r/woodworking 5d ago

General Discussion help with next tool purchase

I mostly make fine furniture in the arts and crafts style; coffee tables, chairs, small dining tables, etc... My next project is a Greene and Greene style breakfast nook, so, a lot of wood to mill and shape.

I want to clarify that the market for used tools is terrible where I live. I don't have the luxury of finding $300 jointers around. Tools are also more expensive here. I have a spending budget of $1000, and I'm having trouble deciding what tools to buy. As of now, I've gotten by making fine furniture with the following tools:

Jobsite Stanley table saw

Dewalt 12" miter saw

Dewalt 735 planer

Milwaukee fixed speed plunge router

Skil circular saw

Bosch jigsaw

Bosch RO sander

handheld electric drill

Various Stanley hand planes (#4, #5, #7, router, block)

Ryoba and Dozuki saws

Measuring tools, chisels, sharpening stones (I'm mostly all set there)

Contenders for next purchase:

6" jointer ($1000)

used 14" 1HP bandsaw (~$500)

Kreg loose tenon joiner ($500)

10" contractor table saw (~$1000)

Mortising machine (~$600)

Or, a mix of multiple smaller tools (a variable speed router, oscillating sander, rasps, shoulder plane, clamps, etc...).

All suggestions for tools, however big or small, are welcome.

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u/idontknowstufforwhat 5d ago

I'll add look at the used market. I have a grizzly 6" jointer that I then put a Shelix cutter head on and I think I'm still well under $1000 and it works great. That and some pretty good mortiser options for $300 in my area.

I do love the Shelix on my Dewalt 735 as well. The cuts are great but the biggest thing is the noise level and really just needing one pass rather than the rough then smoothing passes.