It seems to me that there must be some way to choose whether to collect separate machines or have a combination tool, such as: Hammer, Robland, or Rojek.
Space being what it is, unchangeable, that is: 24 x 28.
I want to add a jointer, at least 8 inches; a shaper; and replace my 12 inch lunchbox planer with a heavier duty model. These all take added space and will run $3000 or so. I have a Delta 10 inch tilting abor saw with 52 inch Unifence with a 5 foot table in front, a SCMS, DP. I used to have a Bosch 1611 router for a router table, but it walked away a couple of weeks ago.
When I stand in the shop and envision the space these will take up, a combo tool starts to become appealing. Even at that, choosing among the combos seems even less clear.
The more I read, the less clear it becomes. Any gems of wisdom you might care to share?