Shopsmith Forums

I am going to be looking at 2 ER10s, I have seen only the pics of them so far, they do not have the center pulley on them like MickeyDs does in his restored one. What am I missing?

Could the center pulley your refering to be a speed changer?

Tom

I dont know, I went through the thread on restorations and a lot of the "befores" had it, and most "afters" did not, just a few still did. So now I am really confused, seems like in the restoration they removed them, for what ever reason.

looking on EBay, yes I think what I am referring to is the "speed changer", if so why do some eliminate it? Did some ERs come without it? Was it an option at the time?

The speed changer was a later optional attachment. A lot of ERs don't have one and they are one of the more expensive individual parts to acquire now. Of the 3 ERs I've acquired, only one of them included the speed changer. It's not necessary to the operation of the machine. It gives a greater speed range at both ends and a bit of convenience at the cost of a little power. I only just started really using mine even though I've had it a couple years.

Yes after a number of sites and old ER catalogs say that it was an accessory.

The speed changer will cost you $100-$150 on E-Bay and you need to be careful to make sure it is fully functional, as occasionally someone will try to pass off one with a crack in the cast iron from over adjusting it, or one that had such a crack and was welded for a potentially questionable fix. Most sellers provide adequate photos to assess condition but as with anything on E-Bay, buyer beware. If you plan to use it as a drill press or lathe, I think the speed changer is a valuable/needed accessory, as it'a bit of a pain to change the belts for different speeds and you are limited in your speed options by doing this. For a 10E/ER, I consider them worth $50-$100 for a basic machine in acceptable/functional condition and no speed changer…with speed changer, I'd be willing to pay more in the $100-$200 range, depending on condition. Generally a buyers market, so don't hesitate to haggle.