Rating criteria
When compiling the review, equipment from domestic and foreign manufacturers was studied. Technical characteristics, quality of wood processing, and comfort during operation were compared. User reviews, opinions of professional turners and carpenters were taken into account. The main attention was paid to the following parameters:
- Type – they produce thicknessing, combined, multifunctional models;
- Engine – power and speed affect performance;
- Cutting depth – affects the processing speed;
- Stops and protections provide safety and functionality.
Low engine power, poor quality cutting tools, control system malfunctions - models with such defects were excluded from our rating.
Universal woodworking machines for the home
The universal machine can perform different operations - thicknessing, sawing, planing. Some models are designed for drilling and milling work. Equipment of this class is compact in size, easy to reconfigure, and has a stable frame. Our experts studied 6 models and chose two that attracted attention with their functionality, reliability, and good quality tables.
Encore Corvette 320
The model of the Russian brand is designed for planing, sawing, drilling and milling. It is equipped with a 1.5 kW asynchronous electric motor, which provides high shaft rotation speed - up to 3500 rpm. This guarantees good quality of the operations performed. The user can use blanks 200 mm wide when planing, and up to 3 mm of wood is removed in one pass. When sawing, the possibilities expand: the equipment can easily handle 300 mm boards.
The table is made of cast iron and has an ideal geometry, which reduces the number of defects and errors. The presence of a stop, a degree scale, and mobility expand the possibilities for planing and sawing work. The transmission from the engine to the shaft is belt driven and has a low noise level, which is important when using the equipment in a small workshop. The design provides a high level of protection of the electric motor from overloads.
Advantages:
- Planer shaft protection strip;
- Connection pipe for connecting an industrial vacuum cleaner;
- Saw blade protective cover;
- The reach of the cutting tool is adjustable;
- The clamp securely fixes the workpiece.
Flaws:
- Not detected.
The drilling table is installed in two planes, allowing complex operations to be performed. Milling work can be performed with end mills, moving the workpiece fixed on the work table along three axes.
Mogilev IE 6009
Tabletop model from Belarus with a stable frame. For additional fixation, anchor holes are provided in the base. Performs longitudinal and transverse sawing and copes well with cutting at a given angle. Used for planing workpieces. It is equipped with a 1.7 kW electric motor and has increased performance. Can be used in small businesses.
Safety is ensured by a casing that protects the saw blade. This design has holes for connecting an industrial vacuum cleaner. A sawdust bag can be connected through the pipe. A thermal switch is installed in the electric motor winding, which protects the motor from overheating. An effective ventilation system is hidden behind a metal casing.
Advantages:
- High shaft rotation speed;
- Clamping device as standard;
- No grounding required;
- Light weight;
- Carrying handles.
Flaws:
- Difficult adjustment of cutting depth.
Stationary equipment
Stationary circular saws are quite large. They are suitable for use by industrial companies performing impressive volumes of lumber processing. The engine has great power. The cast iron bed lasts a long time because its strength is above average. It is permissible to process hard wood when it is necessary to cut with a depth of 70–125 mm.
Equipment for the production of lumber
Designs on an extended bed represent a middle-class category, complemented by a convenient stand - a practical extension table on which a plane can be placed very easily. Such a unit is distinguished by significant power when compared with household analogues, and the cutting depth reaches 80–90 mm, that is, workers can easily saw workpieces of impressive sizes.
It is better not to buy the offered equipment on the markets. It must be guaranteed to be safe. It makes sense to look for professional stores that offer long-lasting models that will last for several years with intensive use.
Multifunctional woodworking machines for home
Equipment of this class is intended for drilling, sawing, planing, and cutting tenons. The multifunctional device can be equipped with several drives that drive different components - a spindle, a knife shaft, a saw blade. The technique is used in the production of windows, furniture, and door frames. Power supply: from household power supply.
Belmash SDM-2000M
A household multifunctional woodworking machine for the Belarusian home regularly finds itself in the TOP of expert ratings. This equipment performs planing along the face and at an angle, sawing in any direction, milling with disk and end mills, and drilling. The design allows you to use discs with a diameter of up to 250 mm and cut boards up to 85 mm thick. The location of the cutting tool can be easily changed, allowing you to select the optimal cutting depth.
You can install a parallel stop on the guides, which have an informative scale. There is a hook and a lock for this. The guide is made of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy. The steel shaft is equipped with knives 26 cm long, which meets the requirements for professional equipment. You can start drilling or milling after installing the chuck on the shaft that comes with the kit.
Advantages:
- Saw unit locking system;
- Solid steel blade shaft;
- Nine scales;
- Low price;
- High rotation speed;
- Wide, stable base.
Flaws:
- The disc casing becomes clogged with chips.
Bosch GTS 635-216
The German company offers a universal sawing table that is lightweight and compact in size. The equipment is designed for processing workpieces up to 63 cm wide. The cutting depth at an angle of 90 degrees reaches 7 cm, which is one of the best indicators in its class.
It is equipped with a powerful motor that rotates the shaft at a speed of 5500 rpm. Works well with hardwood. The height and angle of the cut are easily adjusted using comfortable handles; informative scales help ensure the necessary processing accuracy. The saw blade is protected by a casing made of impact-resistant plastic. Safety switch, protection against accidental activation ensure operator safety.
Advantages:
- Carrying handles;
- Storage compartment for disk, guides;
- Pusher included;
- Output for connecting an industrial vacuum cleaner.
Flaws:
- High noise level.
Home mini-circular devices
Household mini-circular machines used by private individuals are endowed with their own characteristics. They are distinguished by limited functionality - performance is not industrial. A circular saw has low power, models are supplemented with discs, the diameter should be small. The largest parameter of a straight cut is not as large as that of industrial ones (range from 40 to 80 mm).
When choosing household sawing machines, you must remember that it is strictly forbidden to use them in processing large workpieces. Their task is to cope with the processing of workpieces of small width, ranging from 300 to 625 mm. Features of models of this class are considerable noise and vibration produced. There are several explanations. Household sawing machines operate on a direct drive and a gear reducer.
Their power is sufficient for simple wood cutting tasks. It is possible to process fairly dense material with high rigidity. But the machines have important advantages - for example, affordable cost.
Combined woodworking machines for home
The combination of a circular saw, an abrasive wheel, and a cutter makes the combined machine a universal assistant in the home workshop. The devices are often equipped with inclined tables, which expands the functionality. The combined woodworking machine for home is small in size and has a powerful single-phase motor. All working elements are installed on one drive shaft.
Einhell TC-US 400
Designed to perform sanding operations on wooden workpieces. The combination of disk and tape assembly allows you to perform the most complex processing operations. These inexpensive woodworking machines for the home are used for removing paint layers, adjusting models, and sanding furniture parts. It is equipped with an electric motor capable of rotating a 150 mm disc at a speed of 1450 rpm. A V-reverse belt drive is installed, which has a low noise level. The transmission is covered with a casing, which ensures safety and protection from contamination.
The work table can be fixed at any angle; for precision in work, the operator can use a stop with easy-to-read graduations. Control of the device is simple; two different buttons are used to turn it on and off. This increases safety and allows users with any qualifications to operate the equipment.
Advantages:
- Good quality of plastic processing;
- Damping pads reduce vibration levels;
- Low energy consumption;
- Rigid housing design.
Flaws:
- A lot of dust when working without a vacuum cleaner.
Encore Corvette 51
The equipment is intended for grinding parts made of wood, chipboard, plywood, and plastic. The wheel and sanding belt are driven by an asynchronous motor. The launch is carried out by a magnetic switch, which prevents spontaneous start after a temporary power outage. It is easy to replace the sanding belt with an abrasive with a different grain size and adjust the speed of movement.
The drive is equipped with a belt drive, which reduces the load on the electric motor. The angle of the work table is adjustable, making it easier to process surfaces located at 90 degrees to each other. For processing the ends of parts there is a transport stop with informative graduation. The operator can choose any angle to process the workpiece.
Advantages:
- Light weight;
- The desktop can be rearranged to a convenient position;
- Low risk of transmission jamming;
- Economical engine.
Flaws:
- It is difficult to buy abrasive tape.
Belmash BDG 100/152
Inexpensive models in this series are small in size, but retain high technical characteristics. The body is made of cast iron, which has a positive effect on stability and helps reduce vibration levels. The support platform is made of steel, and the work table is made of aluminum alloy, resistant to corrosion. There is a U-shaped groove on the working surface for mounting an angle stop.
The sanding belt unit can be rotated in the desired direction. The table tilt angle is adjustable from 0 to 60 degrees. Damping base feet further reduce vibration levels. The equipment is equipped with a workpiece limiter, a support rod, and a set of keys necessary for operation.
Advantages:
- Good results when sanding chipboard;
- Reliable engine;
- Ergonomic control panel;
- Easy ribbon replacement.
Flaws:
- There is no dust removal system.
Circular (sawing) devices
Machines such as circular saws are used for sawing workpieces. The material being processed can be of all kinds, and the cutting direction can be:
- transverse;
- oblique;
- longitudinal;
- combined.
The equipment is a design used by all kinds of industries. Specialized stores most often offer sawing (circular) modifications for chipboard, wood and other wood materials. But if you prepare special disks, you will be able to work with other raw materials.
The constructive side is also interesting. In the traditional design of a stationary circular saw there are four main elements:
- bed;
- working surface;
- driving element;
- sawing tool.
Now at home they often use compact models that are not supplemented by a bed - they are placed on a suitable workbench. The described unit fits perfectly into small spaces.
The mini version of the tabletop sawing machine is a desktop version and has modest dimensions. It is used at home or in a workshop limited by meters. The structure weighs no more than 20 kg. Such a unit is easy to move to the work site.
Circular machine
How to choose a woodworking machine for your home
Manufacturers offer equipment for different purposes and functionality. What kind of woodworking machine for home do you need in your workshop? To make a choice, you need to know what operations will be performed with the workpieces and pay attention to the engine power. For cutting, the depth of cut will be an important criterion, and stops will improve functionality. It is worth taking care of the availability of protection. Only in this case can you buy equipment capable of performing the planned work.
Machine type
Depending on the design and functionality, sawing, jointing, thicknessing, grinding, turning and milling models are produced. Sawing is the simplest and most frequently performed operation. Equipment of this type is used for preparing workpieces during construction and finishing. A woodworking machine with a surface planer for the home is necessary to give the surface an ideal geometry. This technique is equipped with 2-3 knives. Drilling units are used to form simple, multi-level holes of different diameters. Lathes help produce parts with complex shapes.
If it is difficult to choose one device, you should pay attention to multifunctional, combined models. For example, you can order a sawing machine with a surface planer and a milling unit.
Engine
Performance depends on engine power. Household units operate from a single-phase electrical network, therefore they are equipped with 1-2 kW electric motors. This is not always enough to maintain a high pace of work and ensure high-quality processing of workpieces. Manufacturers compensate for low power by increasing the number of revolutions. A machine with a speed of 4-5 thousand rpm is suitable for sawing boards. For planing, you will need equipment that develops up to 9000-10000 rpm.
Cutting depth
When sawing, discs of different diameters are used. The cutting element protrudes above the table along which the workpiece is fed to a certain height. It determines the depth of cut. The higher it is, the thicker the board can be processed. At the construction site, 40-50 mm boards are used. To work with this material, you need a model with a cutting depth of 50-65 mm. In carpentry, workpieces of larger diameter are used. To prepare them, you need a device with a cutting depth of 85-90 mm.
Stops and protection
Stops help make cuts with high precision. This element must be firmly and securely attached to the desktop. The presence of a graduation will help you quickly adjust the position of the workpiece and provide control over the operation. Models with longitudinal and angular stops are produced.
To protect against pieces of wood flying out from under the cutting tool, guards are used. This part should be made of steel or impact-resistant plastic and provide quick access to the disk. To protect against accidental hand contact with the cutting element, wedges are installed.
Conclusion
I believe that among the many monotonous clones-copies-replicas of several successful European models, the Ryobi RTS 1800 . Power, a set of “adult” electronic functions and maintainability (if you have access to original spare parts) make it advisable to modify this machine to meet the needs of the home craftsman.
A professional attitude towards carpentry does not imply having free time to independently modernize inexpensive equipment. But the versatility of the Mogilev SDM 2000 M is worth it to introduce a soft start unit and understand the intricacies of the manipulations of setting up equipment and replacing equipment.
VyborExperta.ru recommends
Which model should you prefer? The rating of woodworking machines for the home presents equipment with different functionality. The VyborExperta.ru team recommends taking into account the scope of application. Experts advise paying attention to the following brands of equipment:
- Encore Corvette 320 – for construction and finishing work around the house;
- Belmash SDM-2000M – the choice of the farmer, the owner of a country cottage;
- Bosch GTS 635-216 – for sawing boards;
- Belmash BDG 100/152 – for grinding furniture parts.
All the machines presented in our review are worthy of equipping a home workshop, but only the most reliable brands were awarded the title of best equipment in their categories.
Application area
Universal woodworking machines allow you to replace several individual devices and tools at once, which simplifies working with raw materials and saves effort and time. Such units help to create not only parts, but also completely finished wood products.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION!
There is another type of woodworking equipment - narrowly targeted machines, for example, planers, thicknessers or jointers. These woodworking machines belong to the specialized class, which is very inconvenient for domestic purposes. Such equipment is used in furniture factories or enterprises engaged in the production of finished parts and bars of certain sizes.
Multifunctional woodworking machines for the home workshop are an indispensable thing. They are compact, economical (many plug into a regular outlet), and allow you to do basic work in one go.