Buying your own power tools can let you make your own home repairs as well as work on hobbies like carpentry or car restoration. However, when you choose power tools, you want to ensure you consider all features of those tools and get the best ones for your needs; this doesn't always mean the most expensive, and certainly the cheapest tools may not be the right choice either. Here are a few things to remember when you're about to buy power tools.

1. Power source

If you're getting power tools with a battery, note the expected life of the battery before it needs recharging. Consider too that sometimes a tool with a battery may be less powerful than one with the power of an air compressor behind it, and tools that require more electricity than a battery can provide might also be stronger, so corded tools are often more powerful than battery-operated tools. Note the overall strength of each type of tool; for drills, that would be torque or the spin of the bit, and for saws, that would be the thickness and variety of materials it can cut. Don't sacrifice capability of your tools for convenience, as there is nothing convenient about a tool that is too lightweight for its intended use.

2. Add-ons

Drills will have a chuck size, which refers to the size of the bit that can fit into the drill itself. Saws will have certain sizes of blades they can hold. You'll want to consider these add-ons and accessories for your power tools; you may need a larger drill bit to drill through concrete or metal, and if your power drill won't accommodate that size bit, it's useless. Note the same for a power saw; smaller blades won't cut through planks for an outside deck or other such pieces. Consider the add-ons you'll need for your power tools and ensure they accommodate.

3. Safety

If you're new to using power tools, safety should be of utmost concern. Opt for a table saw rather than simply a handheld saw, as trying to steady materials on a sawhorse while operating the saw can be cumbersome; a table saw will keep the saw in one place and keep you safer. Look for a drill with a safety cutoff if it's overheating; a drill that is overheating is being overexerted, and this can result in a broken bit, which is a safety hazard. Don't skimp on these types of simple safety features for your new power tools.

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