Where did you get your shopsmith?

[robinson46176]

I bought my first one new at a Shopsmith store in 1988 up on 86th street on Indy's north-east corner in the Castleton area. Bought it and a few extras for a bit over $2,300. Put it (still apart and in a big box or two) in the back of my pickup and likely giggled all of the way home. I had only wanted one for 28 years. $2,300 was big bucks for me in 1988. I paid almost $4,500 for a lawnmower a year ago last fall but that was many times easier to find that much for that than it was to buy the Shopsmith in 1988.
Maybe a decade ago, maybe two, I bought the second at farm equipment consignment auction for $200 with several extras.
Then I had some money that I designated as "prepare for full retirement money" and started buying SS's. I lost exact count around 25. Quite a few SPT's and giblets. I paid $800 for one exceptionally nice one with some extras and two or three at around $125 to $150. Average was probably around $400. for good working clean units.

I don't guess that I really care what they resell for at this point, I have no plans to ever sell any of mine. All of my shop tools, both woodshop and farm shop (and a lot of other stuff) goes to our son Scott. He can do what ever he likes with them.

He is kind of a keeper. Just this week he drove in and asked me where the ladder with the extra roof support was. I told him then after he went out I thought, wait a minute... He drove in in his Jeep. He lives just down the road at the north end of the farm but that is too far to carry a ladder. I went outside and he was on the roof cleaning out our gutters. He just said "I noticed they needed cleaning". He just does stuff like that and has for many years.


.

[Hobbyman2]

Good question,,,,

Another question could be ,,,,,,, did you buy your SS hoping to resale it when you were done with it ,,,,or to keep it.




That said

Got this stuff from CL .


MKV and jig saw ,, Mich.

band saw ,,,needed new tires,,,,, biscuit cutter ,, tenon jig,,,,,mortise bits and hold down ,,,,,lathe chisels ,, northern Ohio .

Multiple small pieces on ebay ..

Been over 2 states gathering pieces to put the system together.

Some times buying used pays off and some times not,,,,, some folks think they got a brand new piece and want new prices ,,,and it is worn out when ya get there .

I feel If we are both happy when I leave its a good day .

Hobbyman2

[jsburger]

I bought a 510 new from Woodcraft on 24 Jun 1994. The price was $1999.95. I bought a Jointer and Band Saw and got a $280.00 discount on the Band Saw. I also got the Shop 1 package which had the castors and all the other goodies, a can of Tree wax, the Japanese miter square and a Woodriver 6" engineers square. Total out the door was $2845.85.

My shorty was built entirely with parts from eBay. My dedicated drill press was built with the head stock and bench end casting from the upgrade of the original machine to a MK 7. The rest of the parts were from eBay.

[rjent]

New Mark 7
Used 500 off CL
10ER off CL
given two more 10ER's

Use them all ...

[dusty]

I bought my Mark V, Model 510 at the Dallas County Fair on 2/22/1992. It was a booth being operated there by the Woodcraft store in Addison, Tx. The entire package was purchased for $6,299.89 and included the Bandsaw, Jointer, ProPlaner, Belt Sander, Scroll Saw, Power Station, 2 Power Stands, Dust Collector and numerous accessories like blades, sand paper, etc.

The entire shop was set up for me by David Matley. Business was brisk and the only time available was a two day period when I was out of town on a business trip. David was also the salesman that prepared my purchase order.

I later purchased a Crafters Station and Bandsaw for $200 from a gentleman who purchased it new and was never happy with the way it performed. When I received it, the bandsaw was "like new" and the wiring harness in the Crafters Station has been burned to a crisp. After studying the wiring diagram (which was a very poor rendition), I decided that the problem had to have been caused by either a short in the wire harness or a relay. I purchased both from Shopsmith and have been using themn on a regular basis ever since.

I have since acquired a Shorty that was built up using parts either given to me or purchased on ebay along with a headstock that was given to me by a member of this forum.

[JPG]

New 1963 Goldie. Jointer included as sweetener.

Dual voltage motor(115/230v).








$339.50

Actually purchased new from Montgomery Ward.


Others purchased used or assembled from parts.

[mr.d]

I've bought at auction and flipped maybe ten to twelve SS's over the years to help fuel my shop tool addiction. In hindsight, wish I would have kept some of the accessories but have settled into using my 510 shorty and full size 520 for the various sanding configurations available. Power Pro or rebuilt for reversible is probably the only changes I'd be looking to change from this point forward.

[reible]

My very first shopsmith came mail order from shopsmith in 1976. It got just about all the upgrades and now it is a mark 7 with the powerpro and dual tilt etc etc. I believe it was $745 with some bonus stuff.

My second shopsmith was a basket case 510(ebay) that I got when I started worrying that my other shopsmith might fail someday and I didn't want to be without one. Well the failure thing never happened and the 510 was rebuilt and then upgraded to a 520 with the saw train system. I had intended to put a powerpro on it but then I ended up putting the powerpro on another machine.

The next machine started as a base to store SPT's(ebay). I had spare parts from the 500 to 520 upgrade and almost like magic a headstock(ebay) came along and pretty soon it was a storage rack and drill press. I used it this way for a long while.

My second powerpro is now this drill press and I like it so well it will likely stay that way. This headstock is one I got from Bill M as a shell or skull if you like that I put the powerpro into. We will get back to the original headstock and what it has become later later.

This was all in the time frame when many here including myself was worried if shopsmith would survive so having a few extra parts wasn't a bad thing to have on your shelf. I still have the motor and other internal parts from my first powerpro and more stored.

My next machine was one I got to put together a second shop in the UP of MI. It was a 500 off ebay and it is still up in northern WI at my brothers until I bring it back this spring. It has been sitting for about a year and half so I'm hoping it hasn't rusted too much. It was in pretty good shape. I may part with it this summer as I don't have room for it.

My next shopsmith was a 10ER (ebay) that I got for one of my brothers. I did a very basic rebuilt and clean up but not a redo so it is pretty much functional but not pretty. I gave it to him and I understand he is doing some turning after making an area to warm in the former store they own. To expensive to heat the whole thing for just doing the turning he wants to do so I hope it is working out for him.

Next I got a 10ER for myself (ebay). It is in parts and mostly painted but still not together. It has a speed changer and then the basic unit and a motor that I don't know much about. There were only a few strands of wire powering it so the previous owner mentioned it was weak........ well that could be the issue. As the least capable of my machines it might get sold off this summer since I'm total out of space to put it.

I have 2/3 size shorty that is in process, the old drill press headstock is the bases of it along with some other left over parts. I did ebay some legs and tubes but the rest of the parts I have already. I'm waiting on warmer weather and then I want to see if I'm going to be lucky and have a motor in my collection that can be wired to run in reverse.... other wise I might have to be looking at ebay for a used one.

The last shopsmith I purchased was off Craig's list and it was for my son so he has it (we need to get it cleaned up and lubricated this spring so he can use it).

The 510 and the 500's that I got were all in the $200 to $250 range. The 10ER's were both under $100. To this point shopsmith still got a good deal of business from me for parts and other attachments and SPT's. I would not want to know how many $$ I've spent on shopsmith things........... way more then I probably should have. But right now I don't have any big purchases in mind from them so they may still nickle and dime me but that might be it for a while.

So far I have not sold anything shopsmith wise but I have given away a few things, some of which I wish I hadn't like the update saw guard for the 500.... but such is life.

Ed

[Dansmith]

When I lived in CA years ago, they had a Shopsmith store in Anaheim. I remember in the early 1990's stopping by and they had a clearance sale going on for the Mark V 500. The price was great as I remember, and I bought it.

This store was great. Once a month, if I recall correctly, they would have a free woodworking class (my wife even went). They also had great sales; so over time, I ended up buying various SS accesories, a SS power station, SS band saw and a SS strip sander. I was disappointed when they closed the store.

[masonsailor2]

I grew up with a father who was an amazing woodworker and he had a freebie. I bought my first 500 in 1978 upon discharge from the Navy. . We bought the " master shop" I think it was called. I don't remember how much it was but at the time it was a lot. That machine and SPT's built a house and started a mill and cabinet business. For years it was set up solely to drill for eurohinges. I had that machine until 2005 when we sold everything and went sailing. After returning in 2012 I have acquired 5 510's all at serious discounts. One of them was free. I can't imagine woodworking without one.
Paul