Replies

1. 
   DonC | Nov 29, 2005 08:01pm | #1

   I have a full shop and one of my tools is a shopsmith. You are correct, it takes a small footprint and is a well mae machine. I think it's best attributes are as a disc sander. The ability to move the disc to the work is very nice. It's a good horizontal drill press too. I like it in lathe mode BUT I place risers under the legs cause I think it's too low.

   It suffers as a table saw. Too little. Drill press mode requires a heavy lift and it's wobbly. I bought their belt sander and it's very nice. I can switch belt in seconds and it tracks perfect. I also have the scroll saw to fit on t he machine. I'm very satisfied. It has the largest table on the market ans will tilt left and right to 45 degrees. I also made a long maple cylinder and covered it with canvas back sandpaper in a spiral wrap. I put it in ln lathe mode and slide lumber under the spinning cylinder as a drum sander. It works but is not as nice as single function drum sander. Above my cylinder I have a vinal raingutter with 2 hose locations for dust pick-up. Sand-O-flex brush/sandpaper fits the shopsmith with a 5/8" hole.

   You shoul also research a more expensive machine. I think it's now called FOX. It used to be made in Canada and has a DC motor. I was impressed with a demo I saw. It's basically a beefed up shopsmith with a tool carriage that will travel horizontally in auto mode like a metal lathe.

   Don

1. 
   user-60272 | Nov 30, 2005 12:51am | #2

   DonC,

    

   Thanks,

   Being new to the work, I need as much information as I can get - once my expenditures are done, that will most likely be pretty well it.

   Thanks again,

1. 
   McMarky | Nov 30, 2005 04:00am | #3

   I have a Shopsmith, and it is a very well made machine.  That said, I hardly ever use it. 

    

   The table saw portion of my Shopsmith gave me the urge to upgrade to a cabinet saw with a 52" fence and a router lift.  The time involved in setting up my SS for sanding made me buy a p.o.s. Ridgid sanding table.  The band saw portion of my SS is nice, but small, and now I want a real nice big band saw.

    

   I think that there are three types of SS owners.  Ones that are totally happy; ones who aren't really interested in woodworking, and bought the machine as an entry vehicle;  and those who the SS gives impetus to buy bigger single task machines.  I am in no way ready to sell my SS, but....

2. 
   mudman | Nov 30, 2005 07:28am | #4

   I think that you are getting real good feed back (they agree with me, heh heh). The Shop Smith is a well made tool, probably the best of its kind. The thing has been around for ever, and holds its value very well. I recomend you look for a used one. There are many good units (low hours). Nice ones sell for $900 to $1500 with the upper end coming with a lot of accessories. As a tool it CAN do about any thing you could ever need it to. However many common operations are impratical, cutting large sheet goods is very tricky. If you buy a used one it is pretty much a risk free purchase because you will be able to sell it for what you paid. So if you like the idea of it.... try it.

   Mike

3. 
   EdHarrow | Nov 30, 2005 06:32pm | #5

   Chuck, if you're located in New England, and decide a SS is what you want, we should talk (I know where there is one looking for a new owner).   I can echo what everyone else said re the SS. 

4. 
   Troy | Dec 01, 2005 01:17am | #6

   I would recomend buying a used one especially if it is a newer model. I have an older one and some of the parts are not replaceable if they whare out. As far as a tablesaw goes I think they are a bit underpowered. I have used mine as a lathe and I have the jointer that came with it. The jointer works well but is to small for most face jointing. Its best use has been as a drill press.

   Good luck

   Troy

5. 
   Steve50 | Dec 01, 2005 02:53am | #7

   I am going to be a contrarian on this thread.  I owned and used a Shopsmith model 500 for 23 years.  I would echo the other posts that it is a well manufactured machine and never gave me a lick of mechanical or electrical trouble.  It also has its market and following and the design has been around a long time but I would be concerned about the current financial health of the company and continued support.  I have seen the improvements on the 510 although never upgraded.  The Shopsmith has benefits in that it offers a lot of functionality in a small footprint and is mobile.  That said, I would like to point out some observations that should be considered:

   1. If you buy new, the Shopsmith is costly and you could buy good quality stand alone equipment for the same or less.  My recommendation is if you really want a Shopsmith, buy used if you can find one in good condition.  I sold my model 500 about 2 years ago for $650 and it was in good condition.  A late model 510 will obviously fetch a higher price.
   2. The tablesaw is very limiting if you do any large work.  The table tilts instead of the arbor - a very major weakness. 
   3. Disc sander - nothing but good about this, variable speed and all.
   4. Drill press - heavy to lift and table flexes way too much, don't bother with a mortising attachment on this.
   5. Horizontal boring machine - acceptable but not great performance, sometimes too much table flex.
   6. Lathe - variable speed a plus, tailstock fixed and a severe limitation in my experience.  Adjusting toolrest using that 5/32 allen key is a real PITA - loosen two setscrews adjust rest and re-tighten.

   Obviously, my experiences are with an earlier model machine.  There are also many fine pieces that have been produced on a Shopsmith.  If all you do is small pieces, and have limited room and need a machine that can be quickly moved out of the way, the Shopsmith may be a good choice for you.  It was for me for a little while but, I quickly discovered its limitations and basically outgrew it within 2 years.

   Steve

1. 
   user-60272 | Dec 01, 2005 05:31am | #8

   Thank you one and all,I very much appreciate the information and feedback.(Think I'll be going with individual units.)Thanks again,

1. 
   nikkiwood | Dec 03, 2005 10:20am | #10

   My theory is that most people bought Shopsmiths because they then only had one large tool purchase to justify to their mate -- instead of five.********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

2. 
   TerryGabriel | Jun 22, 2006 10:34pm | #14

   I realize this is late in the life of this thread but I am going to weigh in anyhoo...

   I bought a 520 last summer, right after back surgery. As I recovered, I bought the e-z lift device so there is no weight to pull up from table saw to drill press.

   As for sheet goods, I have a roll-about auxiliary table with two Rockler clamp-on rollers that more than make up for the lack of table space.

   Since I never cut miters on long (over 4') stock, the table moving instead of the arbor is not an issue with me. Most, if not all, of my corners are either mortise and tenon or dovetail with my Porter Cable setup, or buiscuit joining with the SS biscuit joiner. I have cut tenons and mortises with the SS jigs and had no problem whatsoever with table flexing.

   As a lathe it is just fine. I don't do anything over about 12" in diameter and never anything over 36 to 38 inches so capacity there is fine. The tools they had with the machine are "utilitarian" at best but they suit me and I have bought a few nicer ones.

   I have the bandsaw and belt sander and they are both top notch. I resaw with the 5/8ths inch blade and a fence jig and it works on all thicknesses and lengths because of the above mentioned auxillary table and on up to 6" wide stock which is fine with me because of the kind of stuff I mess around with.

   I do have a separate Jointer and a separate Planer because I could pay less for what I could get from SS and do a fine job at the same time.

   I am really pleased with the SS 520 with Carbide blades and so far the attachments (molder, shaper, yada yada) have done fine.

   I think if I were to take the leap at the grand old age of over 60, to do "professional" furniture making I would invest in a really strong cabinet maker's table saw but I am not likely to make that kind of jump at my age. Were I thirty years younger, there is no question but that I would have gone whole hog with the highest end separate machines I could have found.

   Life goes on, they say...

   Terry Gabriel

   Raleigh, NC

6. 
   Ricks503 | Dec 01, 2005 09:53pm | #9

   I had one and feel it was my worst purchase. Bad as a table saw, so so drill press, great horizontal boring, middling lathe, great disk sander.

   All that said, it was a well made machine for what it is, but for the price I feel I would have been better off with stationary tools on mobile bases, as I most needed/wanted it for table saw and drill press and disk sander.  Lathe was a maybe use and horizontal boring was a maybe useful function. As it turns out the 2 most important features for me were two of the worst functions

   My advise would be to determine which features you really want and which are nice to have or would be nice to play with and then compare what the cost for the unit is against decent (not necessarily top of the line, but good serviceable) standalone machines with mobile bases and then see if you have money left over, how far that would stretch on other tools you would want such as a jointer and planer.

   Determine your tool needs, based on what you want to build and then do some research on tools and also look into some other online reviews of the shopsmith - not just the company hype.  This is a tool someone who owns one will love or hate usually.  

   I have a friend whose parent bought one and was so intimidated by the assembly instructions, put it aside and ended up selling it 6 years later still in the crate it came in - never did assemble it. They bought other tools instead.

    

    

   1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go        4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
7. 
   bones | Dec 05, 2005 07:49pm | #11

   I feel I can respond. I have owned a Shopsmith for many years (15+). I originally got it because I had a very small shop, and a limited budget.  I liked the fact that it packed a lot into a small space and could be rolled out of the way when not in use.  It was a big step up from the small table top saw and bench top drill press I had been using.  I have the model 510 without the bandsaw attachment(I did always want it though).  It did everything I ever asked of it. The nicest feature (to me) was the horizontal boring. I also wanted to do wood turning. I did some, but just never got into it.  I have since moved on to individual pieces. I found two (IHO) disadvantages to the shopsmith. One is the setup time. If you are a patient person this will not matter to you.  I don't consider this a killer, but I like the seperate machines. The second is the motor for tablesaw cutting is not the strongest. However, if you have a good blade and don't horse it, it will do just fine.  Maintain it properly and it will last forever, and getting attachments and parts are not a problem.  I still get weekly E-mails with specials from their website. The variable speed motor is extremely nice. If you are serious about getting one, go to E-bay or look in your paper. They will show up at resonable prices from time to time. I still have mine. I will be selling it, after I purchase a large drill press.  Not because I don't like it, but because it's taking up too much realestate in the shop. Good luck. 

1. 
   user-54856 | Dec 08, 2005 06:37am | #12

   My dad gave me a new Shopsmith for my 15th birthday --in 1955. Still use it occasionally but generally much prefer the stand alone machines I have accumulated over the years. I agree with all the praise and criticisms so far. A word of caution: the present Shopsmith company is not the original company (sometimes marked MAGNA) and the repair deals offered by the new company don't apply to the old equipment. The parts, however, do seem to be interchangeable.

1. 
   bones | Dec 08, 2005 06:33pm | #13

   Yea, I noticed that it had traded hands back several years ago. I keep saying I'm selling, but I keep it. It does have good use, and I have never had a problem.  It is not as nice as having all the individual pieces and requires time for change over, but in it's niche, its a valuable tool. 

   Edited 12/8/2005 10:33 am ET by bones