I Bought the 5 Most EXPENSIVE Woodworking Tools on Banggood in 2024 This year, I decided to treat myself by purchasing the 5 most expensive woodworking tools I could find on one of my favorite online retailers – Banggood.
Given Banggood’s focus on affordability, I was curious to see what their highest-end selections would be. With a healthy budget in hand, I scoured their virtual shelves and added each extravagant item one by one to my cart. Read on for my bang-for-your-buck breakdown of Banggood’s priciest woodworking buys of 2024.
The Tools I Selected
After careful consideration, these are the 5 luxury-level woodworking tools currently offered by Banggood that I settled on investing in:
1. Hitachi 18V Brushless Cordless 7-1/4” Circular Saw
With a near-$600 price tag, this cutting-edge Hitachi model currently reigns as the most expensive cordless circular saw Banggood carries.
2. Bosch 4100-09 Worksite Table Saw
This feature-packed table saw comes in as Banggood’s second most expensive table saw option at around $570.
3. Nova 1624-44 Comet II Wood Lathe
For intricate wood turning projects, I chose Nova’s heavy duty 3HP digital lathe priced at roughly $540.
4. Festool CMS Modular Router System
With its customizable performance and dust extraction capabilities, Festool’s premier router table rings up at just under $500.
5. Jet 708690PK XACTA 3HP Deluxe Table Saw
No luxury list would be complete without Jet’s commercial-style cabinet table saw with riving knife priced at about $480.
Unboxing & Initial Impressions
Eager to tear into my big-budget purchases, I promptly unboxed each item to inspect their setup and evaluate the initial quality and features.
Hitachi Circular Saw
Straight out of the shipping carton, the Hitachi circular saw felt sturdy and well-constructed. Weighing just 7.7 lbs with its lightweight magnesium components, I was impressed by how effortlessly it handled right off the bat.
It ships ready for immediate use with the 7 1/4” 40T carbide tipped blade pre-installed. The left side blade design promises enhanced cutline visibility compared to traditional circular saws.
Bosch Table Saw
As soon as I freed the Bosch table saw from its packaging, I could see why it commands such a premium price. Its rugged build and smartly designed modular stand make setup smooth and frustration-free.
It ships with the blade pre-installed and square to the table so you can get cutting right away. The soft start 15A motor promises ample power with minimal disruption from electrical feedback.
Nova Wood Lathe
The Comet II lathe ships partially disassembled, but Nova’s clearly illustrated instructions made assembly intuitive. Within 30 minutes, I had it fully constructed and ready to turn wood up to 16” diameter pieces spinning at up to 3HP.
Nova pre-installs the #2 MT spindle and the tailstock in the one-piece cast iron bed. Just add your preferred wood turning chisels, and this bad boy will shape wood with the best of them!
Festool Router Table
As expected from Festool’s reputation for precision, the CMS router table showed stellar machining straight out of the box. Its sturdy extruded aluminum components easily align for a frustration-free setup.
With this modular system, you can outfit it with your choice of Festool routers to create custom router table solutions. It even ships ready for immediate dust extraction integration.
Jet Cabinet Table Saw
Finally, the heavy-duty Jet XACTA table saw dazzled with its smooth inclusion of robust safety and productivity features right off the truck.
Its pre-wired magnetic switch assembly, independent leaf guard, and quick release riving knife for non-through cuts allow for safe operation as soon as you have it installed and leveled. The extension table even comes pre-drilled for adding your own custom additions down the road.
Using the Tools in My Shop
With my new cadre of elite tools assembled and safety checks completed, it was time to put them to work on some test runs before unleashing them on my nice wood stock.
Testing the Hitachi Circular Saw
Eager to take this innovative circular saw for a spin, I outfitted it with a fresh Diablo 40T blade and marked up some scrap 2x pine I had lying around. I appreciated the electric brake bringing the blade safely to a halt after each pass along with the bevel capacity to tackle angled cuts.
The brushless motor delivered power while the magnesium shoe glided smoothly along each cut line. The left side blade design took some initial getting used to but ultimately enhanced my sightline as promised.
Breaking in the Bosch Table Saw
For my first taste of the Bosch table saw, I adjusted the blade height and bevel to make cross cuts across a short length of oak 1×4 scrap. After double checking the rip fence was square, I turned it on and was impressed by how quietly the 15A motor ramped up to a smooth cutting speed.
The arbor system allowed for quick blade and dado accessory changes without needing extra tools. This beefy table saw handled everything I threw at it from ripping longer boards to dialing in precise miter angles.
Turning Wood on the Nova Lathe
No elite set of woodworking tools is complete without the means to craft custom turned pieces. For the Nova Comet II lathe’s first project, I turned a small bowl from some exotic purpleheart I had leftover from another project.
With the digital RPM readout, I could fine tune the spinning speed to best suit that wood type. The lathe delivered phenomenal torque and control throughout the turning process. In no time, I had a beautifully smooth natural edge bowl ready for some hand rubbed finish.
Customizing with the Festool Router Table
While my other new tools can work fine right out of the box, the Festool CMS router table invites you to customize it to your needs. I started by outfitting it with my trusty Festool 2200 router to create an ultra precise routing system.
The table attaches directly to Festool’s dust extractors for mess containment. After dialing in the miter track and fence, I made flawlessly smooth edges on some oak boards to create the frame pieces for a desktop organizer I’m building. The CMS system makes advanced routing operations safe and easy.
Taming Maple Slabs on the Jet Table Saw
To satisfy my inner Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, I picked up a few gorgeous hard maple slabs to slice and dice on the massively capable Jet XACTA cabinet table saw.
After jogging the blade up to full cutting height, the 3HP motor powered through this dense hardwood with minimal strain or slowdown. The magnetic switch assembly and independent leaf guard maintained safety even when working with large stock like this.
The extension table allowed adequate infeed and outfeed support for full rip cuts. Throughout the process, the Jet table saw chewed through these maple slabs with the unstoppable force I expected. My shop is now stocked with bountiful maple stock, thanks to this wood devouring beast of a machine!
Evaluating the Value of Premium Priced Tools
While buying fancy new tools brings its own satisfaction, it’s important to analyze whether these extravagant upgrades actually improve your woodworking enough to justify the astronomical price tags. Here is my take on the return on investment for each spendy selection:
Hitachi Circular Saw: More Innovation than Needed
The novel left side blade design offers a slight improvement to cutline visibility, but the unfamiliar grip takes some retraining to control well. With premium blades, many cheaper circular saws can achieve equal cutting quality. Unless you do extensive circular saw work, less pricey models should suffice.
Bosch Table Saw: Power and Safety Worth Paying For
Quiet smooth power and thoughtful safety additions like the arbor lock system make this a supremely capable table saw for the serious hobbyist or professional woodworking shop. Dials and knobs allow precise fine tuning for intricate cuts. The modular cart stand aids workflow by allowing mobility.
Nova Wood Lathe: Built for the Long Run
From rugged construction to torque to spare, this versatile lathe promises to churn out gorgeous turned creations for years to come. Convenient digital controls take the guesswork out of speed selection. The beefy bed makes turning bowls, spindles, table legs, and more a dream compared to underpowered alternatives.
Festool Router Table: Customization Galore
Advanced woodworkers obsessed with routing perfection need look no further than this mix and match system. By combining Festool’s CMS table with your choice of their routers, you create a custom powered up routing workshop tailored to your needs. The sky’s the limit for accessories and add-ons to further deck out your routing station.
Jet Cabinet Table Saw: True Heavy Duty Cutting Power
Beastly 3HP chewing through dense hardwoods makes this table saw built boost woodworking efficiency in professional shops. From rapid blade changes to stays put safety features, every aspect aims to keep your workflow smooth while handling large stock. The expansive table allows ample support for massive cuts.
Final Verdict: Pay Big for the Table & Lathe
At the end of my elite tool buying bonanza, the Bosch table saw and Nova lathe proved well worth their staggering price tags by enhancing my woodworking abilities noticeably over more economical alternatives.
However, the Hitachi circular saw innovation didn’t revolutionize my workflow enough over cheaper models to merit its cost. While handy for pros, typical hobbyists would do fine saving a few hundred with more budget friendly options.
The Festool router table requests top dollar, but its mix and match customization does allow dialing in a routing system ideal to your work rather than needing separate tools for joinery and fine detail operations.
For superior safety and productivity when making massive cuts through nice wood stocks, I recommend stepping up to the Jet cabinet table saw or Nova lathe when budget allows over smaller or contractors models lacking the same muscle. But choose based on your specific workload and project needs.
Thanks for following along on my extravagant tool purchase journey! Let me know if you have any other questions about these high roller woodworking investments. I’m excited to continue putting them to work in future fine furniture building projects in the year ahead.