Shopsmith Forums

The 505, 510, and 520 tables are essentially the same. The difference being how the floating tubes, fence etc are mounted.

The 505+ Table is larger than the 500 Main Table.

Fence mounting while workable on a 500 is not as good as the methods used in the 505+.

The safety features on the 505+ are much better thought out than the 500. Ultimately safety is always in your control and no safety device makes a machine inherently safe. You just have to pay a lot more attention on the 500. I usually run without any of the safety devices (Except the lower saw guard, it does help in dust control) on the table saw relying instead on my experience and extra attention during setup especially parallelism of the fence.

Drawbacks of the 500 system as I see and experience them.

The fence is not that great. Workable but not as nice as some of the more modern designs.

Adjusting the fence 4-6" or so from the blade on the 500 is an extreme hassle (Whenever the fence needs to straddle both the main table and the extension table to maintain the desired width) I always have trouble getting it parallel to the blade in this configuration. It's doable, it just takes me a bit. Maybe it's my particular aux tables or my particular arrangement setup, but it really is a hassle for me.

When width of cut is large enough that that the fence sits on the aux table,
The lack of the floating table configuration makes adjusting width of cut a hassle as you have to adjust the entire headstock and table to set the width. Again, doable, just inconvenient. (But not as bad as when the fence has to straddle both)

When the width of cut is in a place where the entire fence is on the main table adjusting is as easy as any fence.

If you're not going to use the table saw functionality or use it for small stock then there really is no difference between the different models.

Personally, I limit my table saw usage as much as possible. About the only time use it now is for multiple identical parts and repeatable cuts. If I'm doing one off stuff, I usually stick to hand tools.

Thanks Terry. How far up the evolutionary chain do I need to go to get away from that fence?

505 Table and carriage only (Perhaps a single aux table) same fence as the 510.

510 adds the floating tables (I think 2 different designs for tube mounting in this category?)

520 different method for attaching different model of fence and different tube mounting design

520 Pro Model improved fence for 520.

You can see the differences on the SS site by looking at the different upgrade options.

FWIW, There is an upgraded fence for the Mark V Model 500 but not sure what kind of improvement it would offer. That's $117 I could out somewhere else IMHO.

I'm going to try a different approach to answering your question. If I had X dollars to spend what would I look for. This is going to vary a little depending on what kind of work you want to do but for just general woodworking, I'd do the following-

Under $500 - I'd be looking for a clean 500 with a bandsaw and all the standard attachments. You could probably find one with another SPT or two in that range. For a person new to Shopsmith I think I'd steer clear of a 10ER but a lot of these guys know better than me.

$500-$800 - I'd be looking for a clean 510 maybe with the bandsaw at the low end of this range. At the higher end you should be able to find one with a bandsaw and jointer. Most of the SPT's seem to add around a $100 of value in a bundle with the exception of the Planer. (That being a sought after tool, it bumps the price more.)

$800-$1000 - you might find a 520 in this range if you're lucky. But I'd still be looking for a 510 and a lot of SPT's I think you get more bang for you woodworking buck out of the SPT's than a basic 520

$1000 and up - I'd start looking for that 520 with a Bandsaw

Personal opinion here but the Bandsaw may be one of the best SPT's in terms of cost to benefit that SS makes. It's really a great little tool and doesn't seem to command much of a premium.

I'd be interested to hear what the other guys think.

Thanks everyone, this has all been very helpful.

Have a look at the attached photo. I see rust. Would you not even bother considering it further? They are asking $700

harveydunn wrote:Thanks everyone, this has all been very helpful.

Have a look at the attached photo. I see rust. Would you not even bother considering it further? They are asking $700

But look where the rust resides. Cast iron tables etc.

None apparent on the way and bench tubes.

The bandsaw table can be replaced with an aluminum table 'upgrade'.

The jointer sand jig saw appear to be brand x(craftsman).

And about the stuff in a box that is not to the left?

Yes 700 is high.

Aside from the price, it is worth considering.

It is a Mark 5 or V/500

Interesting that 'extra' extension table posts are there.

Almost all used shopsmiths have surface rust. Most can be cleaned off very easily with Evaporust or similar.

JPG40504 wrote:But look where the rust resides. Cast iron tables etc.

None apparent on the way and bench tubes.

The bandsaw table can be replaced with an aluminum table 'upgrade'.

The jointer sand jig saw appear to be brand x(craftsman).

And about the stuff in a box that is not to the left?

Yes 700 is high.

Aside from the price, it is worth considering.

It is a Mark 5 or V/500

Interesting that 'extra' extension table posts are there.

I agree. Assuming it all runs and the small bits are in the box I'd be looking closer to $450-$500 tops

The unit shown at $700 is priced at about twice what I would consider even remotely possible. I purchased a used and badly maintained 510 a few years ago for about $800 which included a band saw. It took a bit of work and has been upgraded to a 520 with the Mark 7 lift system. I currently own a Power Pro 7, the upgraded 520, an old 10er (set up as a dedicated drill press), all of the SPT's Shopsmith makes, as well as a shorty set up for use with on over arm pin router. I would try to find at least a 510. I believe you are in New Mexico. It may be a good idea to expand your search to include surrounding states. There may be additional options available that way. The 10er and the 510 I bought both became easier to find by increasing my search area. I also have discovered that patience is also your friend. More than one time I have found items I was interested in become lower priced with a bit of a wait. Good luck with the search. Jim