"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

Lots of people have done very good work with tools no better than that.
Don't worry about
upgrading your tools until you find that your technique has improved to the
point that your
ability to produce better work is limited by the tools and not by your own
skills.

Good advice... another dimension I'd include in that assessment is safety.
If the material you are working with is too big for the tools you have you
may need bigger tools or another way to perform the task. For example, I
went to a heavy 8" jointer when I had my 6" jointer standing on end while
jointing long heavy stock. I went to the 3 HP shaper with it's larger table
and more power when I struggled on two jobs in a row with my 1.5 HP shaper.
It's the old "if it feels unsafe it probably is unsafe" philosophy.

John