how often will you use it, ya know harbor freight has some decent stuff and inexpensive. just a thought also if you dont need asap watch craigslist for better qaulity at cheap prices good luck..
X2
Until about a year ago or so... I had a personal boycott on Harbor Freight products. I firmly believe that that every American has a certain level of responsibility to make every attempt to always purchase products that are manufactured in the USA.
Eventually I found myself spending far too much time researching a products origin & the field of selection was becoming very slim. I still believe that the proliferation of Chinese manufactured products is an issue that needs to be reversed.
Eventually I became very weary of :mad2: , plus I moved to a new neighborhood that has a Harbor Freight less than 5 miles away. :doah:
So... Enough of the political doom & gloom. Harbor Freight does offer several products worthy of purchasing. Especially if you have a store nearby. The Chinese usually can not produce the quality of steel or iron that can be had here or in other countries. This generally results in tools that are more bulky & clumsy to operate. Often it results in more effort on the operators part to produce the quality of work desired.
Definitely watch Craigslist
DAILY!!! This will most likely be your best bet at buying an older manufacture, higher quality tool, at a reasonable price. Make sure you check the FREE section also. I missed out on an older full size metal cutting band-saw by about an hour once. :censure::mad2: The people just wanted it removed from the property. You also want to make sure that you have some cash stashed away & you're able to move in an something fast if you can, or it will be gone.
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you right now. I have a small bench mounted drill press that works fairly well. I also have a small bench-mount style belt & 6" disc sander. I did invest wisely into a fine, 'Made in the USA', Wilton bench vise. It is one of my tools that I'm very proud of & I enjoy feeling the quality of the tool every time I use it.
I remember reading an interview of Li'l John Buttera in one of the Hot Rod type magazines when he first began to be well known. In that article he stated that you could accomplish almost everything he could, with only 3 power tools. One being a drill press, one being a bench grinder/sander & the other being a band-saw. Recently, I have been told a few times, that if you can pick up a mill instead of a drill press you would be much better off.
Hopefully you will find some useful nuggets of information in this old man's ramblings. :lol: I'd be interested in hearing about what tools you end up with.
Here's a little part I made recently with the tools mentioned above.
This part will replace the missing dip stick tube retention bracket on my lawn mower. :lol:
Good luck on your hunt.