still the best, but I do think this is a great alternative.
I have had my tools in storage for years. Some of them are going to have to be replaced due to moisture damage. I don't want to waste money. I am 70 and investing in tools, at my age, is not like doing it at 40.
Hey! 70 is the new 40! :). These are some great options. Thanks so much for watching and so glad ot hear your dusting off some of those old tools! :). Thanks for watching Goodellsam!
I almost missed the pocket hole clamps, I'm just so used to you doing 5 items per show it threw me off with the 6th.. Seriously I enjoyed the video and am interested in ruler set and the pocket hole clamps. If I didn't have a pair of track saw tracks all ready I'd be looking hard at the Wen Track. Have a great weekend and keep up the good work feeding my tool buying habit.
Thanks so much as always for watching Pat. I really liked ruler set and the pocket hole clamps as well. By far the best bang for the buck were those Wen tracks. I've used them a few times since I've made this video and worked perfectly! Sorry for throwing you off on the 6 tools. Next week I've got 30 tips.... You're going to be really confused! :)
I don't disagree with you on that. I was actually using mine this week and I ended up using a different style because I couldn't get it to hold the two pieces together. I'm not sure it's the best design. Thanks so much for commenting and watching again jared! :)
Oh you will love it. I was completely shocked at how good the Wen was for the price. I've been wanting more track for probably 3 years now and just couldn't get myself to spend the type of money festool was asking! Thanks for watching pepperman!
is festool a scumbag company? 350 dollars for an aluminum track after the install price of that saw is absolutely insane. it's like a joke really. it should be included with the saw from the get go for that price.
Well, they do give you a 55" track with the saw, but not a long one. I think they are just a company that prides themselves on the qualilty they product and they think people will pay any price for it.
I really don't need one but the Wen track system seems pretty good..............I built multi-million dollar buildings with a cutting torch, angle grinder and an old combination square I found in my Grandfather's shed after he died. I can do some pretty good work with some pretty average and even below average tools.
Oh wow! Sounds like you are a very skilled craftsman! Skills go much further than the tools for sure. Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching rawbacon! Love the username!
Hey, Mr. Flynndog. I to bought the Wen tracks for my FesTool track saw. They are a bargain. Unfortunately, my tracks were wavy and didn’t sit flush to the material. So disappointing!! I ended up buying another FesTool track so now I have two 55 tracks. This is long enough for me to break down plywood. Will probably give the Wen tracks to the wife so she can sell them on FB marketplace. This way I don’t have to get her again for her birthday. That is how those “things” work, right?!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the Wen Tracks. Good to know! Yeah, that was the rout I was going to go as well, by getting another 55" festool track as well. but at 69 dollars I thought I'd give the wens a try. Thanks again for sharing and have a great day LordHog!
Glad you did 6 instead of the customary 5. I have those pocket hole clamps on the list. You found some other really good alternative items, but those are the only thing I need.
You do realize that the $400+ Festool track is a one piece. If you compare to Festool two 55” like the Wen it is as cheap as $195. Only 2.5 - 3 times the Wen. Just being fair in comparison
Yep! That is true. This is a meant to be an alternative to the 110 track. I do realize that you can get 2 55” tracks but it is still much more expensive.
I have been busy and missed some of your reviews. Love these tools. All are very useful for a small shop. I do not have a track saw, but could benefit from one. Very few people even know to called it a Robertson bit, many call it a Kreg jig bit. Thank you for sharing. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
I'm glad someone else appreciates the Robertson bit name. I actually did a short on it a while back. Turns out Mr. Robertson was from Canada if I remember correctly. I need to do some more history shorts. I enjoy learning about that sort of stuff and sharing it! :)
Thanks for doing these videos, always interesting to see if these cheaper products perform. One correction, the Woodpeckers Paolini rules are available in combo inch/metric in both aluminum and stainless. Maybe these orange rules you tested hit the mark, but I tried a different Amazon brand that was light blue and they ended up going back - not enough contrast between the blue anodizing and white markings to easily see the lines, end notch to guide your pencil was too deep so the line you drew was short of the measurement you set, and worst of all the scales were off by around 1/16” over 8” as compared to my Woodpeckers rule. Price is an important consideration for most folks, but sometimes value of the cheaper tool doesn’t add up. So buyer beware I guess is the watch word.
Excellent advice Walter! It's always a crap shoot when testing out some of these knock offs. I will have to say however that i'm impressed more often than I am disappointed. Great catch on the woodpeckers. Another viewer mentioned the same thing. I didn't see them while I was making this video, but yes it does appear them make them! Thanks so much for watching!
The WEN clamps are like the DeWalt rail clamps which are excellent. I have the old Kreg corner clamps that have to be hand adjusted like what the knock off brands are based off of. Still working great. Now I did buy the auto adjust clamps for my 20mm & 3/4" dog holes. I attached the miles craft adapter to them and I leave one on my drill press permanently ,.
The cheap ones will dull in a week. You pay for what you get.How do you feel about intellectual property theft (I'm guilty of buying lots of knock off myself) I've found that cheap stuff is frustrating and in the end i avoid the cheap stuff
I hear you. I don't think there is any intellectual property here, but I'm not a lawyer. I don't think any of these tools featured today are in any way less worthy of featuring than the originals.
I have a few different Wen tools and accessories now, and I'm really becoming a fan. Milescraft, too. I got their Joint Master dowel jig and their pocket hole jig and I've been very pleased.
So glad to hear that Eric! I'm just starting to look at more wen tools. I have their biscuit joiner and the track so far, and been very pleased. LOVE milescraft. Another great brand!
I bought three sets of the Wen tracks for two different saws, including one track dedicated for cutting 48" sheets, and they were STILL cheaper than the Makita. I also bought two pairs of clamps, and even though they are plastic-ky, they are the fastest and most secure I have ever used.
I’ve gotten a lot of Wen tools and I’ve not been disappointed yet. Even their saw blades are decent quality especially for the price. I love their air cleaner along with their track saw. A single dad of 5 wonderful kids and woodworking is my only means of income due to having to quit my job because the place I live doesn’t offer daycare for special needs kids.
That is awesome Barry! I wish you and your 5 kids well. Kids are the only thing that i love more than woodworking. Thank you for sharing your experience with Wen. I have been pleased as well with everything I've gotten from them. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. Have a wonderful Saturday!
One of the most frequent tools I use are those locking rulers. I bought one set from Amazon that are red(not woodpeckers) I was thinking about getting another set.. now I will get orange
Could you use the T clamps in a bench dog hole by using a jig saw to slice an angled cut to allow the back of the T to slip into it? Once it's in the dog hole, the clamp can be turned any direction needed.
That's a great question. I didn't think of that. I'm not sure I want to do that on mine, but that would probably do it. Great idea and thanks for sharing and wwatching Douglas!
Where is Burt at this would have been a good video for him. Another good video. Lot of tools that people can afford instead of buying all that high-end stuff. Keep up the great work guy
Thanks so much robert! Burt would have been a great addition to this video.. I agree! :). I don't want to turn everyone off every weekend though! :). Thanks so much for watching, really appreciate it!
Nice! I looked at those online a while back. Looks like most things from Neitra look pretty high quality. Thanks for watching and commenting thewhitestarsarefake!
Totally agree! That's one thing I'm learning from this channel. There are a lot of good brands out there that aren't get enough recognition I think! Thanks for watching Lippa618papalee4!
I really don’t see the advantages to a track saw. You can use a piece of nice 1/2” plywood and attach a straight piece of aluminum or steel for a guide. Run the first cut to clean the edge of the 1/2” plywood and you are good to go.
That's another excellent way to do it! In fact if I would have had that idea back in the day, I probably would have held off on a track saw for a bit. Thanks so much for watching John, and great obersvation!
The saw straddles the track, eliminating the possibility of deviation by pushing your saw plate tight to the guide. Smoother, straighter, and leaves the offcuts perfect too.
haha! At least these were some more affordable ones! :). Thanks as always for watching Ken. I've got a message from you in my inbox that I haven't had a chance to respond yet to. I'll get to it this weekend! :)
I used to be all about the brands. But now that I'm in the middle of setting up and resupplying a new workshop I'm constantly on the lookout for cheaper, but functional tools. This is a great video. With well presented non bias reviews 👍👊
Thanks so much Clashfive! I'm the same way. I had to have the greatest and best brand name out there. Having this channel has really made me question whether or not there is that much incremental benefit to the high end tools for the cost. Thanks so much for watching!
