Shopsmith Forums

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger and upgrading my 510 to the 520 Pro fence upgrade.

I would appreciate anyone's experience or opinion on whether it is worth spending the dollars on the upgrade pro's and con's?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks to all.

I upgraded to the pro fence when it first came out years ago. I have always considered it to be the best upgrade SS had done until the Power Pro head stock was introduced. Now I consider the Power Pro first and the 520 Pro fence system second in best upgrades.

Do you need it? Maybe, it depends on how you work and how satisfied you are with the 510 fence. The 520 is much more robust. More T tracks. Locks more securely. It is rock solid, no movement. I have never regretted my purchase and would not hesitate to do it again. My Power Pro, shorty and dedicated drill press are all 520 Pro fence.

I also upgraded to the 520 when it was first introduced and consider it to be one of the best upgrades that SS has done. There are two things I particularly like about it: 1) the fence is much more substantial than the 510 fence and it stays firmly in place when locked and 2) the three T-tracks built into the fence allow you to build and attach a variety of jigs to the fence (tall fence, overhead fence, sacrificial fences, stop blocks, etc..) Related to that, you can also easily install the Jessem Clear-Cut TS Stock Guide which I think is the best hold down system available. I am more confident around the table saw with the 520 fence and Jessem hold downs than I was with the 510 fence and feather boards.

-Erik

I would call the 520 Fence and Table System the best upgrade, better than PowerPro, but I think this is perspective. I went from old style (pre-500) system to 520, skipping the 510, and this was night and day. I've subsequently used a 510 a bit, but I could never downgrade. +1 on Erik's comments on the JessEm TS, exceptional tool and only compatible with the wide 520 fence. I think the 520 rails and fence are far superior, but the direct reading scale is not for me and I never put it on.

I've observed that Lowe's (.com) markets the SS 510 to 520 upgrade for a respectable price, especially if you are eligible for any Lowe's discounts (Vets, Lowe's account holders, etc.). It is actually a couple bucks less than the demo price if you factor shipping, at least in my area, before discount.

- David

Thank you all for your input. Looks like I will be ordering the 520 upgrade. I would like to also eventually get the Power Pro head stock, but right now it's not in the budget. The 510 Headstock is OK for the work I do but I will eventually upgrade as well.

There was a lengthy discussion on a thread last year regarding whether the 520 fence system is worth it or not. I am a big fan of the 520 fence system over the 510 fence system, but some forum members still prefer the 510 fence system. So, it really comes down to personal preference and your pocketbook...check out the thread below for more details:

https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/main ... 22342.html

IF you do upgrade to the 520 fence system, I highly recommend adding the Jessem Clear-Cut TS™ Stock Guides to the 520 fence. This is the single best aftermarket upgrade that I have done to my Shopsmith equipment.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/wood ... 22171.html