Great thread idea, and I concur with most of what has been said thus far. I am a high school teacher who doesn't even change his own oil, though I do use some tools occasionally for basic carpentry projects, and of course working on razors.

I bought one of those metal-cutting band saws a couple of years ago at HF for maybe a little over $200 if I remember correctly, as my son was getting into knife-making and machining. Though it's obviously pretty cheaply-made, it has worked acceptably for the light-duty applications we need it for. On the other hand, when I bought out the entire shop contents of a deceased nearby knife-maker for my son, we got some other VERY high-quality tools, buffers, grinders, saws, etc. for an excellent price because his family was just so happy that a young person was carrying on the tradition (plus they would never have been able to sell all that specialized equipment piece-meal).

But I definitely believe that a professional in any field should get the best premium tools he can afford (DeWalt, Snap-On, etc.). I for one can't stand a cheap stapler or pen!