As we’ve discussed in my previous articles, it’s possible to start woodworking with different budgets. When you are ready to commit $1000, it is already a big deal. Do know that woodworking is an expensive hobby, it requires a lot of investment into tools, as well as buying materials especially when you start working with hardwoods. When you woodwork for a while, you’ll probably realize that $1000 is not really a lot of money.
With all that being said, I do want to argue that $1000 is at the kind of sweet spot that can get you into serious woodworking, and can accomplish vast majority things you will want to build. Without further due, let’s get into the list. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Table saw ($250-$500)
- Drills/drive set ($100)
- Circular saw (<$50)
- Router ($100-$200)
- Band saw ($100)
- Sander ($50)
- Dust Collection ($50)
- Shop Essentials ($100)
All articles in the series:
- Beginner Woodworking Tools Under $100
- Beginner Woodworking Tools Under $250
- Beginner Woodworking Tools Under $500
- Beginner Woodworking Tools Under $1000
Table Saw
Table saw is still the first thing you should get. I’ve already talked about the importance of table saw and why it is the work horse in your shop in this article. My recommendation is still the same: start from a cheap, reliable compact table saw. This costs around $250-300. Since we have some more budget, I’ll also recommend some upgrade picks.
Best upgrade pick for the value: DeWalt DWE7491RS
DeWalt DWE7491RS
It is one of the best compact table saw out there. With more than 3k+ positive reviews in Amazon and 1k+ positive reviews in Home Depot, it still maintains a full five-star rating! It has larger working surface than my previous recommendation (DW745), and also accepts dado blade set. It’s more expensive, but it also comes with a handy folding stand. I don’t believe there is a version that comes without a stand, but if you ever get one without it, you can easily build one for the saw. As a matter of fact, my first table saw project is to build a table saw stand for it 🙂
Drills/drive set
With this budget you should definitely get a drill/drive set so you don’t have to change bits around. We don’t use impact driver a lot in woodworking coz it’s too powerful, but for rougher type of work such as fixing your fence, it’s always convenient to have one around. Plus, it’s cheaper when buy as a combo. Plus, it is a good idea to get a second drill as backup. Ryobi’s drill/driver combo is a good one to get at $99.
Circular Saw
As discussed in a previous article, circular saw is always handy for a quick rough cut, or more importantly, if you are building a lot of cabinets using plywood, it saves a lot of money to buy a full sheet (8x4) than buying smaller pieces, but it’s too big to haul it back from home centers unless you have a truck. Having a circular saw can help you rip a large 8x4 plywood sheet down to manageable sizes before you can put them on your compact table saw. You can get Ryobi 13 Amp corded 7-1/4 in. circular saw for $50 or less if used.
Router
It’s time to get yourself a router. Router is really a tool that give you a lot of functionalities. The most basic one is to use it as a trim router to make decorative trims or chamfers at the edge of the wood. It can also used to cut patterns and grooves such as dados, rabbets. There is also some exotic use such using it to plane wood.
Routers typically comes at a handheld one that is compact and has lighter HP. There is also heavy duty ones that work like beasts and potentially installed on a router table. For starters, getting a handheld one is a good idea until you know that you need a bigger one. In fact, building a router table is a good project.
My recommendation is Makita RT0701CX7 1-1/4 HP Compact Router Kit, which comes with a fixed base for light hand routing and a plunge base for increased stability. You can sometimes find deals at around $100 for this.
An upgrade pick here is Bosch 1617EVSPK Wood Router Tool Combo Kit. The main reason is that there is a couple of router table that work with it, in case you don’t want to build the router table itself. You can sometimes get the bundle for a bit over $300.
Band saw
Band saw is essentially the stationary version of jigsaw but offers so much more. First of all, it’s much more stable than cutting with a jigsaw and it cuts much more straight and clean. It is also less scary to use than a table saw. For a cut that requires more delicacy, using bandsaw gives you a lot more control. Finally, you can use bandsaw for resawing, which is something you might eventually get interested into. My personal experience is that I never used my jigsaw again once I get the bandsaw, so I’d be happy to drop the jigsaw to save some budget for other items.
I’d recommend getting either a Ryobi 2.5Amp 9in. band saw or a WEN 2.8 Amp 9 in. Benchtop Band Saw. I personally prefer the WEN’s one as it is cheaper, a bit more powerful, comes with a fence, and the bench top is made of steel whereas the one in Ryobi is made of aluminum.
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| Ryobi 2.5Amp 9in. band saw | WEN 2.8 Amp 9 in. Benchtop Band Saw |
Sander
A random orbit sander is indispensable when smoothing surface before finishing. You can either get a belt sander or a random orbit sander. Belt sander is more aggressive and sands a large flat surface much faster, but not so easy to change belts and not as flexible. Random orbit sander is small and handy, and much easier to change pads with different grit. I personally use random orbit sander a lot more, but it really depends on what your typical projects are, e.g., if you often build larger stuff like tables and shelves, probably belt sander makes more sense.
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| Ryobi Portable Belt Sander ($65) | DeWalt Random Orbital Sander ($60) |
Dust Collection
With so many tools around and the potential to work on more, larger projects, a dust collection system is a must for your health. A shop vac should be a hobbyist’s first choice as it is compact, mobile and inexpensive. Ridgid sells the best shop vac in my opinion, and you should get a powerful one like this to make sure you suck in the hazardous dusts as much as possible.
Shop Essentials
Spend the rest of your budget into some essentials, minimum is to get these:
- Drill bit set that include various sized drill bits, e.g., dewalt ($30). You can easily get these when they are on sale, such as $15.
- Screwdriver bits, e.g., dewalt ($30). Again, these usually go on sale for $15
- Clamp set. Either quick-clamps like these ($25) or f-clamps like these ($25) will do.
- Combination square ($13). Useful for marking 90 or 45 degrees, and transfer measurements
- Measuring tape. Literally anything will do. Get the cheapest one.
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| DeWalt drill bit set | IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Clamps | IRWIN 12’’ Combination Square |
Conclusion
As of now, you should’ve been set up for success in your woodworking path! These should last you for a while. Get started with building stands for your tools, jigs for your table saw, workbench, stools, and smaller furniture such as a folding stool.
It might sound a lot at the beginning, but as you get into woodworking more and more, you will find that the tools exist for a reason, and there is always a tool for something. On the other hand, there are other hobbies that are actually a lot more expensive than woodworking, such as photography - a basic DSLR plus a kit lense can easily go into the $1000 range.
This concludes my recommendation into woodworking tools. I’ll be adding more project ideas that can be made with these tools in the future. Thanks for reading this far, happy woodworking!
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