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Author Topic: Building a woodshop....recommended tools  (Read 41611 times)

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vader

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Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« on: November 15, 2005, 11:46:44 am »
Hey Guys,


I'm moving soon and my first order of business is to have a workshop.  It will be roughly 14 x 31.  My main order of business
is power tools.  I'm really kind of a dewalt guy, have a few of their tools, but I'm being realistic and know I cannot afford to furnish a
shop with all dewalt.  I'm looking at the Ryobi stuff now and wanted some opinions, I have their weedeater and its been great, but not sure on the power tools.  I welcome all opinions.  Here are the tools I will start with

Router ( currently have a Craftsman, collar slips, ack )
Drill
Table Saw  ( I plan on doing more than cabs in the future )
Jigsaw


Gimme some advice plz

Tim

RayB

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2005, 12:09:45 pm »
A hammer.
NO MORE!!

RayB

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2005, 12:10:00 pm »
A screwdriver.
NO MORE!!

vader

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2005, 12:24:58 pm »
Great replies Ray, never would have thought of those....I'm a craftsman guy there and have a pretty good assortment of handtools....I NEED POWER

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2005, 12:42:52 pm »
I received a 12V Ryobi cordless drill as a gift when we bought our first house a few months back, seems to have decent battery life -- granted, it IS only a few months old, but I've been very happy with it.  I think their other tools use the same battery packs.  Not sure what anyone else's opinion is about Ryobi, but for the price, they seem like a good deal.

vader

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2005, 12:48:32 pm »
Thanks brownshow...I wouldn't be going with any cordless devices....I'm gonna stick with corded power....granted I will have some cordless things, but I'm think table saws, jigswas and stuff

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2005, 12:51:46 pm »
DeWalt 18v drill, cant live without it, oh and if you have some spare $$ for this shop, get a porter cable router with a table and a good table saw.

nostrebor

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2005, 01:36:19 pm »
visit www.bt3central.com for a great woodworking forum. It is my other home.

If you are serious about woodworking I would want these items as a top 10:

1. Table Saw (most important to choose wisely here)
1a. Cordless Drill
2. Band Saw (14" min.)
3. Drill Press
4. Router(s) (Any good WW has at least 3 ;))
5. CLAMPS
6. Random Orbital Sander
7. Jigsaw
8. Jointer
9. Planer
10. Dust Collector (Ranks higher than most of these is you want to be healthy or work with MDF)

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2005, 01:56:05 pm »
other stuff that hasn't been mentioned...

a belt sander
a small power hand planer
a bench grinder (for sharpening stuff)
a vice
a dremel
if you make furniture, maybe a bisquit cutter

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2005, 02:00:40 pm »
BTW:

if you think building Arcade Cabinets is expensive...

vader

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2005, 02:09:39 pm »
BTW:

if you think building Arcade Cabinets is expensive...


I so know building other things is alot more expensive....maple vs. mdf....hmmm....

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2005, 03:20:15 pm »
I'd get a nice reciprocating saw.  Milwaukee / Porter Cable / DeWalt.
Ever think of a nice lathe?   Handy for turning a bat so you can protect your new investment. ;D
Bringing to life a child's imagination.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #12 on: November 15, 2005, 03:55:48 pm »
I'd get a nice reciprocating saw.  Milwaukee / Porter Cable / DeWalt.
Ever think of a nice lathe?   Handy for turning a bat so you can protect your new investment. ;D


Already got the milwaukee sawzall....never really called a reciporating saw...hehe....the lathe is a nice idea actually,
cause I would like to get into doing some tables and such
at some point, works good for legs....anyone got some workshop pics than can post, I want some ideas on setups

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2005, 04:32:53 pm »
If you plan on making alot of furniture and such, a jointer would be a good investment. Could start with a hand held model before getting the large 5"-6" type.

Not paying attention just re-read nostrebor's post and seen a jointer listed.


« Last Edit: November 15, 2005, 04:35:35 pm by D10 »

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #14 on: November 15, 2005, 04:35:06 pm »
don't forget a tape measure

RayB

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #15 on: November 15, 2005, 05:04:23 pm »
NO MORE!!

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #16 on: November 15, 2005, 05:38:35 pm »
If you plan on making alot of furniture and such, a jointer would be a good investment. Could start with a hand held model before getting the large 5"-6" type.

Not paying attention just re-read nostrebor's post and seen a jointer listed.




Thickness Planer.....I have one of those, but now I NEED a joiner!


BTW: I agree with nostrebor on the Tablesaw. I would invest in a Good Tablesaw first. Its probably the single most important tool I own. Get one with a solid steel top. They're heavy as heck, but man, do they work nice.

A few other things I use quite often:

A good square. Don't cheap out here. I use one where the blade collapsed into the handle.
A good set of router bits.
A Drywall square (four foot one).
100 Pencils (I hate looking for pencils, so I have a jar of 100 of them already sharpened
« Last Edit: November 15, 2005, 07:07:13 pm by Jabba »
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #17 on: November 15, 2005, 06:28:26 pm »
holy crap!

How could I forget a compressor! You want a finish nailer and a brad nailer as well.

The forum I listed earlier has workshop pics. Look for any post by Rod Kirby. His workshop is stunning, and insanely clean.

I will also put in a little push for the Ryobi BT3100 Table Saw. Great starter saw that will not break the bank, and will perform extremely well when set up correctly.

Once again... www.bt3central.com

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #18 on: November 15, 2005, 06:44:31 pm »
I got a 14.4 Ryobi set a couple years back for christmas.  It included a drill, circular saw (small type) and a flashlight.  Right out of the box the saw wouldn't cut more than a board foot or three of 2x4 lumber.

Fast forward to about 8 months later...  The batteries don't hold a charge for shyte!  I don't use the saw anymore now that I have a corded full sized one which is probably a good thing because I doubt I'd be able to get through a 2x4 at all now.  The drill still gets used.  I'd guestimate that it gets about 10 min of run time on a charge.  Also, if you were to charge the batteries and leave them for a couple days they'd loose 50% or so of their charge.

Long story short, I'm not a fan of Ryobi!
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2005, 07:33:43 pm »
Just inherited an older shopsmith

Pricey, but less expensive than buying 5 seperate tools.  I can't wait to set a small workshop up.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2005, 09:27:02 pm »
Love my dewalt and porter cable tools.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #21 on: November 16, 2005, 02:02:34 am »

 I personally do not like nails...  I recomend skipping the air nalier... unless you are in too much a hurry.

 I prefer to use long coarse thread screws.  That way,  if you ever have to dis-assemble something,  or decide to take it appart and want to re-use the wood.. its easy to do.   Nails can go in crooked,  hard to get back out without damage to the boards..ect.      Screws will hold better anyway,  and the structures build will have less play and wobble.  And.. screws are re-usable : )   unlike bent nails.

 A great table saw with a long table extention will be the best investment for the shop.   Theres many times when you need to cut something - and the table isnt long enough to have the guide in place.   I had to build my own.. but its far from perfect.  If I had to do it again.. Id get a better longer table.

 A new tool I just got and love..  is a metal cutting bandsaw from Harbor Freight.
Its very quiet (unlike an 'only for wood'  bandsaw),  and cuts metal like butter  :)
(simular to a slow moving hacksaw blade - without the manual effort :)    Much better than using those cutoff wheels.    Can cut wood too.. but I think its a little slow and limited in this regaurd.   (unless maybe if you changed the band-blade type)

 Ohh and another favorite of mine,  is the all might Drill Press.    At first.. I started out with a small 9" I believe..  but I kept running into problems with the shallow depth.   

 I finally bought a floor standing Radial Drill Press from H.F.  for like
 $189 +tax.     The thing is wicked!    Something like 23"  depth possible via a sliding head unit.   Also, the head can tilt to 90 degrees!   Great to use it like that with a polishing or sanding wheel.    Well worth the extra cash.    These things can do much more than a typical hand drill - such as use a circle cutter device.   Also just having such accurately drilled holes can be very important - esp when cutting holes in metal, where you want near perfect accuracy.

 a simular model:  http://www.atm-workshop.com/radial-drill.html

 I also Highly recomend the use of a Dust Collector.   HF sells a 2hp one for a good price.  They also have a hose kit for like 50$ too.   I hooked mine to the underside of my tablesaw (with a special nearly airtight undercariage I made)- to create a downdraft effect - and also have a 'Y-splitter'  that goes to the sander.   Either tube can be opened or closed for more suction power to either of them.
It was amazing how much dust was in the air after cutting some MDF.. and now with the collector on,  theres almost no dust at all.   

 I use a corded drill for many projects... but a year ago bought a black and decker 14volt cordless.   The thing has a removable head - and under it, lies a quick change adapter.  Great for drilling a hole.. realese the head, then drive the screw all without having to change the bits every time.   Even came with 2 batteries : )  I use that drill more than the corded one now.   :)   But, the more drills the merrier  :)


     

 

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #22 on: November 16, 2005, 05:19:46 am »
I have a Ryobi router as well as table saw, and I am very happy with both of them...

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #23 on: November 16, 2005, 08:25:13 am »
I will go on the list of folks that do not reccomend Ryobi cordless tools. A cordless tool that will see plenty of use (drill) should demand some $$. Bosch, Dewalt, Makita, etc.

The Corded tools work great, and generally do quite well in tool round-ups in the WW magazines.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2005, 05:13:08 pm by nostrebor »

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #24 on: November 16, 2005, 08:48:38 am »
...remember Harbor Freight for things like clamps, squares, etc.  i.e. Bar clamps at HD or Lowes might be $20-$30.  When they go on sale at HF I pick em up for $2-$5.

Like right now:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38183
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=6985

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #25 on: November 16, 2005, 08:51:30 am »
I agree with those who said a good table saw is first on the list.  I have built several projects using nothing more than a table saw and cordless drill.  I would get the best one you can afford.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #26 on: November 16, 2005, 09:40:40 am »
WOW, thanks guys, I didn't expect this many replies or this much information.  I will mostly go with corded tools, the only cordless I will have will be a drill as that will be used for both woodmaking and household chores ( already have a 18v Craftsman, which I have no complaints about.  I've been looking at the 3100t Ryobi TS and it has got a lot of good reviews, ( have the compressor also, just need to wire that puppy up, but 220v scares me ).  I'm gonna do a search and check out that one guys shop mentioned in a earlier reply....

Thanks Again

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #27 on: November 16, 2005, 07:38:31 pm »
If you're serious, consider the investment in a higher quality tool..  You'll find that if you go to a real woodworking store you'll find a significantly higher quality tool for not much more money.  Personally, I have almost all Powermatic and JET tools..   Most important thing is the Table saw. Get the best one you can afford and try for a cabinet saw.. it's worth it.  From there, go for a good bandsaw, drill press, jointer, router table etc.. 

/b

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #28 on: November 16, 2005, 07:54:27 pm »
YEAH! Let's hear it for the 18v Craftsman Drill-o-tron!

I need an electric sander. The Buzzy kind!  :laugh:

-=XD=-
   

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #29 on: November 17, 2005, 02:05:00 am »

 Ohh, almost forgot,  I got a huge 3 section tool cabinet from sears last year.  The thing was perfect for all the tools Ive collected, and otherwise were scattered arround.

  I got it on 'black friday'  - which is fast approaching.   They didnt have any in stock, but ordered it for me at the sale price.  I think it was a little over 200$,  reg. priced at 300+  I believe.     


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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #30 on: November 17, 2005, 02:47:52 am »
If you can scare one up, get a panel saw. I got mine when the local Lowe's replaced it with a new one. It needed a little TLC, but it hadn't been hit by a forklift and the frame was still square. I hauled it home for $25, spent about $150 on on stuff to get it back in as new shape.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #31 on: November 17, 2005, 05:20:16 am »
very lucky tailgunner.   I do not think most would have such luck, and the new ones are very expensive.
 
 Panel saws that are at the home depots always cut crooked :(

 But more importantly,  theres a good deal of limited types of cuts you can do with a panel saw - because of the vertical mounting.   

 If i could get a perfect cutting panelsaw that rotated from vertical to horizontal.. that may be very interesting : )    Although, im not sure if i could hold the work while trying to push the blade...  ahh well..

 Nice thing about the panel saw is it takes up so little space compared to a tablesaw. 

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #32 on: November 17, 2005, 07:32:10 am »
if you are UK based i would suggest avoiding Dewalt as they are now owned by black and decker and built to the same crap standards as black and decker,

given the choice go for bosch every time, never managed to kill a bosch tool yet (had just about every other make blow up on me)

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #33 on: November 17, 2005, 09:52:02 am »
I don't know how serious you are about this yet, or even what you plan on building. First off it is an expensive hobby, don't buy cheap tools, try to buy the best tool you can at the begining. A couple of sources for information besides BT3central would be www.woodcentral.com or the forums at www.forums.woodnet.net. Woodnet has a tendency to sometimes be a little rougher crowd.

Stay away from craftsman powertools. Grizzly has some decent machinery at a cheap price, look to them for your jointer and such. There are a lot of tools I could list for a shop, start small and add from there. A dust collector should be the first thing you buy maybe a 1100 cfm to start or one of the expensive cyclone models from onieda (2hp dust gorilla).

Hand tools
Router (can't have too many) Dewalt 621, porter cable, milwaukee, bosch 1617evs.
Scrapers better finish then sandpaper
Hand plane and block plane
Chisels
Backsaw, handsaw, coping saw
Mallets (can make your own)
Sharpening stones oil and or water
Sharpening guide (if your not good at sharpening) leevalley MKII
6 or 8" grinder with better wheels
1-2-3 blocks
Feeler gauges
Tape measure
12" rule 6" too
Try squares
Sliding bevel gauges
Level
Marking knife and pencils
Belt sander (has it's place)
Random orbital sander porter cable
Clamps,clamps and more clamps (pipe,bar,spring, etc) Jorgenson, bessey etc.
12" Miter saw or sliding CMS dewalt, makita
Cordless drill dewalt, bosch, porter cable
Jigsaw bosch, hitatchi
Circular saw

Stationary tools

Bench with wooodworking vise
Tablesaw
14" or bigger bandsaw jet, mini max, lagauna, powermatic
Jointer perferablly 8" grizzly, powermatic, jet, delta
Planer lunchbox (dewalt) or 15" - 20"  floor model :) jet powermatic
Drill press 17"
Scroll Saw 20" Dewalt
Lathe mini lathe (jet) full size jet 1442 (best bang for the buck)
Accessories for the lathe chuck, tools (cost more then the lathe)
Compressor
6x48" 12" combination belt sander / disc sander

Knowledge
Forums, Books, Magazines Fine woodworking, wood magazine, woodsmith, shopsmith.

The worst part is that this is only the tip of the iceburg, and there is more then what I listed here. Good luck and make sure you check out the forums I listed, another one would be sawmill creek.

vader

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #34 on: November 17, 2005, 10:41:49 am »
WOW, I can see it will take me years to collect all the stuff I would need to have a productive workshop.  I'm not deadset on what I
will build yet, but I'm looking to just build benches and outdoor stuff
at the moment.  I really enjoy working with *WOOD*  ;D FIRE AWAY,
Looks like I'll save up some money, you guys say to avoid craftsman, so I guess the TS with cast iron top for 500 bucks would be no good, I'll continue to look around,...

Thanks ALot guys

Tim

Doc Thirst

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #35 on: November 17, 2005, 11:31:23 am »
I have gone through two (yep two) Ryobi belt sanders now.  They seem to strip out rather quickly.  I only paid for the first one and returned it for the second one.  So I'm either too hard on 'em or they use crappy gearing.  Eitherway I'm opting for a different brand when I pick up a new one (soon I hope).

I can't say much about individual brands but I will tell you this.  Suck it up and pay for the better model for whatever you buy.  The difference between a 14 volt and an 18 volt is remarkable.  The same goes for motor size on just about any saw (not to mention less stress on a motor that turns faster).  Also the compound miter is so much more handy then just a miter.  So what I'm getting at is the initial out lay may be more but in the end I believe you will get more use out of the higher end tool.  Good luck!

Matt Berry

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #36 on: November 17, 2005, 12:13:19 pm »
Nope, your not too hard on the tool it just wasn't built to high standards. The more expensive tools use better and more heavy duty componets, bearings, heat shields etc. They are also built to be used for a longer period. That is why it is better to bite the bullet and buy the best.

Yes it will take sometime to build a shop. You could start out with a contractors saw, or you might want to look at the grizzly cabinet saw, it is more powerful and a lot better deal. They have a couple of closeouts right now too. The 10" 3 hp G1023s will set you back 895.00 + 82.25 freight.

Just make sure you really check out reviews before you buy any tool, that way you don't end up with garbage that causes you all kinds of headaches.

Mr. Bubblehead

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #37 on: November 17, 2005, 01:16:38 pm »
Here are the main tools I use with every cabinet I build:

- Tablesaw.  Actually I have two, both Craftsman.  One is a 10" belt-drive, it is a mammoth of a machine and will rip and cut almost anything.  The other is a 9" direct drive, small and lightweight enough to be portable but still one of their higher-end saws.  Expect to pay at least $300 retail for a new saw.  I have used some of the $99 specials from Black & Decker, Delta, Craftsman, and Harbor Freight, and every one of them was junk in my opinion.   Also, spend some money on blades.  In my "big" saw I keep a fast cutting/ripping blade, and the small one a finish blade.  Both are Freud, and cost about $60 each.  I have used them for several years, and they can be resharpened at a saw shop.

- Router.  I have a Skil and a Craftsman router, I have found that both are of the same good quality.

- Jigsaw.  I have used the same Craftsman jigsaw for the past 12 years.  Again, don't skimp on the blades.  I personally like the Black & Decker ones.

- Power sanders.  I have a Craftsman 1/2-sheet orbital, B&D 1/4-sheet orbital, a HF belt sander, and a HF detail sander.

- Drills.  I have an assortment of both corded and cordless drills, various brands (B&D, Craftsman, Porter Cable, Skil, and HF), and various sizes (1/4", 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4").  I use the corded drills for drilling pilot and countersink holes, and the cordless for screws.  Don't buy a cheap cordless drill.

- air finish nailer.  Get a name-brand one, I have broken two of the cheap Harbor Freight ones after using them just once or twice.  Air nailers do not require a big compressor to operate.

- Vises/clamps.  You can't have too many of these. I have five vises and at least a dozen clamps in various sizes.

- Chisels.  A good sharp set of these in widths from 1/4" to 1" comes in handy.

- Drill bits/hole saws.  Buy name brand, you will get what you pay for.

The most important thing to remember is to use the correct tool for the job.  I have just about every tool you can think of for woodworking and automotive work, but it has taken me about 14 years to get everything that I have.  A lot of my larger, more expensive tools were purchased at auctions and estate sales, you can pick up good quality stuff for about half the cost of new that way.  Also I have found that older tools are servicable, and if they are name brand (especially Craftsman) parts are still available.  Most of the new stuff today is worthless once it is broken.

Matt Berry

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #38 on: November 17, 2005, 02:27:25 pm »
I'm going to have to disagree a little bit with Mr Bubblehead. Many of the newer power tools can be repaired rather easily, but you have to purchase a reliable brand. Bosch, jet, grizzly, delta, dewalt, makita, and porter cable all can be serviced and replacement parts found.

Craftsman doesn't manufacture thier tools, they farm them out. 10 - 12 years ago they still used emmerson for thier tools, which they had some decent offerings at that time. After that Sears dropped emmerson in favor for another manufacturer who doesn't meet the same standard emmerson did. You really don't know what you are getting when you buy a craftsman powertool.

I will agree that skil and craftsman make a similar quality router. 10 years ago I had a craftsman router, after less then a year use the switch broke so I exchanged it, the new broke after a few hours use in the router table.

I have the craftsman jigsaw, random orbital sander, a 10" direct drive tablesaw, 12" CMS. I wouldn't buy any of them again. I have since replaced the jigsaw with a bosch, the ROS with a porter cable and the router with a dewalt, porter cable, bosch and milwaukee all of which are head and shoulders above the craftsman products I purchased 10 years ago.

The tablesaw works, but it is underpowered and the fence is garbage. It won't be long before it is upgraded to a cabinet saw.

Be careful buying used. Pay attention to see if it is single phase or 3 phase. Your best bet is to stay away from 3 phase. Also older machines use babbit bearings, which is servicable but you need to know how to do it correctly. Sometimes it cost more to referbish an old machine then to buy a new one (Don't get me wrong there is some good old iron out there) just try to know what you are getting into.

Mr. Bubblehead

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #39 on: November 17, 2005, 02:39:34 pm »
Craftsman doesn't manufacture thier tools, they farm them out. 10 - 12 years ago they still used emmerson for thier tools, which they had some decent offerings at that time. After that Sears dropped emmerson in favor for another manufacturer who doesn't meet the same standard emmerson did. You really don't know what you are getting when you buy a craftsman powertool.
My belt-drive table saw is about 40 years old.  :o  I've fairly certain that the Sears, Roebuck, & Co. manufactured that one. :)

But I will agree that Craftsman power tools have declined in quality over the past decade, as they are in fact not made by Sears anymore.

Another tool I forgot to mention is a carpenter's square.  Get at least two of them.  I probably have almost a dozen of those as well.