what tools give you the best return on investment?

[george wilson]

I don't use a Japanese natural stone. I have a medium diamond plate to remove nicks with if needed for a start.

[Brian Holcombe]

If I'm being honest the lunchbox (DW735 w/ Shelix head) ranks pretty high. Unfortunately I don't have room for a jointer.

Roughing by hand is great exercise, but sometimes you just want to get on with the fun stuff...

Again if I'm being honest, the drill press (the cheap-o Porter-Cable, which does OK if you replace the belts and take the time to dial it in) is up there as well.

Roughing by hand can be one of the fun things, but I don't begrudge those who prefer machine.

[Reinis Kanders]

What belts did you use? I have the same drill press, it is adequate for my needs, but front pully is noisy and kind of jumpy.

If I'm being honest the lunchbox (DW735 w/ Shelix head) ranks pretty high. Unfortunately I don't have room for a jointer.

Roughing by hand is great exercise, but sometimes you just want to get on with the fun stuff...

Again if I'm being honest, the drill press (the cheap-o Porter-Cable, which does OK if you replace the belts and take the time to dial it in) is up there as well.

[Patrick Chase]

What belts did you use? I have the same drill press, it is adequate for my needs, but front pully is noisy and kind of jumpy.

It's been a few years, but I measured the original belts, figured out that they were a standard cross-section, and got ones in the same cross-section and appropriate lengths from one of the usual suspects (probably McMaster-Carr). I'll see if I can find my notes and/or receipts later.

Some folks recommend replacing the arbor as well, but I was able to get within <2 mils total runout with the one that came with the press. That's good enough for what I do.

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I look at the question a bit differently than most. I look at it as what tools have paid me back in actually dollars saved or earned.
Thus, for me it has to be the carpenters tools that I have used over the years to remodel the two houses we have owned, and which I use to help my son in law and daughter with their house, and to help others as well.

I had these when I had almost no money, and bought some at garage sales, auctions, a few from my meager pay checks, and some my folks gave me for Christmas, etc. Most were used when I got them, but now all.

I am sure I will miss some, but they do include:

Two cheap Stanley homeowner chisels, 1/2" and 1 1/4"
Three hand saws: 7 pt rip, 8 pt crosscut, and 12 pt crosscut finish saw
Two true temper hammers, 16 oz claw, and 20 oz framing hammer
A very old Millers Falls Langdon miter box and Disston back saw
A 30" and 6' levels
A 16' Stanley tape measure
Various small tools: nail sets, center punch, scribing tool, various utility knives, combination square, a gents saw, chalk line, cheap stud finder, plumb line
Brace and auger bit set
Black and Decker drill, twist drill bits, and screw driver bits
My dads 1950s 9" Delta Rockwell table saw
Old Craftsman circular saw
My old #5 jack plane, the only one I had for years, and a non-adjustable mouth block plane (an old Winchester)
Old framing square, possibly one my Grandfather owned
Various crow bars, blue bars, and nail pullers
Needle nosed pliars, diagonal cutters, slip joint pliars, etc., for running electrical circuits, repairs and replacements, etc.

I am sure I've missed something, but I've done a lot of remodeling with these tools, and they have paid themselves off more than 50 to 1 at least, and maybe 100 to 1 or more. Just the remodeling of two baths, as dressing room, and the kitchen in our current house saved on the order of $40,000, or more, and I completely remodeled our former house, which was an extremely extensive job. (That doesn't include rebuilding our fence, building a stick built high quality 120 sq foot shed, etc., etc., etc.

What I am saying is that you can do a lot of carpentry with these few simple hand tools, they will give you a huge pay back, and if you buy them at flea markets, etc., like I did, they will quikly pay for themselves.

Stew

[Ray Selinger]

Without a doubt, card scrapers.they are truly magic on epoxy and cedar strip canoes.

A Swedish made Sandvik black handled 1 1/4 chisel picked out of a clearance bin at K-Mart. The thin blade and hollow handle made me think they were just a cheap chisel.Wrong. The balance was so much better than either the Stanley # 60s or the English Stanley #5002, a Stanley version of the blue chip. It awakened me to a chisel as an extension of your hand.

[Mike Allen1010]

Repent, apostate!

Classic Patrick! My only regret is I blew good single barrel bourbon out my nose laughing at your comment!

Cheers, Mike

[Glen Canaday]

I still stick with the lowly lightbulb. Without it, nothing gets done.

[Mike Allen1010]

Thanks to all for some really interesting replies. I have to agree some of the basics like good lighting, a bench and a fan to cool off the workshop are essential for me too.

The flipside might also be interesting; are there any tools you bought that that didn't turn out to be as fun/useful as you expected? Not looking for any criticisms of specific tool makers, more interested in tools that "look good on paper", but once in your shop didn't really deliver what you're hoping for. Thanks to all for your experience.

All the best, Mike

[Mike Cherry]

Interesting discussion.
Best return was my Stanley #5 and a starret combination square. Those two tools literally touch 95%of the work I do if not more.

Worst return on investment is even harder. I hate to be "that guy" but I'd have to say the Lie Nielsen #8 that I bought new. I thought it would be a game changer, but I realized my roundside #7 flattened by tablesawtom was just as good for a third the price. Hard lesson learned.