The Best Gifts for DIYers and Woodworkers

Buying tools for someone who is a DIY or woodworking enthusiast can be tricky. Since these crafty people in our lives often already have a bunch of tools—not to mention that some battery systems won’t work concurrently and not all tools are the same quality—it can be a challenge to choose the right gift. Here’s a handy guide to help you choose some of the best gifts for that special DIY-er in your life.

Battery powered tool sets

For new DIYers or aspiring woodworkers, building out a battery-operated tool kit is a must. Having all the basics will set them up for success when tackling new projects, and will give them more range of what builds they can try out. There are a few excellent starter kits to choose from, so here are the best ones:

• The DeWalt 10 piece 20v combo kit comes with a drill, impact driver, circular saw, sawzall, oscillating tool, blower, vacuum, flashlight, a job site radio, two batteries, and a charger. It’s a good deal right now at $549, almost 50% off.

• The Milwaukee 18 volts 6 tool combo set comes with a drill, impact driver, circular saw, grinder, flashlight, saw guide, two batteries, and a charger. It’s a good deal at $599, but is definitely more expensive than some other alternatives. For someone who either already has some Milwaukee tools, or someone looking to build a quality collection, the price for this set is a good deal.

• The DeWalt 18 volt, 6 tool kit is the best bang for your buck at $288. It includes a drill and impact driver, a circular saw, sawzall, oscillating tool, two batteries, and a charger. Ryobi tools are decent quality for regular home repair, making them a good buy for a new DIYer. Since their batteries will work with such a broad variety of tools, it’s a good battery set to start exploring with.

Nailers and staplers

Nailers and staplers are basic tools for anyone doing any building these days. There are now more options than ever for these tools, as they can work on compressors and sometimes even cordless systems. Here are the best ones to gift to a DIY enthusiast:

• The Craftsman pancake compressor kit that comes with a 6 gallon compressor, and brad nailer, a finish nailer, and a stapler is a good beginner set for anyone looking to start working with air tools. At $249 for all three tools and the compressor, plus the hose and fittings to hook it up, this will be a great start for an air tool collection.

• Makita makes both a pneumatic pin nailer as well as a battery powered pin nailer that will run off of Makita’s 18 volt battery system. Pin nailers are great for projects where finer finish or more fragile pieces are involved. The smaller gauge of the nails and their headless construction will keep their profile low and help avoid splitting in more delicate wooden parts.

Hand tools

Hand tools are a big component in woodworking and can be useful for other DIY applications. To delight almost any DIYer on your list, a good quality hand tool will do the trick. Here are some of the best:

• A  fine-toothed pull saw for dealing with precise cuts and hard-to-reach places is an excellent choice for a woodworker. They’re good for molding as well as other finish carpentry projects.

• Having a sharp and reliable set of chisels is a good addition to any wood shop. Grebstk makes a four chisel set that’s decent quality and it’s a great deal at $18.99. Chisels can be used to cut notches for hinges as well as for carving and some types of joining.

• A good quality bench hand planer from Woodriver will make most woodworkers drool. These tools are more expensive than the average hand tool, but a good quality one will last a lifetime.

Measuring and marking

You can give your favorite woodworker an upgrade to their measuring and marking setup. Make measuring twice and cutting once a snap with these tool gifts:

• A magnetic angle gauge and level from Klein will make setting the angle on a table saw or miter saw blade quick and simple. You can also use this $30 tool to find level on a variety of surfaces.

• A contour gauge from Varsk can help you find the shape of almost any object. This one is connectable, so you can add it up to make a 15-inch tool. It’s great for tracing the shape of doorways and molding to cut flooring, for transferring marks, and for checking for uniformity with multiple parts.

• For marking angles more precisely, an upgrade to the standard combination square from P.I.T. is a good innovation. The protractor combination tool will measure the angle you’re marking as well as the length of your line, and it locks in place to make a precise mark.