new shop tools?

[Gary Herrmann]

If you wait for sales, buy refurbished tools, buy high quality used tools etc, you can save a whole lot of money. Sometimes you can get really lucky and pay 10% of what something retails for. You can also find never used display models that will go for less than 50% of retail. And if you're willing to refurbish old 'arn, you'll have an amazing shop for very little cash. Patience is the thing.

If you buy it all at once, you won't save a lot of money. Your choice.

[Thomas Williams]

Didn't Fine Woodworking put together a shop for $5000 recently?
I think this is one of those questions that the correct answer would go "Depends . . ."

[Dave Lehnert]

First, are we talking a pro shop or a home shop?

Being a shopsmith owner we always get jumped on about " You can buy a shop full of stand alone equipment for the price of a new Shopsmith" ($3,500) Now all I am seeing is 10 to 20K for a shop full of tools.

For a Home shop I would think 5K would get you going. I think it would be a mistake to go out and buy all your equipment at once. Not till you find out how you like to work. I own a radial arm saw and have not turned it on in years. Others may use one for every cut and their miter saw sits in the corner.

A woodshop can get very expensive but most tools you buy is a lifetime purchase. You can set up shop cheaper than going out and buying a Ford Mustang like my friend did. His car will be gone in a few years but I will still have my shop of tools.

[Myk Rian]

Why Grizzly tools only?
It can be done for $5k, or less, with quality tools.

[Thomas S Stockton]

To make really nice furniture you can get away with a lot less than you think. I've used some real junk to make some really good furniture. My advice is to pay cash and be patient, you don't need everything at once and if you buy smart you can break even or turn a slight profit when upgrading.
When I started out I had a $200 import bandsaw, 9" contractors saw that had to be screwed to the floor so it wouldn't topple when cutting ply, $100 drill press, one router, a vacuum press I built for $150 and the most expensive tool was a Hitachi jointer/planer. Grand total maybe a couple of grand. The bandsaw eventually broke but I still have the drill press, jointer/planer and pump from the vacuum pump.
I think your better off spending money to improve your skills than thinking that higher quality tools will make your work better.
I would also read a "A cabinetmakers Notebook" by James Krenov most people think of him as a hand tool only guy but he used machines when he felt it was appropriate and in a lot of ways his minimalist attitude is refreshing. He didn't need bridgecity this or lie-nelson that, when he needed a larger square he made one out of wood, probably not as accurate as a Starett but I would argue just as useful.
My feeling has always been it is not the tools that matter but the quality of the work produced, if I walk into a shop and it looks like a catalog for felder or they have every Festool product the first thing I want to see is what they make. I think for some people the shop is the hobby and not the actual woodworking. This is fine but If that person had scaled down their budget and spent 10K on classes they would be well on their to turning out some nice work.
Tom