Shopping for new tools

[Shawn Siegrist]

I've been making furniture and cabinets with my brother in-law for about a year now. He brought his tablesaw, jointer, drill press, and bandsaw over to my shop, however he is not looking to set up his own shop at his place. I'm looking to purchase a table saw, jointer, drill press, and bandsaw, any input would be appreciated.

For the table saw I'm comparing the Grizzly 1023SLX to the Steel City 35618. Both saws are 3 HP and appear to be comparable machines. I'm leaning towards purchasing the grizzly, it is almost $400 less than the steel city. Steel city does have the 5 year warranty vs 1 year from grizzly.

The jointer will probably be the Grizzly G0604, would have liked to go with the 8" but it just isn't in the budget. I compared the Grizzly to the comparable steel city models and just couldn't justify spending an extra $500.

I don't use a drill press very often, I'm thinking of saving a little cash by getting a ridgid 15". I've used my brother in laws and it worked fine for what I needed.

The bandsaw will probably be the Rikon 14" 1 1/2 HP, I had a chance to use my brother in laws and it worked well for me.

Has anyone had any bad experiences with the machines I've listed, any suggestions?

I'm also thinking about purchase a steel city mortiser model 25200, any thoughts or suggestions?


Thanks,
Shawn

[Ron Bott]

When buying new tools try to think about what kind of work you envision doing. This will in turn influence the requirements of the tools needed for that type of work. For example, if you are a turner, you would likely need a much larger bandsaw for cutting blanks, than say someone who likes making small boxes.

Secondly, buy the very best tools you can afford. If you can't afford a quality tool, then hold off and wait until you can. Good tools combined with your skills can make this hobby a joy. Crappy tools can make it an exercise in frustration. I'd much rather have a top of the line 6" jointer in my shop than a marginal 8" model. Quality tools should last a lifetime, and end up saving you money over the long run.

[Eric DeSilva]

Given the present economy, I'd urge you to look at craigslist in your area. I see lots of deals on big machines... You might make your dollar go further and get a lot of extras going that route...