You can only choose 3.

Jkeeter725

New User
Jerrad
Greetings,

I'm looking for opinions on what my third piece of equipment will be.

I enjoy projects from time to time and doing my own improvements around the house. I currently have a sliding compound miter saw and just added a 10" table saw. As I'm learning and getting more involved in the project side I'm learning I am not satisfied with the hardwood options provided by the big box stores. From what I'm gathering so far this often means purchasing rough cut lumber or atleast lumber that is needing some milling.

With that small piece of information I'm trying to decide what piece of equipment will offer me the most versatility for project work. I'm leaning toward a small bench top planer? Any other recommendations?
 

Kelly

Kelly
User
Planer should definitely be the next addition. And get the largest one you can afford. There have been some good deals on used ones on this website's forums.
 

llucas

luke
Senior User
another vote for planer...get a good one as it will get a tremendous amount of use. I pretty much start with all rough cut wood and everything that comes off my table saw sees some time at the planer. A jointer is another consideration, but a planer can serve as a face jointer if you use a sled with it.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
A lunchbox planer like a DeWalt 735 works well. It will handle rough cut boards up to 13" wide.

 

Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
Not much in the way of choices - a planer is in your future. But, looking forward, a bandsaw will provide a resaw capability. A router can provide board jointing and other uses. A jointer will flatten rough lumber for planing too. It never ends...
 

zdorsch

Zach
Corporate Member
I’m in the planer camp.

I actually have 2 planers (lunchbox and stationary=heavier duty) that have been around longer than my bandsaw.

I thought I would use the band saw more but found I don’t like changing blades and I would really like more resaw capacity than a 14” BS without rise can provide. Resaw issues can be solved creatively with a table saw and hand saw. (Of course you could use a hand plane to thickness work, but a power planer makes it a lot faster.)
 

sawman101

Bruce Swanson
Corporate Member
A 13" bench top planer is your best next addition if you plan to work with rough cut lumber. That is all that I've ever used in my woodworking projects is rough cut lumber. A jointer is a real help to flatten an edge before going to the table saw to finish squaring up a board. A band saw is really nice, and I have 2, but they don't get used very much unless I'm resawing for thickness, then back to the planer to even it up.
 

Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
Based on your post, I would say: Planer. Even though I use hand tools a lot, I use the thickness planer much more than my bandsaw. With the planer, you can either flatten one side with a hand plane or use a sled in the planer. After that, it makes quick work of getting all matching pieces to a consistent dimension.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
With each new machine your capabilities expand. The key is to keep improving and growing. Get a machine and learn how much more you can do with it.
If you're working with solid lumber, you'll eventually need both a planer and a jointer for processing wood to the sizes needed by your project. You'll no longer have to fit the project to the size of wood you have.
 

Bas

Recovering tool addict
Bas
Corporate Member
This is a wild idea, and nobody else is going to suggest this, but how about a planer?
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
Maybe a second hand jointer-planer

jointer planer B&M.jpg
 

walnutjerry

Jerry
Senior User
gear purchases to what you want to do. table saw, jointer, and planer seem to be the most often used in my shop. My lathe and bandsaw would be a close second in use.
 

Jkeeter725

New User
Jerrad
Thank for all the replies,

I also considered a BS or a jointer if I went with either I would need to buy S2S or S3S lumber which would not be too pricey from what I've seen some places charge per BD/FT
 

FlyingRon

Moderator
Ron
I had a 6" jointer for a while but I sold it for the Jet 12" joiner/planer combo (my old planer was junk, but it was given to me). It triggered a jointer trickledown in my neighborhood. I sold the jointer to my neighbor for what I paid for it (I bought it used) and he sold his old 4" jointer for what he paid me for mine (hmm... might have underpriced it).

I have to say, I used the J/P combo more than I ever used the standalone jointer for some reason. Even in jointer mode.
 

Jeremy Scuteri

Moderator
Jeremy
If the goal is to open up more options for lumber, planer is the only way to go. Check out some videos on simple sleds for the planer that allow you to face joint a board (
)
 

Premier Sponsor

Our Sponsors

LATEST FOR SALE LISTINGS

Top