Ted's Woodworking Reviews 2025: We Tested It For 365 Days - Here's What Nobody Tells You
Real user testing. No affiliate hype. Just the unfiltered truth about 16,000 woodworking plans.
What Is Ted’s Woodworking and Who Is It Really For?
Ted's Woodworking Plans has been floating around the internet for at least five years now. Maybe longer. If you google it, you'll find opinions all over the map. Some say "greatest thing ever." Others call it "the worst woodworking scam in existence."
My experience? Falls much closer to the "worst ever" camp. But there's some minimal benefit hiding in there if you squint hard enough.
This is a digital product. You buy it. Download files onto your computer. Open them. Print what you need. That's it. Sold through ClickBank for anywhere from $67 to $125 depending on which "limited time" offer catches you. The core package claims to include 16,000 woodworking plans plus bonus materials like videos, guides, and CAD software.
Our Testing Period and Credentials
We purchased the basic package in early 2024 and spent 365 days digging through files, attempting projects, and comparing plans to free alternatives available online. Our team includes hobbyist woodworkers with 5-10 years experience and complete beginners who've never touched a table saw.
This review reflects hundreds of hours navigating the digital disaster that is Ted's file organization system, printing plans, and attempting to build actual projects from these blueprints.
What You Actually Get When You Buy Ted’s Woodworking
Once you make your purchase, ClickBank sends an email with a big green button. Click it. You're taken to a download page for Ted's digital product.
For this review, we only purchased the basic 16,000 Woodworking Plans package with associated bonus materials. When you reach the membership page, you'll get bombarded with upgrade offers again. Same "one time only" nonsense.
The Files You Download
Here's what actually arrives on your computer:
- Three large PDF files: "Woodworking plans 1," "Woodworking plans 2," and "Big Book of Woodworking plans"
- Bonus materials: Brief articles on woodworking basics, safety info, and tips
- Video collection: Links to YouTube videos (not original content)
- CAD software: DWG viewer for opening certain file types
Inside "Woodworking plans 2" and the "Big Book"? We found fewer than 1,000 plans. Not 16,000. Not even close in those files.
The Organization Problem: A Digital Disaster
This is where Ted's Woodworking completely falls apart.
There is zero consistency. No standard format. No unified organization system. It's like someone grabbed plans from everywhere, scanned them without any quality control, dumped them into random PDFs, and called it a day.
What We Found After Hours of Navigation
- No consistent form or layout across plans
- The only similarity is when plans were copied from the same source
- Many plans come from old magazines or outdated woodworking books from the 1950s-60s
- Tons are compiled from the US Department of Agriculture and other free government sources, just scanned into PDF format
- Images of tools and methods look like they're from 1960
- The same generic images appear on multiple different plans
- When printed, the original image quality is so grainy it's virtually useless
Ted didn't write any of this. I'm convinced Ted McGrath isn't even a real person. More on that later.
The Index Nightmare
In some cases, plans are grouped by theme. Great, right? Wrong.
In other cases, all the plans are in one massive PDF file. Then there's a separate PDF file with the index. So you have to open the index, find what you want, note the page number, then go back to the other PDF and manually navigate there.
Is that confusing? Yes.
It's also aggravating because creating PDFs with clickable internal links is basic functionality. Ted couldn't be bothered to help his customers in this simple way.
Another problem: The table of contents has no photos. Titles are super generic like "bookcase" or "table." You won't know what anything looks like until you waste time opening files and hunting for it.
Design Quality and Build Plans Analysis
We reviewed a couple hundred plans in depth. Here's what stood out.
Visual Appeal and Readability
Most plans look like they were photocopied from library books in poor lighting, then scanned at low resolution. Text is often fuzzy. Diagrams are unclear. Dimensions are hard to read.
A few plans have decent quality and clear layouts. But there's no way to know which projects have good plans until you dive in and waste time opening files.
Materials and Construction Details
This is a huge issue. What we look for in quality woodworking plans:
- Easy to read with understandable pictures: NOPE. Vast majority are hard to read with poor, grainy images.
- Materials list that doesn't assume you have anything: NOPE. Some include it, most don't.
- Tools needed/required list: NOPE. Some do, but most require careful reading of procedures to figure out what tools you need.
- Step by step directions for assembly: Most plans we viewed did have steps, but they didn't have quality photos or images that made the steps make sense.
- Skill level clearly stated: NOPE. Almost none indicate beginner, intermediate, or advanced. You have to read the entire plan to determine this yourself.
Durability and Long-Term Use Concerns
Many plans show construction methods and joinery techniques that were common 60+ years ago. Not necessarily bad, but often these methods:
- Require tools most hobbyists don't own
- Use materials that are harder to find today
- Don't account for modern wood movement understanding
- Skip important structural details
Some plans appear to be assembly instructions from flat-pack furniture. Seriously. Like someone scanned IKEA instructions and threw them in the collection.
Performance Testing: We Actually Tried Building From These Plans
The Build Experience
We attempted five different projects ranging from a simple picture frame to a bookcase to an outdoor planter box.
Results:
- Picture frame: Plan was readable but missing several critical dimensions. We had to improvise. Turned out okay but not because the plan was good.
- Bookcase: Images were so grainy we couldn't tell which pieces went where. Gave up halfway through.
- Garden planter: Decent plan, actually worked. One of the few wins.
- Coffee table: Materials list was incomplete. Plan showed dados we needed a router for but never mentioned a router in the introduction. Frustrating.
- Tool chest: Instructions contradicted the diagrams in two places. Completely unusable.
Accuracy and Precision
Measurements in most plans are given, but verification is impossible since many are scanned from old sources. We found several instances where dimensions didn't add up or conflicted with cut lists.
For precision woodworking, you cannot rely on these plans without doing your own math to double-check everything.
Real-World Practicality
Biggest issue: Many plans assume you have a fully stocked shop with tools ranging from basic saws to specialized equipment. For beginners, this is a nightmare. You start a project only to discover halfway through you need a $300 tool.
User Experience: Setup and Daily Use
Initial Setup Process
Purchasing and downloading is straightforward. ClickBank handles the transaction. Email arrives quickly. Download links work.
Then you start unzipping files and realize you've got gigabytes of disorganized PDFs with no clear roadmap for navigating them. No welcome guide explaining the structure. No "start here" document. You're thrown in the deep end.
Learning Curve
If you're expecting a structured learning experience, you'll be disappointed. This isn't a course. It's a massive, chaotic library dump.
Finding projects appropriate for your skill level requires manually opening files, reviewing plans, and making judgment calls. For a complete beginner, this is overwhelming.
Interface and Navigation
There is no interface. It's just folders and PDF files. Search functionality is limited to basic file search or using PDF reader find functions.
Want to browse outdoor projects? Good luck. Want to see all beginner-friendly plans? Better set aside a weekend to manually review files.
Comparing Ted’s Woodworking to Alternatives
How It Stacks Up Against Competitors
| Feature | Ted's Woodworking | Ana White (Free) | Woodworkers Guild ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Plans | Claims 16,000 (questionable) | 1,000+ free plans | 500+ premium plans |
| Plan Quality | Inconsistent, mostly poor | High quality, tested | Professional grade |
| Organization | Terrible | Excellent categories | Searchable database |
| Cost | $67-$125 one-time | Free | $12-20/month |
| Skill Level Indicators | No | Yes | Yes |
| Materials Lists | Sometimes | Always detailed | Always detailed |
| Video Support | Links to others' YouTube videos | Often included | Always included |
Price Comparison and Value
At $67-$125, Ted's Woodworking costs about the same as 6-10 months of a premium woodworking plan subscription. The difference? Those subscriptions give you:
- Curated, tested plans
- Video walkthroughs
- Community support
- Regular new content
- Proper organization
Ted's gives you a massive pile of mediocre-to-bad plans with no support and terrible organization.
What Sets Ted’s Woodworking Apart (Not in a Good Way)
The only unique thing about Ted's is the sheer volume. But quantity without quality is worthless. You could spend that $67-$125 on a few high-quality plans from established woodworkers and be infinitely better off.
The Honest Pros and Cons
What We Loved (Sort Of)
- Massive volume of plans gives you tons of design ideas
- One-time payment instead of recurring subscription
- Refund policy actually works (60 days through ClickBank)
- A few plans are actually decent quality
- Digital format means instant access
- Can help beginners visualize project possibilities
Areas for Improvement (Major Issues)
- Organization is a complete disaster
- Most plans are low quality scans from old sources
- Questionable if there are really 16,000 plans
- No skill level indicators
- Inconsistent or missing materials lists
- Grainy, hard-to-read images
- Many plans are free government materials
- Videos are just links to other people's YouTube content
- No original content or actual teaching
- Ted McGrath appears to be fictional
The Bonus Materials: What You’re Actually Getting
Bonus Articles and Guides
These downloadable articles are brief and poorly written. They give an elementary level of understanding at best.
Again, Ted didn't write these. They read like content that was copied, run through a word spinner to avoid plagiarism detection, and regurgitated as "original."
Some articles are free US Department of Labor safety information available to anyone. Others are very brief articles with basic images that will give you rudimentary understanding of topics like wood types, finishes, and joinery.
Nothing here is worth paying for. You can find better information for free on woodworking blogs and YouTube.
Ted’s Video Collection
Not original work. This is a compilation of YouTube videos produced by other woodworking websites and creators.
You're paying for curated links to free content. That's it. You could find these same videos yourself with a quick YouTube search.
The Ted McGrath Mystery
Who Is Ted McGrath Really?
Here's where things get shady.
Ted McGrath is presented as a professional woodworker and educator. The face you see in all the marketing? That's a stock photo from iStockPhoto. Not a real person named Ted McGrath.
The business address listed for Ted's Woodworking? It's a residential mailbox in a small Iowa town, not a woodworking shop or business.
Multiple investigations by woodworking bloggers and YouTubers have failed to find any evidence that Ted McGrath exists as advertised.
The Affiliate Marketing Web
Here's how Ted's Woodworking generates so much buzz:
It's sold through ClickBank, an affiliate marketing platform. Affiliates earn 75% commission on every sale. That's huge.
So thousands of affiliate marketers create fake review websites, post glowing testimonials, and funnel traffic to the Ted's Woodworking sales page. They're not recommending it because it's good. They're recommending it because they get paid.
Those "rabid fans" leaving five-star reviews? Many are affiliates trying to earn commission.
Purchase Recommendations: Who Should Buy This?
Best For:
- Absolute beginners who want inspiration: If you're brand new and just want to browse thousands of project ideas to see what's possible, there's some value here. But free alternatives exist.
- People comfortable modifying plans: If you have enough experience to spot errors, fill in missing information, and adapt plans, you might salvage some usable projects.
- Collectors who want everything: If you're the type who wants every plan ever made just to have them, this scratches that itch. But it's a lot of digital clutter.
Skip If:
- You want professional-quality plans: Look elsewhere. These aren't it.
- You're a complete beginner who needs guidance: The lack of organization and quality control will frustrate you.
- You value your time: The hours you'll waste navigating this mess aren't worth it.
- You want to learn woodworking: This isn't educational. It's just a pile of plans.
- You expect accurate, tested plans: Many have errors, missing info, or outdated methods.
Alternatives to Consider
For Beginners:
- Ana White - Free plans, beginner-friendly, well organized
- Steve Ramsey's Woodworking for Mere Mortals - Free YouTube channel with plans
- Family Handyman - Free plans with excellent instructions
For Intermediate/Advanced:
- Fine Woodworking Magazine - Subscription gets you professional plans
- Popular Woodworking - High-quality plans and education
- Woodworkers Guild of America - Subscription with video courses
For Furniture Builders:
- Build Something (by Kreg) - Free plans focused on pocket hole joinery
- Shanty 2 Chic - Free farmhouse-style furniture plans
- The Wood Whisperer - Premium plans with video support
Where to Buy and The Refund Process
Official Purchase Channel
Ted's Woodworking is sold exclusively through ClickBank. You won't find it on Amazon or other retailers. Any other site claiming to sell it is likely a scam or an affiliate link that redirects to ClickBank.
Current pricing ranges from $67 to $125 depending on sales and which upsells you accept.
The 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Here's the one thing Ted's Woodworking gets right: The refund policy actually works.
We tested it. Here's what happened:
- Friday, November 9: Requested refund via email
- Saturday, November 10: Customer service responded offering free DVDs instead
- Monday, November 12: Replied declining DVDs, just wanted refund
- Wednesday, November 14: Full refund processed
Total time: Less than a week. No hassle beyond the initial "please keep it for free DVDs" offer.
What to Watch For
- Upsells during checkout: Multiple "one-time" offers for upgrades that pop up repeatedly
- Affiliate review sites: Most glowing reviews are from affiliates earning 75% commission
- Fake scarcity: "Limited time" and "only X spots left" claims that reset constantly
- Email marketing: Expect aggressive follow-up emails after purchase
Final Verdict and Rating
Summary of Key Points
Ted's Woodworking is not a scam in the strictest sense. You do receive digital files. The refund policy works. But it's a terrible value that falls drastically short of what's advertised.
The Good:
- Massive volume of plans for design inspiration
- One-time payment vs subscription
- Refund policy actually functions
- Instant digital access
The Bad:
- Quality is inconsistent to poor
- Organization is a disaster
- Many plans are scanned from free sources
- Unclear if 16,000 plans actually exist
- No original content or teaching
- Ted McGrath appears fictional
The Bottom Line:
For beginning woodworkers, the promise of 16,000 plans sounds amazing. But quantity doesn't equal quality. You're much better off with free plans from reputable sources like Ana White, Steve Ramsey, or Family Handyman.
Intermediate and advanced woodworkers will be frustrated by the poor quality, missing information, and terrible organization.
If your goal is just to have a massive collection of woodworking ideas to browse, there's some minimal value. But is it worth $67-$125? Not when better alternatives exist for free or less money.
Evidence From Our 365-Day Testing Period
Testing Methodology
Over 365 days, we:
- Downloaded and organized all files
- Reviewed 200+ plans in detail
- Attempted 5 build projects
- Compared plans to free alternatives
- Tested the refund process
- Tracked time spent navigating files
- Documented quality issues
Data and Measurements
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Average time to find a usable plan | 45-60 minutes |
| Plans with complete materials lists | ~30% |
| Plans with tool lists | ~25% |
| Plans clearly indicating skill level | <5% |
| High-quality, readable plans | ~15% |
| Plans successfully completed without modifications | 1 out of 5 |
| Refund processing time | 5 business days |
Long-Term Update After Extended Use
After a full year, our opinion hasn't improved. If anything, the frustration of dealing with poor organization and low-quality plans has made us more critical.
We've found that free resources online provide better value. Sites like Ana White, Woodworking for Mere Mortals, and even YouTube channels dedicated to project builds offer superior guidance, clearer instructions, and actual support communities.
The time investment required to find good plans in Ted's collection outweighs any benefit from the volume of options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ted’s Woodworking worth buying in 2025?
No. While it's not technically a scam (you can get a refund), the quality and organization fall far short of what's advertised. Free alternatives provide better value.
Are there really 16,000 woodworking plans included?
This is highly questionable. We found fewer than 1,000 plans in some of the main files, and many appear to be duplicates or variations. The actual count is unclear and likely inflated.
Can I get a refund from Ted’s Woodworking?
Yes. The 60-day money-back guarantee through ClickBank works. We tested it and received a full refund within 5 business days. They'll try to offer free DVDs first, but you can decline and get your money back.
Who is Ted McGrath?
Ted McGrath appears to be a fictional character created for marketing. The person shown in promotional materials is a stock photo model. The business address leads to a residential mailbox, not a woodworking business.
Are Ted’s Woodworking plans good for beginners?
Not really. The lack of organization, inconsistent quality, and missing information (skill levels, complete materials lists, tool requirements) make it difficult for beginners. Free plans from reputable sources are better for learning.
What are the best free alternatives to Ted’s Woodworking?
Ana White, Woodworking for Mere Mortals (Steve Ramsey), Family Handyman, Build Something (Kreg), Shanty 2 Chic, and numerous woodworking YouTube channels offer free, high-quality plans that are better organized and beginner-friendly.
Is the bonus material worth it?
No. The bonus articles are poorly written and provide only basic information available free elsewhere. The videos are just links to other people's YouTube content. The CAD software is a basic DWG viewer. Nothing adds real value.
Can experienced woodworkers benefit from Ted’s plans?
Possibly, but only if they're comfortable identifying errors, filling in missing information, and adapting outdated techniques. Most experienced woodworkers would be better served by professional-grade plans from woodworking magazines and established designers.
