Shopsmith Forums

Can I upgrade my older style headstock to have the newer style red switch? I have the silver toggle switch now but would like to upgrade to the newer style. I am not averse to drilling out the hole if I have to but just want to understand if it is even an option with my headstock.

I had the newer style red switch on my 520 and changed it to a silver toggle switch because I went thru 3 switch's in about four years. I got tired of replacing them. I have had the toggle switch it for about two years with no trouble. I had to put a plate over the hole and drill a hole for it.

joedw00 wrote:I had the newer style red switch on my 520 and changed it to a silver toggle switch because I went thru 3 switch's in about four years. I got tired of replacing them. I have had the toggle switch it for about two years with no trouble. I had to put a plate over the hole and drill a hole for it.

Where were you buying your switches? You have had some bad luck with switches. I have not purchased that many switches in over 30 years.

jtomwoods had a run of switch failures within a short period of time, too.

The first one was from shopsmith then I found ACE hardware was a little cheaper.

IMHO Fagettaboutit.

When purchasing a replacement switch, make sure it has a 20A @ 120V rating or 1 1/2 HP rating.

Other than the safety plug and location, I see no advantage to the 'newer' switch.

http://www.busybeetools.com/products/sw ... v-csa.html

I just replaced the switch on my 510. Found this switch at Busy Bee for $7.99 P/N B2417 Fits perfectly, but I needed to make the pigtails. We'll see how it lasts.

Also a note on the New Switch... at least as provided with my PowerPro upgrade purchased in 2010: The "Remove to Lock" piece is quite strongly retained, and you can pull the switch out of its mounting if you try too hard. I think there was a Forum note about this sometime in the past few years. Maybe SS isn't so strongly promoting that removable-key feature now.

onetrack wrote:http://www.busybeetools.com/products/sw ... v-csa.html

I just replaced the switch on my 510. Found this switch at Busy Bee for $7.99 P/N B2417 Fits perfectly, but I needed to make the pigtails. We'll see how it lasts.

switch replacement.jpg

It looks as though you may be utilizing the very same switch as the one I have in my recovery kit. I have a switch that appears to be identical to yours; marked with the notations KEDU, HY7 and 02A1301.

Unlike what you have done with the pig tails, I built "pigtails that are long enough to be routed to a location just inside the inspection hole. Makes it a low easier to disconnect..

So it sounds like I will need to cut out the hole for the new switch if I want the newer style switch when I do my upgrade. I would like to replace the old switch as it looks pretty well shot when looking at the back side of it.

superpop wrote:So it sounds like I will need to cut out the hole for the new switch if I want the newer style switch when I do my upgrade. I would like to replace the old switch as it looks pretty well shot when looking at the back side of it.

If the switch is old and you are doing an upgrade, I would replace the switch BUT I would not modify the casting just to be able to accept the new switch profile. A new toggle switch that fits in the existing cutout would accomplish the same thing.

Furthermore, I would not replace an existing functional switch just because it is looking worn out and dusty. I'd have been replacing long, long ago based on that criteria.