What tools do I need???

[accordionman]

PAUL,
i would suggest you check the welding supply companies. they will have
a 99 year lease on some of their tanks. you pay a flat fee, and then when
they are MT, you just pay for the gas, and exchange the tank. this is what
i have on an argon tank for my tig welder.
accordionman
william l. brown

[s1120]

Hmmm. I never thought of a cutoff saw. Sounds like that would work. C clamps I got. I build wooden boats also, and for that you need a TON of clamps. I also have a grinder, but it REAL weak. need a better one.

[Kodiak]

Two items I would suggest would be a cherry picker for pulling engines or changing tractor tires. And a good impact wrench, a must for working on old cars and tractors.

[s1120]

<font color=red>And a good impact wrench,</font color=red>

Oh! A GOOD impact.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img] I do have one, but its far from good. Its one of those $20 cheepys. I plan on getting a nice IR231 when it stops working.

[Rockyroad]

Definitely a chop saw. Check Home Depot. I just bought a 14" Ryobi with a cast base for $150. The also have Milwaukee on sale from time to time at around that price. Not a lot of money, but they do come in handy for cutting all sorts of metal.

Here in Rhode Island they are selling the medium sized oxygen and actylene tanks for about $150 each. They only rent the full sized tanks, which around here gets a little expensive - about $100 per year. So I figure after 3 years I am ahead of the game by buying the medium sized tanks. Besides, since I will not be using the torch day-in-day-out, I probably don't need the large tanks anyways. The whole setup is going to run about $500.

[slugdriver]

I would add an an anvil. A must have basic for any shop where you work with metal. I have a 55 lbs anvil I bought from Harbor Freight for about 25 dollars. I put it on a chunk of water oak that I cut down in my back yard that is about 10 in around and 20 inches high.

[RanchMan]

<font color=blue>I have about $1500 to work with. </font color=blue>

Although there are several folks here that will cringe at the comment, I think you should consider Harbor Freight for some of your tools. Yes, they do make some junk, and yes, the fit &amp; finish isn't as nice, but you'll save a TON of money and be able to expand the overall capabilities in your shop.

To date, my HF drill press hasn't "conked out" - nor has my 12 ton press, nor has my grinder, nor has my sandblaster, nor have my air tools, nor has my soldering gun, nor has my vise, nor has my cement mixer, nor has my air compressor, nor have my wrenches, ratchets, or sockets, etc. etc. etc.... I think you get my point - I got WAY too much of their stuff and if I continually had bad luck with it, that wouldn’t be the case. (and no, I don't get "kickbacks" from them, although that would be nice! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif[/img])

Yes, I have "name brand" stuff too (e.g. Milwaukee cut-off saw, for example - which, BTW, I concur is a good tool to have if you are working with metal.) Sometimes I prefer to go with the name brand stuff, but only because (1) I bought it before I found HF [img]/w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif[/img], (2) I've had bad luck with the HF brand equivalent [img]/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif[/img], or (3) the HF version doesn't have the features I want and the name brand version does [img]/w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif[/img].

I use my $20 HF angle grinder a lot more often than my $90 DeWalt. Not saying my DeWalt is a bad machine - just that the $20 one works just as well and is lighter to boot. The only real problem I have with the “name brand” stuff is the cost - ‘course you can get that at HF too if you wish.

Anyway, just an idea to get you further along in your “shop building” activity.

[BB_TX]

I'm with Ranchman. I buy what I think I need. If you plan on using a tool only on random occasions and you have 2 choices, name brand for X dollars and lesser name for half that, go with the lesser name. If you intend to use a tool heavily, then consider going for the name brand. I have both. I bought a chop saw a couple years ago because I sometimes, but not often, need to cut metal. Cummins was having a local sale. I bought a Cummins chop saw for $79 dollars. HD had various name brands for $150 and up. As good as a Dewalt or Milwaukee? Not likely. Does it do what I need? Definately.

[RanchMan]

Good point - Cummins has some good deals too (got a "cherry picker" and engine stand from them.)

Another place to consider would be Northern Tools - a little more than HF or Cummins, but a little nicer stuff without the name brand price.

[dourobob]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.princessauto.chttp://www.princessauto.com/PAcountry.cfm?CTRY=CAN&amp;INF=home>Princess Auto</A> has some deals

Bob