Best Shaper Under $5000?

[Nick Crivello]

While more than your planned budget, the SCM is pretty much a one and done solution. It’s a great value given all the options, accessories, age, and condition. It will hold its value as an investment well. Local too, just rent a trailer and pallet jack if you don’t already have them.

You would still need to invest in a good phase converter for your shop, but that opens the door to a lot of good options down the line.

There are a few other options on wood web to peruse as well.

[Patrick Kane]

Nothing like the ol' upsell. I think you will be happy with the Hammer machine, but for what seems like 30% more you will have 20x the machine. You have to draw the line somewhere on this stuff, but that is a sticky choice. I do agree with others that the accessories along with that lightly used machine make it a pretty good deal. That is probably a $15,000+/- package if compared to brand new from scm. Too bad he has the tenoning hood and not the aigner bowmould. The latter would be an almost perfect setup for what you want to achieve with a shaper.

[Josh Baldwin]

Nothing like the ol' upsell. I think you will be happy with the Hammer machine, but for what seems like 30% more you will have 20x the machine. You have to draw the line somewhere on this stuff, but that is a sticky choice. I do agree with others that the accessories along with that lightly used machine make it a pretty good deal. That is probably a $15,000+/- package if compared to brand new from scm. Too bad he has the tenoning hood and not the aigner bowmould. The latter would be an almost perfect setup for what you want to achieve with a shaper.

Ha yea I'm looking into possibly getting 3 phase at the house, we'll see how that turns out. Otherwise I think I'm just gonna hold off for now. If this year ends up being super successful then I'll make the plunge and upgrade the jointer/planer/shaper to nice 3 phase models as they pop up.

[Jim Becker]

Getting three phase from the street to a residential address, even if it's available "on the street" may be a tough row to hoe and quite expensive. That's one reason why so many folks who want or need to power up three phase equipment in small shops...pro or hobby regardless...use rotary phase generators or VFDs. (The latter is cost effective for a single machine, but that machine cannot have a bunch of electronics in it)

[Josh Baldwin]

Getting three phase from the street to a residential address, even if it's available "on the street" may be a tough row to hoe and quite expensive. That's one reason why so many folks who want or need to power up three phase equipment in small shops...pro or hobby regardless...use rotary phase generators or VFDs. (The latter is cost effective for a single machine, but that machine cannot have a bunch of electronics in it)

Yea I have a friend at the power company that's looking into it for me and said it might be possible if someone has it nearby. But obviously that's unlikely. Fingers crossed! Ha

[John Pendery]

Yea I have a friend at the power company that's looking into it for me and said it might be possible if someone has it nearby. But obviously that's unlikely. Fingers crossed! Ha

I recently moved shops from an industrial part of town with utility three phase to an agricultural area on the outskirts of town. Running utility three phase to my shop was around 50k. I chose to get up and running with a rotary phase converter and just recently installed a phase perfect. The rotary phase converter was simple enough to wire, but I think I was up and running with the phase perfect in under an hour. If you buy that shaper I can guarantee you will figure out a way to get three phase!

[Jim Becker]

Yea I have a friend at the power company that's looking into it for me and said it might be possible if someone has it nearby. But obviously that's unlikely. Fingers crossed! Ha

If you have aerial power supply, it's easy to spot a three phase setup for one or more customers...there will generally be three transformers on the same pole, each connected to one of the three high voltage lines up top.