So getting ready to close my shop this summer and trying to figure out what to keep and what has to go. My Martin and SCM shapers unfortunately are too big to keep, so they're going to have to move on. For the next few years the only "shop" space I'll have is in the basement which is a typical older New England style basement.... dark, damp, low ceilings and access through a door built for a hobbit. So anything I need for equipment has to fit through that entrance, and the big shapers just won't fit. Besides it really wouldn't make sense trying to power up 7 and 8 hp machines in a basement. So I'm trying to come up with alternatives. One option is to keep my Lin-Mac, an Asian made shaper thats pretty stout. It's only 3 hp which is a plus, and its tilting another plus. It's table is as large as the bigger shapers but is removable, and the base is much smaller allowing for it to fit. The downsides are the fence is really garbage and I hate setting it, and I only have a 3/4" spindle and a router collet for it which means having to get a 1-1/4" spindle made for it, as well as a phase converter of some sort. So its one viable option.

I'm curious to get others input on the possibility of a smaller footprint machine though. Not at all interested in Delta or Powermatic machines, have had both so know them well. Too light duty for my needs. Also not looking for older American made machines, like Northfields, Olivers etc.. Great machines, but don't have the flexibility I'd like. I'm looking for something not too much larger with interchangeable spindes, capability of running router bits, and something that has a decent fence. In a perfect world I could take a shrink ray and shrink the Martin down to fit. I know there are some decent modern European machines out there just haven't had any firsthand experience with them, but figured this would be the place to ask those who have. So what do folks recommend? Is there anything out there that would satisfy, or is it just a pipe dream?

thanks,
JeffD