workshop machines

[calum Griffiths]

Hi guys, i am new to this site and have been reading allot of the information on here, it has been very useful and i would also like to be able to help people with their problems too. i am only 16 but my knowledge is pretty good,

i am equipting a new workshop as my old one is not adiquate for the work i am now doing, i was wondering if any of you could help me decide which machines and tools to go for as i have been looking for months now and am stuck

TABLE SAW: JET JTS 600 vs Kitty 419
PLANER THICKNESSER: JET JPT260 vs Scheppach HMS260
ROUTER TABLE: JESSEM R TABLE vs KREG precission one
ROUTERS: Festool or Trend?
MITRE SAWS: Bosch GCM 800s?
also are festool sanders really as great as they sound and worth the investment?

Any help on these would be great, users thoughts and general preference

thanks

 

[Lord Kitchener]

ROUTERS: Festool or Trend?
also are festool sanders really as great as they sound and worth the investment?

Trend routers are pretty good, I have four of them (each set up for just one job), but if you can afford Festool then that's the make to go for.

Festool sanders are excellent, I used to have an RO150 (sold it when I left woodworking for a couple of years), I love the way they stop almost immediately- not waiting for them to stop before putting them down is great. However, I was in the market recently for a decent sander aqnd have just bought the new Mirka Ceros from Axminster, and would have to say that I am very pleased with it, it's much lighter which is an important consideration if you do a lot of sanding, but you need to get the hose and cable up in the air on some kind of boom because the cable is quite heavy,

 

[The Wood Butcher]

I like the Jessem table, have one myself. Most people will tell you to make one but I needed to make things with the table so went for the Jessem over the Kreg. Rutlands have it on special offer at the moment.

I like the Festool routers, I have two but they are an acquired taste with the side handle. Much more expensive than the Trend but I think they are better made. Most important difference is that Trend don't even try to collect dust whilst the Festool's have excellent dust collection. The Trend is based on what many people consider the finest routers, the Elu range.

Love the Festool sanders but people I respect have good things to say about the Mirka.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

Most important difference is that Trend don't even try to collect dust whilst the Festool's have excellent dust collection. The Trend is based on what many people consider the finest routers, the Elu range.

I can't remember what came with my T9 1/2" Trend router, I've made up my own dust collection system for it as it's set up to do just one job, but the smaller T5 Trend routers, the one based on the Elu 96, come with very effective clear plastic hoods which work very well forsurface jobs such as cutting slots. They don't provide anything for when working edges though, unlike Festool (but then one would want a few extras at that price, my T5s cost around £145 each from Screwfix).