Advice on setting up new shop

[Jacob McKim]

Hi all - I am finally in a position where I can start to build out a proper wood shop. I just moved into a new house and there is a dedicated room for it in the basement. All outlets are 110v and my first 2 tools will be a table saw and jointer. After that I would like to get a planer and miter saw to be able to dimension rough lumber. I have a gift card to Home Depot for $850 that may factor into my purchasing decision.


I have settled on the Grizzley 8" jointer for about $1,450. For the table saw I can either buy a used 3hp 10" cabinet saw made by JET that I am guessing is about 20 years old. Cost is $900 and I would need to hire an electrician to install a 230v outlet for about $300-$400 total cost there with the jointer is $2,750.

Or, I could order a Grizzley 2hp 10" cabinet saw 31" rip capacity new from Home depot and use the gift card. This saw is also 110V so no need for the electrician. So total for the saw & jointer is $2,050.


It looks like used miter saws and planers are plentiful on Craigslist in my area so I will most likely get those used and upgrade later if needed. So here's my question - would you rather a 20 year old saw with a bigger motor (3hp vs 2 hp) and larger rip capacity vs a brand new Grizzley for $700 less?


If I do get the used saw I would probably use my gift card to get new planer and miter saws from HD so in reality it's closer to $300 difference out of my pocket. So, I guess what I'm looking for advice on is: used saw bigger motor more capacity or new saw smaller motor and rip capacity?


Used Saw is Here

New Saw is Here
Jointer is Here



I am also open to other suggestions. I mainly do hobby projects and a lot of work with hand tools so I am looking to get these tools to square up and dimension the lumber to be worked further with hand tools. Thanks,

[Michael Burnside]

I have a 3HP, 240V saw, and while nice, is not necessary, especially if you're just starting out. At some point 240V in the shop would be nice, so I would personally plan on that cost at some time in the future.

I don't have any experience with Grizzly tools, but a lot of creekers here do and speak highly of them. I'm sure you'll get responses to that.

The only other item you're missing, which IMHO, is the most important tool. Dust collection. Especially in a basement, I would get a HEPA certified cyclone. This is one tool I would never cheap out on. I can highly recommend Oneida, cannot speak to others, but make sure it's HEPA certified. Specifically I think this is a great model and I've used personally. I have a bigger Oneida and it too is awesome.

https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-coll...s/mini-gorilla

[Jim Becker]

Welcome to the party!

SO...let's talk first tools. Table saw. Absolutely. Jointer...IMHO, not before you have a thickness planer. The latter is going to be more useful and can be used to flatten a face of rough lumber using a sled. Edges can be done with a hand plane until you can add the jointer for that and flattening. You cannot "thickness" material on a jointer which is why I'm making the suggestion I have.

[Jacob McKim]

Thanks guys for the responses. One thing I just realized after someone on Reddit pointed this out is the jointer I picked out is also 230V. So I guess either way I will get the 230v added.

Michael - good call on the dust collection - I do have a shop vac that I planned to use until I get a proper system installed - I haven't even started pricing those out yet though.

Jim - Thanks! I definitely plan on getting all 4 tools up front - Jointer to flatten 1 side & 1 face, thickness planer to parallel the opposite face, table saw to rip the opposite side and the miter saw to chop the ends to 90 degree. At least that's my plan. I've spent several years doing it all by hand with my hand planes and while I love working with hand tools, I have decided squaring up rough lumber is work best suited for the machines.

[Michael Burnside]

Jacob, keep in mind a shop vac cannot move the volume of air you require for the table saw you’ve got planned.

If I were starting out I’d get
-table saw (good reviews and with great fence)
-Dewalt 735 planer (maybe find used)
-very good dust collector like the one I linked

You can joint on a table saw with a jig.

[William Hodge]

What tools you need depends on what you are making. On the other hand, it can be fun to set up a shop.
What are you making?

[Brian Runau]

If you plan permanent dust collection you need to run ducting, plan drops, gates, hose, etc... do you plan to build chop saw station with cabinet storage as a base? I started with table saw and dust collection, installed ductwork and built chop saw cabinets out of plywood. Added dewalt planner and grizzly 8" jointer. Built dead flat assembly table with storage underneath. Gave me practice building cabinets. Have fun. Brian

[Terry Therneau]

Most 230 volt motors can be reset to 115 volt. Look at the motor plate and see if it states both voltages.

[Carroll Courtney]

Since you’re open to used, I have seen Unisaw and Powermatic 66 around 500.00 or less. Problem is you can’t drag your feet when you see theses on places like CL. But whatever saw you choose, a good rip fence is also needed. Outfeed table with cabinet underneath the table. You can daydream for days about building your Outfeed table, as your first project

[Justin Rapp]

Thanks guys for the responses. One thing I just realized after someone on Reddit pointed this out is the jointer I picked out is also 230V. So I guess either way I will get the 230v added.

Michael - good call on the dust collection - I do have a shop vac that I planned to use until I get a proper system installed - I haven't even started pricing those out yet though.

Jim - Thanks! I definitely plan on getting all 4 tools up front - Jointer to flatten 1 side & 1 face, thickness planer to parallel the opposite face, table saw to rip the opposite side and the miter saw to chop the ends to 90 degree. At least that's my plan. I've spent several years doing it all by hand with my hand planes and while I love working with hand tools, I have decided squaring up rough lumber is work best suited for the machines.

Jacob,

Welcome to Sawmill Creek, and to building out your shop.

I agree 100% with Jim that a jointer is a 2nd purchase after the planner. I don't know what you plan to build but the Dewalt 735 is about the best planer you get your hands on for under $1000. Next step up you are jumping to the big machines in the multi-thousand dollar range unless you find one used.

Michael also makes a very valid point regarding dust collection. Take your shop vac and use it for it's purpose, a vacuum. It is not going to be able to move the amount of air required for any of the larger tools and your shop, lungs and house will fill with dust. Second to the dust collector, which doesn't get everything, an air filter is secondary in a basement to help get the fine air born dust. I have a 3hp dust collector ducted to my tools and I still get a layer of fine dust collected on my air filter. Pending the size of your shop depends on how much CFM's the unit you buy will need.

When it comes to a table saw, I am a big advocate of SawStop. I know it's a tough cost to swallow over the models you are looking at, however one accident and you'll wish you spent the money. A lot of people use the 1.75 110v model and say it's got plenty of power. But that comes back to getting a 220v circuit in your shop, or a few. Adding a circuit is not that hard honestly, but if you have 1 ounce of concern doing your own work, 100% hire a licensed electrician!

One thing many people will tell your shop with safety in mind first. Fingers, lungs, kickback (old saws usually are missing riving knives), electrical safety, etc., Second, if you need to wait to save to get a better quality tool or something with more safety features, it's worth the wait. For 1, upgrading later is more costly in the end, and selling off old equipment can be a royal pain, in time, effort and in your pocket.

I know a lot of us are throwing a ton of expensive options at you, however most of us have been through this going through the 'upgrade' path. I am 100% a victim of this. I am on my 3rd table saw, 2nd jointer (and want a bigger), 2nd dust collector and 2nd router table, not to mention upgrades in clamps, hand tools, and things like sanders. Live and learn - but I can honestly say i would not have bought 3 palm sanders that are not in the trash or in a cabinet if I bought a festool sander first. Now I spent twice what 1 festool sander cost! I am not in the mindset of the term 'buy once cry once' It saves crying 5 times more later when you sell tools for 1/2 the cost or toss them when they fail.

[Brian Holcombe]

If you are near to Nj I have a spare dust collector that you can have. It’s a jet 1hp, decent for picking up chips at the jointer/planer.

[Ron Selzer]

Buy a air filter than can run all the time if needed. This is to protect your family and your lungs. The fine dust that you can't see is what hurts you not the large pieces that you see and think are bad. A dust collector unless it has a really good filter will catch all the large pieces and put the small dust in the air. Your furnace then circulates this fine dust thru the house and damages your family. Wearing a mask in the shop ONLY protects you. You can sweep the large dust pieces up easily. Sanding dust and other dust that is light enough to float in the air needs removed first.
Air filter first, then table saw, jointer, planer then dust collector.
Justin said a lot of valid information .
Good luck
Ron

If you are close to central Ohio I will give you a 1hp dust collector, needs a new bottom bag
Home Depot has four listed Search Results for hanging air cleaner at The Home Depot

[Mark Wedel]

Even a relatively cheap dust collector is likely to be a huge step up from a shop vac. I've been using a harbor freight dust collector for years and it does a fine (but not) great job - certainly good enough to suck up the dust from the tablesaw, planer, etc, but the 5 micron bag is less than ideal. But my workshop is also my garage, and most of the year I can operate with the garage door open so can get decent airflow. I agree with others - for a basement shop, you are really going to want good just collection, or maybe invest some effort to try to make it more air tight (plastic on ceiling/walls, sealing the door well, etc).

I have a 120 volt sawstop, and for most work, it is plenty powerful. If you were sawing a lot of thicker (2") material, you might want the extra power. My understanding is that this 1.75 HP (I think) will be able to get through most any material, but the feed rate would be slower vs a more powerful saw. For a home hobbyist, this likely isn't an issue - for a pro shop doing a lot of sawing, that slow feed rate can translate directly into lower productivity/less profit, so more reason for such shops to have high power machinery.

I keep meaning to hire someone to add a subpanel to my garage so that it will have 220, but I've gone without it so far. One thing to keep in mind is how many circuits you do have - the dust collector will basically need to be on its own circuit - running the DC + tablesaw/planer/jointer will almost certainly trip the circuit breaker if on the same circuit. Most of those tools draw enough power you may need to be careful on what else is on the same circuit (lights/lower power stuff isn't an issue, but if for example the basement shares a circuit with the kitchen where there is a microwave or toaster or other high wattage appliance, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise if someone decides to reheat a burrito in the microwave while you are using your tablesaw. But if you live alone, you can basically know that isn't a risk you will run into)

[Jacob McKim]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts so far. I really haven't put much thought into dust collection but clearly I should put some more thought into it. I think what I will do is have the electrician come in and add a circuit for dust collection, (2) 230V outlets, and then, leave the rest 110. From there I really have to just decide if I want to go used vs new.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts so far. I really haven't put much thought into dust collection but clearly I should put some more thought into it. I think what I will do is have the electrician come in and add a circuit for dust collection, (2) 230V outlets, and then, leave the rest 110. From there I really have to just decide if I want to go used vs new.

Installing two 240v circuits is a good idea because the DC should be on a dedicated circuit while the other tools can share one circuit. You do have to consider power requirements. While most things along the lines of what you are buying will require a 20 amp circuit, I'll suggest you have the electrician use 10 gauge cable so you have the ability to support 30 amps if you end up with a larger, more powerful tool. My primary machine circuit in my shop is 30 amps because it will handle any of my tools and I standardized on 30 amp terminations for everything, too. (twist locks in my case, even though they are more pricey) Shops evolve so if you plan on living where you do for sometime into the future, plan for "whatever". You never know when you might take advantage of a good deal on a larger machine that requires more juice.