Setting up a home or professional workshop can be a fun task, but also a daunting one. The best way to start choosing the best workshop equipment is to determine how you intend to use that workshop. The tools, safety equipment, and work spaces you will need will depend almost entirely on the jobs you will perform; an automobile shop, for example, will require specialty equipment such as a hydraulic lift and tire tools. A wood shop will require woodworking tools as well as a dust collection system. Choose your workshop equipment based on your specific needs as well as your budget.
Regardless of the type of workshop you are creating, you will need to consider safety above all. This means you will need to consider workshop equipment that will ensure proper ventilation, lighting, and flame resistance. Air exchanger and ventilator systems help ensure fresh air circulates the space at all times; this is useful in wood shops where saw dust is likely, as well as other shops in which harmful fumes may build up. Shop lights will be necessary to ensure the space is well-lit at all times; fire extinguishers and first aid kits should be present and easily accessible in the workshop at all times as well.
You will also need to consider whether any of the workshop equipment will be removed from the shop regularly. In a wood shop, for example, some types of saws are heavy pieces that are intended to be stationary. Others are portable and can be removed from the site when necessary. A circular saw, for example, is small and portable, and it can be used in the shop or out of it. Certain types of table saws, however, are larger items that are bulky and heavy. If you will be choosing units that are intended to be stationary, you will need to measure the workspace carefully to figure out which tools you can fit in the space safely.
Other workshop equipment may be used for organizing tools and materials. Stand-up tool chests, for example, are rugged and durable units that make storing and sorting tools very easy. These tool chests are often mounted on casters for easier movement around the workspace. Such tool chests can, however, be quite expensive, especially if you elect to buy a larger unit with several drawers and cabinets. If such a purchase is not feasible, consider buying pegboard that can be mounted on the wall; tools can be hung from hooks inserted into the pegboard.
