[sanddrag]

My advice is to stock up on all your consumables for the next couple years. Tape, zip ties, zip tie mounts, taps, blades, bits, rivets, VexPro parts, electronics like the PDP, RoboRIO, motors, batteries, zip cord, and motor controllers.

I would also recommend a good set of Hertel HSS bright finish screw-machine length drills from Enco.

That $4k is going to disappear in the blink of an eye. If you are going for something big, I'd focus on getting on a good one if that rather than a sucky one of multiple things.

On table saws, SawStop might be a good idea for students. They aren't cheap, but far cheaper than a missing finger.

Or you can forget all this and just prepay your FRC registration. Then if you get another sponsor later on and you have a balance with FIRST, you can get it regranted back to you to spend however you please.