Setting Up My Garage First – $5K Tool Budget, What Would You Buy?

thasnk for all the info everyone. real feel liek i got a solid plan now.

any ideas for things i can build myself. jack stands. workshop table, stands for drill press etc
 
Things I use in order of frequency when fabricating

Portaband table
Disc sander
Angle grinders
Mig Welder
Hand drill
Drill press
Bender (2 dies, 1.75 and 1”)
Chopsaw
Tig welder
Vise mounted mini brake
Chinese $200 plasma
HF press with swag press brake

I’ve got well under $5k in that stuff and have never been limited in what I could build. The portaband table is “nice but not necessary” but I’d highly recommend it for convenience and versatility
 
mjlogan88 said:
Things I use in order of frequency when fabricating

Portaband table
Disc sander
Angle grinders
Mig Welder
Hand drill
Drill press
Bender (2 dies, 1.75 and 1”)
Chopsaw
Tig welder
Vise mounted mini brake
Chinese $200 plasma
HF press with swag press brake

I’ve got well under $5k in that stuff and have never been limited in what I could build. The portaband table is “nice but not necessary” but I’d highly recommend it for convenience and versatility
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I like this list. And like the qin die comment. Can u give some examples of things u would use 1in for.
 
If I was starting out again:
200A YesWelder
Bestarc plasma (have one of these)
Woodward fab (or cheaper on amazon branded) tube bender with matching die sets per need.
HF 12" disc sander (have an older version)
4x6 bandsaw with usual tweaks
shop press with HF or other applicable bending brake attachment
SOLID drill press of choice
good assorted 4-1/2" grinders, put flap disk, hard wheel, cutoff wheel on individual units. HF (have several of these myself)
couple framing squares, 4 ft drywall T square, a cheap projecting laser level, chalk line, digital angle finder, digital protractor, gray sharpies

Good start to the fabrication basics, lots of little handy stuff to add over time. And don't forget to lay in consumables a plenty.
 
achase6002 said:
I like this list. And like the qin die comment. Can u give some examples of things u would use 1in for.
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Way more than I thought initially. Seat mounts, core support, fender mounts, stuff like that. 1” hrew is super cheap and the die isn’t too expensive.

In your shoes get a 1.75 die right away and maybe grab a 1” or 1.25 later
 
Full service and $5k isn't easy, unless you are willing to really hunt deals. But it really needs to be based around what you are doing. Always building cages? you need a bender. Building one cage? - Buy a bender as part of the project and sell when done.

At a base I'd say:
Toolbox
Good set of sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers
Impact gun (I would get nicer than the base model home debt/blowes here - step up to the mid grade)
Good Vise (another place to spend a little, maybe used)
Drill Press
Good set of drill bits (super underrated)
Lighting, about 1.5x what you think you need
Welder - I like my AHP for the $$, can start as stick and add a tank later
Shop press (maybe save the brake for a project that needs it)
Battery Grinder(s)
Bench Grinder
Lots of hammers, including slide hammers
Pliers of all types
Multimeter
Funnels
compressor - don't need a big one unless you add a sandblast
Portaband
Workbenches

Probably forgetting a lot. But when I can spend $1k a year on consumables for shop work - abrasives, blades, bits $5k can get soaked up decently quickly. I'm a big fan of building tool purchases into project budgets
 
It’s probably already in here but clamps.

At least 2 good bar clamps (bessey clamps whatever they’re called in your part of the world)

At least 4 of the sliding irwin clamps with the plastic jaws
 
I would build any tables/stands/work bench you can. More practice using the tools you got. Also we all want everything out of wood but my work bench with vise mounted onto it is build with 2x4's and plywood and works great and is cheaper to build if you have access to a circular saw and screws
 
TTMotorsports said:
I would build any tables/stands/work bench you can. More practice using the tools you got. Also we all want everything out of wood but my work bench with vise mounted onto it is build with 2x4's and plywood and works great and is cheaper to build if you have access to a circular saw and screws
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That's 100% my plan aswell. I'm gonna build my tables and welding cart for sure just to get some good fab practice. I'm pretty green
 
The lift- kinda love/hate for me. The shop at work is a 1.5 bay with nice tall ceiling. It has a 2 post lift and when I need it- it’s the best thing ever. When I don’t- it’s in the way.

I don’t have one at home, because my garage is too short and stuffed to the gills. I’ve been tempted by the stubby lifts you see online. They only lift 3-4 feet, but that’d be ok with me. Problem is I’m right back to it being in the way. I still haven’t brought my new tube bender home from work, cause I don’t know where to put it.

Things I want that take up more space than I have at home:
Fixture table
Press
Drill press
Big boy tool chest
Lift
 
For a $5k tool budget I don’t know why you’re looking at dimple dies and bead rollers, they are just for aesthetics.

I’d buy a solid Mig welder, a cheap plasma cutter, a reasonable air compressor, set of torches, 2 good grinders, a Portaband, and then spend the rest on decent mechanics tools.
 
GOOD NEWS: I think I finally have all the tools I need to get a good start.
BAD NEWS: In typical fashion, I went 2x over budget — I think I’m right at $10K.


What I went with:
  • YesWelder 250 MIG
  • YesWelder 65-amp plasma cutter
  • 80-gallon air compressor — great deal on Marketplace
  • Misc air tools (also found on Marketplace)
  • HF 20-ton press, SWAG finger press brake kit, arbor plates, air-over-hydraulic conversion, and some dimple dies
  • 17” drill press
  • Cutting saw
  • Mag drill with annular cutters
  • A lot of magnetic clamps, C-clamps, and misc PPE
  • And a lot of smaller things I’m forgetting

This weekend, we’re building a fab table and some jack stands.


I should have the Jeep bought in the next 2–3 weeks. Decided to go with a TJ and do a TJ-to-LJ conversion instead of an XJ.
 
Testing if pics work:)
 

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Got to play with the plasma and dimple dies tonight. Don't judge I'm new
 

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Welding table is done. I was able to find a 5/8, thick steel sheet at the scrapyard, so I ended up building a table based on its 39 / 43 dimensions.

Jazzed up the hf fab table and it's gonna double duty as a welding cart
 

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got the vice mounted..and also good news we are onto building cooler things
 

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ridenby said:
Get the largest harbor F toolbox. You will fill it quicker than you think.
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Very true. I grabbed a 56" a while ago. The layout is weird to me. If I wanted organized I shoulda went bigger.

Btw delivery is cheap enough that going cross town and dealing with people isnt worth it. Find a discount code an then get that bitch dropped off at your door.
 
Steve300xcw said:
I grabbed a 56" a while ago. The layout is weird to me. If I wanted organized I shoulda went bigger.
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The 72" is basically a 56" with an end cabinet on it. The thing is the 56" is (without discounts) is $900 and $280 for the end cabinet = $1180. The 72" is $1800. Ok, so more robust casters and probably some more beef to the framework, but for $620 savings just add an end cabinet.

HF.jpg


The end cabinet is currently $250 for Inside Track, so you're up to $650 in savings. They regularly have $100 off on the 56", so now you're up to $750 in savings. They had $200 off at Christmas, which would be $850 in savings.

In comparison, the 72" regularly gets $400 off, so in comparison you'd only save $220 if you purchased the 56" and end cabinet at full price and $350 purchasing them both on sale.
 
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