SS Thickness Planer

georgek1 · Post by **georgek1** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:33 am

I have an opportunity to acquire the following for $350. Any opinions as to the value. What should I look for when I get a chance to see it?

Shopsmith 555082 Pro Planer-Stand Alone Base w/Casters-Variable Speed Motor- Separate Feed Motor-28" Long Table-12"X4" Throat Capacity-High Grip Feed Rollers. 23 years old - Great Shape!!

Thanks for any help or advise you might share

George

pinkiewerewolf · Post by **pinkiewerewolf** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:56 am

I have been looking for a deal like that.
As a student I can't dish out the mulah for a new one but most of the sellers on ebay won't ship them.
The price sounds right but I haven't used one to tell you what to look for.
I have seen threads in the past where the subject was mentioned but I can't find it.
Sorry that I am drooling over your find and not much help with your questions.

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:22 am

George:

That is a great price. The planer is well worth buying. Check to see if the jack screws are bent. When you see the planer, crank it up and down a few times. If the screws are bent, the crank pressure will be uneven, and the table will "wobble". This is perhaps the only weakness in the design, and shipping the planer often results in this kind of damage. Jack screws can be replaced by a homeowner who is a good mechanic, but is a job probably best left to factory in Dayton, or an expert, for the most of us.

Early planers had a rubber in-feed roller. This was not entirely satisfactory, so the rubber roller was replaced with the steel knurled infeed. Older used planers often have worn out rubber outfeed rollers. Both of these rollers can be purchased from Shopsmith.

Those of us in Florida are fortunate to have Bill Mayo in Plant City. Bill can do all of these repairs and upgrades for you. By all means - buy this planer. It is the very best home workshop planer on the market.

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:36 pm

I am probably going to step on a lot of toes here, but I would be hesitant to spend $350 dollars on a 23 year old machine. Even a Shopsmith! Why? Well, after re-conditioning, buying new replacement parts, etc., you will probably end up spending an extra, what? 2 - 3 hundred, and you still have a 23 year old machine with some new parts. I would suggest that you take that money and look into buying a NEW Dewalt 735. But then, if you are a Shopsmith purist... GO FOR IT!
This is just my opinion and we all know what those are worth.

jdramsey · Post by **jdramsey** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:00 pm

I bought my SS planer on Ebay. I think I paid $125 for it. It arrived broken in shipping. I took it to Battel's Hardware in Whittier, CA. They were one of the few stores that actually sold SS in the store next to every other tool on the market. Many years ago, of course. They did a nice job of repairing it and it runs great. Cost me another $125. Works great. I'm guessing that it's 20 + years old. $325 might be a really good deal, but just be cautious, and pay for the insurance if it's being shipped a long distance.

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 5:04 pm

I personally see nothing wrong with that deal. I bought one thru ebay for about $30 more than that last summer. Mine unfortunately is sitting at my daughters house in Colorado waiting for me to move there. The pictures and description made it look perfect. When I arrived at my daughters house two months later I risked creating rust on the tables by drooling all over it. I runs perfectly the blades look like they have never been used. There is quite literally no rust or grunge anywhere on it. Everytime I use the box store planer I have here now I wish I was moved and could use my Shopsmith pro planer. I am either going to have to drive out there and bring it home or get this house sold so I can move. fjimp

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:51 pm

curiousgeorge wrote:I am probably going to step on a lot of toes here, but I would be hesitant to spend $350 dollars on a 23 year old machine. Even a Shopsmith! Why? Well, after re-conditioning, buying new replacement parts, etc., you will probably end up spending an extra, what? 2 - 3 hundred, and you still have a 23 year old machine with some new parts. I would suggest that you take that money and look into buying a NEW Dewalt 735. But then, if you are a Shopsmith purist... GO FOR IT!
This is just my opinion and we all know what those are worth.

George,
23 years is nothing! I regularly use tools up to five times this age and have had the privilege of using some machines that that were over ten times that age.

My point is that in a well maintained, quality tool, age is relatively unimportant. Admittedly parts can be a problem.

I can make no useful comments on the Dewalt as I have no experience with the machine. However I do believe that a refurbished Shopsmith planer is probably worth more than most of the comparably priced Asian imports on the market. Another opinion for the collection.

You guys are making me jealous… and I thought I got a great deal on my planer.

Troy

chettrick · Post by **chettrick** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:09 pm

I say go for it, I am not sure what the going rate is but I think the planer with stand and motor is around 1200. I picked mine up used that has to be at least 20 years old, and it was not in the greatest shape. It came with two shopsmiths, jonter, bandsaw and belt sander for 2k.

I only bought spare blades for it and it works fine. The casters don't sit right and I have not fixed that part so one corner tends to drag a little. Might be my shop floor.

I have always wanted a planer and I am glad I got this one. I use it more than I thought I would.

Gampa · Post by **Gampa** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:39 pm

It sounds like a great deal. I bought mine on eBay without the stand for about the same price. It had seen some very hard use at some time but a little TLC brought it right back to tip top condition. It's hard to keep a well built machine down.

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:43 am

I just got my November Woodcraft catalog. The Dewalt DW735, shown on page 11, is listed at $649.99. Replacement blades are $54.99, the stand at $$179.99, and the in/outfeed at $54.99. Add it all up and it ain't exactly cheap - all those velly good dolla!!

I also note that the motor is described as 15 amp, driving the cutter at 10,000 rpm!, better get the best hearing protectors on the market. Note that this lack of a HP rating correlates exactly with what Nick has told us in his "Sanding and Planing". Nuff said.