Lift assist

reible · Post by **reible** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:50 pm

I've never had the pleasure of using one and with my bad back I'm sure it would help.

The bad news I'm scared of those gas lifts. Maybe due to the fact my Escort hatch back had one fail while the hatch was up.... I had the good present of mind to figure that out after it hit me in the head and I was laying in the back "trunk" with it on top of me. I could I have really gotten hurt if both had failed, the way it was I got over the head ache in a couple of days.

Being a country boy I never though to start litigation but hey if I did maybe I could have a whole garage full of dedicated tools... like a shopsmith with a 6" belt sander, a shopsmith with a jig saw, a shopsmith with a strip sander....

Ed

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:10 pm

I've been using the lift assist since '03 and now I couldn't do without it. Actually, now I have three of them, and purchased a fourth for my son for Christmas. Once alligned properly on the Shopsmith, none of them have given me any problems.

With the new Overarm Pin Router, the headstock must be pushed to the far left. Without the lift assist, tilting the machine to vertical would take more effort than my back can stand. If someone is interested in getting the OPR, they should give the lift assist very serious consideration.

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:11 pm

reible wrote:I've never had the pleasure of using one and with my bad back I'm sure it would help.

The bad news I'm scared of those gas lifts. Maybe due to the fact my Escort hatch back had one fail while the hatch was up.... I had the good present of mind to figure that out after it hit me in the head and I was laying in the back "trunk" with it on top of me. I could I have really gotten hurt if both had failed, the way it was I got over the head ache in a couple of days.

Being a country boy I never though to start litigation but hey if I did maybe I could have a whole garage full of dedicated tools... like a shopsmith with a 6" belt sander, a shopsmith with a jig saw, a shopsmith with a strip sander....

Ed

I have the lift Assist installed on both of my Mark V's. My wife questioned the addition on the second machine. I allowed her the pleasure of trying to lift the headstock prior to install and again afterward. She agrees it is worth every nickle. Dusty commented they should be included in the basic tool. I agree wholeheartedly. Ed's comment about gas lifts on hatchback cars is a rwal concern. Hmmm no I remember where the bump on my skull came from. Neither of my Mark V's are stored outside in the weather which seemed to be hard on the gas lifts. Jim

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:05 pm

I recall several discussions of raising SS's to vertical on other SS list and boards. Several possibilities were talked about and maybe the same things were talked about here. Most discussions revolved around work-arounds for those that simply could not afford to put the money into a Lift assist or in a few cases where they had elaborate built-in under-hung storage that they didn't want to give up.
Several of us talked about using a ceiling mounted pulley and a piece of rope to pull it to drill press mode. One person that had a lot of difficulty lifting his used a 3 pulley block and tackle.
There were some others but I can't make those come up in my mind right this minute.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:16 pm

fjimp wrote: Dusty commented they should be included in the basic tool. I agree wholeheartedly. Jim

Doggone it! I didn't want to comment here, becaause I don't have one, but now I have to. To make lift assists part of the basic tool, leaves some of us (me) flabbergasted! If made to buy a 510 or 520 with a lift assist, this would present real inconvenience. It would cause me to un-install the lift and find a storage place for it. Good Lord! My shop is already crowded enough!

Undoubtedly the lift is a great thing for quite a few users, but why suggest all of us would benefit from it. To operate with a lift assist, there are some drawbacks (as pointed out above). Some of these can be overcome by buying a Universal Tool Rest. I also find that expense un-necessary.

Because some of us don't need, or desire the lift - is why it is offered a separate item.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:08 am

robinson46176 wrote:I recall several discussions of raising SS's to vertical on other SS list and boards. Several possibilities were talked about and maybe the same things were talked about here. Most discussions revolved around work-arounds for those that simply could not afford to put the money into a Lift assist or in a few cases where they had elaborate built-in under-hung storage that they didn't want to give up.
Several of us talked about using a ceiling mounted pulley and a piece of rope to pull it to drill press mode. One person that had a lot of difficulty lifting his used a 3 pulley block and tackle.
There were some others but I can't make those come up in my mind right this minute.

I found your post farmer.
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?p=56938&postcount=20
You referred to using a cordless drill as a HEAD power assist.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:59 am

charlese wrote:Doggone it! I didn't want to comment here, becaause I don't have one, but now I have to. To make lift assists part of the basic tool, leaves some of us (me) flabbergasted! If made to buy a 510 or 520 with a lift assist, this would present real inconvenience. It would cause me to un-install the lift and find a storage place for it. Good Lord! My shop is already crowded enough!

Undoubtedly the lift is a great thing for quite a few users, but why suggest all of us would benefit from it. To operate with a lift assist, there are some drawbacks (as pointed out above). Some of these can be overcome by buying a Universal Tool Rest. I also find that expense un-necessary.

Because some of us don't need, or desire the lift - is why it is offered a separate item.

It is offered as a separate item because when the Shopsmith was designed they didn't have the lift assist. When I stated that it should be included, I did not mean as an add-on. My thought was that it should be 'incorporated' into the base assembly of the tool.

Is that ever going to happen? Absolutely not, the cost of redesign would be totally prohibitive. So you are safe, charlese, no one is going to attempt tp force you to buy a lift assist.

I am just very thankful that you do not feel like you need the assistance. Some of us have opted to buy it because it because the choice was "buy it" or "quit using the Mark V".

norman J · Post by **norman J** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:06 pm

cincinnati wrote:Just wondering for owners who have had the lift assist for some time now. Do you like it, Is it durable and seem to hold up over time?

Have had for 4yrs..complained to SS that the lift is against one tube which over time twists the tubes. The headstock won't slide as easy and one tube doesn't seat as well..I do like it;but fiddle with it...Suggested 3yrs ago the lift be equally distributed between tubes...

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:58 pm

[quote="norman J"]Have had for 4yrs..complained to SS that the lift is against one tube which over time twists the tubes. The headstock won't slide as easy and one tube doesn't seat as well..I do like it] There is at least one thread on the forum that deals with this problem and I believe that all previous participants (in that thread) have experienced and resolved your stated proble.

jayhawk · Post by **jayhawk** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:43 am

I got mine yesterday after being backordered since October. Can't wait to get it installed. I truly believe that the headstock is getting heavier as I get older!

Shopsmith Forums

Lift assist

Say What?

lift assist twist