Tell What Power Tool You Don't Need/Want

[glenn bradley]

The compound miter saw that I just had to have has been used once in the last 5 years or so and that was to trim out LOML's guest bath. I don't even keep it in the shop; its stored. I don't do a lot of work with long thin stock so a sled on the table saw takes care of crosscutting tasks for me. The biscuit joiner is another tool I researched the heck out of and bought the one everyone liked. It was a beautiful tool but, I don't use biscuits in the furniture I make. Another forum member got it for a good price after I had used it exactly once. I have a nice scrollsaw setup that I only use a few times a year but, when you need one, its perfect. It will stay.

[Matt Stiegler]

I wish I had never purchased any Ryobi products. I still have a few from when I got started and I think they are all flawed in enough ways to be useless. Actually they are worse than useless because they use up valuable shop space and serve as reminders of money wasted.

I'm coming up on 10 years using my Ryobi 18v nicad drill. For years I've been trying to justify upgrading it to buy something newer and niftier, but I never can. It's been solid and I'm fond of it. (OTOH, the other tools in the set it came with were pretty useless, I admit. 18v chainsaw?)

What I don't need? Handheld beltsander. Drill sanding gizmo. Big router bit sets. The 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th handsaws I bought.

[Rich Riddle]

I really do very little with a lathe and don't own a scroll saw though I did long ago.

As soon as I typed this, the first job in two decades that really needs a scroll saw came along. Go figure.

[Bill Clark De]

Perhaps thhe question should be what tools do i still lust after??? Every time i g to a new shop or wood store i see stuff i must someday have... which bring us to the brink of what must go to make room for the new arrivals .answer nuffin goes just gets stored(should read put in the corner).
It took a lifetime to gather some of this now worthless equipment.... Much like my days of raising hunting dogs if its born here it dies here....
Not sure this is a pratical solution to making work space avaible..Wait i am sure it isn't !!!!
* As a footnote only with out exception every time i have gifted away a replaced tool with-in a short peroid of time i need it...

[Tony Streible]

I think an accurate answer depends on the projects you typically do. Here is my take on many of the tools deemed not needed so far on this thread. When I do clock cases, doors, or chairs, I use the fool out of my mortiser - otherwise it sits. When I build tables, I still use biscuits joining the top. I use the Sliding compound mitre/chop saw incessantly - I could not live without it! My joiner hand tools stay sharp and constantly moving ( I come from a timber frame background). The only time I use my RAS is when I have a large order building doors. I have it permanently mounted on a special table to cut tenons. Otherwise it is in storage. **The one tool I could (shamefully) live without is the joiner. I cannot seem to make any improvements to the edge of anything run across it. And, mine is not wide enough or long enough to work on twists to face join. I can straight line rip and touch up by hand very quickly and make perfect glue joints. ** I could not live without the TS, Planer, Thickness sander, 2 Band saws, chop saw... Oh heck, I'm a junkie!

[Frank Trinkle]

Steelex Mortising machine along with my Ryobi Biscuit Joiner. Replaced both with a Domino.
Also haven't used my DeWalt Sawsall in six years. Scared to get rid of it though, because you know as soon as I do........

[Tom Clark FL]

Never needed or wanted any of the overpriced stuff Festool makes. Maybe if I was a pro shop, but certainly not as a hobbiest. I prefer real value for my dollar…

[Mark Wooden]

What do I want? I want a Maka mortiser and a good single end tennoner and then a vertical panel saw.

Pretty much anything festool, the hysteria related to their products annoys the crap out of me.

Yep. I've got a very accurate crosscut square for my skillsaw for breaking down sheet goods. I made the first one 20 years ago. Yes, boys and girls, there was woodworking before Festool

I have a corner chisel like Peter railed- I honed mine up well and use it a lot when I do mortise lock installs and hang doors.Works fine for me. Quicker than a butt chisel

Wouldn't be without a biscuit joiner

I still use my Rockwell 9" chopsaw- say what you will, it has stayed accurate, I just replace the table. I have another mitre saw and an RAS. Wouldn't be with out any of them.

I WOULD NOT be without a good jointer. I won't even discuss this- if you've had such bad luck with one, it was either a POS or you don't know how to use one. You gave up too soon.

Same goes for a tablesaw

I have seven routers. I use my shapers far more.

Wouldn't be without a bandsaw; but this is a machine that too many look to to be the anchor of a shop. It would go long before my tablesaw or jointer.

I wouldn't be without my hand tools- hand saws, coping saws, planes, chisels, hammer, awl, combo and steel squares.

[Craig Behnke]

I know of a guy who purchased $2500 worth of festool products and used it exactly one.

nice, you can now buy all those tools for half price. you're welcome.

[Jim Finn]

I have had very good experience with Ryobi equipment. I found their stationary belt sander to work very well and has lasted seven years so far. I once owned one of their planers which I sold to a friend and he still uses it. I have on my bench two of their 120 volt drill motors that I bought this past year because I needed a small light drill for repeated, in shop, screw installing. I work in my shop about 35 hours a week so my tools get used a lot.

[Matt Meiser]

What do I not want? A complete collection of Lee Valley/Lie Nielsen planes. Well maybe if someone gave me a complete set, but I don't want to buy them as I barely know what to do with 3-4 I have. I no longer desire to have large single-purpose machines. I sold my Kreg Foreman for the 4 square feet of floor space (and funds) it consumed. If I ever do another kitchen I might regret that (though on my last project I Domino'd the face frame with stellar results.) Guess that's why I like my jointer-planer tool--single footprint. I used to want a panel saw but for similar money to an entry level good panel saw I like my Festool stuff that packs away nicely. I don't want carving tools--I think like turning, I'd find that an exercise in frustration. I no longer want to waste any money on tools that don't work as intended. Originally I use the word "cheap" here but then I realized I wasted a lot of time and money on a previous track saw system that didn't work as advertised. But I really like my $15 HF angle grinders for running a flap disk or cutoff wheel.

There are some awfully judgmental posts in this thread. I woodwork because I want to make stuff not because I'm in to the art of joinery or a zen-like connection to the tree. There are those who are and that fine too. I know of woodworkers who rarely make anything but have a blast making test joints. Or even those who enjoy finely tuning their tools to the exact peak of perfection. I know one guy who basically has never built anything but has a shop full of restored tool art. I'd much rather build a piece of furniture than a fancy box, not that I don't think people make some REALLY nice boxes. When I set out to do one though I just can't get into it. There are some beautiful turnings posted here every day. When I tried it it turned into an exercise in frustration. I do like turning the occasional pen and have some kits to do some bottle stoppers. I probably like those because I'm only out 10 minutes when I destroy them. To that end, I wouldn't be out any of my tools that let me work faster, smarter, and more accurate. Cleaner is important to me too, partly for health reasons and partly because I probably have some OCD tendancies. My Festool saw and its multitude of accessories, Domino, and Kapex fit firmly into that category. It is absolutely true that the Kapex doesn't cut any better than a $400 miter saw. But it takes about half the square footage of my previous miter saw took once I added a big enough hood to get similar dust collection. And the Kapex let me easily add a set of shop-made extension wings that repeatably install and remove and still offer accurate repeatable cuts--something I experimented with numerous times but never got right.. My TS miter gauges have never felt so neglected. On the cleaner side, I wouldn't be without my 3HP cyclone either.