Shopsmith Forums

Newbie here. Love the Shopsmith concept.

There are a couple of used ones for sale a comfortable drive from me. I gather that the brand new one is called the Mark 7, not to be confused with the Mark VII. It has the new power plant. I've never seen one for sale used. It is pretty expensive new. Is it really all that superior to the previous model, which I believe is called the Mark V 520?

And is that model really all that superior to its predecessor?

I realize that the SS line is considered to be upgradeable, but I'd like to set a capped budget for this for the next year or so, so I'm hoping to buy something I'll be content with with no additional outlays, at least for now.

There is someone near me selling a "Shopsmith, Mark V, Model 510 (Up graded to a Pro Fence Model 520)". Would that make it the equivalent to a Mark V 520 for all intents and purposes?

harveydunn wrote:Newbie here. Love the Shopsmith concept.

There are a couple of used ones for sale a comfortable drive from me. I gather that the brand new one is called the Mark 7, not to be confused with the Mark VII. It has the new power plant. I've never seen one for sale used. It is pretty expensive new. Is it really all that superior to the previous model, which I believe is called the Mark V 520?

And is that model really all that superior to its predecessor?

I realize that the SS line is considered to be upgradeable, but I'd like to set a capped budget for this for the next year or so, so I'm hoping to buy something I'll be content with with no additional outlays, at least for now.

There is someone near me selling a "Shopsmith, Mark V, Model 510 (Up graded to a Pro Fence Model 520)". Would that make it the equivalent to a Mark V 520 for all intents and purposes?

Yes a 510 upgraded to Pro Fence Model 520 should the equivalent to a Mark V 520

Only you know your budget.

You will be hard pressed to find a used PowerPro Mark 7

If buying new you might as well spring for the PP and get it over with, it's not that much more expensive than the new 520.

If I were buying used only and limiting my budget I would be focusing on a 520 with as many accessories and SPTs as possible.

520 has the best and most versatile fence and table system (It's also the one on the Mark 7)

My grennie table is just too small and the "safety" features are really lacking. The splitter at the end of the table is mostly useless. The 520 does have a riving knife and now SS even has the non through cut riving knife attachment.

My budget currently does not allow for either a new PP Mark 7 nor the 520 upgrade, so I do what I can with what I have.

Thanks.

What is a "SPT"?

Also: can a SS be disassembled and loaded into a car? Or will I need a pickup truck to haul it home?

harveydunn wrote:Thanks.

What is a "SPT"?

Also: can a SS be disassembled and loaded into a car? Or will I need a pickup truck to haul it home?

You can disassemble, I found instructions here:
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpos ... stcount=18


You might also want to look over this:

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... rk%20V.pdf


That said, I just loaded it in my short-bed with the tail gate down and used 4 tie-downs to keep her steady. Takes two people to load, but it's not all that heavy and huge.

SPT = Special Purpose Tool (Strip Sander, Belt Sander, Bandsaw, Jointer, etc. powered with drive coupler)

Yes, an 8 " adjustable wrench, a 5/32" allen wrench, a scarp 2x4, and a rubber mallet are the only tools required to break down a complete SS small enough to fit in a sub-compact car.

There are threads in this forum that discuss breaking down the SS in detail.

Harvey and Jerm, please out the location in your profiles so we know where you guys are located, you never know who may be near by for an assist.

Harvey
An SPT is a Special Purpose Tool such as the bandsaw or the jointer and some others. I would suggest that you look at the SS website and find out what comes with a new SS 520. You want to get all the small stuff like the lathe drive center and the tailstock and the drill chuck. The smaller items are the ones that get lost by careless owners so if you have a list of stuff you will be more knowledgeable and get all your "stuff".
Bill V

Thanks all.

There seem to be lots of "Mark V 500" units on CL. I'm told this means "it has the classic table design and rip fence attachment".

So then, the obvious question is: is there anything so terribly wrong with that?

I'm mostly interested in working small - keepsake boxes and end tables and whatnot.

There is a big improvement between a 500 and a 510 in terms of the table and extension tables. Not much difference between the 510 and 520 for casual use. You should be able to find a 510 for around $500-700 most days depending on the SPT's. A 520 for around $1,000-1,500. You can usually pick up a well equipped 500 for anywhere from $200-600 which just might suit your modest needs.

Fred, can you explain the nature of that improvement? Is it that they are bigger, or better, or more of them/more opportunities for placing them? All of the above??

harveydunn wrote:Thanks all.

There seem to be lots of "Mark V 500" units on CL. I'm told this means "it has the classic table design and rip fence attachment".

So then, the obvious question is: is there anything so terribly wrong with that?

I'm mostly interested in working small - keepsake boxes and end tables and whatnot.

I may be an old "stick in the mud" but I have used my original "500" continually from 1981 to today without any major upgrade. I have been rarely been stumped on how to get it to do the things that the 520 supposedly does better. Yes, I have built my own out feed table and a few more home made fixtures to accomplish what I need to do. I can single-handedly cut a full sheet of plywood in half and I have made dozens of small projects as well. That is the beauty of the Shopsmith. With some forethought, you can take advantage of its flexibility to accomplish nearly anything you wish. I do wish, however, that I could afford the new PowerPro headstock.