Shopsmith Forums

Better stock up on Pony clamps if you want them.
Did not know they were in trouble or anything.
Lets hope they can some way pull though this.

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2016/05/3 ... perations/

Bummer Happens too often.

Surprised with China competition they could have survived as long as they have. Assuming that is what took them down.

I always feel some loss when these companies outsource to China. We used to get products from Japan, Canada and Europe until we normalized relations with the world's larges communist country. I try to purchase American products and minimize my purchases for Chinese made products. Yes, the upper crust of our national business model is raking in the dollars from the Chinese production. I buy their products only when there is no other option. Ok, going to park my soap box for another day.

Steve, the old swampgator

swampgator wrote:I always feel some loss when these companies outsource to China. We used to get products from Japan, Canada and Europe until we normalized relations with the world's larges communist country. I try to purchase American products and minimize my purchases for Chinese made products. Yes, the upper crust of our national business model is raking in the dollars from the Chinese production. I buy their products only when there is no other option. Ok, going to park my soap box for another day.

Steve, the old swampgator

thats okay Gator, I agree but it is what it is, and we do not have much control over it. 1 third of Chinas exports was for, a few years ago Sams Club/WalMart products. That info is a few years old though.

swampgator wrote:I always feel some loss when these companies outsource to China. We used to get products from Japan, Canada and Europe until we normalized relations with the world's larges communist country. I try to purchase American products and minimize my purchases for Chinese made products. Yes, the upper crust of our national business model is raking in the dollars from the Chinese production. I buy their products only when there is no other option. Ok, going to park my soap box for another day.

Steve, the old swampgator

I believe that you, just like myself, buy more from China than you realize. Many "top level" items are advertised as being made in the USA but when you dig deep into "piece part origin" you find that to be only minimally true.

Back when I was working for a defense contractor, there was a strong resistance to buying from overseas sources. We soon discovered that there were many items we could not acquire unless we went off shore. We went off shore. I believe that is the trend.

Many distributors of parts and assemblies today repackage so as to not make origin so easy to ascertain.

Tear your Shopsmith apart and check where all the parts come from. Unfortunately, parts like nuts, bolts, washers, roll pins, bearings, etc do not come with enough detail to tell where they were made. For parts like the bearings, this is not the case. Just check. I'll bet that you as much off shore material as you find US Made.

Where do your saw blades come from?

This might be a case of "ignorant bliss".

My saw blades say Germany and Italy.