Why WW pubs look down on SS?

[algale]

Why do wood working publications, and in my experience it's a majority of them, look in a disparging way at SS as a serious woodworking machine? I've had this question for a number of years and thought I would put it before us here. I subscribe to three major publications from high end to DIY and in all cases you never see or read a tool review or building project that includes SS, except those publications owned and operated by SS. Why the discrimination against this great American (and one of the last still built in the USA) tool maker? I've got my own thoughts but would like to see what others think.

Going back to the original premise of the original post, I am curious whether you have any examples in mind of wood working publications looking in a disparaging way at Shopsmith.

I haven't seen any article about Shopsmith in any wood working magazine in years and the ones from the past I've seen and read aren't what I'd call disparaging. Now, as for the decision in recent years to ignore Shopsmith amounting to discrimination, that I suspect, as others have pointed out, is largely a function of advertizing dollars and the failure to send free samples of equipment to the magazines for testing. It is no coincidence that when Shopsmith ceased advertizing in the magazines that the magazines stopped talking about Shopsmith.

[ryanbp01]

Since Ed is worried about being hanged:D , I'll worry about getting pilloried:D .

Has anyone here ever thought about writing an article showcasing their Shopsmith while building a project and submitting it for publication? Surely, we have some here on the forum capable of doing this.

And, don't call me Shirley ,
BPR

[mgbbob]

I subscribe to several car magazines and I can't or won't afford a new car. I have a Lionel train layout but I don't have computerized controlled equipment. I subscibed to Wood but I have a Shopsmith.

I have told my story before but I have gotten ride of most of my stand alone equipment but I do have a overabundance of contractor's table saws right now.

I just restored an 80's Craftsman 10" table saw for the garage. My Shopsmith will keep it's place of honor in the basement workshop adjoining the garage. Along with it are the joiner, bandsaw, belt sander and always looking for more.

I don't think Unisaws keep there value all that well. I have seen several in the KC area on CList for $500+/- in the last year. I am tempted and maybe one day I will buy.

Magazines have to sell advertisement. Shopsmith doesn't feel the urge to advertise in that manner. Life goes on. We as SS users have a wealth of great videos from the past, a wonderful forum to discuss items, and some great folks like Bill, Dusty and others in the forum to lead us down the path. ENJOY! Life is GREAT!

[joshh]

I subscibed to Wood but I have a Shopsmith.!

[WmZiggy]

[quote="algale"]Going back to the original premise of the original post, I am curious whether you have any examples in mind of wood working publications looking in a disparaging way at Shopsmith.

Perhaps "disparaging" was a poor choice of words in relation to the WW mags. I would reserve that word for craftsmen who talk SS down, usually with little or no experience with it. I've had a few ww friends in this category, and of course they are entitled to their opinion, stupid as it often is. For example, I had a friend sell his SS because he felt the Delta 4" jointer, rather than the SS jointer, was a better machine. So he got rid of all of his SS equipment. I couldn't see that much of a difference between the two and wrote it off as irrational.

What bugs me about the WW mags is they favor massive stand alone machines, be they jointers, saws, planers, or lathes when they build a project. Let's face it, few people have unlimited space. There are always limits. Unless one is running a cabinet or production shop, the need for a Delta Unisaw, or equally huge band saw, planer, jointer, is just not there. I have a stand alone Ryobi contractors saw with a sliding table and I am glad it's not one of the beasts. Combined with SS and my Craftsman radial arm, I can cut anything, quickly. I usually set my SSs up for dado/molding work.

Back to my point, the WW mags are not really reflecting reality out here. And that reality is there are more DIY shops in basements or garages run by guys like you and I who love making furniture/pens/boxes/turnings for our families and friends - it's our avocation. I have no need for an 8" jointer, 18" planer, or a saw that weighs a ton. I just wish the mags would reflect more of this reality than the production shop mentality. And it's important to remember that even Norm's shop is a production shop, producing for TV.

[Ed in Tampa]

Ed, you must be in serious need of a hickory-fed squirrel fix. You are very clearly and intentionally cruising for controversy!

I fall in the middle here somewhere. I have a reasonable amount of space, but not a ton. I have a reasonable, but limited, amount of disposable income for toys. I spent a reasonable amount of money on a used 520, and have most all of the SPT's now, pretty darned cheap. I have also spent a reasonable amount of money with SS on replacement parts and for stuff that fetches an unreasonable price on eBay. Notice a pattern here?

For me, and I am a reasonably successful design engineer and entrepreneur, the deciding factor was the cleverness of the design. Very, very few engineers could conceive of, not to mention execute, a system that addresses so many tasks with such elegance. Of COURSE, special-purpose equipment will ALWAYS edge out general-purpose equipment when it comes to absolute performance. Who cares? When it comes to woodworking, I'm a hobbiest. I like the flexibility the SS gives me to experiment, and perhaps even do something clever.

And congrats on the great-grandson! A darned good excuse for gettin' feisty. Send the boy on up to Ohio State in a few years - we can always use some more good football players. Hey, we already got Florida's best coach!

Yeah I do need a fix of some hickory feed squirrels, been a long time.

I think what you described is probably the definition of most wood workers these days. Few if any will buy a new machine, especially one that costs nearly $4000 dollars. So in that line of thinking it would do Shopsmith little good to advertise. As for the SPT's many like the Bandsaw cost nearly what a stand alone machine does. In fact I was just looking at my latest issue of the Wood and they had an add for Grizzly anniversary bandsaws with all the bells and whistles. I think it was nearly the same cost as the Shopsmith Bandsaw.

Some are saying that is chinese junk but I think before long most of SS will be coming from China too.

Others say well I can still get parts. I have a 25 year old hand sander Porter Cable that I can still get all the parts for plus addon upgrades. I have a 40 year old Sears Radial Arm saw that I have never needed to buy a part for along with a Black and Decker drill, Sears Router, Sabre Saw and a 30 year old hitachi drill and I never needed any work on them. I have on Sear Sabre saw that needed a whole need from end, the recipocating section, I ordered it from Sears and installed it. Again no problem.

The problem is our society has the mind set of disposable, buy the cheapest no matter where is it made and look for the deals on Ebay and Craigslist.

[frank81]

The problem is our society has the mind set of disposable, buy the cheapest no matter where is it made and look for the deals on Ebay and Craigslist.

And that's why I answered I would never buy new equipment.

I hate replacing things, its a complete waste of money. I want to buy it once, maintain it, and be done.

My first choice is always higher quality, older, serviceable equipment which I scan Craigslist for regularly. More metal and less plastic. Generous use of copper in the wiring and windings in electric motors. Brands I can get parts for. Indiviudal part numbers are available, not "assemblies" (another hallmark of Chinese mfg). Taking money out of the equation, most of the time I would still choose the older stuff.

BTW, squirrel season opens on the 25th. But if they keep snitching on me during turkey season I may have a few appear in my freezer early.

[joshh]

but I think before long most of SS will be coming from China too.

If this ever happens, all my SS stuff is getting sold...but I don't see that happening.

[Ed in Tampa]

If this ever happens, all my SS stuff is getting sold...but I don't see that happening.

Where do you think the power pro comes from?

[rdavidp]

I have the publication, and I did not notice that. Shows how well I read it. Once I get my shop finished, I was planning to take pictures and send in to Wood Magazine to see if I could get published in one of these type of special editions showing my Shopsmith shop.