240v Power Tools

There is a whole plethora of cordless power tools on the market. A bewildering array of devices for every possible application you can think of. So what's the secret to choosing the right tool? The simple advice we offer in this section will inform your decision and help you make the right purchase for the job in hand.

Plug-In Power Saws

Usually falling into three separate categories, powered saws of one description or other are an essential part of any professional or DIY arsenal.

• Jigsaws
  Perfect, indeed essential, for cutting out shapes from wood, certain plastics and metals. We recommend choosing one with a pendulum action as this allows for greater cutting speed.
• Mitre Saws
  Designed for cutting precise straight lines or angles.
• Reciprocating Saws
  Simulating the backward/forward motion of a hand saw, these machines are useful, robust and lightweight.

Woodwork Router Tools

Need some decorative grooves in a piece of wood? You’ll need a router. These versatile woodworking tools have a variety of drive shafts and steel or carbide-topped router bits. Routers normally fall into two other categories:

• Fixed-base router
  On this configuration, the drive shaft is fixed in place. This makes the machine less versatile but more intuitive to use.
• Plunge Router
  With a retractable cutting edge and spring-mounted drive shaft, a plunge router is more cumbersome to use than a fixed base model but it doesn't require lifting in between cuts.

Horsepower and bit-shank diameter are important criteria when selecting a router. If you require a router for heavy-duty cutting, then choose one with plenty of horsepower. For large joinery cuts, choose a router with a large bit-shank so it can hold a larger blade.

Wood Smoothing Sanders

Falling into four categories and designed for smoothing surfaces on wood and metal, sanders are also useful for removing paint, rust and varnish. For large surfaces, band sanders should be used, as their continuous sanding roll cuts tough jobs down to a minimum. Orbital and sheet sanders are perfect for smooth, professional finishes, while die sanders are ideal for awkward corners and difficult to access places.

• Palm Sanders
  Compact and very portable, these ubiquitous machines are perfect for smaller applications.
• Orbital Sander
  Better suited to larger projects, orbital sanders are more robust than palm sanders.
• Sheet Sander
  Moving an abrasive sheet in a random orbit, these sanders are good for medium sized areas.
• Belt Sanders
  Capable of heavy-duty sanding, these sanders are normally used to roughly sand large quantities of wood prior to fine sanding with a smaller device.

Material Cutter Grinders

Falling into three distinct categories, grinders are used primarily to grind, cut and shape both organic and non-organic materials.

• Bench Grinder
  Used for sharpening tools, shaping handheld items and removing rust.
• Angle Grinder
  Both bench and angle grinders can be fitted with a wide variety of discs for tackling a range of materials. Angle grinders have a grinding surface, which is at 90 degrees to the motor, making them super-versatile. Designed for prepping surfaces and for cutting slabs and masonry, these are very useful tools indeed. Choose a model with a smaller disc when working with metalwork; use a higher wattage machine with a larger disc when working with paving slabs and the like.
• Die Grinder
  Fitted with a long spindle, these machines are designed to reach the inside of cylinders and ports.