42318.1
I am a novice with $500 in Home Depot gift cards from father’s day. My dilemma is whether to buy 3 Ryobi power tools (table saw, miter saw and router w/table for $99 each) and a reconditioned comressor/nailer combo OR buy only two better (more expensive) power tools. Keep in mind the little projects I’ve done so far, I’ve done with a hand saw and a Dremel tool. My next project is building my own plywood workbench featured in Fine Wood Working workshop solutions 2008. I am an enthusiastic DIYer so I don’t need contractor grade power tools but I don’t want to regret in a years time wasting my budget in entry level tools…
Please advise!
Thank you in advance,
Gor.
Replies
Gor,
I would seriously consider a bandsaw. With the addition of several jigs there are many cutting operations that you can do with a bandsaw and a whole bunch that a tablesaw can't do.
To me a 14" bandsaw is a tool that may never be replaced and offers a lot of versatility. Combined with a decent circular saw with a guide fence (could be homemade) will go a long way for you.
Just my 2¢,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I could not possibly be more serious about this - Don't buy cheap tools!!!! There is very little that is more expensive than buying at the bottom end of a market. One of three things will eventually happen - your skills will outgrow your tool's capability and you will have to buy them again (except high quality this time), they will break out of warranty and you will have to replace them, or you will tire of the hobby and be unable to sell the cheapo tools for anything.
At Home Despot, I'd advise you to buy DeWalt, Bosch or possibly the better-made Porter-Cable tools. You'll have no trouble selling these brands to contractors if you decide you want something bigger/better later.
D,
You give Gor good advice. Here is a website from David Savage, a long time Brit maker of high class furniture (albeit not to my taste) who is particularly scathing concerning the modern market in cheap - and sometimes not-so-cheap - tools.
http://www.finefurnituremaker.com/woodworking_tools.htm
Lataxe
Don't buy cheap tools!!!!
I have some so called cheep tools. Ryobi in fact. They work most all of the time!
Not always BUT as in most of the time.. I state this on my two Ryobi routers.. They work and work.. UNLESS you need perfect plunges.. bit off in some cases but perfect if you do not use the plunge.. For $99 US hard to beat!
I drilled into the castings that hold the plunge rods and put a nylon tipped setscrew in.. Just about perfect cuts! OK.. so not as they are made but CAN DO!
WHATEVER YOU DO BUY QUALITY TOOLS.
Ridgid has a lifetime guarantee on most of it's power tools, make sure you register them properly.
(table saw, miter saw and router w/table for $99 each)= three regrets in the making. I wouldn't spend that little on any of the tools you listed, especially the table saw.
Read some reviews and buy one very good tool, or several smaller high quality tools. For instance, since you are going to build the plywood workbench buy a really good circular saw, a high quality plywood blade and a good clamping edge guide. You will have some cash left over for glue, screws and plywood.
Buy more bigger tools when you can afford them.
Have fun and be safe.
Scotty
I've had a cheap version of each of the 3 tools you listed, and I totally agree with the advice you've received above. With the cheap table saw (Ace, $99 retail) I was lucky and got $75 for at a garage sale; the cheap router/table and the cheap miter saw (Delta) were as close to useless as you can get and still have something run. If it doesn't run true, isn't flat, vibrates, etc., etc., etc., it's a waste of money.
Build your "stable" of tools patiently and with careful consideration of each tool. As you're stuck with HD since that's the form the money is in, find the best tools they sell (Bosch, Porter Cable [selected], Ridgid [the table saw is nice]) and make your decisions from there.
Is there going to be additional spending money down the road for tools? That would influence my decision as to what to do with the gift cert. It took me a couple of years to get most of the basic tools for a shop, starting with an inexpensble, but good-working, Grizzly band saw and a "free" table saw that took a $175 motor to get started. After that, it was fairly easy to add on the jointer, planer, router(s), clamps, measuring tools over time.
With the economy the way it is right now, in many geographical areas it's a great time to be a buyer of used tools, as there's an oversupply. A visit to your local Craig's List may give you an idea of what's going on.
If you think you can buy everything you want for 500, you'lll be disappointed. I think the question is, how long do you want this first set of tools to last you? A few months, a few years, or 20-30 years? This has not only to do with the longevity of the tool, but the growth of your abilities and requirements. My first power tools did not last long at all. I think you want to go for the middle range. When you ask yourself, how many can I buy? you are really asking, at the beginning stage, how much do I want to waste? but 500 is not really a lot to waste, and maybe when it's over you'll have a much better idea of what would really suit you. Cheap tools are a poor investment but a great learning experience. Cheap or expensive, either way you'll be investing in yourself.
Brian
I hate cheap tools too, but I also believe that a bit of ingenuity goes a long way. When in college, I built a table saw out of 2x4's, a sheet of particle board, and a cheap Craftsman circular saw. I used bolts and wing nuts on a 2x4 fence to hold it in place and made enough stuff to help pay my way through a year of college. Since I left it outside, it eventually "melted" in the rain. Next, I splurged and bought a $300 Craftsman table saw which ran for 20 years. I've got nice tools now, but when I was broke, I still made sawdust. Just make sure that whatever you do, be safe. It's easier to get hurt with cheap tools.
I don't regret the 499 I paid for my Rigid Tablesaw. I've used it every weekend and more for 3 years. Normal cleaning and periodic alignment were all that's necessary.
That being said a good BandSaw is very versatile, and I believe a good choice for the "first saw" of a shop. I bought a Jet that I love. Don't know about the ones at HD.
As the old saying goes, "Buy once, cry once!" Inexpensive and cheap tool will keep you on a crying binge. You wouldn't by a YUGO would you?
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Is it just me, or does anybody else take great joy in owning and appreciating fine tools? I probably take it to the extreme. I enjoy doing lots of research before buying. I confess that when I get a new machine I read the entire manual. I do respect the engineering that goes into making them. I also clean it after every use and make it look new. We all operate in a budget. But it doesn't have to be the most expensive tool to get into the top three of the Taunton tool buying guide.
No cheepo's for sure
but also, I advise not buying several tools at once.
Maybe it's just bad Voodoo but it never seams to
work out well.
Just get what you need, when you need it.
Never anger the wood spirits!
You are right about too many tools at once. I once bought about eight portable tools of the same brand. Sure the company is good at what they are known for, but they're not good at everything! Purchases must be evaluated on a tool by tool basis, and you're just not in that mindset when buying a bunch at once.Brian
I agree that buying cheap tools is not a great idea. My dad taught me that if you buy the best tools you can afford they won't let you down.
The bandsaw wasn't my first choice, but it is a good one to consider. A good circular saw and rip-guide can take care of re-sizing sheet goods that the bandsaw can't handle. Of course a chopsaw and a drill are tools that are almost neccessities.
For larger stationary tools for a shop, buying used from someone you know that is upgrading their shop might be an option.
Maybe you can save the balance on the gift card for buying supplies!
Good luck.
You have $500 to spend. The key to woodworking is getting your parts square.
Here's my two cents.
1. A Rigid contractor's saw. Will take all and maybe a few coins more. But it will replace the miter saw on your list. You can make crosscut sleds for crosscutting at 90 degree to the face. A sled also can be made for accurate forty fives. Of course it will also rip.
2. A Bosch router with plunge and fixed base. The fixed based can be attached to some mdf (See Roger Rogowski's DVD and Pat Warners DVD on routers here at Taunton press). They can do great things with simple set ups. The plunge base will do the job free hand.
3. A bandsaw is great tool but I already broke your budget. So you can replace some of its attribute with a good jig saw.
4. A hammer and brads. There is nothing more frustrating than a blow out from a pnuematc nailer.
5. Get a good circle saw and make a jig for it to cut down ply and use it rough cut planks.
6. Add some Marpel chisels , a block plane and an Irwin pull saw (cuts a fine curf) for shop chrome :>)
All the suggestion are as good as mine. This is a tough subject. You should also say how much room you have for these tools.
Dennis
i just got started recently and the first thing i bought was a cheap tablesaw. its the first thing i sold too! the fence was wobbly, alignment was poor and it burned wood and the shaft was too small for half of the dado set i eventually bought. buy the best you can and if you can't get something good wait! buy a good japanese handsaw and one good plane and some good chisels maybe and try going the handwork route to start. decent machines are expensive but cheap machines can really really stink!!!!!!
Hi Gor,
Aside from the admonishment to not buy cheap tools, I would stress that your first few tools should be the most versatile, with applications for all of your future projects.
I would start with a decent circular saw ($100 - $150). With a little ingenuity, this will handle almost all of your cutting needs (I like my Milwaukee... the Bosch and the Hilti also look pretty good at HD). Whatever brand you choose, make sure the base is square to the blade. If it's not, and it can't be adjusted, take it back. Get a decent blade (Freud Diablo perhaps), then make a straightedge guide for precise cuts.
Next I would go with a good cordless drill. You'll find yourself using this tool everywhere around the house, not just on woodworking projects. Lots of people like the Dewalts, Makitas, and Milwaukees at HD. The 18V models pack enough power to do almost anything.
If you've still got money left after those tools plus accessories, there are many other ways to go. A DIYer would get a lot of mileage out of a table saw and a miter saw, but decent tools of those types are expensive and should be saved for a later time. There is a lot of valuable experience in learning to make do without them.
I would spend any remaining money on either hand tools (a speed square, chisels, hammer, handsaw, clamps, etc...)or project materials. The hand tools at HD are generally not too good, but if you buy some cheap chisels you will always have them as a 'beater set' once you upgrade. Plus, learning to sharpen and tune your cheap hand tools is a lot less stressful than learning on the good stuff. But don't buy hand planes there!
Best of Luck,
Matt
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