5 Makita Tools You'll Want For DIY Carpentry Projects
Having a dedicated place for woodworking projects means you'll need some tools to get started. There are all sorts of ways to begin with carpentry, and while a saw is an obvious first step, there are plenty of other tools you can pick up to round out your collection. A good brand to be on the lookout for is Makita, as it is easy to find and affordable while also being a name that has a rich history. Makita has several tools available within the $100 to $500 price point, so while it doesn't hit the same budget price point some other brands target, you can still pick up plenty of Makita tools at a price that won't break the bank. Coupling all that with a lengthy warranty offered with many of Makita's products, you have a name brand you can rely on.
Makita products are sold at Home Depot, but you can also shop on Amazon if you want to search for a lower price and take advantage of your Prime benefits. No matter the case, Makita is readily available and boasts high user scores for many of the products on both websites. A more in-depth explanation of how these tools were picked can be found at the end of the list.
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion 1/2-inch Cordless Hammer Driver/Drill
A good power drill is handy for any number of things, including carpentry work. A saw will get the wood into the right shapes and sizes, but a drill is needed to bring it all together into a finished project. The Makita 18V cordless hammer drill/driver combo is a fine choice that you can pick up from Home Depot for $149. It's important to note this is the tool only, so you'll need to spend extra for a charger and battery if you don't already have them. A bundle with two batteries and a charger bumps the price up to $369, so it can add up.
If you can splurge, you're getting a very reliable drill from Makita as evidenced by its 4.5-star rating (out of 5) on Home Depot's website. As a bonus, you won't need to get an external light while using this, as it has onboard LED lights that illuminate your work area. The drill is backed by a 3-year limited warranty from Makita, so if you run into any problems within that window you're able to take advantage of that.
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 6-1/2-inch Lightweight Circular Saw and General Purpose Blade
The biggest thing you'll need for a carpentry project is the saw. There's no way to tackle any job without having a tool to cut the wood, and you can alleviate that concern by picking up the Makita lightweight circular saw. The 3,700 rpm motor lets this blade rip through wood with ease, so it's a great option for your carpentry efforts. The tool itself is available for $159 at Home Depot, but you'll need to grab a battery and charger if you don't already have those. A bundle with two batteries and a charger along with the saw costs $459.
User scores back up the fact this is a quality product as it holds a 4.7-star score on Home Depot's website. Something working the favor of this saw is that it weighs 7.3 lbs, so it's a lightweight option that makes it easy to use over long durations if you want. Since this is a lithium-ion Makita tool, you're backed by a 3-year warranty.
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion 16-Gauge Cordless 2-1/2-inch Straight Finish Nailer
Putting your project together can be done with an old-fashioned hammer and nail, but if you want to cut out a lot of the busy work, you can pick up a nailer that would greatly speed up the process. Makita's cordless straight-finish nailer is capable of driving 5,000 nails on a 5.0Ah battery charge. It is a pricier tool at $389, and that's just for the nailer, but you also get a built-in LED light that shows you where you're working and a completely cordless experience that provides a lot of extra maneuverability a cord can't offer.
Since it's far cheaper to get a hammer and nails, you'll need to determine whether the price tag is justifiable for you. Reviews on Home Depot's website give this a 4.3-star rating; however, some negative comments point out that the nailer shoots blanks from time to time, and if that becomes a major issue for you, then you're covered by the 3-year warranty.
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 5-inch Variable Speed Random Orbit Sander
A sander is often needed to help put the finishing touches on a woodworking or carpentry project as it smooths out the rough edges, something that's going to be especially useful on a floor. There are plenty of options, but Makita's random orbit sander is a great choice. You can pick this up for $149 from Home Depot, and in a trend with Makita products, that price is for only the tool. The idea behind the random orbit sander is it goes in a set of random circles, so there won't be a lot of markings left behind. The downside to this versus a regular orbital sander is you will have a tough time hitting corners due to the circular shape.
The user scores for the sander come in at 4.7-stars, based on over 350 reviews on Home Depot's website. While the score indicates a very solid product, some people do mention short battery life and suggest getting the largest Makita battery to ensure the tool doesn't stop working in the middle of a job.
Makita Guide Rail Clamp
A rail clamp is a good way to make sure you won't need extra hands when taking on your project. The clamps will keep a piece of wood securely in place, and that means you won't have to worry about anything sliding around while you make your cuts. You can pick up a two-pack of Makita clamps from Home Depot for $44.08, and while that price might seem steep, it's tough to not be impressed with the quality of life upgrades offered by them.
These are easy to put in place, so tackling a project by yourself is much easier than it would be without them. The user scores for the clamps come in at 4.8-stars on Home Depot's website, and reviewers point out it works with other brands other than Makita. This means if you have a Milwaukee saw, for example, you'll still be able to get a lot out of these clamps without any compatibility issues.
Why were these five tools picked?
A carpentry project isn't the easiest to tackle, but these five tools will make it a lot less daunting to take on. While you might already have some of the staples like a saw, there are still plenty of other things to pick up that will help you along the process on the list. Everything here is available from Home Depot either in-store or online, so there's no need to worry about struggling to find anything here. Each item also has at least a 4-star out of 5-star user score, and in many cases, it's much higher.
The downside is Makita often requires you to buy a battery and charger as additional purchases on top of the tool, so things can get expensive. On the bright side, if you're a handyman who appreciates the Makita name, you might already have a few of these accessories in your house and it does allow you to save some cash.