ShopSmith

[Ole Anderson]

Just curious. Anyone here use a ShopSmith? My uncle had one 50 years ago and I see Jesse on Pure Living for Life bought a used one with all of the attachments and did a YouTube segment on it yesterday. Obviously dedicated machines are the way to go if you can. Just curious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28moKsafMHA

[Dave Lehnert]

You will see people bash them to no end.
I Purchased one new in 1989. That machine is the way I learned woodworking. I like it. Very well built.
The change over is not as bad as some make you believe. It is all about being organized.
Over the years I have upgraded to bigger tools and don't regret it at all. Having said that, As I get older and get less and less time in the Shop I kinda wished I was back down to my Shopsmith and had all the garage room freed up.

Shopsmith has a forum and a good shopsmith group on Facebook.

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[ChrisA Edwards]

I had one from 1984-2018. It was reliable and was still running fine when I sold it last year. I had most of the add on tools, jointer, bandsaw, two belt sanders and all the router and shaper attachments, which I never used.

I also had their standalone planer and dust vacuum.

You can do most things on the ShopSmith, where it lacks is in material support and repeatable cuts, if you change tools between cuts. I used the bandsaw the most.

If your plans are to build smallish type stuff, i.e. no large sheets of plywood, it'll achieve good results.

Most of the tool changeover is fairly quick. The dust collection, off most of the tools, is so-so.

There's plenty of them out there used at very affordable prices. If you are limited on space or don't know if you want to start getting into individual machines, it's an easy way to get into woodworking.

Once I had bought a cabinet saw, I was still used the bandsaw, on the ShopSmith, so I bought an extra set of tubes and cut those down to make a 'Shorty'. I could still use all the tools, I just gap up rip capacity for the saw.

[Paul F Franklin]

I bought one in the early 80's and still have it. I built many, many projects using only it. I've since replaced most of its functions with dedicated tools, but still use it for drill press and occasional lathe projects. Its biggest weakness, IMO, was/is always the table saw function, especially on larger pieces or anything that requires tilting the table. I never found the changeovers to be that objectionable; but then I wasn't earning a living with it. I'll keep it around until I really need the space for something else.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I bought one a few years ago for $400 and sold off the attachments that I didn't need on eBay for $500. I watched for the right one to buy on Craigslist for several months before I found the price I liked and close to home. The biggest part of my business is building banjos, and I use the Shopsmith for turning, disc sanding and horizontal drilling. I wouldn't want to be without it, I use it every day for one or more of those functions. It's nice for turning since I can make banjo rims up to 16" in diameter, but the speed is a little high and the tool rest is a bit cheesy. I'm thinking of someday getting the Universal Lathe Tool Rest they sell, it's $300 or so but looks like it would be a lot handier to use. I have never used the ShopSmith for the other functions of which it's capable, I have a drill press, routers, band saws, a jointer, a table saw and belt sanders that are better so I just sold off those parts. A year or two ago I removed the metal legs and put it on legs made from 8/4 ash, it runs more smoothly and quietly now as a lathe and I was able to get it more than a foot higher so that I can use it more comfortably without having to bend over constantly.
Zach

[Larry Frank]

I have one and use it as a disk sander, drum sander, lathe, horizontal drill press, buffer and lots of utility tasks. It basically is a variable speed motor with tables and such.

I had my headstock rebuilt two years ago and love the machine.

[Jack Lemley]

I have had one since 1984. Started as a 500, then upgraded to 510, then to 520 and lastly upgraded the head stock to the PowerPro 7 or 8 years ago. I have the SS bandsaw and a ton of Festool stuff. There is no way I could move around in my 16x24 shop if I have the equivalent in stand alone tools.

Jack

[Brice Rogers]

I had an old Shopsmith 10ER. I always considered it a "jack of all trades, master of none". I ended up using it primarily as a drill press. Occasionally I would use it as a 12" disk sander. I gave it away to a friend who enthusiastically took it home. A win-win.

[Eric Danstrom]

It's a cult. The space savings is real as is the performance. The table saw is small for sheet goods even on the 510 and 520 models but these days a track saw seems to be a better choice. I'm a hybrid machine/hand tool woodworker with 240 ft square and my Shopsmith setup is perfect for me. Fun fact; Shopsmith marketed a wooden woodworker bench back in the early 90s and I bought one. Still have it.

[Jack Lemley]

Well said Eric!


It's a cult. The space savings is real as is the performance. The table saw is small for sheet goods even on the 510 and 520 models but these days a track saw seems to be a better choice. I'm a hybrid machine/hand tool woodworker with 240 ft square and my Shopsmith setup is perfect for me. Fun fact; Shopsmith marketed a wooden woodworker bench back in the early 90s and I bought one. Still have it.

[Jim Becker]

Shopsmith put the "multi" in multifunction machines long before many of us got a hair for Euro type multifunction tools. The level of flexibility and function was totally unmatched by most of the tools available to the "average woodworker" and I have a lot of respect for both the machine and the company. I've never owned one personally, but a high school friend did and built some amazing things with it long before I even through about getting involved with woodworking. The fact that many folks continue to use them, at least for some of the more useful and versatile functions like horizontal boring, etc., says a lot, too.

[David Utterback]

They are great machines as stated above by many. It's weakest link, in my opinion, is the table saw set up. I have not used mine for many years - the last time the lathe setup was used to sand finish from stair spindles. I have not sold it but would possibly give it away to someone in need.

Not to hijack the thread, but do you have ideas on how to find someone who could really use tools we no longer need?

[Paul F Franklin]

Not to hijack the thread, but do you have ideas on how to find someone who could really use tools we no longer need?

Yes, this has been a problem for me too. I've had a number of outgrown but perfectly usable machines that I've tried to find a good home for without much success. I usually just end up donating them to the Habitat restore. I've reached out a couple of times to a family member who is a high school wood shop teacher (now there's a vanishing breed) and not had any success. Boy, when I was young I would have been delighted to get some free woodworking equipment. Different times now. If you know someone in scouting or a local woodworking club, those would be possibilities. Maker spaces might also be interested.

[Eric Danstrom]

That's because many new woodworkers choose the CNC/laser route over traditional woodworking. Nothing wrong with that but if i had to use a computer to program my tools I wouldn't use them. Nothing wrong with the new ways, just not for me. I'm a hobbyist that enjoys old school woodworking.

[Bill Space]

I have three Shopsmith Mark Vs...:eek:... At two locations. Home and the house next door I am renovating.

I really like them for what they are. Horizontal boring, drill press and disk sander are the functions I normally use. Never have and never will use the table saw function. It scares me thinking about it and I have a cabinet saw anyway. I bought them all off Craig’s list cheap.

For woodworking I find the drill press excellent. Much better than my floor standing drill press I use for metal. I have multiple 12 inch sanding disks, and can swap grits in ten seconds, which I like.

Horizontal boring is the winning feature for me. Not needed every day but when it is, it is really nice to have.

When I am done with the renovation next door I plan on setting one of the Shopsmiths up as a permanent drill press. Another one I will keep as original for sanding and horizontal boring. The third one may end up as a double disk sander shortie.

I do not feel like a member of the cult, but I really do like my Shopmiths. Along with my shop full of stand alone tools of course...

I bought my first used Shopsmith in 1979. It now resides in my son in law’s garage...if I counted that one I would have four. I think I gave it to him though...anyway, who needs four Shopsmiths? :)

[Rick Saunders]

I've had a Shopsmith since about 1980. It was my first serious tool investment. It's long been superseded by a table saw, jointer, bandsaw, etc. Nevertheless, I've never gotten to the point of selling it. As others have said, the drill press, horizontal boring, and disk sanding functions are very good. I can fold the machine up and tuck it into the corner of my small shop, so it doesn't take up much space. I just shudder to think what I did back in the day with the table saw function. It really wasn't all that safe. Plus, the run-out on the spindle was quite noticeable. Certainly added to the width of the kerf. Nevertheless, I learned a great deal on it when my workshop was restricted to part of a one-car garage.

[Rick Saunders]

And yes, this is my first-ever post. I've been reading Sawmill Creek for ages, and now realize I haven't been contributing. Will work on that.

[Arthur Fleming]

My wife and I live in a townhouse. When my parents passed on I kept some of the money from my inheritance and bought myself a SS (the rest of the money I did responsible, husband things, like refinance, replace HVAC system, remodel bathroom, pay off all debt but the mortgage) I always wanted to have a shop and make things, so I bought a SS, and am learning how to use it, and how to do woodworking. The space I have available is maybe 18 feet by 15 feet, so separate machines are not really a possibility. I have made some things that 2 years ago I would have thought were beyond me. I am having fun. I am learning. I like it. I am puzzled by why some feel the need to put them down. If I won the lottery I would probably have a massive shop with stand alone machines, but the SS is certainly getting the job done for me.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

There is no equal to the SS. If you love it, and if you bash it. Space limited, you can do everything you want. If space is not a problem, then I'd pass. No other tool I think is as bullet proof. 25 years and still the original belt. YMMV

[Jeff Ramsey]

I've owned an older one (60's vintage; I think the Shopsmith folks call them Green Heads), and only had the bearings replaced by the local Phila. Shopsmith expert who used to work at the local Woodcraft store before it moved west of the city. After getting much more shop space and getting individual power tools, it sat in the corner and was only used sparingly (mostly for the horizontal drill). The reeves drive is well done, the motors are high quality and their support is good (the people in Dayton are nice). And, at times you can pick them up rather inexpensively used. I was never a big fan of the add-on tools (I only ended up keeping the belt sander and sold off the bandsaw and jointer). At times, I miss the horizontal drill. As others have said, using the saw with sheet goods is not fun (at least with the older models; I can't speak for the newer ones). But, if someone is just starting out, or is space-constrained, they're a good choice. John Folkerth, who saved Shopsmith, is an interesting guy and has a good entrepreneurial story.

[Ronald Blue]

I have two of them also. Both purchased used. Both 510 series. While I don't use the table saw function any longer I do use the band saw, drill press, disc sander, and lathe. I also have the stand alone planer and a power station which I use the band saw and scroll saw on. They are quite capable and I've noticed many who criticize them have never owned and used. I don't plan to part with them. Even though I have the room and money to go all stand alone now they are worth having around IMHO.