I traded for one back in 1984 and used it and all the attachments for 8 years. Built a lot of furniture and craft items with it and did not find the attachment changeover all that difficult. Had the joiner, planer and jig saw attachment along with the standard base tools. Sold it before I built the first of two homes as I needed more hand tools and pneumatic nailers, etc. Held up well for me, though.
Chris
You say you don't have room for a lot of tools...you can do one heck of a lot with just a TS, even more if it has a router table on the side. I see decent old Craftsman table saws for $100-$200 all the time (my father ran a custom furniture business back in the 70s with nothing more exotic than that) and if it's a lathe you want, you can generally pick up a decent old Rockwell lathe for $200. Just food for thought.
Agree, if short of room it’s a good optionOriginally Posted by country gent
I don't know about the value now but a few years ago you couldn't give one away. I vote thumbs down.
A GUN THAT'S COCKED AND UNLOADED AIN'T GOOD FOR NUTHIN'........... ROOSTER COGBURN
I have one that I pretty much just use as a wood lathe. The only attachments I have are the table saw and sanding disk. I have stand alone tools for everything else.
Another thing I would use the Shopsmith for is drilling into the end of a long board. It would also be ok for a time when you need two different setups on a table saw at the same time for making moldings or something similar.
Girlfriend years ago had one. It seemed to me to be a great machine if you were lacking space. Other than that, quality stand alones would probably be better
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I'd buy separate tools for each task. i.e. a table saw, a drill press a lathe, etc...
Just me though
“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”
It's good for what it is intended to do; serve several functions in a compact device. They are ALWAYS available at the $300-800 range where I live. In my opinion, $600 is fair only if it is well cared for and/or relatively new, and comes with a few other tools like the belt sander and bandsaw (like mine did). Also it should come with several arbors for saw blades, replacement sanding belts and so on, as well as the lathe tools and other self-maintenance items.
The one you're looking at for that price is probably an older variable pulley model, and those are fine. If by chance it is the newer digital controlled variable speed one, sweep it up fast at that price. The variable speed electronic control models are very versatile and I think easier to use (though that's only from watching videos, I've never seen one).
I moved twice in the past year, and one of the things in my storage unit I miss the most is my Shopsmith.
Bulldogger
While not as fast always remember that very nice good work can be done with hand tools and a good bench. The only floor space needed is for he bench and room to work around it.
A lot has been done with hand tools and hard work. Its not as easy takes longer but is very satisfying when done
I have one I got for $100 from a friend who had since bought individual tools. I use it primarily for a jointer, sander, and lathe which I did not have. It can't be beat if you have space considerations and are using it on a limited basis. If you don't have other machines, it is there for all the simple jobs that come up. If you are serious about woodworking you will end up getting other equipment. If you need to build some shelves for the shed or such jobs it will work fine.
This is my line of thinking. I'm not a wood worker but like to try and build something I need every now and then. Certainly not going to try and build furniture. Space is the main issue more than cost. I have a pole barn but only a small section of it is enclosed. I could store this and roll it out when I want to use it. I still have not decided I want to buy one but after seeing this one and doing a search on FB marketplace there are several for sale within a reasonable traveling distance. Thanks for the input from everyone.
My problem is that whatever tool I needed it was set up for something else. Ok for a small shop where you don;t have much room, but not so good if you are working on time.
That’s what they were built for limited space shops.
They are kind of like a piano. It's kind of cool to have one, but nobody wants to move one. It's pretty easy to get a great deal on one. Typical scenario-- Grandpa has crossed over to the other side and Grandma has to move. What are we gonna do with this heavy and expensive looking piece of equipment that no one knows anything about. CRAIGSLIST!! $300 -you haul. jd
It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.
My uncle had one and used it for years. He built two houses and made the kitchen cabinets with the Shopsmith. The jig saw was not up to his standards but the rest he used for 30 years. No doubt individual tools are better and more flexible because they are made for a specific purpose.
The Shopsmith is a compromise but is flexable for multi functions. Limited space is their area of expertise.
https://forum.shopsmith.com/
Have a Shopsmith Mark V 500 model. The forum above have great information.
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