Shopsmith Forums

You may want to check ALL of the attributes of the refurb process. You have to ship your headstock to SS for the refurb. I don't know if SS or you will have to pay to ship it back. SS also has refurbed headstocks available for sale and I believe that this would permit you to keep your old headstock as a spare.
I bought a new factory assembled headstock and I have already loaned my old one out to a couple of folks as well as our woodworking group in the retirement community when those needed repairs.
Just check all options and their costs before leaping.
Bill V

I bought the DIY Power Pro kit at a Lowe's demo last fall... There were no trade in deals at the demo... I paid approx. $1275 after all the discounts and getting the 5% off using my Lowe's card... I bought a "headstock" on EBay for approx. $75 that included only the stuff I used on the power pro... Put my old motor, etc in it and now have a smooth running power head waiting to find a "shorty" deal... If I can do the DIY kit, I think any one with a small amount of mechanical skill would find it very doable... The only problem I have found using the PowerPro is that I have to keep dusting off my hearing protection because things are so quiet I don't need them. The PowerPro is the best investment I have made in my shop!

Billdit wrote:I bought the DIY Power Pro kit at a Lowe's demo last fall... There were no trade in deals at the demo... I paid approx. $1275 after all the discounts and getting the 5% off using my Lowe's card... I bought a "headstock" on EBay for approx. $75 that included only the stuff I used on the power pro... Put my old motor, etc in it and now have a smooth running power head waiting to find a "shorty" deal... If I can do the DIY kit, I think any one with a small amount of mechanical skill would find it very doable... The only problem I have found using the PowerPro is that I have to keep dusting off my hearing protection because things are so quiet I don't need them. The PowerPro is the best investment I have made in my shop!

Thanks for the insight Bill, I think I'll keep my eye out for a cheap headstock and do something like the shop deputy down the road.

I spoke with a really helpful Shopsmith rep earlier and she tried to clarify how some of the onsite deals work.

1. The trade in program ended a few years back. They would give you $200 for your old headstock if you purchased a refurb or new headstock. She said they got lots of takers and are stocked for the foreseeable future
2. The buy today discount is 10% but she noted you have to pay sales tax at Lowes so it could be a wash if sales tax is high in your state (6% in KY so that is equivalent to a 4% discount)
3. SS does not offer a Military discount but Lowes offers a 10% military discount. I'll ask about veteran discount when I go in to make sure it wasnt just a misunderstanding
4. A Lowes card would net you another 5%
5. She did also say they don't give discounts for buying multiple items (like if I were to buy the lathe rest and diy kit and if my brother bought a new mark v. I'd say this one has the most breathing room for negotiation on the floor, but I'll take it at face value for now.

All in all though a 10% discount for buy today and 5% for a Lowes CC would put you in a pretty good boat. A 10% Lowes military discount on top of that is enough to make you want to enlist.. (note: card offer and military discount cant be used together)

may not be globally consistent.

Check with the store where you would most likely deal. Some times a store will offer discounts, in addition to the military discount, if you put the item on your Lowe's time payment plan (credit card).

If I use my Lowe's card but not on the time payment, I get 5% off, if one uses the time payment! the discount would be lost... It's one or the other, not both... So I put it on the card and pay it off every month so don't get finance charges... I pay off the Lowe's card every month, as I do all other credit cards...debt is not a good thing unless you are real young and think stuff is real important...

Yeah, looks like 5% is what you currently get with the card and it also looks like it cannot be used in conjunction with a military discount.

&quot wrote: *5% off your Lowe's® Consumer Credit Card purchase: Get 5% off your single-receipt purchase of any in-stock or Special Order merchandise charged to your Lowe's® Consumer Credit Card. Offer is not valid on previous sales; purchase of services; gift cards; Dacor®, ICON® or Fisher & Paykel® appliances; or Weber products. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any coupon, Lowe's military discounts, Lowe's employee discounts or Lowe's low-price guarantee.

What about sales tax when getting one of the upgrades at Lowes? Do you have to pay any local tax?

Yes you pay your local sales tax when purchasing at a Lowes, which is one of the reasons they give you a "buy today" discount in the store.

drewg wrote: . . .

1. The buy today discount is 10% but she noted you have to pay sales tax at Lowes so it could be a wash if sales tax is high in your state (6% in KY so that is equivalent to a 4% discount) . . .

So where in KY ye be?

Western Ky originally but I reckon I've been in Louisville long enough to call it home