<font color="purple"> I'm curious what y'all would list in priority order as THE list of power tools to have in a woodworking workshop </font color>

Of course, it depends on what you want to do [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I definitely like the suggestion about the benches being the same height. Many was the time I needed to stretch out my work, and this helped.

A good bench does not have to be elaborate. 4x4 legs with a 2x6 rails and 2x6 t&amp;g top works very well, esp. when topped with a piece of .25" masonite, which can easily be replaced to reface the top. You can mount a vise anywhere on that, and use a variety of clamps to secure work to it.

As for stationary power tools, again it depends on what you want to do, and what you want to spend. I worked for 22 years in a custom mill that was elaborately equipped. We made virtually anything out of any kind of wood.

Bread and butter was custom sash and door, for which we had dedicated mortisers, tenoners and shapers. Also we fabricated custom cabinetwork and custom moldings, plus anything else you might imagine, including lots of radius work.

But, day-to-day, I found myself situated, in order, at (1st) my bench, (2nd) a Delta table saw, (3rd) a Powermatic jointer, (4th) a good bandsaw, (5th) a good planer, and (6th), the Powermatic shaper.

The easiest tool to underestimate is the jointer. If you get a good 6" machine, with a good depth of cut, you can woodwork wonders. You can do so much with a jointer, angle cuts, rabetting, tapering, outside radiusing, trimming cabinet doors to fit, and so on, including preparing glue joints or making straight edges [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

A lathe is nice, esp if you need to do furniture parts. We had an old one that came from an overhead shaft shop; it would turn 14 feet between centers and 30" on face, but there was not much call for lathe work. Again, depends on what you want to do.