Shopsmith Mark 5

[Dustin Lorenz]

Once again I was checking craigslist for my elusive TS when I found a Shopsmith Mark 5. Now I have absolutely no knowledge on these machines. They only thing I know is the images I googled to see what it looked like. Are these machines worth anything? If so is there things on them to look for?

(http://greenbay.craigslist.org/tls/1352204940.html)

[Matt Ranum]

Guys either love 'em or hate 'em. They are still made today and are factory serviceable right here in the USA. Well built units with some short comings though, number 1 is the table saw mode and second is the size of the table. I don't have the Mark V but I do have 2 of the older version 10ER's and love them. I have mostly stationary tools that I had before I got these and use them primarily as a sander and a lathe. The Mark V listed is a variable speed which I wish I had rather than the step pulley system.

The asking price seems pretty good to me without seeing it.

[Dave Verstraete]

Dustin
+1 on what Matt said. I use my SS Model 510 as a drill press and a lathe. The variable speed is nice to have on both of those operations. I disliked using it as a table saw, since the table was too small even with the extensions. That being said, I started my woodworking experience on it. I would not be woodworking today if it had not been for that "Shopsmith Salesman".

[Brent Leonard]

I own a Mark V and love it, for some things, table saw NOT being one of them. I have the belt sander and bandsaw attachments, both of which I like alot. The drill press mode is good as well as the disk sander. I also cut excellent mortises and dadoes with router bits (spiral and conventional) on the Mark V. It is a very capable machine. I even built some nice furniture using the table saw before I bought my nice saw.


The add sounds as though it is a model 500, meaning it is older than the mid 80's and has an extremely small table and a small "side" or extension table. If the color of the unit is anything other than grey, it is not a good deal for the price he is asking. Brown or Green machines usually have underpowered motors, a poorly designed belt system and a single bearing quill (excess runout for precision work). All these things can be upgraded to todays standards, but at a cost. So you know, most parts are available, many are on extended backorder, so you may find a long (several months) wait for a simple part. Parts are also expensive comparatively speaking. BUT, the shopsmith is a quality machine, no doubt about it. I find very few tools of comparable quality today. So, you do get what you pay for.

All in all, for the right price, for a novice, I highly recommend the machine. I am truly amazed at all it can do. Yes, set up for special techniques can be time consuming and somewhat complicated compared to specialty machines, but once you have a knowledge of everything that the machine can do, you will truly have a "do nearly everything" machine. Even though I have several stand alone tools in my shop, my Shopsmith Mark V still gets ALOT of use. It is a cornerstone machine in my shop, right behind my tablesaw.

[Ed Sallee]

A Shopsmith Mark V was the first tool in my shop. I got it from my Father who got it from his best friend's widow.

It is a 1954 model. Which, I believe to be the Mark V's 2nd year.

Mine came with a jointer & a bandsaw - both marked with the Magna logo. Not sure if they were later add on's or not.

I worked with it for about 10 years before I got my real tablesaw and, yes, it did take maticulous adjustments.... but, if you have the time and the wood.... then why not.

Bottom Line.... I love it.

[Russ Hauser]

I had a Mark 5 for many years and found it to be a good choice for a shop with limited space. The lathe function is probably the best feature of the tool. I judge the table saw function to be the worst. It's a "tilt Table" and is very unhandy and sometimes gives the impression that it's not a safe way to cut wood. The drill press function is ok, except that the table flexes under pressure. Forget using it with the morticing attachment. The horizontal drilling function comes in very handy when needed. The disk sander is okay if you don't mind you and everything in your shop covered with a thin coat of sawdust. The add-on 6 inch belt sander and bandsaw are good tools, but I used them as separate tools on their own power stations.

Russ