New Owner: Seeking 500 vs 510 opinions

[SDSSmith]

I love my 510. Sorry, never had a 500. My 510 table saw is perfect. The miter slots and the rip fence line up with the blade very, very closely. (no consistent saw marks on a rip cut.)

Can't understand how a 520 would be any better, especially with the aligning issues some have had.

Extra T-slots, direct reading scales, more robust fence and fence locking system, locking screws for table tubes (floating tables, etc.) lock the from below (not from the side) to name a few items that make the 520 better.

But you can still do about everything on a 500 that you can on a 520 or a 510.

[charlese]

I love the Shopsmith!!! I love my 510, but as posted earlier (about two yrs ago) if I ever buy a 520 it will be because I want one, not because I need one.

For the record - although I am aware some folks got warped tables - mine has been flat and steady. The rip fence doesn't have side T slots, but has one on top (not 2 like the 520). The fence's double locking system holds fast like a clamp. There is absolutely no wavering of the front or tail end of the fence. It is easy to set up and there is no difficulty having slips as reported about some of the 520 fences. The round rails have real good, all steel locking screws that align extension tubes perfectly. Nothing to fall out.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I see the company still sells 510s. The extra couple hundred for the 520 doesn't turn me on enough to buy.

I did jump and got a PowerPro, however.

There are all kinds of woodworkers. At least most of us agree on the versatility and capabilities of the Shopsmith machines. Not necessarily on all of the up-grades.

[dcoffey48]

Thanks for all the input.

I think I will hold out for good deal on a 510. I'll just have to be patient.


Dave.

[foxtrapper]

I have a 500. I've used a 510 and a 520.

The fancy tables of the 510 and 520 are for the table saw, a feature I rarely use and most dislike about the Shopsmith. Lets be real, the motor is weak, the table is high, and you tilt the table not the blade for angle cuts. This is not my go-to table saw.

Most of my wood cutting is done with the bandsaw. That has become my go-to wood cutting tool. The 510 and 520 tables actually get in the way of using the bandsaw.

The 510/520 table prevents you from easily tilting the main table, or flipping up the unit, or casually switching to lathe work. All things I can do easily with the 500. As well leaving the bandsaw in place. And I don't have to store that 510/520 table assembly somewhere.

So, pre-bandsaw, I kinda lusted after the big tables of the 510/520. Now, post-bandsaw, I find no call for the 510/520 big tables.

[dusty]

I have a 500. I've used a 510 and a 520.

The fancy tables of the 510 and 520 are for the table saw, a feature I rarely use and most dislike about the Shopsmith. Lets be real, the motor is weak, the table is high, and you tilt the table not the blade for angle cuts. This is not my go-to table saw.

Most of my wood cutting is done with the bandsaw. That has become my go-to wood cutting tool. The 510 and 520 tables actually get in the way of using the bandsaw.

The 510/520 table prevents you from easily tilting the main table, or flipping up the unit, or casually switching to lathe work. All things I can do easily with the 500. As well leaving the bandsaw in place. And I don't have to store that 510/520 table assembly somewhere.

So, pre-bandsaw, I kinda lusted after the big tables of the 510/520. Now, post-bandsaw, I find no call for the 510/520 big tables.

If I thought the motor was weak, I probably would not use the Mark V either. I have no problems due to a "weak motor".

It is taller than I would like but I have learned to live with that.

Sometimes it is a pain to have to work on a tilted table but that too I have adjusted to. I just don't have that much need for the tilted table except when working small parts and then I don't really have a problem.

I use my bandsaw mounted on a power station. Therefore, the table never gets in the way.

I use the belt sander a lot too. It also sits on its' own power stand.

The Mark V is my go-to table saw, drill press, jointer, disk sander, horizontal boring machine and lathe.

My second Power Station has become the base for my router table. It, therefore, is grossly under utilized as a power station.

Once I learned to work with what I had, the shop became quit functional with very few real shortcomings.

If I had 400 square feet MORE floor space, there would be many changes. One would be my dream saw, a Unisaw with a wrap almost around table.

[foxtrapper]

Dusty,

Sorry you decided to upset yourself with my words of satisfaction with my shopsmith. The OP asked for opinions of the base vs the 510 and 520. I gave my opinion. You don't have to agree with it, nor does he. But what is the point of irritating yourself over my being reasonably happy with my shopsmith?

[dusty]

Dusty,

Sorry you decided to upset yourself with my words of satisfaction with my shopsmith. The OP asked for opinions of the base vs the 510 and 520. I gave my opinion. You don't have to agree with it, nor does he. But what is the point of irritating yourself over my being reasonably happy with my shopsmith?

I was not upset by your comments. You have opinions as do I and in this case they are not in concert.

The OP is faced with making decisions. The OP did make an open request for input, did he not. Maybe we did not help.

[reible]

Again you are expressing your opinion, no problem with that. I'm sorry I just got lost in what you are saying.

I got lost when we got to the part about the 510/520 getting in the way of the bandsaw but that not happening on the 500. Since I have two 520's and two 500's I just don't understand this comment...

Like wise the next comment about the tilting/flipping up/or switching to a lathe????

The only thing I can remotely guess at is that you have the perception that people leave the 510/520 fully setup with all the extension tables/floating tables and tubes in place? I for one never do that. The only thing that is normal in place is the main table. I do this on all of my machines. The extension tables might be stored in position but I do that on all machines as well. The floating tables I have on a shelf, but they are only used with the 520's as are the tubes which are stored on another shelf.

So they all look alike and to make changes like adding the bandsaw is a mater of removing the extension table which might be stored on the left end and putting the bandsaw in place, again the same on the 500 as the 520.

Want to go to lathe mode I need to remove the main table, that is again the same on both systems.

Again I'm not trying to do anything but understand what I'm misunderstanding or if it just presumptions of how we store our equipment?

Ed

I have a 500. I've used a 510 and a 520.

The fancy tables of the 510 and 520 are for the table saw, a feature I rarely use and most dislike about the Shopsmith. Lets be real, the motor is weak, the table is high, and you tilt the table not the blade for angle cuts. This is not my go-to table saw.

Most of my wood cutting is done with the bandsaw. That has become my go-to wood cutting tool. The 510 and 520 tables actually get in the way of using the bandsaw.

The 510/520 table prevents you from easily tilting the main table, or flipping up the unit, or casually switching to lathe work. All things I can do easily with the 500. As well leaving the bandsaw in place. And I don't have to store that 510/520 table assembly somewhere.

So, pre-bandsaw, I kinda lusted after the big tables of the 510/520. Now, post-bandsaw, I find no call for the 510/520 big tables.

[reible]

Since I have used a 500 since 1976 and then upgraded some years back to the 520 I'd like to express my opinion and give you a few other things to think about.

I have always loved my shopsmith(s). I went many many years using the 500 but doing a lot of the upgrades. I have no idea how much money I spent doing this and I don't think I want to know. I started with the old metal blade guard system, upgraded twice to the newer systems. Single bearing quill to two bearing quill. Dust collector for disk sander... the list goes on. When the 510 came out I wanted to upgrade but well it didn't happen, but I did all the other upgrades that I could afford. Along came the 520 upgrade, wanted it and still waited for a lot of years be I really did it. I should not have waited so long.

Just after that I got a basket case 510, got it up and running and had a hard time deciding if I should go the cheap way and keep it a 510 or upgrade. I could find no advantages to keep it as a 510 and paid the price to bring it up to a 520. This has proved to be really nice as now I have a lot of interchangeable tables and tubes among other things.

The fence and clamping system is much better on the 520 over the 510. That is the real difference in the two system for me.

As a warning the 510's are not all the same. They changed tubing styles I think 3 times. You do not want to mix these styles and that can happen on used equipment. Lot's of frustrated posts here on those that found out the hard way. If you chose to go this route check out the related posts so you know what to look for.

So after having my two 520's you would think I would be happy, well I was but then I began missing my 500, I have a lot of jigs for it, I miss being able to use the side of the main table as a straight edge and well other reasons that get to much to post about. The next machine I got for myself was a 500. The machine after that a 500. We will not get in to 10ER's.

It really amounts to you and what things you want to do with the machine. Larger project might cause you to lean towards a larger table system while someone who builds thousands of birdhouses might to just as well with the smaller table. Power wise I have never really had any problem with that but now with the power pro you could even go that route if you feel you need to.

I feel quite happy with my stable of shopsmiths and have no reason to even think about another table saw. Tilting arbor vs table no big thing for me, the small things I do that require that cut I can do on the shopsmith. I have never had a cut that I needed the tilting arbor table saw for and I have been woodworking for a long time now. Besides way back when, when I was working in our home shop we had both types of saws so I learned early how to work that way.

Summery it is really up to you what you want and can afford. After you get something you have the option of upgrades if you stay with shopsmith, a big plus.

Ed

[robinson46176]

Sometimes we have wants.
Sometimes we have needs.
Sometimes we have both.
Rarely do we have neither...


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