Shopsmith Forums

Goin thru some woodworking magazines, ran across this ad. Sure seems like a good price...[ATTACH]19986[/ATTACH]

Bought mine for around there.

At that price it clearly beat the standalone price of a tablesaw (no not a 5hp unisaw), drill press, lathe, and bench sander. I figured the horizontal was bonus that I would rarely use. However I found I use the horizontal drill press a lot.

I don't know what year that ad was but that is about the price I paid for my current Mark V 510 (now a 520).

According to [url=httphttp://www.usinflationcalculator.com/://]this inflation calculator[/url], if that Mark V was purchased in 1979, its inflation value today would be $4108.02.

Does this mean that Shopsmith prices are at right about their inflation value.

I expanded the picture, and it looks like Sept./Oct. 84

Today I checked some SS Mark V spare parts I bought in 2009 and found some prices that triple now.

Probable they were under-priced before or are now becoming scarce.
Ed

dusty wrote:I don't know what year that ad was but that is about the price I paid for my current Mark V 510 (now a 520).

According to this inflation calculator, if that Mark V was purchased in 1979, its inflation value today would be $4108.02.

Does this mean that Shopsmith prices are at right about their inflation value.

Eh?

Based on that link, a MKV purchased in 1984 for $1300 would cost $2,872.69 today.

damagi wrote:Eh?

Based on that link, a MKV purchased in 1984 for $1300 would cost $2,872.69 today.

What does the Shopsmith online catalog list it for?

Take a 510 which is offered today and back out the larger table, the upgraded fence and the extension table and the $2800 figure is probably right on par with inflation.

I'll have to keep this - maybe I can use it on a Craigslister or two. "What do you mean it's not worth $2500 used!"

I think if you talk inflation then today's price is probably right. However in the field of wood working prices have fallen.
When I priced out my Shopsmith in mid 80's a contractor table saw would cost me $750+ today I can buy that cabinet enclosed table saw for $550+. When I priced out my SS a Sears lathe would cost me $300+ today a Rikon or Jet lathe would be $300+. When I priced out my SS a Sears drill press would be $250+ today that same drill press would be $200+. When I priced out my SS a Delta disksander was $150+ and today I can get the same disksander for $150.

These are from my working notes of when I was trying to decide where I got the biggest bang for my buck. At the time it was the SS.

Now if you want to compare to 5 hp unisaw then of course then the cost is much higher but come on why compare a 1 1/2 hp saw to a 5 horse and expect there to be fair comparison?

Ed in Tampa wrote:I think if you talk inflation then today's price is probably right. However in the field of wood working prices have fallen.
When I priced out my Shopsmith in mid 80's a contractor table saw would cost me $750+ today I can buy that cabinet enclosed table saw for $550+. When I priced out my SS a Sears lathe would cost me $300+ today a Rikon or Jet lathe would be $300+. When I priced out my SS a Sears drill press would be $250+ today that same drill press would be $200+. When I priced out my SS a Delta disksander was $150+ and today I can get the same disksander for $150.

These are from my working notes of when I was trying to decide where I got the biggest bang for my buck. At the time it was the SS.

Now if you want to compare to 5 hp unisaw then of course then the cost is much higher but come on why compare a 1 1/2 hp saw to a 5 horse and expect there to be fair comparison?

Of course when I notice that the price of something such as a drill press, lathe or similar is the same now as it was 30 years ago, I first have to ask how comparable the quality really is? While technology may have improved some of the features and functions of tools, I also imagine they've shifted to a Made in China cheaper construction approach...either prices increase over time or they find ways to cut corners and keep the price consistent.

My newest Shopsmith in a 1978 and my guess is the construction quality today is much more similar than the quality differences between Sears tools between the same eras. Unfortunately to most consumers, price is everything and this is probably why SS sells a lot fewer units today then they did 30+ years ago...too many folks unwilling to pay for quality (as well as, of course, the plethora of used machines available for a fraction of the new machine price).