If you were putting together a DIY workshop, what power tools would you absolutely want/need?

Question

If you were putting together a DIY workshop, what power tools would you absolutely want/need?

Answer 1

if it were me, here is my list:

18V cordless drill

miter saw

router

palm sander

and possibly a table saw

but that's just me :) are you putting one together and searching for ideas, or just wondering??

Answer 2

Need is often determined by the type of work, or projects.

   It also might be defined by what you intend to do as a DIY, in the sense of sticking to one type of crafting/trade, or being able to cross from Woodworking, to plumbing, to minor electrical work, etc.

   In my "Shop"  I want a chop saw, a table saw, a drill press, perhaps a band saw, some type of table/belt sander, then a variety of corded and cordless power tools. A decent set of wrenches, sockets, s***w drivers, pliers, wire cutters. I have more than I need, but use what I have.

   As important may be what isn't a tool that you have in YOUR shop, such as various types of lumber, or pipe, or electrical hardware to replace switches and/or recpetacles, for example. You might keep a variety of items related to painting/finishing

   Most people who have any interest will also expand their SHOP as needed, NOT buy out HD or Lowes "just in case". Certainly too there may be times when a tool is used for something other than it's initial purpose, like a s***w driver becoming a chisel, or paint can opener.

   As I mentioned, not everyone wants to be generalized. I had an Uncle, probably he had OCD, and a shop as clean as a Hospital surgical ward. All he did was make bird houses and feeders, but he had every tool known to man, at the time, to make his efforts as easy as possible for him. He may not have been able to change a light bulb??? But he also may not have cared.

Steven Wolf

Just my two "sense"

Answer 3

I can't answer for you, so I will use myself for an example.

The way I look at this is how often am I going to use the tool in the next year or so.  There is always a new tool you want, but can you justify the cost.  Is there another way to skin that cat?  For example, I would like to have the equipment to build cabinets.  To me, it isn't work, but a relaxing hobby.  In order to do that, I would need more space, add drill press equipment, perhaps a shaper, definitely a router table set up for profile and coping doors rails and stiles, larger table saw, perhaps drum sander, large planer, probably more equipment that I'm not thinking of.  I can't justify that price tag for a hobby.  This is an extreme example to illustrate a point.

It depends on what you are doing.  If it is place to store tools for general home maintenance, then you may not need much, hammer, drill, tape, circular saw, jigsaw, basic tool hand tools, and a place to neatly store them when not in use, could be a place in a small shed with the lawnmower.  But if you are going to be doing more crafts, then you need more space and tools.  Think of what you plan on doing.  Then break it down it for projects and trades.  For woodworking, you need to look at what methods of cutting, sanding, joining, finishing you will use.  A shelf with a little detail for the kids, may require a miter saw, table saw, jig saw, palm sander, brads (pneumatic is always nice) and glue, handsanding, a bit of paint.  Also back to the justify the cost point, while a big shop may need big tools for production, there are ways to avoid to the big tool price if you are only going to use the tool once.  Do you need the special nail gun, for one project, when you could either come up a different joining method for what you have handy or borrow the gun from someone for a little bit or rent it.  Point is don't buy special tools that you don't plan on using but once or twice.  Well, if you are rich......

What I absolutely need, I already have and a few things I don't really need, but there are things I would like to have.  Have miter saws, table saw, circular saws, jigsaw, belt sander, palm sanders, router, nail guns, but all that stuff was needed for work, anyway.  Would like to have a better table saw, better router table, bandsaw.  I can't justify all that, usually I make do with what I have. A better table saw will be first on the list.

Answer 4

a drill.

Answer 5

Air compressor and assorted pnuematic tools, circular saw, table saw, cordless drill and a dust collection system would be a good start for me.  You probably would not believe how many tools I own for just wood working.  The list of essential tools would depend on what you are going to be making in your workshop.

Answer 6

Drill stand, router and routing table, lathe, band saw, saw table, jig saw.