Scan tool vs lab scope if you had to choose

Hi all,

I was having trouble finding a thread in regard to this question, so apologies if it already exists. 

I’m a DIYer that would like to dive more into diagnostics and being able to solve my own problems without changing parts. I’m on a budget, and was wondering if you had to choose between one or the other, if a lab scope or a scan tool will get you further than the other. I’m interested in the aes uwave or the Phoenix scan tool but can’t currently buy both. Interested to hear if scan tool is recommended first or if you know what you’re doing a scope can be more helpful. Thanks! 

I would say scan tool first. You won't know what to scope if you can't get codes or data.

Thanks for the input. Would you still say scan tool if I have a basic $50 scanner for code reading, some rough data pulling etc?

Definitely