Concerning the shopsmith it is an acceptable unit. A lot of poeple who bash it most likely never have had one. Most of us who actually own one will admit that it has its limitations. However I know of a gentlemen wh oused to be in the newgroup and had three or four of them in his pro shop. I have made custom pieces of furniture on mine that have gone for quite a bit of money. Does it teach planning and skills such as machine set up yes yes yes. I now have a number of stand alone tools in the shop but still have my shopsmith. While I do not use it as much, I will tell you that it has capabilities that no stand alone tool has.
Carl Stigers
Carl's Custom Woodworking