Starter tools for woodworking?

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1. Best starter table saw

2. Best router

3. Planer vs Jointer (which one do I need first)

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Depends on what your goal is. A simple job site table saw would work, but if you have space invest in a good saw. Saw Stops are awesome and wish I had one. I have an older Bosch and it works perfectly still.

Don't need a router yet, but if you do, look into a plunge router and perhaps a palm router for flush trimming.

Planer for sure first, but if money isn't an option, get both

I would put a miter saw ahead of

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Planer vs Jointer (which one do I need first)

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All other recommendations for 1 & 2 I'd agree with.

With a table saw and a good jig and proper in/out feed support, you can do without a jointer for awhile.

how much room are you going to have for these tools? As others mentioned a stationary table saw will allow you to cut larger pieces of wood with possibly more accuracy but they are typically big and and heavy. if space is an issue go the portable route; ridgid and dewalt are good ones.

a good miter saw is always very helpful.

a router and a router table will probably take the place of a jointer.

Kreg makes all sorts of usefull tools to help out.

You're just starting out, so find used stuff until you're sure this is something that's going to stick. It's not just the price, but often you can find the old tools that are built far more heavy duty than new tools are built.

Tools can make a difference, but I have made and seen good quality stuff made with cheap Harbor Frieght tools. Once you get the basics down solid and decide this is something that's a long term hobby for you, sell your used stuff and get good stuff. IMO, brand matters very little. Just avoid buying the cheapest (underpowered) stuff so you be future proof with your tools.

That being said, I really like the sturdiness of a cabinet table saw but the flexibility of the job site table saw. I bought a job site saw and then built a cabinet to set it in with leftover wood scraps.

Background:
I started woodworking about 12 years in a townhouse with no yard and a 2 car garage with one side used a shop and the other for parking, so space was very limited. We have since moved but still have a 2 car garage with 1 side being actively used to park in. Most of my woodworking has been of the built-in/cabinets variety with some more recent projects being construction toys for my boys. I use mostly cabinet/stain grade plywood and dimensional hard woods so the need for a planer/jointer for me has never really been there and I still don't own those tools.

Table Saw:
I started with a Dewalt contractor/jobsite saw about 12 years ago and still have it today. It does the job. Part of me wishes I would have splurged on the first table saw purchase but I didn't. I would say my biggest challenge is space, as mentioned so regardless of table saws, I do not have room for infeed/outfeed tables. As someone who rips a lot of full sheets of plywood for cabinets and being a one man show, it is not very easy or safe to do on a table saw. With that said, I bought a Festool track saw several years and while a little slower and expensive (especially with long tracks, parallel guides, etc.) it has solved many of my problems with accurate, repeatable rip cuts done in a safe manner and in a small area. I use my table saw mostly for rabbiting/dadoing.

Routers:
I've also had a Porter Cable router for 12 years and it has been great. It came with a fixed and plunge base and definitely recommend both. I also bought a router table pretty early on but the table remains probably one of the things I use the least. It's been handy a few times but feel it's mostly only beneficial if using a router bit with a guide bearing.

Other:
Compound miter saws are very handy as well and was probably my next big purchase when I started out, after the table saw and router.

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I’m doing more hand tool work now, but Hitachi used to make a good, relatively inexpensive 3-hp plunge router.

Planer - you can save a lot of money on hardwood lumber if you plane it yourself. Dewalt makes good portable planers.

Jointer - buy a hand plane jointer, or just a jack plane, and learn to use it. This can handle your jointing duties.

Build a good workbench. Look up Nicholson bench and build from yellow pine. Cheap and sturdy.

Track saw for plywood.

Any table saw with a good fence. The fence is the most important part.

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I'm open to all suggestions.

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how large an area are we talking about?

Thanks for all of the info guys!

FYI, I do already have a 12" compound miter saw. Figured I'd let everyone know because I've seen it mentioned a bunch.

The only thing I've done with it so far was build an old reclaimed pallet wood wall in my shop. Came out real nice. I plan on using the same type of wood to build window stools and aprons in my "man cave."

I'd like a router with a roundover bit to smooth out the edges.

Was thinking of getting the Ryobi palm router for this since it's for a small job and I already have a ton of other Ryobi cordless tools.

I figure I'll run into more uses for a palm router in the future....

I would take ~$500 and buy the best table saw I could find on Craigslist.

I would buy a trim router and a router that would work in a table or plunge. At least a 2 1/2 horse w/ 1/4" and 1/2" collet.

Either buy or build a router table.

I would try to find a used Dewalt DW735 planer, but I wouldn't balk at buying one new. It is the best planer for the money, and nothing compares.
Buy all replacement cutter knives from mywoodcutters.com. they are top notch and have everything.

You can eventually upgrade the DW735 to a Byrd Shelix Cutter Head, and have a top notch planer, but I have been running the hell out of mine with regular knives for 8 years or longer.

You can make a jig, and I have made one, to joint ok on the table saw. Or, you can build a jig that turns your planer into a jointer. They work nearly as good as my jointer, and I use it for really warped boards.

A 6" jointer is handy when tuned properly, but not a must.

Build yourself a crosscut sled for the table saw, and you won't have to buy a miter saw right away.

Look into a good, used 14" bandsaw. They make life easier for alot or projects. Upgrade it to bearing guides, not the Carter ones necessarily, generic work just fine and I have them on my saw. I resaw on an 80's import Delta clone.

Study up on tuning everything and you can capitalize on great deals on the secondary market. The only "big" tools I have that were bought new are my miter saw and my planer. The miter is a Dewalt 10" compound miter with the extension arms and I built a custom table/shroud for dust collection.

At least buy the Harbor Freight dust collector. With some work, it can be upgraded to a canister filter.