Why WW pubs look down on SS?

[mgbbob]

I subscribe to Auto Restorer magazine. No advertisement, just interesting stuff. It costs a few dollars more but I like to support it for the no advertising thing.

I guess one thing that does bug me a bit is that there is not a published magazine, I can't buy a baseball hat or a shop apron new and something like the annual get together died.

Is there a market out there for some of these things. I ask shopsmith about accessories and they didnt' seem interested. I love the section in the magazine and I will make sure to pick up a copy.
Bob

[ryanbp01]

Where do you think the power pro comes from?

New Zealand?
BPR

[Ed in Tampa]

New Zealand?
BPR

I think it is China, the design was New Zealand but the actual manufacture I believe is China.

[swampgator]

Well, maybe, I'm not considered a serious woodworker, but I take my woodworking seriously.

And, for all those who buy Craftsman power tools, beware. I've had times where I bought a professional grade random orbital sander. Six months later, I went back for a replacement hook and loop pad. Took the tool into the service shop and they said that the tool I had in my hand with the Craftsman label on the side was not Craftsman. What the hey? Fortunately, a Delta pad worked fine. Had a drill in my hand in the same service shop and they said they have never sold that drill. In each case, they looked in their books and on the computer. So, from two out of three experiences, will never buy another Craftsman power tool. Their loss when I can find other tools that I can restore and continue. Had to toss the drill.
Looking at one of the old metal cased drills that I remember as child. Not as much power, but will work when I need it to.

[tgamel]

I can hear you guys gathering and getting the rope so if I going to get lynched let me ask a question.

If you had the money of the cost of the new Shopsmith Mark VII, plus a SS bandsaw, plus a SS jointer, plus a SS planner and were not limited in your shop space.

Would you buy standalone or the Shopsmith. Be truthful now, I know most of you bought you SS at well below manufacture list prices. I'm saying you have the money and you must spend it on woodworking

I think if you are really honest most of you will say I would buy the standalone. And I say there you have your answer was to why more Wood Working mags don't do SS articles.

I hear what you are saying Ed. Bought my Shopsmith exactly for the reason it was designed; to be able to use multiple tools in a limited space. Heck I have a Craftsman model 113 table saw, but wanted a good lathe and drill press and band saw as well. Got my whole Mark V setup for $600 including band saw and joiner. Never would have been able to buy new at the price that Shopsmith sells for, so I would probably have to buy cheaper stand alone equipment. Having said that, SS stuff lasts a long time and that is why I am able to have all the accessories I have now, simply stated Mark V's are built like tanks.

[letterk]

[quote="tgamel"]I hear what you are saying Ed. Bought my Shopsmith exactly for the reason it was designed]

Yep, pretty much the same thing for me. Own a table saw, but wanted the other features and since I'm newer to woodworking I only used the other Mark V features occasionally, not enough to own separate equipment. Have used the jointer a bit and one day when I get my bandsaw tuned up I'll use it more. The Shopsmith Pro Planer is a beast and I look forward to using it more this summer. What I paid for everything used was much less than new equipment however.

[BuckeyeDennis]

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.

Ya know Ed, on further reflection I must admit that you make a good point.

I should now confess that I have already, albeit inadvertently, hedged my bets on SS change-over time issues. Not by design, but by pure dumb luck, I acquired a SS jigsaw on a Power Stand, then a bandsaw on a Power Station, and then a Pro Planer. These were all serious bargains, and now I have almost more powered stands than I know what to do with. After considerable consideration, not to mention research on this forum, I think that I will ultimately put my belt sander on the Power Station, the bandsaw on the Power Stand, and mount the jigsaw on the SS in place of the jointer whenever needed. And for sure, everything gets a set of SS casters.

But from all this, I reckon SS got the standalone tool thing sorta covered, too, for those who want it that way. I gather that was an intentional market thrust of theirs some time back. And I still like the fact that I can shuffle all my SPT's around when and if the need arises, or the mood strikes.

On the "Chinese junk" front, the good news is that off-shoring phenomen is rapidly being superceded by the re-shoring phenomen. I know this first hand, as my company manufactures and sells machine tools for the high-volume production turned parts market, right here in the USA. The last decade was brutal. But now, the combination of moderated American wages, rising Chinese wages, poor Chinese quality, high shipping costs, and low U.S. energy costs have combined to turn things around. Our customers tell us that they can now produce volume parts in the U.S. more competitively than in China. We literally can't make machines for US manufacturers fast enough this year. WOW, THAT FEELS GOOD!!!

And don't even try to make me feel guilty about buying from eBay or Craigslist. If you buy into the environmental movement even just a little bit, what could be more "green" than recycling used machinery, instead of making a huge carbon footprint manufacturing new stuff, while perfectly good used equipment goes to waste? The digital age and Internet make "recycling" used machinery very efficient. Not to mention that hunting, and occasionally scoring, bargains is way more fun than paying full retail!

[swampgator]

Letter to editor on page 6 written by Bob Covey from Colorado:

"Your last issue of Woodworker's Journalis great reading. Back in 1948, I worked in a machine shop that was starting to make the Shopsmith. After hours, I machined the parts and put together my own unit. It's used regularly as a saw and a lathe..."

No comments by the editors.

[JPG]

. . . After considerable consideration, not to mention research on this forum, I think that I will ultimately put my belt sander on the Power Station, the bandsaw on the Power Stand, and mount the jigsaw on the SS in place of the jointer whenever needed. . . .

The jig saw will work on the 'right' end so jointer 'removal' not 'necessary'.

[joshh]

Where do you think the power pro comes from?

I don't know where any of the Shop Smith motors were made since Shop Smith didn't make them.