Shopsmith Forums

Took a friend to a demo today to the demo at Lowes in Langhorne, PA. Wanted to see the new Mark 7 / Mark V Table-Raiser & my friend see a Mark 7 in action. Took almost an hour to drive there.

Was told the only type of hydraulic lift sold by Shopsmith was the Lift Assist & there was such lift for the table. Didn’t have my phone with me, so I couldn’t check on line. But here it is: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... raiser.htm

My friend was there to see a Shopsmith PowerPro as he never had seen one in use. He was first asked if he was interested in buying anything & when he said no, no effort made to show us a thing. My friend got the feeling we had disturbed the demo guy who was sitting behind the barrier for the first 10 minutes while I explained to my friend what all the Mark 7 was able to do as he’d never been to my shop.

Last time I was at a Lowes demo with Dave F at the demo in Plymouth Meeting some years ago. There were 10 other guys there & we all got to see the Power Pro in action. Had taken a friend and ended up spending a lot.

The demo prior to that was in Lawnside, NJ back when Shopsmith had demo guys working out of vans setting up & showing all the SPTs prior to the Power Pro. Was really impressed with all the things the guy made with the bandsaw & his wood turnings. Left scratching my head today.

Anyone familiar with the new table riser?

Kind of a bummer on the uninterested demonstrator... Sounds like he may be interested only in an immediate commission and not the long term position of the company. I wonder if a discussion from "above" might inject him with a little more enthusiasm?

The lift is interesting and not a lot of $$$. Just as a passing thought, while the ends appear to quickly hook to bolted on brackets I wonder if you use the "universal lathe tool rest" if you have to unbolt the carriage end bracket?

I think SS was almost on the right track with the old Mark VII rack gear system. That is how most commercial drill presses raise and lower the table. Perhaps gear teeth milled into the way tubes like the teeth in the table posts and a simple crank?
Just thinking out loud...


.

looks like demonstrating it would be like saying look what I can do ,,,, would sell more then just saying look at me .

I spent nearly an hour with Dave when he was here in Tucson last month. They had advertised the hours incorrectly so when I showed up early there was no one else there but Dave and I. He asked if I was interested in anything special and if I intended to buy. I told him no but that did not deter him at all. I thought he did an excellent job with the demo even though he knew I was not there to purchase. We had a good long conversation. My comments were not all favorable but the conversation was not effected.

I wonder if this is one of the new sales persons?

The first powerpro demo I went to I did not buy, the second time I did. Just because someone is not going to buy today doesn't mean that a good sales person can't make a future sale. I like to hope this was just growing in to the job situation.

Ed

reible wrote:I wonder if this is one of the new sales persons?

The first powerpro demo I went to I did not buy, the second time I did. Just because someone is not going to buy today doesn't mean that a good sales person can't make a future sale. I like to hope this was just growing in to the job situation.

Ed

I watched demo's for over 25 years before I bought my 510 BUT, I bought it from those demo's. I had seen one only from a distance at the back of the woodworking shop in the industrial arts building at BSU (1961) but had not looked at it closely or touched it. The prof did not care for it at all. I suppose I saw a few ads and maybe even a mention in a woodworking mag, otherwise it was only from the demo's I learned about them. I never knew any one that owned one or even had seen one except from demo's.

Re: Dusty's comment above... Dusty our generation calls that level of function "professionalism"...


.