Shopsmith Forums

There is currently one of these for sale on the local craigslist. Picture is lousy. The guy has no interest in keeping his father's tools. I did get the serial number from him - SS3757. Does this tell when it was made? From the lousy picture this looks to me like one that was made before they had a seperate feed motor. While I got him to respond to an email with the number, he didn't answer whether or not it had the small motor.

In contemplating such a purchase, it has me willing to ask a question that will seem almost sacrilege to post here. You see, I have an old Delta 22-540 planer that I bought in a garage sale for $75. It works pretty good, at least comparable to my own skill level. It had the reversible cutters so I had a "new" set when I flipped them. Then I found another set at Lowes on clearance that are still in the package. I've get less than $100 invested and I've run several hundred board feet thru it already.

I look at the SS website and see a new Mark V mounted Planer sells for $1400. At $200 this one I'm looking at would seem to be a bargain. But my question is why would I want the Mark V Planer over my Delta? Especially if it doesn't have the feed motor. Capacity-wise it is actually smaller in both width and height. I do understand that the SS version attaches to a much bigger motor, and would have variable speed for the cutters. So maybe at $200 it would be a good deal. At $1400 I just don't get it.

Oh, btw, here's the link to the one I'm looking at.
http://fayar.craigslist.org/tls/3031436772.html
third picture

Bad pic but it does look like it has a feed motor. Looks like the power cord is wrapped around it.

I believe it has the feed motor, but the photo is not very clear so it's difficult to tell. The feed motor is located toward the center of the machine above the red square button seen at the lower right of the planer. If you look closely, there is a black protrusion that would appear to be the feed motor.

It doesn't look like any of that equipment was given much care, so it's hard to judge what you'd be getting for the money. If you're nearby the seller, take a look and offer $150 or even less depending on what you find. Parts like the feed motor and variable speed controller for the Shopsmith planer are expensive and if that part of the machine is bad, I'd just walk away.

The best part of the Shopsmith planer is the variable speed feeding which helps prevent tear out on figured wood like curly or birdseye maple, or other woods like sycamore and gum where the grain can be difficult.

I'd agree that it's hard to justify the expense of a new Shopsmith, but if you work a lot of difficult wood there aren't many small planers with variable feed. A set of knives for it will set you back more than what you have in that Delta planer.

fiatben wrote:There is currently one of these for sale on the local craigslist. Picture is lousy. The guy has no interest in keeping his father's tools. I did get the serial number from him - SS3757. Does this tell when it was made? From the lousy picture this looks to me like one that was made before they had a seperate feed motor. While I got him to respond to an email with the number, he didn't answer whether or not it had the small motor.

In contemplating such a purchase, it has me willing to ask a question that will seem almost sacrilege to post here. You see, I have an old Delta 22-540 planer that I bought in a garage sale for $75. It works pretty good, at least comparable to my own skill level. It had the reversible cutters so I had a "new" set when I flipped them. Then I found another set at Lowes on clearance that are still in the package. I've get less than $100 invested and I've run several hundred board feet thru it already.

I look at the SS website and see a new Mark V mounted Planer sells for $1400. At $200 this one I'm looking at would seem to be a bargain. But my question is why would I want the Mark V Planer over my Delta? Especially if it doesn't have the feed motor. Capacity-wise it is actually smaller in both width and height. I do understand that the SS version attaches to a much bigger motor, and would have variable speed for the cutters. So maybe at $200 it would be a good deal. At $1400 I just don't get it.

Oh, btw, here's the link to the one I'm looking at.
http://fayar.craigslist.org/tls/3031436772.html
third picture

Based on the serial number, I would say it was built in January, 1983. I would also agree that it has the feed motor. The feed motor and the speed control need to be tested before considering purchase as replacements purchased new are very expensive.