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Which tools should a beginner woodworker with a budget of $500 purchase first? The goal is to build a simple workbench, so a set of tools with the greatest versatility to accomplish all the necessary tasks (e.g. jointing edges, ripping, cutting, drilling, etc).

jordan
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    Hi, welcome to SE. I'm afraid this sort of query is not a good fit for here because it's very open-ended so expect that it might be closed as "Too Broad", It's perhaps better answered in a standard forum format where there can be some back and forth. The simple answer to your question is: hand tools (I can point to some resources for basic starter lists) and the best way to get good ones at an affordable price is to buy secondhand tools, many of which are vintage and of good/excellent quality at a fraction of what you'd pay for new of mediocre/poor quality today. – Graphus Nov 04 '16 at 08:08
  • Also "necessary tasks" depends on the projects you are going to be doing and what your source of wood is. – ratchet freak Nov 04 '16 at 09:41
  • The answer below is good and agree with him. I have a high recommendation that you get Ryobi if your on a budget. I own a set (Link below) and they are just amazing. Great power, good run-time and stuff. Look into them, google Ryobi and they have a website. (Not advertising but just wanted to recommend this). This set of tools (link below) is $129 and comes with 2 - 1.2 Ah batteries (they have bigger, up to 4 Ah), A drill, 5 1/2 in circular saw, reciprocating saw, flash light, and a charger. This is a 18v system. Hope this kinda helps you out. – Ljk2000 Nov 04 '16 at 11:43
  • http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Super-Combo-Kit-4-Piece-P883/203466914 – Ljk2000 Nov 04 '16 at 11:45
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    @ratchetfreak Necessary tasks could be simplified to include everything necessary for furniture work (with the exception of complex mouldings, veneer and inlay work which have specialist tool requirements). Few people would choose to work this way today but you can make any plain, unadorned furniture with tools that would comfortably fit inside an old carpenter's chest. And not a particularly large one either since it's less than 20 tools all together. – Graphus Nov 04 '16 at 11:53
  • I think a better question would be, "Here is the first project I want to work on, what tools would I need to accomplish it?" Even then it is subjective, but that's a lot more narrow. – Katie Kilian Nov 04 '16 at 21:00
  • Also, this is not the same question, but it might be helpful as it gives an idea of how many tools might be used: http://woodworking.stackexchange.com/questions/1604/in-what-cases-is-it-useful-to-have-more-than-one-of-the-same-tool – Katie Kilian Nov 04 '16 at 21:01
  • Depends on your definition of "simple workbench" and what design and materials you plan to use. You could go as simple as 2x4s and plywood (or plywood alone), have the store pre-cut your parts to dimensions that are close enough, and just buy a hammer and nails. Or you might want something more substantial, in which case you could easily want dozens of tools, including several clamps. As Graphus commented, it can be very difficult to make this sort of question fit the SE Q&A format. At the very least, you would need to dramatically limit your scope. – rob Nov 05 '16 at 04:20
  • Note that websearch will find opinions on this from some of the woodworking magazines, eg http://www.finewoodworking.com/2015/10/28/essential-hand-tool-kit... but that's still (informed) opinion; thus isn't a question that leads toward the "best answer" that is Stack Exchange's goal. (While I'm here: it may be worth getting on some of the 'zines email lists; they often mail out useful tips or pointers to free sample articles that are a fair trade for putting up with the associated advertising.) – keshlam Nov 05 '16 at 07:53

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I will attempt to answer this from my experience, but ultimately the answer is very subjective.

Assuming you are starting with nothing, I would recommend:

  • Good tape measure
  • Hammer (Not a framing hammer, but one with a smooth flat head)
  • Mallet
  • Retractable box cutter
  • Screw drivers (Phillips, Standard/Flat head)
  • Chisels (Set of 3 should be good)
  • Combination square (12" is what I like)
  • Pliers

Beyond this, as far as power tools I would start with:

  • Drill
  • Circular saw
  • Router
Jacob Edmond
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    This is a good illustration of how different the opinions on this sort of question can be (and why it's not a good fit for SE) as my first thought was how do you flatten/smooth wood with this? I'd leave out the power tools (all of them) and add in hand planes, two or three basics, as must-haves, and they can cost less collectively than one decent circular saw. – Graphus Nov 04 '16 at 11:59
  • It ultimately depends on your goals and skill level, and how deep you plan to go. You can buy S4S, and most beginners will be starting with that, Learning to work wood with hand tools is a much different commitment than cutting material to length for a weekend project. If you are going to go the hand tool route, then you would need to add a couple of saws. If you are surfacing, you will still need to cut material to length/width. – Jacob Edmond Nov 04 '16 at 13:18