ShopSmith Mark V - Any good?

[xleanone]

I've been putting stuff together for years (I wouldn't exactly call it woodworking, just 1 step above nailing 2X4s together). Retirement is closing in and I'm looking to spend some more time generating sawdust. As my only available work space is the two car garage, I need some tools that can be rolled in and out of the parking area. Saw a ShopSmith today at Loews, I'd heard of them but the first I'd seen live.

Are they any good for a beginner/intermediate woodworker? Or am I better off spend the 3K on separate tools?

Regards.

[Bill Otten]

Personally, and this is just my opinion....I'd opt for the separate tools. My father-in-law has a ShopSmith and spends more time converting the tool from one tool to another and setting up than he does woodworking. Even a solid collection of bench top tools seems to me to be as capable and doesn't require all the change time. The flip side is that ShopSmith has been in business for quite a while, so they must be doing something right or they'd have long disappeared. Good luck with whatever you decide....the key is to enjoy woodworking!

bill

[David Hall]

First I am going to say that I like mine. Second, buy used!!!! Third, google the newsgroup on this question as it has been asked and answered many times.

Dave Hall

[AAvK]

There's also "Super Shop" made by Smithy

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I think separate tools is better so you don't have to change back and forth just to make one small operation. Today, for an instance, I wanted to cut a curve on the edge of a b racket. With my bandsaw, it took about one minute to tension the blade and make the cut. With a SS, how long would it take to change over?

You can buy mobile bases for big tools, small tools can be put on a cabinet with wheels.

If you decide to go with a SS, look in the local paper. I see a few for sale every week. Makes me wonder why so many compared to other tools.

[Chuck Hoffman]

I'm also (sorta) retired and have a lot of time but I prefer separate tools. YMMV. It all depends on your objective. If you just want to stay busy and don't mind -- or even enjoy -- the setup time, maybe the Shop Smith is for you. Personally, I prefer results and the less time I spend in setup and adjustment, the more work I can get done.

By buying used machines, you can assemble a much more capable shop than what you'd pay for a new Shop Smith.

I'm particularly not fond of the table saw). IIRC, it has a VERY small table (won't easily handle large work pieces, jigs, etc.) and, rather than the blade tilting, the table tilts. As much as I use my table saw -- and for the types of cuts I make -- a contractor saw much better suits my needs.

The only Shop Smith capability I would like to have is horizontal boring. But I can do that by installing a chuck on my grinder motor and making a sliding clamping table.

[falsedawn2]

[Steve Mellenthin]

I leave either the bandsaw or jointer semi-permanently mounted on my shopsmith along with the table saw setup.

Changeover is a matter of sliding the power head over, reducing the speed, and connecting it. 30 sec max.

I've had both single purpose tools and a Shopsmith for 25 years. Probably the best single purpose tools to have are a table saw and planer. My Shopsmith takes care of everything else.

[rcook5]

Is there any way to fit extensions to make the table larger on the tablesaw? My brother did that on an old AMC benchtop saw with a piece of plywood. Don't know how well it worked.

--RC

"Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells 'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets fly with a club. -- John W. Cambell Jr.

[Patriarch]

[e-mail] wrote in news:huclu0p89m7nuniu7pjsqtofsu6gik1ute@

4ax.com:

You could make a current Shopsmith owner an offer of $1000, and make him very happy. Lots of folks who bought Shopsmiths either don't pursue the hobby, move up to better tools, or leave mortality behind.

It's not a terrible tool. Just not worth the money. As I found out about $2500 too late.

Patriarch

[Lobby Dosser]

Check e-bay. There's a guy sells parts for Shopsmith specific extensions.

id = hawkeyebee

In fact, check e-bay for all things Shopsmith 1ST.

[Paul C. Proffitt]

[Dave Hall]

I recently bought (for my brother) a 1987 model 500 Shopsmith. It was apparent that it had not been used for more than 15 minutes as most parts were not even opened and there was virtually no sawdust or other signs of use. It came with an unopened bandsaw, and unopened jointer, an unopened beltsander and an unopened lathe duplicator, along with most of the needed blades and bits. All of this cost me $650 plus about $150 for the few needed parts that had somehow been lost over the years. I previously bought for myself a 1992 model 510 with bandsaw, jointer, strip sander, dust collector and lots of extras for $1,250, all in great condition. The point is that there are good used deals out there on Shopsmiths if you have the time and willingness to keep an eye out. $1,000 for a model 500 without any major add-on tools is way high IMHO. There are some semi-reasonable deals on Ebay, but shipping tends to jack the price substantially even if the seller will ship. That is why you see so many Shopsmiths being parted out on ebay. You might, however, see one on ebay close enough to pick up.

Dave Hall

[Patriarch]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yes, you can fit extensions, roller stands, etc., for the table saw. The problem is one of fundamental design, however. Raising and lowering the cutting depth is raising and lowering the table, relative to the fixed drive height on the motor arbor, requiring that everything move up and down. And readjusting the roller stands.

And tilting the 'blade' is really tilting the table. The first project with that setup had a seriously high pucker factor, as well as a limited stock length.

The whole concept is like a multitool you would carry on your belt. Few of the tools are excellent, but they all function to some degree or another. I did a bathroom remodel, with three cabinets, two drawers and a mirror, on my Shopsmith, so I gave it a fair chance. Then I started buying real tools.

Of course, I was able to evict my son's Mustang from the garage along the way.

Patriarch

[Paul C. Proffitt]

[Robatoy]

Depending on the year, that could be construed as a cruel and unusual eviction. But it was to make room for a shop, eh? So it wasn't a '64

1/2 fastback with 200 original miles?

[Patriarch]

Robatoy wrote in news: [e-mail]:

'88 5.0, with the 5 speed sitting in the garden next to the tomatoes.

The car went to a good home. My son got to go to college, 1000 miles from home. A fair exchange, as far as everyone was concerned.

Patriarch

[David Hall]

If it were in Pittsburgh I might take a look. The things I had to buy for my brother's Shopsmith were things that had apparently been left behind in a move some years past and included stuff like the fence (another indicator that the Shopsmith hadn't been used much), the drill chuck, all instructions, lathe drive center, etc.

$650 with a bandsaw isn't a bad deal for you folks down Atlanta way ;)

Dave Hall

[John Ferrell]

I have had mine about 8 years. Sure , I paid too much but it has good factory support and it encourages you to set things up properly. Most people using a table saw use the same blade at the same speed for every thing.

Most people who leaarn to use them, love them.

BTW, I seldom turn out anyth> [e-mail] wrote in news:huclu0p89m7nuniu7pjsqtofsu6gik1ute@

[Andrew Barss]

: There's also "Super Shop" made by Smithy

third option, if space is a really big issue, is a European combination machine, like a Rojek, Hammer, Felder, Robland, or any of several other makers. Space is at a high premium in European woodworking shops (even commercial ones), and manufacturers in Germany, Belgium, and Poland have put a lot of thought and effort into designing lines of really excellent combination machines.

-- Andy Barss