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So my buddy just ordered us up the Warmachine starter set to split but I want my own rulebook. Do I need the warmachine rulebook or with the hordes rulebook work as well?

If you're going to be playing Warmachine, get the Warmachine rulebook.

If you're going against a Hordes player I would recommend picking up the hordes book, otherwise just stick to what you need.

There are something like 5 pages of actually different rules between the books (many of which are technicalities or rarely used bonding rules), so if you…

…want to know the story or know the "core" pieces from hordes factions, you probably want Primal

…want to know the mechanical differences between the two games, the quickstart download is plenty.

Rage and beast mechanics are significantly different. For hordes you need the know which spiral does what, how animus works, what you can do with rage on a caster (it's not the same as focus) and enraged warbeasts.

Its a nice read if you fancy it?

Chances are you'll end up buying a hordes army eventually.

I never need both with me at the same time though.

grab the softback, cheapest and easiest option

Thanks for the advice all, my buddy will have the warmachine book and my wife is interested in Legion so it sounds like I may just be good with the hordes book, with maybe writing down the few pages that maybe different or remembering them after a few games.