Rank the tools in your shop in order of importance

[J.R. Rutter]

Professional, cabinet doors + millwork

Most important:
Cut off saw with Tigerstop
Shapers
Widebelt sander

Gathering dust:
Blum mini press (everyone bores their own)
Mortiser
Track saw

[Brett Robson]

Hobbyist - mostly antique style furniture.

Most important:
1- table saw
2- planer/jointer and the RAS are all probably tied for 2nd
3- various hand tools

Least important:
1- dovetail jig. I really should just give the thing away, I can't recall the last time I used it.
2- biscuit jointer. I never use it for furniture, but once in a blue moon for plywood based shop/DIY projects.
3- circular saw. I hate it. It's buried out in the garage somewhere. Another tool I should give away.

[Andrew Joiner]

1.When I was a pro from 1970 to 1991 cabinets to millwork but mostly office furniture.
2.Table saw, vertical panel saw and radial arm saw.
3. Jointer (I bought S3S lumber), double spindle carving machine, hand planes.

1.Now a hobbyist making modern furniture for me and friends.
2.Table saw, vertical panel saw and radial arm saw. If you add sanders,planer,routers and drills that's 90% of it.
3.Hand planes and a RO sander that vibrates to much. I have some totally unused tools that need new batteries because new tools with batteries don't cost much more.

When I was a pro I could easily justify the purchase of a special tool or machine for a unique job. The profits paid for it. I rarely used a lathe yet I needed one in 1978. It was one of biggest most profitable jobs I ever did. The lathe and carving machine got used a lot on that job, but rarely after that.
You didn't ask but I have some favorite tools. Tools that are a pleasure to work with. The vertical panel saw is one. So easy and fast for one person to precisely cut up 4x8 sheets. Another is a Ridgid 12 volt driver/drill. I love the big ratcheting chuck and lifetime battery warranty. I love my cheap lunchbox planer. It performs perfectly after 7 years of hobby use. I flatten big heavy slabs with it and I smile every time I do.

People often complain about the loss of all the USA made tools. I worked with them and made a good living with them. I am however amazed at the quality of work one can produce with the low-cost tools readily available today.

[Mike Heidrick]

Hobbyist that sells products on ebay and does CNC jobs by request

Most important woodworking tools:
CNC router
Tablesaw
SCMS
Jointer/Planer
ROS
MillDrill
Other routers
Shaper
Clamps
Bench

Would fix any immediately or replace

Rarely used
horiz mortiser
hand planes
biscuit cutter

[Jared Walters]

Lots of people have biscuit jointers and don't really use them haha.

I forgot to rank my own.

1. Hobbyist... small furniture and boxes. I use almost exclusively hand tools.

2. Combo square (been picked up three times as much as any other tool), jack plane, dozuki saws

3. Mortise chisels, cabinet scraper, smoothing plane (its not in the best shape and isn't as good a performer as my others)

[Brian W Smith]

1-Pro job shop

2-measuring equipment

3-drafting machine/books/resource material

[Brian Tymchak]

1. Hobbyist, home furnishings, moving soon into turning

2. Workbench, dust collector, tablesaw

3. Drill Doctor, Oscillating spindle sander, wet-wheel sharpener

[Jesse Busenitz]

1. Full time( just not a professional:-) Furniture, but now mainly cabinets.

2.Table saw, Miter saw, Jointer/planer

3. Mortiser, 14" and 21" bandsaw when building cabinets Opposite if building furniture.

[Jerry Olexa]

I build furniture mostly so: in order

Table saw
Routers/router table
Workbench
jointer planer
clamps

[Kelly Cleveland]

1. Hobbyist, mostly small projects when i'm not working on my pipe organ.
2.Bandsaw, Tablesaw, smoothing plane
3.Dremel, jigsaw, finish sander

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Jared, due to my machinery assortment I get to cheat a little :-)

I'm a hobby user who makes solid wood furniture, often A&C or Greene & Greene

1) Slidingsaw/shaper

2) Jointer/planer

3) Hand tools

Least used tools

- biscuit joiner

- electric router (used once )

regards, Rod.

[Mike Schuch]

1) Hobbyist - Furniture, Home renovations, anything I can dream up.

2) Most important tools - Table saw, Radial arm saw, Jointer, Planer, Router, Sanders, Shaper.

3) Least used tools - Band saw, profile sander, Wood Lathe, Scroll saw, Biscuit joiner.

4) Best luxury tool - Horizontal boring machine!

[Lee Reep]

1. I'm a hobbyist, and the work I do varies, and so therefore my primary tools.

2. In general, it would be radial arm saw (my first major power tool purchase in 1976) for all my crosscutting at 90 degrees, (angled cuts done on my compound miter saw). Next saw is table saw, but mostly for ripping. Then jointer, planer, and bandsaw. Now that I am remodeling our house, the track saw is important for breaking down sheet goods for cabinetry. And routers, handheld and in the table, in support of any custom trim and edge finishing. Most of my non-remodeling efforts go to woodturning, my newest addiction in the past 5 years, so that puts lathe high on the list.

3. Least important tools for me are the scroll saw (zero patience for all the effort required!), and the biscuit joiner (used twice in maybe 7-8 years).

[Mark Wooden]

Small pro shop, make just about anything but mostly architectural millwork
Most important-
Table and radial arm saw(s)
Jointer(s) and Planer(s) - if it's not flat and straight in applicable planes, it's firewood
Shaper(s)
(Actually, I wouldn't want to be without any of my machinery, but would get by without my SCMS easily)

Secondary importance (but in use almost daily)
AutoCad
Hand tools- squares, layout rules and straight edges, planes, files and rasps
ROS
Biscuit joiners-(NO Domino, have a mortiser and don't need or want one)
Lipping planer
Routers

Least important-
Hand held belt sander
Any gimicky tool

[Mike Ontko]

1. What work do you primarily do in your shop. (What stuff do you make and is it done professionally or as a hobby?)

>>Desired: (fine) furniture
>>Actual (as of today's date): equipment setup, cleaning/rearranging, jig construction, prototype construction, garden trellis construction, tool sharpening

2. Three most important tools, ranked in order. These are the tools you use constantly or otherwise perform a task that you wouldn't want to do any other way. If one broke irreparably you would quickly buy another... etc

>>Tablesaw and mitersaw for sure. Possibly jointer and planer after that. Routers possibly, or my dust collector , if you consider that a tool.

3. Three least important tools, ranked in order. Maybe things you thought you would use a lot more but didn't really need. Or it could be something where you have other acceptable means to perform the same tasks.

>>Since I'm just starting out, mine is a shop of economy--I only buy tools based on project need. So perhaps, my least important would be those tools I'd used previously for home remodeling/renovation: plumbing torches (MAP & propane), drywall equipment (compound knives, trowels, square, hammer), concrete nailer gun, et al.