As long as we're all here now, let's talk "Shopsmith"

[James Morton]

I have a model 10er that was my grandfathers. I use it only as a drill press, at which I think it does a great job. As it was my grandfathers, it holds some sentimental value to me, and as such, it will remain operational and in my possesion for as long as i am alive.

[Jerome Hanby]

I kind of wonder if the physique of the user has something to do with their feelings about a Shopsmith. As a table saw it is a little tall. It does take some muscle to lift it into drill press position. The add-on accessories aren't light either and it takes a little muscle to align the pins when you mount them. Personally, I don't use the table saw mode on my Mark V, but I bought my contractors saw before I bought the Smith. I would never ever have purchased one for the new price, but at about $600 with the jointer I score it as one of my best CL acquisitions. I'm pretty sure I'll never replace its sanding functions with stand alone tools, but even though I'll eventually buy a stand alone drill press and already have a stand alone band saw, I still use those modes on the Smith. Its just handy having two different band saw blades setup and be able to go back and forth. I anticipate the same thing with the drill press... If I could get the new headstock upgrade for less than the cost of the 18" delta drill press I've been lusting after, then going that route instead would be tempting.

[Rod Sheridan]

Good point jerome, I'm short and found the tablesaw high.

My main complaint was the small table and fence, it seemed to have adequate power for the bookcase project I was working on..........Regards, Rod.

[Dave Lehnert]

I started out on a Shopsmith. Got a JET cabinet saw and wonder how people work on a saw set so low. All what you're use to.


"The Shopsmith, in my opinion, started with a great idea (space saving and multi-purpose), yet failed on the execution due to pricing."

Kinda a puzzling statement since it has been around since the 1950's

[Jay Allen]

I have an older model too. It's a 10er from the late 40s. My great uncle bought it new and it has been in the family all of these years. It has the jointer and mortiser attachments (along with the basics) but the newer stuff doesn't fit it. I have stand-alone tools for most of what it can do, but I still keep it around.


ShopSmith 10er.jpg

[Jerome Hanby]

Good point jerome, I'm short and found the tablesaw high.

My main complaint was the small table and fence, it seemed to have adequate power for the bookcase project I was working on..........Regards, Rod.

Main table is definitely on the small side. I've got a pair of DVDs of some show that I think was on PBS at one time and they were using the small extension tables on the end to make a big virtual saw top for cutting sheet goods. Not my idea of a good setup, but it appeared to work. Only real thought I've given to the Shopsmith Table Saw mode is for cuting dados (just to avoid changing blades on my Table saw), but i haven't set that up yet.