I would not do anything with craftsman. They have sunk their own battleship. The had a name synonymous with quality and rode it into the ground by replacing quality tools with relabeled cheap throw a ways. I also hate dealing with sears salesmen more than best buy sales folk, which says a lot.

Grizzly is mostly Chinese but I would feel a lot better about going there, at least they know what they are and have good customer service.

Porter cable is hit and miss to me, I like their router that I bought, but the jig saw I purchased is crap, always cuts at an angle to the base no matter how new the blade is or what direction the grain is going…

 

IMHO, of those three company's tools, I would pick Grizzly, hands down. If you are at the same amount of money, then usually a Grizzly will give you a little more bang for the buck. Plus the fact that you are close enough to pick them up makes it even better.

Edit: Are you not wanting to buy used? If you are patient, you can usually find some of those tools in pretty good condtion on Craigslist and either save or have a better tool than new. For instance, I routinely see floor drill presses sell in the $150-200 range that are way better than a new one in the $300-400 range.

 

Don't buy your stationary tools at the big boxes, go to a tool store to get them or you will get inferior parts. Customer service is as important as price and Chinese products aren't cheap because the product is cheap, it's because the labor is cheap, so I'm comfortable with Grizzly. I prefer Porter Cable but I always buy at a real tool store.

 

Well, since you are keeping us to only the three brands, I would have to add another vote for Grizzly.
The only change I would make is on the lunchbox planer, a Dewalt I think is king, at least for now.
But…if you could squeeze out a little more coin, then I would definitely go for the 15" spiralhead Grizzly G0453. I have owned one for about 15 months, and have yet to even rotate the four sided carbide cutters yet, although they are getting close. I probably would have gone through 5-6 sets of blades on a lunchbox planer by now. At $30 a set, that's already $150 gone. I'm still on set one of four sides, which came with the planer.
Everything else you mentioned, Grizzly, especially since it is close, is kind of a no brainer.

 

Seeking to buy specifically from one brand intentionally is usually a sure way to pay more for less tool. It's very rare that one brand offers the best value in each tool across multiple tool categories. I would spend some time researching each tool, and buy it for it's merit, not the brand name. You'll get the most tool for your money, and you'll know what you got and why you chose it. It could end up all the same brand, but it's not very likely.

 

Scott - In your list of tools I noticed drill press. I have the Porter Cable 15" Drill Press. I think it's a good bang for the buck. There is good reviews here and at Lowes. Here's a couple of links.

My review as well as 3 others

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/product/1805

Lowes reviews

http://www.lowes.com/pd_78742-46069-PCB660DP_0__?productId=3162489&Ntt=drill+press&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Ddrill%2Bpress&facetInfo=

 

I agree, it's Crap"man tools LOL although it depends on amont of use? Porter cable router great tool. Have a couple Grizzly hand tools which they now don't carry.

Would go with larger than 12" planer. I would do that on my next one.

Grizzly replaced the heart of my three speed air filter with a phone call!

I have the 14" band saw, and a craigs list 1023sl cabinet saw.

As I have said to many folks "buy what you like, can get a bad item in any brand but at least you will be willing to make an effort to fix it?"

 

I wish I lived that close to Grizzly, I would have saved a bundle of cash I have 15 of grizzlys major tools. I have had very little problems and when I did the took care of it if it was in warranty and if not the sent the parts the same day I called I do have a delta orbital drum sander and RBI scroll saw. Living that close I would not look any further.
Chuck

 

As I am in Bellingham, I get to check out the Grizzly tools from time to time. I agree with others that that is your best bet. The weakest item in your list would be the 12" planer. I am not a fan of lunch box planers, having owned 2 or 3 of them, including the DW 735. My problem with it was the excessive noise. But a lot of people like them. I saw one on CL just yesterday for $300.

Please don't get a 4" jointer. A six incher will be much more useful, and 8 is even better.

I have 2 Grizzly bandsaws (14" and an old model 18"), their belt/disk combo sander, and 2 hp. dust collector. If I didn't already have an oldish Unisaw, I would probably get one of their cabinet saws. I had their 1.5 h.p. shaper (off CL) for a while, and it was not a bad little shaper, but I swapped it out for a 2 hp older Jet (also off CL). I am not a fan of Grizzly portable power tools, nor their cordless tools. I have a PC drill press, but am watching CL for a Grizzly radial drill press, for woodworking (radial DPs aren't good for metal work, as they flex too much-and I do quite a lot of work with metal).

I agree with the comment above about brand fixation. There is no tool brand I know of that has a line up of perfect tools. They all make duds. A few are really pathetic. Don't mention I said this to any Festool people, please.

 

Awesome inputs from all, thank you very much.

Someone mentioned early on about looking on CL. I have been looking on there too but it's mostly things that are not what I was looking for. I'm not opposed at all to buying something used. An old 300Lb 6" planer with shot bearings and/or shot motor would be a dream find right now, as would an 1940's drill press. I mention new because the wife is allowing the purchase and I figured I'd start with some of the ones that I could get my grubby hands on the easiest.

 

Be sure to go with a 6" jointer not a 4".

 

Scott,
If I was in your position and wanted to buy local I'd go this route (ignoring your one brand business because as knotscott said its a bit silly, honestly):

Drill press: lowes porter cable 15" ( I have it, it's awesome for the price, 4+" travel…)
Jointer: grizzly 0604x (I have this as well, 6" with parallelogram beds, very nice cut)
Planer: dewalt 735x (have this too, for lunchbox planers it's unbeatable)
Sander: I won't comment because I don't have one and honestly don't know much about them

All 3 of those can be bought locally (lowes, grizzly, HD or lowes) and they're very solid tools.

 

It's hard to argue with Matt's advice there. Those are all pretty solid buys and if local is important to you for return/warranty reasons, they seem like a good fit. If you want to stick with all one brand though, I would probably go Grizzly out of the choices you mentioned.

 

Griz, P-C, Craftsman: In that order. I'm not going to beat a dead horse but can't say enough about how Craftsman has tanked on power tools. I have some of their old iron and wish it was still made that way…but it's not. I think P-C used to be up there, but maybe has dropped slightly (just from posts I've read).

Can't go wrong with wanting your shop one color. Check with the store when you get back and see if they'll offer you a discount for buying alot from them at once. If not, mention you can just as easy go down to Lowes and get what you want.

If you want some PC stuff, check out their CPO site http://www.cpoworkshop.com/ or a factory authorized site http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet.com/porter-cable/

Good luck!!!

 

I have a few Grizzly tools and I like them. CL in the Oak Harbor area is pretty scarce and you may have to wait a long time before something your interested in comes up. Here is Grizzly 1182 jointer for sale in Anacortes, seems like a good deal and I think this was one of there highest rated 6" jointers when it was in production. I know you said no other brands but check out the Ridgid 13" planer at home depot when you get back to Oak Harbor, they usually have them in stock. It gets very good reviews and is pretty well priced, not to mention they offer a 10% military discount. It might be worth looking at their drill press too while there. It's always worth the trip to Bellingham to visit the Grizzly store quite overwhelming the first time you go there but fun. Good Luck!

James

 

One of the problems with brand name "love" or "hate" is the blindness that it causes in both directions of the quality spectrum. The marketplace has changed so much in the past 5 to 10 years, it'll make your head spin. You can't accurately describe all the tools offered by a brand without knowing each and every one of them. The "good" names often aren't what they once were, and many have several lemons in their lineups. The "bad" names can still offer some decent tools that are better than many people give them credit for.

As bad as some of the Craftsman tools may be, they still have several that are either very good on their own merits, or offer a really good bang for the buck to the homeowner/hobby crowd…those winners shouldn't be dismissed due to the name plate IMO. Ie: the Crafstman 22116 is a full size 110v/220v hybrid saw with a full enclosure, cabinet mounted trunnions, a steel t-square Biese style fence, and a granite top…it's made by Steel City/Orion, is identical to the Steel City 35930, and sports the same guts as the former Ridgid R4511 (also made by Steel City/Orion). It's very competitive with similar saws < $1000. The Cman 21833 hybrid style contractor saw is nearly identical to the Ridgid R4512….neither are awesome saws that are at the level of a Unisaw, but they're a lot of saw for $500 IMO. The new Cman routers get very good comments, and go on sale often well below $100. Many of the Cman bandsaws are made by Richen Enterprises, who owns Rikon, and many of the saws are very similar to the Rikon offerings, which are very well regarded. You do have to pick and choose wisely (by doing the homework, which is true of any brand), but these are just a few examples of reasonably good tools that happen to sport the Craftsman banner, and is exactly why try hard see the tool past the logo (of any brand). I could have made similar cases, pro or con, for just about every brand on the market.

 

Trouble is, even though various reputable manufacturers may make tools for C'man, Sears puts out specs that call for the cheapest components. Bearings, for example, on C'man tools always sound like they used pea gravel in the races. And gears. I have a Cman biscuit joiner that looks exactly like the Dewalt, but sounds like a thrashing machine, from all the gear lash. The blade isn't even quite parallel with the body. Bought it at pawn shop, in apparently brand new condition.

They are such a dominant force (for better or worse) in the power tool market that they can dictate terms to the makers, who naturally will cut corners where they can to make a profit.

I may have overstated the case here, but a buddy of mine knew a Sears tool buyer who basically confirmed what I've said.

I do agree that every maker of tools has some gems and some duds. That's why the tools in my shop are not all the same color, and never will be.

 

I would go grizzly. as far as the jointer goes go for the longest 6" you can afford. I start with a 4" and it was very difficult to use, I have a 6" delta (50's-60's era) it has a 44" bed and I have out grown it. I have been looking a an 8" with the 6' bed. my only trouble I have with grizzly is I don't have a store so I can't see and touch it. I like to finger my tools before I buy them, I have been eyeballing their jointers lately and you can't beat their prices without going used.

 

Scott - Since you have Grizzly close by, here's a FYI

 

In my humble opinion, sticking with one brand is not a great strategy. The industry is in consolidation, brand names are losing their brand cache, even their identities. I have a 16" Grizzly band saw that has been serving me well for 20 (ish) years. I also have their 691 table saw and it is sweet. Their customer service has been great for me. But over the years, certain products rise up to the top of the value chain, their tough, work well and last. Those reputations are what drives my buying decisions.

 

Like others have said leave Sears alone they are dead and buried in the quality department. Buying from one brand? Ok we see alot of this in the military but it means nothing in quality terms. Now if you are looking to have a prettly line-up of all the same color coordinated machines okay (Laughing because a friend told me that once about his choices) Start with Grizzly as they are close, buy one machine and try it out. If you are satisfied the qaulity is good and have no issues then get another one. Let THEM build a relationship with YOU by showing you that shiny new tool performs as advertised. Go to the woodshow and actually see the equipment in action. I bought most of my larger tools this way because I could look it over and see it work.

 

Awesome info, thank you!

I understand that some of you think sticking to one brand name is a little silly, and I agree to an extent, but I guess that is the main reason for wanting one brand CrazeeTxn, some uniformity with the colors at least. DeWalt products hurt my eyes to look at. I do realize that brand names and colors do not make for a better product. If all products could be gunmetal grey, I'd be happy. Sure, I could paint and/or powder coat everything, but that would be absurd.

Thank you all for the awesome inputs and your time! It looks like I'll be waiting for the next Grizzly Tent sale, which is in June. I have found some decent things on CL in the areas outside of Oak Harbor, some of the deals I'm certain won't last. There is a deal on there right now for pretty much everything I was looking for at just about half of what I was pricing things brand new, though they used stock pictures so who knows what the quality is and if it would be worth the ferry ride and then some to see it. I doubt it will be there when I get back, but it's reassuring that CL could save some serious coin.

 

Scott: Grizzly stationary tools are Chinese made to American specs with American quality control at the factories and at the point of entry at Grizzly. I have had great luck with my 1023 cabinet saw and floor model Oscillating Spindle sander. Just got off the phone this AM with their tech dept with some questions about the GO490X jointer that I plan to buy. Good results. Have had good luck with their Customer service too.

Craftsman and PC are sad stories. Craftsman shot themselves in the foot with piss poor quality. PC was executed by B & D after being bought. I personally would not buy any PC stationary tools. I have Griz, Jet, PM, Dewalt, and Delta currently in my shop. I make my buying decisions based on value/cost of ownership, reviews, and research; not exclusively on brand. Smaller handheld tools ,some PC is OK . Had some mid 80's Craftsman stationary tools that were bulletproof. Not so now. Stick with either Griz, or buy them at a tool specialty store. Big box, ie Lowes or HD as a final choice.

Just my humble opinions based on years of woodworking tool buying and use.