Working with wood is a creative, challenging, therapeutic endeavor. This guide is for those just beginning who've been working primarily with hand tools and want to invest in power tools. Below are the most versatile tools you can have, tools that will increase your productivity and give you the most bang-for-your-buck. I've listed them in the order you should buy them if you, like me, have limited funds. Let's begin with:

Cordless drill - This might be a "duh," but you can't live without one. The main difference between them is build and voltage. The recent proliferation of super-duper batteries and voltages has driven the price of 18 volt drills way down and, for most of us, 18 volts is plenty. Buying tips - spending a little extra in this category will take you far. Drills get dropped, so you need a sturdy one, like a DeWalt or Porter Cable. eBay's prices for these top-end drills are still ~$100, so you're not breaking the bank. Add to that a quality carbide-tipped bit set and you're good to go.

Table saw - The table saw is the center piece of a wood shop. The flexibility is unmatched. You can rip boards to precision widths, cut exact bevels & dados, create precise duplicate pieces, even cut large coves for molding. The list goes on, but having a fixed blade allows for all sort of creativity. Buying tips - I've used a few saws, but my favorite is a portable $99 10" Ryobi. When in the shop, I anchor it to a low table and, with a 3rd party fence and blade, it acts like table saws costing over $500. Plus, it's ultra portable! When looking at blades, the more teeth a blade has, the finer the work it is best suited for: 40 teeth-ripping boards, 120 teeth-cutting laminate.

Sander - A power sander can shave, er, sand HOURS off of the time it takes to finish a piece. The Porter Cable and Bosch random orbit sanders do the best job of removing material without excessive scarring. Though it costs a bit more, I prefer the velcro (hook and loop) sand paper for ease of use. Keep in mind, power sanders are excellent when knocking down deep grain; when doing detail or finishing work, though, nothing beats regular sand paper and elbow grease. Buying tips - get an assortment of papers to go with your sander, from 80 grit to 200. And be sure to buy paper with the same diameter and number of dust holes as your sander.

I seriously doubt you'll ever complete a piece without using these 3 tools. Various jigs and attachments, like a pocket hole jig, drill press attachment, dado blades, etc. can further the usefullness of these tools. Sure, there are other very useful power tools out there, but for less than $500, you can become a more productive woodworker.