I can agree with the router bits needing to be easier to remove. I bought a good set of Freud raised panel bits and sliced my hand wide open the first time I removed them
Part of the issue is harbor freight has many quality levels in their various branded lines. Amazon is similar but coming from many companies and brands even more diversity.
First thought was "is that fake steam?" cut to next scene, no steam. I just ordered one of the older Yeti rambler 10oz lowballs to attempt a mug similar to the video he made that one in.
Quick history lesson. Black and decker bought dewalt in early 60’s. Dewalt invented the radial arm saw, and only made radial arm saws. In the mid 90’s, black and decker industrial line of tools( black and gray, not orange)were great trade quality tools. But because suffering from late 70’s home owner black and decker tools stigma, they changed their line to yellow dewalt. It was a branding PR excercise( not that’s necessarily bad thing.)they also owned Elu( Swiss made tools, routers jigsaws, biscuit jointer, grinders) so early dewalt tools were all black and decker industrial, or Elu, just with a yellow case and name dewalt. Dewalt tools are great tools, not because the name, but because of designs they came from 2 different companies. The original dewalt company made legendary radial arm saws, I have a 1952, and 59 version. Black decker sold to dewalt RAS design to THe Original Saw Company. American company that stills makes industrial quality radial arm saws, that look identical to dewalt radial arm saw design from the 1940’s
Yes. I used many of the black and decker industrial series tools and still think them superior to the dewalt follow ups The original dewalt radial arm saws truly legendary
i remember the black and grey wildcat angle grinders. they were a beast and you could replace the bearings in the angle head plus they had massive double brushes on the motor. the dewalt grinders the bearings are not replaceable by themselves. you end up having to replace the whole spindle cartridge with the bearing, gear and shaft. the gear and shaft are welded together so no way to remove the bearing.
True story and a true zombie brand. The den of tools has a great video about this but yeah..... Dewalt is quite literally black and decker just with a yellow jacket. Dewalt as a original company does not exist.
The only Elu tools I've owned (a circular saw and a drill) were made in England (dates them as it said England not UK or GB) and it was a German company that I'm assuming manufacturered throughout Europe. Agreed that Black and Decker while they had capable tools, there were reliability issues and the brand suffered because of it. Since their merger with Stanley Works though, there have been lots of Stanley branded power tools that often look very similar to DeWalt ones. I have some near 50 year old Black and Decker drills which seem to have so much more power than the modern cheap ones and are still going well. They though don't have a hammer function or any soft start/trigger speed control so they are used mostly for mixing or drilling into larger wood pieces.
24:40 YUP Be realistic on your expectations. You can easily get started making simple projects with cheap tools and then upgrade the ones you use the most. Steve Ramsey is the king of great projects around the house with minimal tools that do not cost an arm and a leg. Only a leg! !! !!!
I am excited for your budget friendly shop and super curious about the project you're planning with these tools in mind. Love this form of content, David.
Five plus stars for you! This was an excellent video and your plans for a "cheap tools" woodworking future is awesome! Truth be told, I am sure the majority of us out here can't afford expensive tools and we do love diy woodworking! Big thumbs up!
The "Extended Thin Rip Jig" was sold out, but I did order an identical looking one on Amazon & can't wait to try it out when it gets here - I cut a lot of thin strips & this looks like it'll be amazing (for me). Thanks for the video!
I have no issues with my Wen strip sander. Works great. Thinking about the other tools, and even Ryobi makes decent cheap tools, but price wise Wen beats them. I'm super excited to see what you make. A good wood worker should be able to use cheap tools to make nice things.
We had a talk in carpentry class about the elitism behind "good tools" and i said, "look, im gunna stick with my Ryobi tools and goodwill finds and put Sailor Moon stickers on everything because i would rather people not steal my stuff when i go to jobs sites." 😂 My nice DeWalt carbon fiber hammer tacker has already come up missing and that's a financial hit to replace for me trying to make it through school on a tight budget living in Seattle and working full time.
Great vid, as always! My WEN drill press is coming up on 8 years of use. It's needed some attention a few times to keep the variable speed pulley working smoothly...but it's still working. I also have the WEN spindle sander. Overall I'm not disappointed with their tools.
Per your previous suggestions, I always buy a couple more F clamps whenever I walk into my HF store. For me, it's the nice chunky handles they have. Far superior grip to the tiny wood handles on my Irwin clamps. As for the rest, I've already got my budget tools and have been slowly upgrading to better quality. But this is a good demonstration for what is out there and good enough to start working. Would also recommend for bigger tools looking for them 2nd or 3rd hand from garage and estate sales and auctions. Thanks for sharing!
Get yourself a WEN track saw…. Your going to need it for your budget shop:) my 14” bandsaw is also a WEN , with a custom carbide blade it’s a beast:) make something!
I saw an 8" WEN bench top drill press at Goodwill and hesitated because it seemed sketchy. But I passed it up to get a larger clearance in the future when I set up my shop space. Plus they wanted like $70 for it and I was like...brand new with a warranty at Home Depot I could pay $105.
@@stretch3736 I am in the market for a track saw. I have the Kreg Rip Cut guide and it works ok, but it can get awkward. To be fair, I used it back before I was in carpentry school.
Wen is legit. I don't know if this applies to all of their products, but an observation I made with the few tools of theirs I have... The packaging...packed on top is the instructions. Then the rest of the parts are packed to be pulled out in the order they're listed in the instructions. That's a planning detail I've never seen with any other company, and I like it.
It looks like the adapter for the dust collection on the Wen palm sander fell out of the box when he was looking at the camera. It's under his bench now. The video on Amazon for the product shows them attaching the adapter. So if he looks at the instructions, it's probably listed first as it was on top of the sander.
From a friend who used to work for one of the mentioned brands here, how some of the product line worked, was if they needed a cheap Snow blower, they would at a chinese tradeshow go and find a supplier, ask them to send them some product samples with the correct color and if they could match the color, it would be in the stores to prep you for the winter and you probably never see that specific product model again.
Entertaining vid as always! In all fairness to the wen palm sander, at 26:08 it looks like a dust extraction adapter falls out of the packaging on the floor when you remove the sander from the box…..the palm sander is asking for a bump in score lol😂
I have been pleased with the Wen, corded track saw i purchased knowing it wouldnt hold up if i was using it in the trade. Some of the woodworking magazines have started including Wen in the mix when they do tool reviews.
Entry level budget brands can often be quite good if you get ones made early in the production life. Later versions of the same model can be vastly inferior as moulds, jigs, dies used in production get worn. Materials are substituted and parts get subcontracted to reduce costs. And likely dozens of other factors
19:04 easy fix for this clamp is to either mushroom the end of the bar or drill a hole and pin the end of the bar. That is if you already have these clamps and do not have a local Harbor Freight.
Love the few Wen tools I have. Would love to see a deep dive into their cordless tools from drills to sanders and the cordless track saws. No one has the balls to go that deep. They all hover around just the corded track saw and the thickness planer. But they might have a deep bench for the hobbyist/diy-er.
I would never in my life buy into a cheap cordless ecosystem.. You never know how long they will keep the batteries etc in stock since most of the time its just relabeled wholesale china tools..
I have a wen drillpress and it's got a CVT on it with a digital RPM readout, surprisingly good. Sure, the spindle squeaks when you spin it by hand, but when powered, it's great, no complaints.
First video I´ve seen from this channel Great energy, great sense of humour, not shitting on cheap stuff. 1+ follower and I can´t wait to binge watch more videos of yours
I noticed that you dropped the dust collection adapter for the wen sander when you opened it. min 26:08. would be great to test dust collection with that. otherwize excellent video.
When I had my shop, I had a buttload of WEN tools (planer, drill press, jointer even a stool) and they were solid tools. Highly recommend. I give this video 5 stars.
I have not been disappointed by any of the wen products I have purchased. I have and use the oscillating belt/spindle sander, band saw, drill press. I also have their 660 cfm rolling dust collector and their track saw, but haven't used either yet.
12:42 Irwin just came out with the best tape I’ve ever used. Has longer standout than a fatmax, double sided numbers, finger stop, and is durable. And obviously 1&1/4 blade…your selection of tapes just made me think well no wonder he hasn’t found a tape he loves lol EDIT I didn’t realize this is a fine woodwork channel…I’m not so sure my needs as a framer/carpenter are the same as yours. But as a framer, the new Irwin one is stellar
Great vid, David. So fun. :D Incidentally, i went looking for a "how to do flocking" video last week, and found myself watching one of your very early ones. So cool to see how little/much you've changed. 5 Thumbs up.
I actually own one of those cheapazz sets of router bits and still use them. I bought them about a decade ago. I don't mount them in the router table or use them in my CNC mill, but I use them in the handheld routers (DeWalt plunge, Bosch fixed) regularly. They're easy to sharpen and since I don't use them constantly, they do fine.
This video is a great example of why I am not afraid to buy the cheap Harbor Freight tools for one or two job uses. Most of these are basic, mechanical devices and the biggest concern is going to be efficiency and durability.
I use to have a $49 black and decker circular saw a few years ago. Brought it for cutting up pallets for firewood. I worked really well with a 24 tooth blade on it. No complaints about it had the power to cut though most things including the odd nail
I own the same one. It bogs down a lot and has bad dust routing, but it gets it done. I changed to a blade that cost as much as the tool, and it made a world of difference.
Well done Dan! I like Wen tools myself as they are reasonably priced & good quality. Can't wait to see what you build with all of those cheap tools! 👍👍🔨🔨
On the combination square, you can get a 12" Johnson Level for less than $8.00 in a lot of big box stores. They aren't perfect but pretty good for price.
I have a WEN miter saw and a WEN track saw. Both are built well and cut accurately. I would compare their durability and accuracy with any manufacturer. I highly recommend them.
I still have my Amazon cheep router bit set purchased back in 2012. I don't use them too much, but enough that they should have given out years ago. No burning when I use them with exception for the pattern bit. I get some mild burning with that one.
I have a Wen drill dress. It was like $100-$150 8 years ago. Two of the three chuck key holes are a little wonky now, but there's no real run out and motor is still like new. Totally worth it.
On tape measurers, I personally like the Bauer (Harbor Freight). It has a reverse stop, so when you extend it isn't running back or need to hold while getting more length. Just push the button to retract.
I’m a makita guy, but I’ve got a handful of wen tools that I’m more than pleased with. Drill press works great, and the portable spindle sander is an absolute godsend for my microscopic shop.
Those speed clamps without the stops, I have seen some where it is intentional so you can turn that part around and it can put clamp pressure outwards instead of inwards.
hey btw about the f clamps, from what i know most good ones allow you to take the moveable part off and swap the directrion of the stationarry head so that you can use them to have things pushing away for certain aplicatyions where you might need that
I have several Wen benchtop tools and the Wen track saw. For me as only a hobbyist woodworker in retirement it is a great saw. I put a Diablo thin kerf 40 tooth blade and it is great. Now being a retired cabinet maker, I have had access to Festool and while their track saw is amazing. Nowhere in my budget. Love this video. Love your content
Issue I've had with bits like that is the way they are attached, its like the hex part is crimped on, but once it breaks I just have to take it off and use it like a smooth bit.
My favorite measuring tapes have been Masterforce. I've been woodworking for 15 years and the Masterforce tape I have feels the best, is predictable on the retract, and has all of the options I wanted in a tape.
loved the channel for years, chair backwards real talk needs to be a thing, your channel makes me want to make more stuff which is probably the highest compliment I can give. cant wait for the cheap tools build. I have a few Wen tools and for the price they have served me well. i got their spindle sander which I now feel is an essential tool but couldnt afford a super high end one. I use it all the time and it works great
I have a WEN 12 in. Variable Speed drill press, oscillating sander, bandsaw, jointer and planer (uses the small 14mm blades in both) and am very happy with the price, performance and quality of everything. I'm just a hobby woodworker so this fits my needs perfectly.
I'm a fan of Black+Decker. Being that I do very little work with power tools, I bought a variety from their 20V line. They all work great for my intents and purposes and the best part to me is that each one comes with a battery. So, I have a total of 6 and they still hold a charge just fine. I like the fact that you can get non-tool items to use with the 20V batteries. For instance, one thing I use every single day is a little "Hand Vacuum". It'll drain a battery the quickest out of all the tools but, it's fairly powerful and really comes in handy. And having all those extra batteries from the other tools to swap in and out is great.
Great video but would like to know if the head of the clamp can also be turned around, I have some that are like that and though I use the clamp to Push with VERY infrequently. I do like the option of doing so.
@@lucaschan9079EXACTLY! It just disappears at that last frame. It’s like they threw it in there just to see if anyone would notice. Or maybe it’s proof that this whole channel is AI generated and these guys don’t even exist in the real world. 😳
Wen is an old old company and directly responsible for the development of power tools as a whole, helping to develop the motor system. I dunno how more people haven't heard of the company
Wen has never been a well-known name in the US market, but you are correct and they still make decent tools to this day. Their scroll saw is affordable and beats others that cost 3x the price.
I'm in the US and have been using WEN for a long time. Budget friendly and gets the Job done. I don't have over 50K to spend on Tools like this guy. WEN works well for us DIY folks
If you ever have massive tool breakage again (Ref "My Worst Shop Day Ever") you have some (sort) of recourse! Nice can't wait to see what project you (awesomely) complete with them!
WEN has a US office and US tech support that speaks clear english. Had a question about the negative battery cable on my Generator and the tech support was awesome and understanding of my lack of paying attention to the manual.
Good review. Tools like these are great beginner's and in every homeowner's arsenal . Hey I noticed you didn't toss the Festool nor Bosch tool like the Wen ????
“WEN below average is perfectly acceptable, WEN”. I’ve owned several WEN tools and I cannot recommend them even if you’re on a budget. Especially for something as crucial as a saw. Save up, and buy a Makita. And you’re totally right about the router bit packing. One of the worst cuts I’ve ever had was from trying to remove a bit from its holder. I only get bits from Bits&Bits now, and the packaging is great.
You are so right on tape measures... Im as bad as you are with tapes. I actually went with Hart 12'. I have 5 in my shop now and plan on buying a few more
I found a pull saw to be more accurate in cutting because push saws tend to bend when I push as apposed to a pull saw produces a thinner cut because you do not bend the blade a pull . Hence more accurate. YES … a budget channel would great for beginners like myself
The dust port on the Wen palm sander looks the same as my DeWalt random orbital sander, if you take off the adapter. The Wen comes with an adapter as well. With that you should have a standard connection.
Regarding Harbor Freight clamps, I have purchased ten of them, all ten failed on first use. Four speed clamps, where the ratcheting mechanism/trigger assembly blew apart upon tightening, and six bar clamps that seemed ridgid until attempting a glueup of a large table, which now more closely resembles a trough. :(
i love my Wen tools. Fantastic, powerful router (although the base is non standard) the biscuit joiner is accurate and quick, the bench sander is solid. They seem to share DNA with Bauer available at Harbor Freight. I have been getting Wen since the 70s
I can agree with the router bits needing to be easier to remove. I bought a good set of Freud raised panel bits and sliced my hand wide open the first time I removed them
You should do this all again with all the same tools from Harbor Freight and see how the Harbor stacks up.
It's been done. They're pretty good. Most Bauer stuff is just under your Ryobi prosumer levels stuff
Part of the issue is harbor freight has many quality levels in their various branded lines. Amazon is similar but coming from many companies and brands even more diversity.
@@fixerupperer I'd say stick with the Bauer line and you'll be fine I know some mechanics who like the Bauer stuff
I just learned a new word. Pro Sumer. Every evolving language. I like that one
@@milkywayan2232Den Of Tools Dictionary
1st Love the "steam" coming off the mug @ 2:25. Great Job Dan!
2nd, WEN tools are surprisingly good. I have a couple.
I noticed the same thing! It looked a bit fake though.
First thought was "is that fake steam?" cut to next scene, no steam. I just ordered one of the older Yeti rambler 10oz lowballs to attempt a mug similar to the video he made that one in.
Quick history lesson. Black and decker bought dewalt in early 60’s. Dewalt invented the radial arm saw, and only made radial arm saws. In the mid 90’s, black and decker industrial line of tools( black and gray, not orange)were great trade quality tools. But because suffering from late 70’s home owner black and decker tools stigma, they changed their line to yellow dewalt. It was a branding PR excercise( not that’s necessarily bad thing.)they also owned Elu( Swiss made tools, routers jigsaws, biscuit jointer, grinders) so early dewalt tools were all black and decker industrial, or Elu, just with a yellow case and name dewalt. Dewalt tools are great tools, not because the name, but because of designs they came from 2 different companies. The original dewalt company made legendary radial arm saws, I have a 1952, and 59 version. Black decker sold to dewalt RAS design to THe Original Saw Company. American company that stills makes industrial quality radial arm saws, that look identical to dewalt radial arm saw design from the 1940’s
Yes. I used many of the black and decker industrial series tools and still think them superior to the dewalt follow ups
The original dewalt radial arm saws truly legendary
DeWalt not so much but Elu was legendary in Europe.
i remember the black and grey wildcat angle grinders. they were a beast and you could replace the bearings in the angle head plus they had massive double brushes on the motor. the dewalt grinders the bearings are not replaceable by themselves. you end up having to replace the whole spindle cartridge with the bearing, gear and shaft. the gear and shaft are welded together so no way to remove the bearing.
True story and a true zombie brand. The den of tools has a great video about this but yeah..... Dewalt is quite literally black and decker just with a yellow jacket. Dewalt as a original company does not exist.
The only Elu tools I've owned (a circular saw and a drill) were made in England (dates them as it said England not UK or GB) and it was a German company that I'm assuming manufacturered throughout Europe. Agreed that Black and Decker while they had capable tools, there were reliability issues and the brand suffered because of it. Since their merger with Stanley Works though, there have been lots of Stanley branded power tools that often look very similar to DeWalt ones.
I have some near 50 year old Black and Decker drills which seem to have so much more power than the modern cheap ones and are still going well. They though don't have a hammer function or any soft start/trigger speed control so they are used mostly for mixing or drilling into larger wood pieces.
24:40 YUP Be realistic on your expectations. You can easily get started making simple projects with cheap tools and then upgrade the ones you use the most. Steve Ramsey is the king of great projects around the house with minimal tools that do not cost an arm and a leg. Only a leg! !! !!!
I am excited for your budget friendly shop and super curious about the project you're planning with these tools in mind. Love this form of content, David.
Five plus stars for you! This was an excellent video and your plans for a "cheap tools" woodworking future is awesome! Truth be told, I am sure the majority of us out here can't afford expensive tools and we do love diy woodworking! Big thumbs up!
The "Extended Thin Rip Jig" was sold out, but I did order an identical looking one on Amazon & can't wait to try it out when it gets here - I cut a lot of thin strips & this looks like it'll be amazing (for me). Thanks for the video!
I have no issues with my Wen strip sander. Works great. Thinking about the other tools, and even Ryobi makes decent cheap tools, but price wise Wen beats them. I'm super excited to see what you make. A good wood worker should be able to use cheap tools to make nice things.
We had a talk in carpentry class about the elitism behind "good tools" and i said, "look, im gunna stick with my Ryobi tools and goodwill finds and put Sailor Moon stickers on everything because i would rather people not steal my stuff when i go to jobs sites." 😂
My nice DeWalt carbon fiber hammer tacker has already come up missing and that's a financial hit to replace for me trying to make it through school on a tight budget living in Seattle and working full time.
Getting Ryobi alone is already theft proof.
Putting sailor moon stickers on is just being extra.
@@YOUR_NARRATOR975 yup! 🌈
Love the iron eagle poster popping up when talking about Tom cruise lol definitely a childhood favorite movie.
I love that you're doing this. Not only cheap tools but hand held power tools seem to get at least left behind and often disparaged.
Great vid, as always! My WEN drill press is coming up on 8 years of use. It's needed some attention a few times to keep the variable speed pulley working smoothly...but it's still working. I also have the WEN spindle sander. Overall I'm not disappointed with their tools.
Per your previous suggestions, I always buy a couple more F clamps whenever I walk into my HF store. For me, it's the nice chunky handles they have. Far superior grip to the tiny wood handles on my Irwin clamps. As for the rest, I've already got my budget tools and have been slowly upgrading to better quality. But this is a good demonstration for what is out there and good enough to start working. Would also recommend for bigger tools looking for them 2nd or 3rd hand from garage and estate sales and auctions. Thanks for sharing!
Get yourself a WEN track saw…. Your going to need it for your budget shop:) my 14” bandsaw is also a WEN , with a custom carbide blade it’s a beast:) make something!
I saw an 8" WEN bench top drill press at Goodwill and hesitated because it seemed sketchy. But I passed it up to get a larger clearance in the future when I set up my shop space. Plus they wanted like $70 for it and I was like...brand new with a warranty at Home Depot I could pay $105.
Didn't realize wen did a band saw. And you say the track saw is actually good?
I bought the WEN track saw at Home Depot and it’s a great saw for as much as I need a track saw.
@@mattkent655 yep I have both , and use them all of the time
@@stretch3736 I am in the market for a track saw. I have the Kreg Rip Cut guide and it works ok, but it can get awkward. To be fair, I used it back before I was in carpentry school.
Wen is legit.
I don't know if this applies to all of their products, but an observation I made with the few tools of theirs I have...
The packaging...packed on top is the instructions. Then the rest of the parts are packed to be pulled out in the order they're listed in the instructions.
That's a planning detail I've never seen with any other company, and I like it.
Might seem pretty banal for a palm sander, that maybe has 4 or 5 parts. But when you're trying to assemble a bandsaw, it makes a big difference.
It looks like the adapter for the dust collection on the Wen palm sander fell out of the box when he was looking at the camera. It's under his bench now. The video on Amazon for the product shows them attaching the adapter. So if he looks at the instructions, it's probably listed first as it was on top of the sander.
I've got a Wen rotary tool kit and it's been working great for a couple years now. They seem pretty legit.
I got a Wen drill press 3 years ago, it is the same as the Jet other than being orange and about half the price.
Thank you for your financial sacrifices for the woodworking community
Talks about "Top cut" and Tom Cruise. Inserts image of Lewis Gossit Jr from Iron Eagle.... 🤣🤣🤣
From a friend who used to work for one of the mentioned brands here, how some of the product line worked, was if they needed a cheap Snow blower, they would at a chinese tradeshow go and find a supplier, ask them to send them some product samples with the correct color and if they could match the color, it would be in the stores to prep you for the winter and you probably never see that specific product model again.
Entertaining vid as always! In all fairness to the wen palm sander, at 26:08 it looks like a dust extraction adapter falls out of the packaging on the floor when you remove the sander from the box…..the palm sander is asking for a bump in score lol😂
I caught that as well. He was looking up at the camera when pulling it out. He'll find it when he sweeps under his bench. 😆
He did find ut at the end. He put that just at the last second of the video.
@@Dragonited Oh shoot. I hit stop when he gave his normal outro, I did not see that. Lol
I have been pleased with the Wen, corded track saw i purchased knowing it wouldnt hold up if i was using it in the trade. Some of the woodworking magazines have started including Wen in the mix when they do tool reviews.
Entry level budget brands can often be quite good if you get ones made early in the production life. Later versions of the same model can be vastly inferior as moulds, jigs, dies used in production get worn. Materials are substituted and parts get subcontracted to reduce costs. And likely dozens of other factors
That’s actually a good point.
Never thought about this, but it totally makes sense. Thanks for the info.
13:00 for fine woodworking, get a FastCap PSSP-FLAT16 ProCarpenter Flatback. It makes hardware store tape measures seem like toys.
19:04 easy fix for this clamp is to either mushroom the end of the bar or drill a hole and pin the end of the bar. That is if you already have these clamps and do not have a local Harbor Freight.
Love the few Wen tools I have. Would love to see a deep dive into their cordless tools from drills to sanders and the cordless track saws. No one has the balls to go that deep. They all hover around just the corded track saw and the thickness planer. But they might have a deep bench for the hobbyist/diy-er.
I would never in my life buy into a cheap cordless ecosystem.. You never know how long they will keep the batteries etc in stock since most of the time its just relabeled wholesale china tools..
I have a wen drillpress and it's got a CVT on it with a digital RPM readout, surprisingly good. Sure, the spindle squeaks when you spin it by hand, but when powered, it's great, no complaints.
Dave you should get the wen spiral helical head planer for your budget shop and review it.
Measuring tapes: Have you tried Fastcap Lefty/Right measuring tape!?! It’s awesome and it has a pencil sharpener built in! Bought mine on Amazon.
First video I´ve seen from this channel
Great energy, great sense of humour, not shitting on cheap stuff.
1+ follower and I can´t wait to binge watch more videos of yours
I noticed that you dropped the dust collection adapter for the wen sander when you opened it. min 26:08. would be great to test dust collection with that. otherwize excellent video.
I enjoyed this video. Im a new woodworker and watching my budget. I especially enjoyed your testing out these products right out of the box!
When I had my shop, I had a buttload of WEN tools (planer, drill press, jointer even a stool) and they were solid tools. Highly recommend.
I give this video 5 stars.
Thank you for making burst out with laughter at the "where the butthole would be" part.
I have not been disappointed by any of the wen products I have purchased. I have and use the oscillating belt/spindle sander, band saw, drill press. I also have their 660 cfm rolling dust collector and their track saw, but haven't used either yet.
@2:25 the little added steam effect. I like the touch 😉
Ive had that black and decker jigsaw for three/four years now. Mines tough as nails. Been used and abused and never misses a beat
the added steam coming out of your mug is great!
12:42 Irwin just came out with the best tape I’ve ever used. Has longer standout than a fatmax, double sided numbers, finger stop, and is durable. And obviously 1&1/4 blade…your selection of tapes just made me think well no wonder he hasn’t found a tape he loves lol EDIT I didn’t realize this is a fine woodwork channel…I’m not so sure my needs as a framer/carpenter are the same as yours. But as a framer, the new Irwin one is stellar
Wen tools are surprisingly good and definitely punch above their price. I used their track saw for a few years before finally upgrading.
Great vid, David. So fun. :D
Incidentally, i went looking for a "how to do flocking" video last week, and found myself watching one of your very early ones. So cool to see how little/much you've changed. 5 Thumbs up.
I actually own one of those cheapazz sets of router bits and still use them. I bought them about a decade ago. I don't mount them in the router table or use them in my CNC mill, but I use them in the handheld routers (DeWalt plunge, Bosch fixed) regularly. They're easy to sharpen and since I don't use them constantly, they do fine.
This video is a great example of why I am not afraid to buy the cheap Harbor Freight tools for one or two job uses. Most of these are basic, mechanical devices and the biggest concern is going to be efficiency and durability.
I don't really go use a bunch of tape measures, but I was introduced to Lufkin and I love them.
I use to have a $49 black and decker circular saw a few years ago. Brought it for cutting up pallets for firewood. I worked really well with a 24 tooth blade on it. No complaints about it had the power to cut though most things including the odd nail
I own the same one. It bogs down a lot and has bad dust routing, but it gets it done. I changed to a blade that cost as much as the tool, and it made a world of difference.
6:35 with the tool throw... I belly laughed so hard.... Didnt foresee the the shot put coming! Well done David!
The blade was bent! ROFL!
WEN products are actually pretty good quality for the price. I have multiple WEN products that are going strong.
Same. The Wen track saw is really good for the price.
Well done Dan! I like Wen tools myself as they are reasonably priced & good quality. Can't wait to see what you build with all of those cheap tools! 👍👍🔨🔨
On the combination square, you can get a 12" Johnson Level for less than $8.00 in a lot of big box stores. They aren't perfect but pretty good for price.
I have a WEN miter saw and a WEN track saw. Both are built well and cut accurately. I would compare their durability and accuracy with any manufacturer. I highly recommend them.
I use a WEN 6" disc/Belt sander combo from Home Depot about 4 years ago. I love this tool, and it still works like the day I bought it.
I needed a desktop belt sander for a project, got a Wen, totally recommend for a budget one. No complaints.
I've got a Black&Decker jigsaw that I picked up at a garage sale, brand new for like $5 and it's my favorite jigsaw ever.
Great video man.
I still have my Amazon cheep router bit set purchased back in 2012. I don't use them too much, but enough that they should have given out years ago. No burning when I use them with exception for the pattern bit. I get some mild burning with that one.
I see what you did there at 02:17. Upping the ante with the moving shot too...
Oh, tape measures. Nothing beats my old chrome Stanley. It's withstood the test of time. I now have both 16' and 25' varieties in my toolbox.
I have a Wen drill dress. It was like $100-$150 8 years ago. Two of the three chuck key holes are a little wonky now, but there's no real run out and motor is still like new. Totally worth it.
Thanks David. Now when I look at all the dust collection ports on my power tools, all I see are butt holes...😮
Normally don't like these type of videos but I love that your letting your humour show more, funny stuff
On tape measurers, I personally like the Bauer (Harbor Freight). It has a reverse stop, so when you extend it isn't running back or need to hold while getting more length. Just push the button to retract.
I’m a makita guy, but I’ve got a handful of wen tools that I’m more than pleased with. Drill press works great, and the portable spindle sander is an absolute godsend for my microscopic shop.
As a boatbuilder once told me, "the number of clamps you need for a project is always one more than you have in your shop,"
Those speed clamps without the stops, I have seen some where it is intentional so you can turn that part around and it can put clamp pressure outwards instead of inwards.
hey btw about the f clamps, from what i know most good ones allow you to take the moveable part off and swap the directrion of the stationarry head so that you can use them to have things pushing away for certain aplicatyions where you might need that
IMO the best cheap tools are harbor freight. similar drill is 15$ and works great for household stuff i do
I have several Wen benchtop tools and the Wen track saw. For me as only a hobbyist woodworker in retirement it is a great saw. I put a Diablo thin kerf 40 tooth blade and it is great. Now being a retired cabinet maker, I have had access to Festool and while their track saw is amazing. Nowhere in my budget. Love this video. Love your content
Issue I've had with bits like that is the way they are attached, its like the hex part is crimped on, but once it breaks I just have to take it off and use it like a smooth bit.
My favorite measuring tapes have been Masterforce. I've been woodworking for 15 years and the Masterforce tape I have feels the best, is predictable on the retract, and has all of the options I wanted in a tape.
loved the channel for years, chair backwards real talk needs to be a thing, your channel makes me want to make more stuff which is probably the highest compliment I can give. cant wait for the cheap tools build. I have a few Wen tools and for the price they have served me well. i got their spindle sander which I now feel is an essential tool but couldnt afford a super high end one. I use it all the time and it works great
Thank you!
Starrett is a very well known precision measuring equipment company. They make, or used to at least, a tape measure. I have one and love it.
I have a WEN 12 in. Variable Speed drill press, oscillating sander, bandsaw, jointer and planer (uses the small 14mm blades in both) and am very happy with the price, performance and quality of everything. I'm just a hobby woodworker so this fits my needs perfectly.
I'm a fan of Black+Decker. Being that I do very little work with power tools, I bought a variety from their 20V line. They all work great for my intents and purposes and the best part to me is that each one comes with a battery. So, I have a total of 6 and they still hold a charge just fine. I like the fact that you can get non-tool items to use with the 20V batteries. For instance, one thing I use every single day is a little "Hand Vacuum". It'll drain a battery the quickest out of all the tools but, it's fairly powerful and really comes in handy. And having all those extra batteries from the other tools to swap in and out is great.
i’m a metal worker never been interested in woodworking until now love the videos been watch every night for past couple weeks
I have that pink drill, I'm a big fan of it for doing smaller tasks where I've already pre-drilled
I love your "I bought" series, it's one of my favorite videos on UA-cam
Great video but would like to know if the head of the clamp can also be turned around, I have some that are like that and though I use the clamp to Push with VERY infrequently. I do like the option of doing so.
Lol, the taped together instructions at 1:22 had me laughing. Love your sense of humor!
2:24 is that fake steam?? Lol 😂😂😂
Ahahaha yeah I noticed that too it cuts before the scene ends
@@lucaschan9079EXACTLY! It just disappears at that last frame. It’s like they threw it in there just to see if anyone would notice.
Or maybe it’s proof that this whole channel is AI generated and these guys don’t even exist in the real world. 😳
Wen is an old old company and directly responsible for the development of power tools as a whole, helping to develop the motor system. I dunno how more people haven't heard of the company
Wen has never been a well-known name in the US market, but you are correct and they still make decent tools to this day. Their scroll saw is affordable and beats others that cost 3x the price.
Been around tools all my life. I am 39, this is first I've heard of them
In the US it's all about the yellow, red, and blue. You never hear much about others. Kinda like most mechanics only know about snapon or matco.
I love Wen. I have many of their tools, including the wood lathe, and love it.
I'm in the US and have been using WEN for a long time. Budget friendly and gets the Job done. I don't have over 50K to spend on Tools like this guy. WEN works well for us DIY folks
For some reason I appreciate the added steam from the coffee mug lol
-Nobody, nobody at all.
-David’s coffee cup: “BOILING LAVA HOT”
😂 Love it!
If you ever have massive tool breakage again (Ref "My Worst Shop Day Ever") you have some (sort) of recourse! Nice can't wait to see what project you (awesomely) complete with them!
I have had harbor freight clamps where the stop for the clamp was incorrectly made and the bottom fell off just like the amazon one did.
the word you were looking for (in regard to the battery) is platform. Great video.
I have a half dozen 9ft craftsmN magnetic tape measure. Love them. Got them stuck on all my larger tools
WEN has a US office and US tech support that speaks clear english. Had a question about the negative battery cable on my Generator and the tech support was awesome and understanding of my lack of paying attention to the manual.
I used a Wen air cleaner in my garage for a few years and I was really happy with it. Never had any problems out of it.
Nice video. I'm happy about the budget shop concept. Too many channels have evolved to woodworking in the pro cabinet shop.
Good review. Tools like these are great beginner's and in every homeowner's arsenal . Hey I noticed you didn't toss the Festool nor Bosch tool like the Wen ????
I have a 1970 B&D jigsaw that still work. Design has never changed.
“WEN below average is perfectly acceptable, WEN”. I’ve owned several WEN tools and I cannot recommend them even if you’re on a budget. Especially for something as crucial as a saw. Save up, and buy a Makita.
And you’re totally right about the router bit packing. One of the worst cuts I’ve ever had was from trying to remove a bit from its holder. I only get bits from Bits&Bits now, and the packaging is great.
You are so right on tape measures... Im as bad as you are with tapes. I actually went with Hart 12'. I have 5 in my shop now and plan on buying a few more
a hidden gem at Menards is the Masterforce Tape Measure. Its actually my favorite (it's probably a tie with the FatMax)
Love how the real talk chair costs 10 times as much as the tool collection 😅
don't tell anybody but it's an imitation chair.
I found a pull saw to be more accurate in cutting because push saws tend to bend when I push as apposed to a pull saw produces a thinner cut because you do not bend the blade a pull . Hence more accurate. YES … a budget channel would great for beginners like myself
You missed a frame with the steam in 2:28. last frame before the cut - the steam is gone :))) Great job Dan
If those router bits have a 1/4" shank, get a 6.5 mm drill and open the holes in the case with that. Or the tap size 6.8 mm to get even looser feel.
The dust port on the Wen palm sander looks the same as my DeWalt random orbital sander, if you take off the adapter. The Wen comes with an adapter as well. With that you should have a standard connection.
Regarding Harbor Freight clamps, I have purchased ten of them, all ten failed on first use. Four speed clamps, where the ratcheting mechanism/trigger assembly blew apart upon tightening, and six bar clamps that seemed ridgid until attempting a glueup of a large table, which now more closely resembles a trough. :(
i love my Wen tools. Fantastic, powerful router (although the base is non standard) the biscuit joiner is accurate and quick, the bench sander is solid. They seem to share DNA with Bauer available at Harbor Freight. I have been getting Wen since the 70s
The corner clamps are just to hold it together so you can get actual clamps on it. Helping hand if you will.