hi all very good site. not to good at this as not to good with computers. hope i will get better. have been doing wood work off and on for some year but still a novice. i am looking to buy some new tools for my new work shop and wanted some advise from the experts. i am looking to buy a table saw, bansaw,planner,thicknesser, am looking at record power or scheppach. all my orther tools are dewalt but dont thick their ones will do the job. sorry for waffling. any help please.
my advice would be to buy the machines one at a time, not in one big all-your-christmases-at-once splurge. Buy one, learn all about it, and what it is capable of. Learn how it fits into your working patterns. Spread the pleasure over a year or two, rather than having nothing to look forward to.
Personally, I would (and did) opt for the planer/thicknesser first, then a bandsaw. If you have a decent router table, you may well decide that these three combined mean you have no real need for a table saw..........and can you really afford the space?
Being a cheapskate, I have only ever bought second-hand machines. £90 for a really solid and accurate (and capable) P/T, and £150 for a good 14" bandsaw. There are some great bargains to be had, and you often got a much higher build quality with older machines.............albeit they may not have all the whistles and bells that new ones have.
Thank you for your input, it is very helpful. I have had a look around on ebay and local papers. I am always a bit dubious as what you are getting ie; no real warranty. But I've been in the same boat when selling. You know it's good but there's always doubt in your mind. I'm going to the D&M tool show in November to see the tools in action, as I'm not looking to rush into buying just yet. Thanks again for the reply. hope to chat soon and will let you know how i get on.
Michael, it depends on the work that you wish to carry out. My woodwork is more cabinet and furniture making and so therefore the machinery I own is a table saw, bandsaw, planer thicknesser, spindle moulder, lathe, router table, chop saw, pillar drill and disc sander.
Like mike says, if you can go for second hand if you can. 6 years ago I bought an elektra beckum PK200 package (table saw), and it served me well for 4 years until I bought a sip 10" heavy duty table saw. The PK200 cost me £630 when I bought it, and when I sold it it was still in a very good condition with all of the accessories that I bought it with, I only got £300 for it. The sip saw that I bought, I bought second hand, and I paid less than half its brand new cost, and I have not had a single problem with it.
If I'm honest, I wouldn't be without any of my tools or machines, but I bought all of what I have got over a 7 year period. Yes you do get what you pay for, but consider how much you are going to use it before deciding how much you want to spend on it. If its going to be in constant use, buy a decent one, on the other hand if you only use it once every now and then, buy a cheaper one. Ebay is a good starting place.
Thank you for your info as well. I've taken everything on board and as many of you I would use the tools for cabinet and furniture making to. And I've just bought a old 1860s cottage with lots of woodwork to do. And plans to build a good size work shop.
Hello Mick, I can also vouch for buying second hand machinery as I bought the 12" SIP table saw from e-bay and also got it for less than half the new price. The saw is a beauty and very accurate, I don't know how I managed without a good one for so long. All the best in your future choice.
