Lifetime Reconditioning Program

[stephen_a._draper]

Has anyone used the Shopsmith Lifetime Reconditioning Program? I bought my belt sander new 30 years ago and it finally needs new bearings on the drive drum assembly. The part alone is $110 from Shopsmith. If I understand correctly I can have my belt sander repainted and all normal wearing parts replaced for a total cost of $183 ($549.46 times 1/3)) plus tax and shipping. It will be like new and have a 90 day warranty. Has anyone else done this with a Shopsmith Tool?

[dusty]

I did not know that! Where is that service offered.

This is all that I was aware of.

http://www.shopsmith.com/service/shopsmith_repairs.htm

[Mike907]

Item 6, here:

http://www.shopsmith.com/mark7site/guarantee.htm

And you might (general repairs vs reconditioning) get a discount if you schedule by Monday:

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/7DU984.htm

Mike

[dusty]

Thank You, Mike. Yes, I knew about the Gold Medal Lifetime Warranty. Most of it at least. I read right over the offer to "make like new" and I assume the $183 that was previously mentioned is the cost at time of repair.

I can see where this could be real popular with some of old guys who would like to pass out machines on to their future owners in mint condition. If only there was a raft of youngsters out there who can not wait to have their own wood working shop. Unfortunately,programs like Industrial Arts are now hard to find. The general populace just does not have time to make saw dust.

I wonder what the price would be today to make my Mark V Model 510 "like new". Would it be a fraction of the original cost or a fraction of the sale price today. I bought mine as a complete package deal at the County Fair in Dallas. The package price for the Mark V (Model 510 at that time) was a little over $1000.

[stephen_a._draper]

My belt sander owners manual (505642) says on page 50:

"At any time, regardless of the age of your Shopsmith Belt Sander, you can send it to us (roundtrip shipping at owner's expense), and we'll rebuild and repaint it. We'll replace worn parts such as bearings, seals, and springs. Your reconditioned belt sander will come back to you with a new 90-day full warranty. Reconditioning or repair will be done for a cost that will never exceed one third of the current list price of the Shopsmith Belt Sander at the time of repair. If parts other than normal wearing parts need replacement, an estimate will be submitted to the owner for approval."

$1276.34 would be the maximum cost plus tax and shipping to recondition a Mark V 510. I am not sure there are very many normal wearing parts outside of the headstock. Shopsmith will recondition your headstock for about $500.

[benush26]

I guess I thought reconditioned to new was for the original owner. Simply a way of assuring the original owner that they were always covered.
Also I never did see where the associatied cost to recondition was stated. I was led to believe, when I asked some years back, that the cost was based on sending the SPT back, and getting a quote.

Is the 20% off the 1/3 price?

Be well,
Ben

[stephen_a._draper]

I obtained my RMA # Monday and received the 20% discount before the deadline. I shipped it yesterday FedEx Ground at a cost of $82.50. $20 of that was the packing cost. I just took the tool alone to my FedEx Office locally and they packed it up for me. One benefit of using FedEx is when you buy a box from them the cost includes all other packing supplies and labor.

It will be delivered Thursday afternoon to Shopsmith. Shopsmith said they work on them in the order they are received. It will be about 4 weeks until they look at mine. They will call me when they have started working on it.

[dusty]

Four weeks! I sure hope this means that they are really busy.

[stephen_a._draper]

I received a phone call today from Sue at Shopsmith. The belt sander will be finished and shipped back to me this week. Cost $224.86 including shipping. So with my cost to ship it to them my total expense with be $307.36. Extremely fast turn around considering I just shipped it to them exactly one week ago.

The cost of a brand new one with sales tax and shipping is $661.75 so my cost for the refurbishment was 46.44% the cost of a new one.

I also saw on the Shopsmith site that these reconditioned tools have a full one year warranty on the parts that were replaced.

[stephen_a._draper]

I received my belt sander last Thursday. It looks and performs just like a new one. Tracking is just perfect and it is much quieter!