Mate, I feel your pain......
I am not a pro so tend to look at mid-range for new equipment purchases eg Taiwan rather than China (cheaper) or US/Germany/etc ( more expensive)
I tend to buy better quality stuff -not necessarily top of the line but "better" depending on need, use and budget- for the tools I use a lot - eg recently my 20 year old 1/3 sheet Bosch (very expensive back then ) orbital sander finally bit the dust ( too obvious a joke ?) so replaced it with mid-range Makita rather than Ozito etc ..
I really think , if it were me , I would take a long hard look at the stuff I use most- if you are forever spending time working around that drill press ( mate , that is the most loved and used machine in my shed !) then I wouldn't hesitate to go big and splurge if possible on a much better one.
Having said that , I am not true to my word because I indeed have , in moments of excess funds, bought tools/machines which I use very rarely- but are fun/useful etc to own.
Yeh.... I haven't helped , have I ?
lol no mate you havent helped, you have only pointed out that your thinking process is pretty much like mine!
All my trade tools are Rupes. All my handy man tools are middle of the range AEG, Ryobi, etc.
Anything I have bought as a one off tool is usually cheap junk like an Ozito

Same with the bigger ticket items. My mig welder is decent quality yet my AC Tig welder is a Chinese Mitech brand.
The TIG is now around 13 years old and still works the same as the day I bought it.
My larger Compressor is a Mcmillian and I have a smaller 'back up' compressor that is an $80 Chinese thing.
I am leaning towards a decent drill press though as that will allow some funds to upgrade some other items. Although I am liking the idea of getting a Mill because I can justify it by using it as a drill.....and having the milling ability is a bonus
trailer looks great! cant wait to see it all finished and painted!
Rudi.
Thanks Rudi, hopefully one day Ill have a nice project like your Datto sitting in my garage. Itll be a Ford though
With the size of your property I would invest in battery-powered tools. This would be a perfect time to pick a brand that has high ratings, a broad range of tools and a track record of support (not changing battery design weekly). Donate any current battery-powered tools, which don't match the above criteria, to your son.
I may even upgrade some of my hand tools Bob, thanks for putting the idea in my head.
All my cordless range is AEG. Again more of a middle of the road handy man quality.
My son uses all Makita for his cordless trade tools and I have to say in most cases his Makita range far surpass the AEG when using them.
Having said that, he wouldnt have my AEG gear even if it was given to him, unlike me, he wont buy cheap or middle of the range. I was the same for my trade tools, it was Rupes or nothing for me back in the day.
Most of the Tradie trailers that I do, get a coat of Ryno liner underneath. It works really well
You build tradie trailers? Got any pics? Id love to put Rino liner under and inside it but at this stage (and budget) itll be normal old hammer finish enamel
Every time I have to build a trailer or similar I think itll be a great little shed
project, until I am finished, then I am so sick of cutting and welding I swear itll be the last one for a long time!
But I admit I am getting far more efficient at it now. I do all my cuts so the material is sitting of the floor ready, square it up, give it all a good tack together and then do all my welding.
But I am always sick of it after a few days, I couldnt build trailers etc for a living I dont think.