Ditto

Most of us have been down the road of "cheap", usually because that's all we
could afford and the Sear's ad came every Sunday with the paper. But having
tossed too many tools with very little hours on them, we learned.

But some thoughts just the same...

Drill press is nice to own but not necessary...whatever you buy will most
likely come from the same factory in the far east...I loved my old Delta
16-900 and hate it's big sister that replaced it.

Belt sander is also nice to have but not necessary...I had an AMT model with
9" disc and 6x48 belt that worked great. I think the 48" belt is better
since the underlying bed is longer. Watch for belt availability (check the
catalogues to see what is a "common" belt").

Jointer...don't know about the Grizzly but at the cheaper end I'm guessing
there is probably not much difference between them and Delta or Jet...I have
the Delta and was totally disappointed with certain aspects of the design
that made set-up a total PITA but it works ok...able to adjust to keep the
fence square to the table and that is the important part.

Router...buy a good one...lesson learned the hard way by me (2 Crapsman in
the trash)...I got a PC 690 and was amazed at the difference when I hit the
trigger...good ones have 1/4" and 1/2" collets (spend the bucks for bits for
the latter if you can) and now come in kits that lets you interchange a
plunge base a with fixed base...

Good luck!!!


"GTO69RA4" wrote in message
...
I had the attitude a couple years ago that all these folks who were down
on
cheap and/or imported tools were a bunch of out-of-touch snobs. Then I
actually
bought some. At least with the experiences I had, I would never, ever
again buy
anything slightly off-brand or cheaply made. I lost a lot of money and
ended up
with pretty scrap metal.

Grizzly is as far off the beaten path as I'd go, and I wouldn't buy their
cheapest stuff. The bench grinder I got from HF was useless.

I only buy used qualilty tools these days. I've been getting DeWalt 18V
drills
for $25-35 off eBay and table saws for free around here. It's amazing what
you
can find.

GTO(John)



I'm a potential newbie woodworker, trying to ascertain the likely cost of
getting into this. I'm persuaded by all the advice on this newgroup that
it's worth springing for a good table saw first and foremost. But I
don't
have a sense of when it's worthwhile paying more for better (brand?) for
other types of equipment. I check the catalogs and, as you all know,
there
is a considerable spread in price for a given type of equipment.
Obviously,
I want to be able to get good results so I don't become frustrated and
disillusioned with the hobby. On the other hand, I really want to
minimize
the expense. I'm probably most likely to be doing cabinets,
bookshelves,
desks, furniture types of things.

So, any advice on the following equipment would be appreciated.
(Apologies
if some of my comments seem naive, but don't hesitate to correct me.)

DRILL PRESS -- It seems to me that as long as the 'table' can be set
square
(or at a set angle), and locked tight, anything else is a matter of
convenience. So, I'm thinking like a 8" 5-speed Harbor Freight
(Central
Machinery) or Grizzly for $70-$80. Are there any compelling/quality
issues
that should require me to spend more? If so, what?

BELT SANDER -- Same rationale. I would think there isn't a lot of reason
not to get an inexpensive unit. E.g., a combo 6" disc/36" belt for about
$60 from Harbor Freight. Same question: Are there any
compelling/quality
issues that should require me to spend more? If so, what?

JOINTER -- 6" with a square fence that locks well. Popular Woodworking
gave the Grizzly model 1182HW ($305) an Editors Choice award. Yet this
is
pretty much low-end of the price range (except for benchtop models). Is
there any reason to pay for more than this?

ROUTER -- I don't understand the ins and outs of routers, but I gather
it's
worth buying a better unit, though I couldn't tell you why. What are the
minimum capabilities I should look for? What brands are adequate for my
purpose and what likely price range?

PLANER -- (sometime down the road perhaps) It seems like the wisdom
is
to buy something that produces smooth results with blades that aren't too
hard to change. Probably a 12" portable model. Price range perhaps $300
for a decent one. Sound right?

DUST COLLECTION -- a very early investment. I've done quite a bit of
reading on this so I think I understand the cost/quality issues.

Many thanks.