Your list of must have shop equipment

[GregWeld]

Put my responses in RED....

Originally Posted by gerno

Looks like soon I'll be moving out of the duplex I'm in and into a house with a full 2 car garage and a nice little 25x30 shop in the back yard. It's a little ways away from the fun of downtown Austin so I also want to be sure I have all the tools to play with. No use in buying it and not being able to use it.

As of now I have many of the basic tools but am curious what tools you guys have that I should consider purchasing and rating by most important first. My budget for new tools will most likely be ~10-15K which I know can go very fast. If there is already a thread with this info let me know. I searched for a bit but did't find anything specific.

What I think I have, stuff has been stored for ~2 years now so hard to remember

Large roller box full of hand tools.
1/2" and 3/8 impact guns
Decent smaller Harbor freight press
Bead blast cabinet
Lincoln 155 MIG
Thermal Arc Fab 250 MIG
Metal chop saw (with a blade, not abrasive)
2 floor jacks
Lots of 3 and 6 ton jack stands
2k winch to pull cars in and out of the shop
double flaring tools and small tube benders
Engine hoist
Multiple angle grinders
Cheaper bench grinder
A couple cheaper vises
Small 30 gallon compressor that's too slow and noisy
Harbor freight solvent tank

Things I am considering to purchase

Large 220v ~80 gallon compressor

Be sure to understand the CFM produced and at what air pressure! That's the most important metric of a good compressor!


Build some nice solid steel tables
Tubing bender - most likely JD2 but open to suggestions
Tubing notcher - not sure what brand
Plasma cutter

I RARELY use my Plasma Cutter - so far it's a waste of money.


Belt/Disc sander

TIG - I have no idea how to use it but really want to learn....

TIG is a must in my shop! Once you TIG you'll rarely MIG



Some kind of crane system in the shop to keep from getting more hernia's


I use chain hoists and the cheap furniture dollies from Harbor freight -- and I use my engine hoist for all manor of moving stuff!



Lathe - thinking 6"x 3ft or so
Mill - either small bench top or used large one

My Mill/Drill (Jet) is used all the time. I'm not MAKING parts -- I'm modifying them. While I'd love a real Milling machine -- it's just because I want one - not because it would get used.


Stomp Shear - used 3 ft or so
Decent bead roller
Metal Bandshaw

Don't wimp out on Bandsaw! I bought a Wilton -- it was a POS... finally bought a good one from Baileigh Industrial and now think about all the time I wasted trying to baby the Wilton POS along.



Dimple dies
Smaller metal break


Make sure it's a BOX AND PAN brake...



Lift - Possibly, debating if it will take too much room


Without a doubt - the single most used piece of equipment in my shop! Saves time - saves effort - makes me WANT to do things on the car - and I can do them BETTER than laying on the floor rolling around on a creeper! Once you own one you'll never work on a car without one again.




Smaller CNC Plasma table - thinking could also use to make some side $$

It will never happen. Don't bother.



English wheel
Planishing hammer
Shrinker/Stretcher
Alignment tools

Toe plates can be made... I just had the Mustang aligned and set up at a pro NASCAR race shop -- two things I noticed! They DO NOT USE AIR TOOLS -- and the alignment was all done by hand with simple tools and tape measures etc. Not a laser in the house... They had a bump steer gauge... Toe plates... and some other simple gauges.

Race scales
???????