Next-Gen Woodworking: 10 New Power Tools for 2025 - Pro Tool Reviews

Whether you’re into woodworking as a hobby or it’s how you make a living, power tools are at the heart of our shops. I decided to take the plunge and see what’s new and worth your consideration in 2025. There’s certainly plenty to talk about, so let’s cut straight to the chase.

If a rear-handle model is your go-to circular saw, Milwaukee’s next-generation 2930 offers some nice upgrades from the original model. There’s a more power and a higher blade speed along with significantly lower weight. The 90° cut depth is also slightly better, and the saw is now able to cut 3x in a single pass. Convenient bevel and depth detents make precision cutting easier as well.

The saw comes with Milwaukee’s 24T Thick Kerf blade, which offers stable cutting. However, you may want to upgrade to a higher tooth count if you’re looking for a finer finish.

Have you seen Milwaukee’s new Nitrus Carbide Framing and Demo blade yet?

DeWalt has an excellent range of miter saws, but they’ve never had a 12-inch model on the 20V Max system until now. Advancements in battery technology, most notably DeWalt’s PowerPack tabless batteries, open up much more efficient energy transfer to power such a large blade using a 20V Max battery. From there, the design draws from the majority of the top features of DeWalt’s other miter saws, so there’s a lot of familiarity to the design.

The price to go cordless is pretty steep, though, so make sure you really want cordless convenience. If you do most of your miter saw cuts in a fixed location, you can save several hundred dollars by sticking with one of DeWalt’s excellent corded models.

If you’re getting started in woodworking, the price of all the tools you need can be daunting. The number of table saw options can be as well. Launched in the back half of 2024, Skil’s 8 1/4-inch compact model is a portable option that’s easy on your wallet, has some solid features, and a relatively small storage footprint. At $249, it’s easy on your wallet as well. Pair it with a quality 60T or 80T blade, and you’ll have an excellent starter saw to learn on.

Bosch launched three new cordless jig saws on its 18V platform, and the GST18V-60BCN caught my attention. It’s one of the most full-featured models I’ve come across, with everything you could want to help dial in the precision, accuracy, and quality of your cuts. Additionally, it’s a connected tool that offers tool controls and diagnostics in the Bosch PRO360 app, so it’s more than just inventory management tech.

If you prefer a D-handle model, it’s available in that configuration as well. Look for the GST18V-60CN model if you’re interested.

Oliver’s new 15-inch benchtop planer offers impressive capacity and performance for a benchtop unit. Boasting a 2.5 HP, 230V motor and an HCX helical cutterhead, it’s much more capable than many of the popular and less expensive benchtop models. Our friend, Izzy Swan, summed it up nicely:

“This is the first portable planer that I have seen that can stand up with the big boys. Great job, Oliver Tools!”

Izzy Swan

Milwaukee has expanded its cordless sander lineup with a new 5-inch random orbit sander that has a couple of key characteristics to note. For one, it’s an M18 Fuel model, so it has a high-end Powerstate brushless motor. Sanders don’t necessarily need to be brushless to the get power you need, but it’s a big boost in runtime and service life.

This model also pulls in VacLink technology. When you pair it with Milwaukee’s new 0888-20 9-gallon dust extractor (and presumably future models as well), you get automatic vacuum activation that helps preserve the vac’s runtime while ensuring you get the best dust collection and reducing the overall noise in your shop.

I loved Festool’s first-generation ETSC 125/150 sanders. Their hybrid battery/AC power source was convenient, and of course, the performance and ergonomics were up to Festool standards. The problem was that those sanders used a different battery form factor, so you couldn’t use them with other Festool 18V tools.

The new models fix that by using the standard 18V battery as their power source. However, they don’t have the AC capability, so they’re purely cordless. With the latest EC-TEC brushless motors on board, the added runtime may make that a moot point, though.

These sanders also get a big upgrade from an adjustable LED light and app connectivity. While the light is helpful in helping you see what you’re sanding, its biggest benefit is that its lateral throw helps you identify imperfections quickly.

Makita made some solid calls in the design of their 40V max XGT belt sander. It features the highly convenient automatic vac activation technology, AWS, that’s been around for a while. Note that you’ll need to add the AWS transmitter to take advantage of it. There’ also an automatic belt tracking system to keep you from making manual adjustments. Adding to its versatility, there an available Clamper Set that lets you setup the sander in a stationary position that makes shaping an easier task.

Since it’s part of the high-performance XGT system, you’re getting into a platform that has the potential to replace more of your corded tools without compromises in performance.

Grizzly’s new brush sander got my attention thanks to the amount of freedom you have to dial in the performance settings exactly where you want them, and ensure you get precise results. That includes sanding material as thin as 1/32 of an inch!

It’s a versatile machine as well. By switching brushes, you can work on multiple material types, including metal. Thanks to its quick-release belt tension system, brush changes are quick, allowing you to spend more time creating and less time wrenching.

Powermatic’s new ArmorGlide Coating isn’t a new tool per se, but it’s a new option for their table saws, band saws, and jointers. There are five key benefits:

How much the ArmorGlide coating adds to the price is based on the type and size of the tool you’re buying.