Kinds of kit
| Kind | What it typically holds | Work it suits | Where the tools are explained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout set | Tape, rule, square, marking knife, pencil, marking gauge | Every project: parts are only as accurate as their marks | Measuring tools, squares, marking gauges |
| Hand cutting set | Saws, chisels, a plane and sharpening equipment | Joinery and fitting by hand | Hand tools, chisels, sharpening |
| Drill-driver kit | A drill-driver, often an impact driver, batteries and a charger | Holes, screws and assembly | Drills, impact drivers |
| Specialist set | Tools for one craft, such as carving knives and gouges or turning tools | That craft only | Carving tools, turning tools |
| Accessory set | Drill bits, router bits or blades for one kind of tool | The machine whose fitting they match | Drill bits, router bits |
| General repair set | Hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, a utility knife | Household repairs more than joinery | Hand tools |
BenchRoot's grouping. A woodworking set sold under one name can mix several kinds; read its list.
Reading a kit's contents list
- Count jobs, not pieces. A piece count tells you how many items are in the case, not how many jobs the kit does. List the jobs your next project needs, then tick off the items that do them.
- Check sizes against your work. A chisel set's widths, a bit set's diameters or a saw's teeth only help if they match the joints and stock you will cut.
- Check the fitting. Accessories must match the tool that drives them. A router bit's shank must suit the router's collet — Bosch's manual for one compact router allows 1/4 in shank bits only and warns that a smaller shank can come loose and become a projectile — and a drill bit's shank must suit the chuck.
- Check the battery system. A cordless kit belongs to its maker's batteries; DEWALT's manual says to use a tool only with its designated battery packs and recharge only with the specified charger. Adding tools later means staying with that system.
- Look for what is missing. Many sets leave out what makes the tools usable: sharpening for edge tools, clamps for holding the work, a square for checking it.
A kit, single tools, or both
A set gives matching tools at once and often includes some you will not use; single tools can be matched one by one to the work. Choosing quality hand tools weighs sets against single tools, new against used, and says what to check on each. Which tools to own first, kit or not, is set out in woodworking tools for beginners, and judging tools by their specifications in choosing quality woodworking tools.
Kits that hold no tools
Many woodworking kits contain parts, not tools: pre-cut pieces, hardware and instructions for one project. Those are covered in woodworking kits. Power tools sold as a set are explained by family in the power tools guide.
Safety— The right tool, in good condition
OSHA's hand and power tool booklet puts it simply: use the right tool for the job, examine it for damage before use and keep it in good condition. A kit is only as safe as its worst tool; see woodworking safety rules.
Before buying or assembling a kit
- The jobs of the next project listed
- Each item matched to one of those jobs
- Sizes checked against the stock and joints
- Bit shanks and blade fittings matched to your tools
- The battery system checked for a cordless kit
- Sharpening, clamps and a square accounted for
Sources
The six kinds and what each typically holds are BenchRoot's grouping, not any maker's catalogue. No kit was bought or tested for this page, and no product is named or ranked.
- 1.
Hand and Power Tools (OSHA 3080). Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2002.
Used for: Using the right tool for the job, examining each tool for damage before use and keeping tools in good condition.
- 2.
DCD777 Cordless Drill/Driver instruction manual (English). DEWALT.
Used for: A cordless tool used only with its maker's designated battery packs and recharged only with the charger the maker specifies.
- 3.
GKF125CE Colt Palm Router Operating/Safety Instructions. Bosch, 2018.
Used for: A router that takes 1/4 in shank bits only, and a smaller shank able to come loose and become a projectile.
About this guide
Written by BenchRoot Editorial. How BenchRoot sources, checks and corrects its pages is set out in the Editorial Policy. If something here is wrong or unclear, the contact page explains how to tell us.