Ted’s Woodworking Review – Is It Worth It? Honest Pros & Cons

This Ted’s Woodworking review cuts through the marketing to give you a clear picture of what you actually get — who it’s genuinely useful for, where it falls short, and whether the $67 one-time price makes sense for a beginner woodworker.

What is Ted’s Woodworking?

Ted’s Woodworking is a digital plan library containing over 16,000 woodworking projects, created by Ted McGrath — a woodworking educator and AWI member who has been teaching workshop classes for 25 years. The collection covers everything from simple beginner builds like birdhouses and shelves through to complex furniture, outdoor structures, and workshop jigs.

The plans are delivered through a searchable online members area. You pay once and get lifetime access — including new plans added monthly and the ability to request custom plans for specific projects.

What’s inside the Ted’s Woodworking plan library?

The 16,000 plans are organised across 10 main categories:

Each plan includes step-by-step instructions, exact cut lists, complete materials lists, and multi-angle schematics with exploded joint views. The members area is searchable by keyword, filterable by category, and sortable by difficulty level — beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

Four bonuses are included with the current offer:

Who is Ted’s Woodworking best suited for?

Honest pros and cons

Here’s the honest breakdown from this Ted’s Woodworking review — the pros and cons that matter most.

Pros

Excellent value at $67 one-time — individual woodworking plans typically sell for $10–$20 each. Even if you only use 20 plans from the library, you’ve already recouped the cost. The lifetime access with no recurring fees is a genuine advantage over subscription-based alternatives.

Searchable, organised library — unlike a bulk download of files, the members area is searchable by keyword, filterable by category, and sortable by difficulty. Finding a specific project takes minutes rather than hours.

Beginner-friendly structure — the majority of plans are aimed at beginner and intermediate woodworkers. Each plan includes a full cut list and materials list so you know exactly what to buy before you start.

Custom plan requests included — if you can’t find what you need in the library, you can submit a custom plan request and the team will draft, build, and test it for you. This is an unusually generous inclusion at this price point.

60-day money-back guarantee — processed through ClickBank, which has a straightforward refund process. Low-risk way to trial the library.

New plans added monthly for life — your library grows automatically with no additional cost.

Cons

Here are the honest drawbacks this Ted’s Woodworking review found worth flagging before you buy.

Volume can feel overwhelming initially — 16,000 plans is a lot to navigate at first, even with the search function. New woodworkers should start by searching for one specific project rather than trying to browse the full library.

Digital only by default — the standard package is digital download. Physical DVDs are available for an additional fee if you prefer a hard copy.

Quality varies across categories — with a library this large, some categories are more comprehensive than others. Furniture and outdoor plans are particularly strong; some specialty categories have fewer options.

Pricing — the $67 one-time deal and what it means

The standard Ted’s Woodworking membership is moving to $39 per month. The $67 lifetime one-time price is currently still available but is being phased out as the membership grows. At the time of writing this Ted’s Woodworking review, the one-time option is still live — but the sales page is clear that it won’t remain available indefinitely.

At $67 once versus $39 per month, the maths strongly favour the one-time option for anyone who plans to use the library regularly.

Our Ted’s Woodworking review verdict

For a beginner woodworker looking for a wide range of well-structured plans with full cut lists and materials lists, Ted’s Woodworking represents strong value at $67. The searchable library, custom plan requests, and lifetime monthly additions make it genuinely useful as an ongoing resource rather than a one-time purchase.

It’s not the right choice if you’re looking for one or two specific plans, or if you prefer video-first instruction over written plans with diagrams. But for the beginner who wants a go-to plan library they can use across dozens of different projects over many years, the one-time price is hard to argue with.

Related guides

• Best wood for beginner woodworking projects
• Joinery techniques for beginners — 8 essential joints
• Understanding wood grain — tips for better cuts and finishes
• Woodworking safety tips — stay safe in your workshop

Click here to get started with Ted’s Woodworking program and start working towards your woodworking goals.