Certainly power tools will provide you with the means of doing with ease a great many jobs which, if hand done, would require many manhours and back-breaking labor. On the other hand, if you are building only a short run of fence, a small trellis, or a few oddments here and there, and have no plans for future woodworking projects outdoors or indoors, it would be false economy to invest in much power equipment.

Whatever your final decision may be, we urge that you give the most careful consideration to the matter. If you decide to buy power tools, don't rush into their purchase, but do a bit of shopping and looking to be sure that you buy the right kind of tool which will serve you well for years to come. Don't end up with a shopful of gadgets with little use and no real wear in them, merely because you leaped before you looked. Good power tools will do many different tasks: sawing, planing, drilling, jointing, making mortises, dovetailing, and other kinds of fitted joints, and in general provide the opportunity of turning out work of professional quality, if they are operated efficiently and properly so as to take full advantage of their many mechanical attributes.

. . . portable power tools
While most power tools are more or less portable in that they may be moved on occasion, the truly portable tools for home use are the small ones which are operated by holding them in the hand, tools which may be carried easily to the location of the job to be done. Precisely because of their light weight, however, it must be remembered that there is a limit to their capacity. They must not be overloaded or overtaxed by your trying to make them do more than they were intended to do. Improper use means trouble-burned-out motors or other expensive and annoying inconveniences resulting from lack of consideration for the machine's limitations.

... tools for your consideration
.HAND DRILL: Because of its versatility, an electric hand drill is probably the first tool you'll want to consider. They range in price from about $15 to $75 or more, coming in various sizes with different types of handles, many accessories, and auxiliary fittings to extend their usefulness. These latter may be purchased separately.