this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2023
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Woodworking
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People will complain about any number of tools. "THIS GUY HAS $10K IN TOOLS, MINIMUM, NO ONE CAN DO THIS PROJECT WITHOUT ALL THOSE TOOLS!!!1!"
Ignoring the fact that while that particular shop has expensive tools, nobody (sane) goes out and drops all that money at once. Most woodworking projects only need a table saw, a planer, a cordless drill, an orbital sander, glue, sandpaper and finish.
All of the tools can be found cheap on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, yard sales, or estate sales/auctions.
Table saw: I ran with a DeWalt job site saw for years before my wife talked me into getting a saw stop. $350 new, or ~$100 used. You can also find used contractor saws for $300 on a regular basis on the aforementioned platforms.
Planer: I used a shitty lunchbox planer for years that I saved from a dumpster with some 3D printed gears that I designed. I bought a used tank of a planer (still only 12", but 230V and weighs about two of me) for $200. You don't need a jointer. Make a jointer sled for your planer and a jointer sled for your table saw. Takes longer, but I still used the planer sled for boards that don't fit on my jointer.
Cordless drill: Ryobi has a drill and driver combo for around $100, or get a DeWalt for $60. Or scrape the bottom of the barrel for Harbor Freight that'll get you by for a bit for $20
Random orbit sander: I used a $14 one from Walmart for years until my hands started hurting after using it. $100 for a new Makita one, can be found for $50 or less used.
Sandpaper: $12 for a massive pack on Amazon
Glue: $10 for a medium sized bottle of Titebond II
Drill bits: $5 at harbor freight
Woodworking isn't a cheap hobby, but you can get into it with used tools and some restoration work. People love to nitpick shit, and it gets old seeing the same defeatist mentality of people talking themselves out of even trying it.
Space is the only thing you need, but even then, I started on a 5'x5' apartment balcony in Florida, and used an uninsulated, unpowered 9'x16' shed in Alaska for several years.
I'd say you'd also need a router.
Lowe's has got this Kobalt-brand router plus table for right around $200 that's surprisingly good for the money. That's the router, base, edge guide, table with fence and miter gauge, basically everything but bits.
A router is at the top of my list for "nice to have, adds a lot of value, but not absolutely necessary for basic projects" tools. I still don't have a router table after 6 years, just a Makita plunge router that I got for $100. Great tool, but not 100% necessary if you're just trying to make basic tables and such.
I would buy a router + table before I bought a miter saw, drill press, band saw, or even a jointer/planer.
Decorative edges and mouldings, mortises, dados, grooves, slots, rabbets, hinge mortises, hell all of the operations that go into panel doors. And you can use a router, especially in a table, as an edge jointer, so in a pinch you can get into making panels without buying a jointer. Routers are hella versatile.
I'd agree with router before a drill press, miter saw, bandsaw, and a jointer. However, for simple furniture projects, I'd argue a planer is the second most important tool behind a table saw. You can use a planer with a sled for face jointing, and a table saw sled for edge jointing. Yes, you need a router for edge profiles, but not for dead simple tables and cabinets.
Exceptionally versatile tool, and necessary to take you to the next level, but not more important than a planer.