Probably the coolest thing I was able to use today is the plasma cutter. Seeing it in action really has got me thinking about designing and hopefully building a CNC plasma table. It's one of those things that if I built it, it could be a tool waiting for a purpose, but also just having one would open up some really cool project possibilities. The plasma cutters are pretty damn expensive though and I'd have to do quite a bit of research on them first.
One thing I am pretty sure I will have to buy for myself is a MIG welder before the class is over, it seems to be the most practical. I am not really into the oxy-acetylene due to the hazards of the gas and it's expense, I doubt I would ever use it outside of this class. I think I could substitute MAPP for a cutting gas if I ever needed to, but will need to ask about that next time.