Woodshop tool priorities?

[cubevandude]

Here's the order I would purchase large equipment in, with my experience as a professional carpenter.

1. Band saw - I'd have a good look at a Laguana 14/12 bandsaw.  By the time you upgrade a used one, you will have as much or more invested in it then this machine.  This is one of the most versatile machines for woodworking of any kind.
This is the best price I found in the US:https://www.rockler.com/laguna-1412-14-bandsaw

2. Track Saw and 20mm Precision Top with Stainless Dogs.  This is one of the best way to break down sheet goods without help.  Once you have smaller pieces then the table saw some into play.  A good table makes this easy. 

3. Buffalo/Canadian Blower and Forge 18 inch Drill Press.  Sometimes you can find one with the mortising kit.  If you find one with a 3 phase 220V motor on it you can add a VFD and then have infinite speed control with 110 or 220 single phase power.  A cheap offshore drill press will frustrate you.

4. Tormek Sharpening System.  I'd recommend this before the planer and jointer are purchased so you can sharpen your own blades as this can get really add up.  Most guys don't sharpen their blades soon enough because of the cost.  With the right jigs you can also make some extra pocket change and you can keep your wife's knives and scissors sharp.

5. Jointer - 6 inches or larger.  These are simple machines, so find one that suits you.  You don't need the fancy carbide heads and big HP.  Make sure you have an extra set of blades and a good knife setting jig.

6. Planer - Buy the biggest one you can afford.  15" seems big until you start making a bunch of 16" or 18" wide projects.  Again make sure you have a second set of blades and the knife setting jig for the machine you get.

7. Sawdust Control -  With the planer you've got a mess.  You have to decide if you are going to re-circulate the air back into the shop or just blow it outside into a container.  If you are putting the dust collector in the shop, then you will need a good cyclone and filter system to capture this hazardous byproduct.  I'd spend some time reading Bill Pentz' website so you understand the dangers of fine dust.  I've seen a lot of Youtube videos where they spend thousands of dollars on a cyclone system and then vent it outside anyway.  This is a waste of money IMO.  The least expensive method is to buy a blower and just blow the sawdust  into a trailer or enclosed bin outside, then you don't have to deal with the fine dust returning into your breathing air supply.  The whole design purpose of a cyclone dust collector is to keep the warm or cool air in your workspace, if this is not a concern then, don't collect the dust in your work are, remove it.

8. Sander.  You'll want a sander at some point.  The Ridgid Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander is an inexpensive option and I love mine as I can take it to the jobsite for the staircase work I do.

9. Router Table or Shaper.  Your needs will dictate this decision.

 

[demographic]

For a hobbiest I would say its worth watching a few Paul Sellers youtube videos and have a good hard think about what power tools you DONT need.

I have a fair few power tools but I'm a site carpenter and speed is the key, if its enjoyment I'm talking about hand tools are far and away nicer to use.

Having said that, a tracksaw sure is handy, extraction for it, a bandsaw does some things other tools struggle with and maybe a router and drill press.

 

[them700project]

Let your budget be your guide. Many tools overlap in function. track saw does alot of what a tablesaw can do but may lack abilities in small cuts.

-I started with a table saw  and used it to build a miter saw station for my kapex. (I went overboard and chewed up more space than I should have but gained a ton of shop storage)
-Started with a HF 2 hp dust collector(which i eventually made 2 stage, but finally replaced with a clearvue.) The HF alone is a good start to save money in the beginning
- My next tool was a dewalt 735 and I liked it but didnt love the blades(eventually got an A3-31 and sold this)
-Laguna bandsaw
-Powermatic drill press
-Jessem Router table( I would like to sell this and switch to a tablesaw wing router for space savings

Like others have said I would buy the tool I needed for my next project. and along the way each of these is going to need accessories and you will need hand tools and marking/measuring tools. Buy them as you need them. Look for sales

Clamps buy them when you find them on sale Jet comes up from time to time with cheap parallel clamps sets. (you will always need more than you have)

Space is the only finite item you should think about in the end. Always think about what the shop will look like when you have every tool you want. because you have x amount of square footage and it is unlikely you wil talk the wife into an addition. if you are building the house you may want to figure away to get the DC and a compressor installed outside of the shop(basement/attic)

Power should be thought out so that down the road you dont need to add anything. Lighting too

 

[JohnnyEgo]

A lot of things can be done with what you've already got, but other tools make it easier or more convenient.  Stepping up to a cabinet saw and a floor drill press made some things faster and easier.  I got by for 25 years without owning a bandsaw; could improvise most of it's function between a coping saw, a jig saw, a router, and/or my stationary belt sander.  Now that I own one (a Laguna 14BX), I love it and it takes a lot less time for me to accomplish some things than before I had it.  So all of these added up to save significant shop time when I had more money than time, but none of them individually was a game changer.  The jointer-planer was.

I bought a Felder combo machine (A3-41) and it opened new doors into the hobby.  I was no longer bound by whatever I could find pre-dimensioned from the big box stores.  I started working a lot more in solid woods and with nicer materials.  I could dial in the exact thickness I wanted, and started working in materials other than in 1/2 and 3/4 thicknesses.  Ironically enough, it moved me away from power tools for smaller projects, and back into hand tools and traditional woodworking approaches, just because I could very accurately size the raw material to dimensions like 3/8", etc... 

I wouldn't say you needed to start at the Felder / Minmax, etc... level, and the DW 735 and Rigid 6" are great places to start on a budget.  But you can definitely include me in with the other posters telling you a jointer and planer would be wise early purchases. 

 

[RussellS]

think about what power tools you DONT need.

Agree, agree, agree.  And there are a lot of hand tools you don't need either.  Like every size of handplane.  You can get by with just the 4 and 7.  You don't need the 3, 5, and 6 along with the 4 and 7.  Or maybe you can get by just fine with only a 5.  Do you need two size of shoulder planes?  Or is one size shoulder enough.  Do you need a tenon and dovetail saw?  Or is a dovetail enough.  Do you need a rip and crosscut saw?  Well maybe you do need both of those if you are cutting all your wood by hand.  But if you are using a power saw to cut your wood, you might not need any regular handsaw.

 

[ColossusX]

All the advice and insight is helpful.  It reinforced some of the ideas and I had and made me rethink some others..