Planning my new shop and tool purchases I'm encountering a variety of machines with 3, 5 and even up to 7.5 HP motors. For a hobby woodworking shop at home, I'm wondering if I need machines rated that high. On the other hand I don't want to anything undersized, be disappointed and have to replace it.
I'm also afraid of the unknown, the electrical bill, which led me the question of what it cost to operate a woodshop.
Have you ever calculated (or measured) your shop energy consumption and expense?
How much time do you spend in the shop?
Of that, any idea how many hours the larger machines are running?