Carpenters and other professionals who work with wood on a regular basis, not to mention DIYers, often rely on a number of hand tools to carry out their work, but there will always be occasions when only a power tool will get the job done successfully, and quickly. 

With this in mind, here are 10 of the top power tools for woodworking:

1. Reciprocating saw: Often referred to as a Sabre Saw, this particular woodworking piece of equipment, while being similar to jigsaw tools, offers the user a greater degree of flexibility and control. While tricky to master in the hands of DIYers, for professionals, this type of saw can be used for precise and accurate cutting. 
2. Jigsaw: Versatile and with an extended blade, the jigsaw’s nifty release system enables easy blade replacements to be made, and with several settings for speed control, it’s a useful tool to have in your kit bag. 
3. Power drill: This tool is commonly used by anyone working with wood, and there are 3 different varieties to choose from:
   • - Hammer - with more force, this power tool can be used for drilling into concrete and similar surfaces that are extremely hard.
   • - Impact driver – similar to a hammer drill, the impact driver, however, is better suited for boring into plastics and sheet metals; materials that are not as hard as concrete
   • - Standard/regular – able to be used as an electric screwdriver as well (once the bit has been altered and the rotation switched), these are essential tools for all woodworkers
4. Jointer: Primarily used for flattening wooden surfaces, a jointer (or jointer planer), can be used to straighten out wood - even if it’s bowed or arched - before being fed into a planer 
5. Surface planer: With a number of different functions for smoothing out wooden surfaces or reducing a board’s thickness, surface planers are often used in conjunction with jointers. 
6. Sander: This hand-held carpentry tool is extremely versatile and frequently used by all in the woodworking industry. Helping to smooth wooden surfaces and eliminate old paint and varnish, whether you choose a belt sander or a random orbit sander, you’re sure to find it an invaluable tool. 
7. Drill press: Requiring minimal effort from the user, thanks to it being totally flat, drill presses allow you to drill straight down into wood with a high degree of accuracy. Coming with several different drill bits and variable speeds, this makes them ideal for bigger woodworking projects. 
8. Bandsaw: The perfect power tool for sawing up lumber, bandsaws are often used in industrial settings such as lumber mills, but they are also great for use in artistic woodwork, crosscuts and contours.
9. Wood router: While primarily used for making hollow incisions and precise cuts in wood, wood routers are also great at cutting into aluminium and plastic. 
10. Bench grinder: This is the ultimate tool for keeping your woodworking tools sharp, and can prove invaluable if instruments such as a chisel, for example, become blunt and inaccurate.​

If you’re considering a career in woodwork, or are planning a big carpentry project at home, you’ll want to make sure your toolkit is stocked up with at least some of the power tools listed above.