Deal or Dud? pictures attached

[Silas Smith]

Once again my ebay addiction may have gotten the best of me. I bought this shaper for $400 and the buyer says it is in excellent working condition. It is a 220V 3hp delta shaper model 43-379. Let me know if this is a keeper or more trouble than it is worth. I saw it on a tool site on clearance for $1299 and I though if I cleaned it up and decided that I didn't have a use for it, I could make a few bucks on it to help pay for my DJ-20 I just bought. Any comments, good or bad are appreciated.

[Mike Cutler]

Silas. Is there something wrong with it? If that shaper is in any kind of working order it was a heckuva deal.
Get that badboy setup properly and you'll probably never use a table mounted router again ( Or at least not much).
You'll find that you will want to use a feeder with that machine. Pushing material by hand thru a shaper table can start to get a little nevous right off the bat. Grizzly has power feeders in their catalogs.
It looks nice from the pics. Keep it around for a bit. If you ever decide to make your own kitchen cabinets, interior doors or bathroom cabinets that machine will pay for itself the first day. ;)

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Silas,

A decent router for table use cost almost that much! Have you priced lifts?

I think you did very well. Now you just need to find a good deal on cutters. There are a couple good threads on power feeders in the archieves.

[Tim Morton]

Thats a huge score...the base alone is worth $200 plus shipping.

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Silas,

Here are the links I was thinking of:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7045&highlight=power+feeder

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=6774&highlight=power+feeder

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=6236&highlight=power+feeder

The machine even looks simular to John's.

[Jerry Ingraham]

Silas! What is it with you? You seem to have a Midas touch, a DJ-20 for $850 a Delta shaper for $400! You, my friend, are on a roll. Carry on!

[Silas Smith]

Well, based on the initial response, I have to figure out yet another way to get a tool home without my wife realizing it. I told her that this one was going to be resold though, so if it just happens to find a home in the shop and never quite goes on sale.... I think getting it in the door is the hardest part and I already accomplished that. I think that it comes with a reducer collet so I can run my 1/2" router bits on the table. Being that I don't have a router table, do you think this will do? I still have my 2 1/4 hp Makita router that I can whip out for the hand work. I am interested in making new kitchen cabinets, but I wonder how much a set of door cutters would cost versus a $150 1/2 in router set. If I can use both on this machine, why would I want to pay the extra $$$ for the cutters?

[Jerry Olexa]

Silas I think you did VERY WELL on both. Clean it up and check it out.

[John Weber]

Silas,

Very good buy, they are running close to $1800 for the X5 version. I really like shaper. If you are planning to make some doors, then the shaper is the way to go. Of course a power feeder makes it alot nicer and safer, but I used mine about a year without a PF. As for bits, Woodline has a nice 5 piece set of shaper cutters for cabinets at around $170. Not a bad price and they should do a very nice job. I would keep it, but it has value if you choose to sell.

John

P.S. with all this new iron you are really going to need 220v...

[Silas Smith]

I know, I know. I hate to run a sub panel into my garage if we are only going to stay for a year or two, but I think this purchase may have pushed me over the edge. Now I might as well change my DJ-20 back to 220V. It was a good learning experience though and I appreciate your help.

[Rob Russell]

Silas,

That's a keeper. I have that shaper, on that base, and will be selling it in effectively unused condition. I sure hope to get a chunk more than $400 for it! You stole that one!

Rob

[aurelio alarcon]

sweeeeeeeet!

[John Miliunas]

Silas, I wish you lived closer to me. At which point I would point out to you that a shaper is a terribly dangerous piece of equipment, cutters are more expensive than router bits and you told your wife you'd be reselling it, anyway. At that time, I would be compelled to take it off your hands (mainly for the safety thing...) and maybe even give you a few bucks extra for your trouble.:D But alas, you don't live closer to me, a little common sense goes a long way with safety and it appears that you've already passed the hurdle with LOYL. In that case, that's one heckuva' deal and I'm green with envy! Give that guy a permanent home and enjoy!:) :cool:

[Richard McComas]

I don't know what everyone is raving about. That is a hunk of junk and you paid way to much for it.

Since I'm a really nice kind of guy I give you you money back if you send it to me.

[Karl Laustrup]

That is one sweet machine. Clean it up, and find it a home.

Just wondering, with the luck you're having with picking up these deals, you should maybe play the lottery! ;) :D