Shopsmith Forums

I was browsing through the local Facebook Marketplace listings, and spotted a familiar name on one of the photos.
and the money shot.

Looks like a Shopsmith Magna logo, but I think this is a different company:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Corporation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_American

Maybe there was some relationship with some corporate version of Shopsmith.

Magna American took over the Magna/Shopsmith/Sawsmith line of tools from Yube Power Products.

Yuba Power Products was formed from the purchase of Magna Power Tool Corporation/Magna Engineering Corporation and another company Weber Engineering which Yuba Consolidated Industries purchased that made lawn and garden equipment. The merger of Magna and Weber became Yuba Power Products a division of Yuba Consolidated Industries. Yuba's other line of tools which is less known to us Shopsmith fans was the Yard Smith Outdoor Power Tools. See PDF below.

_ .
Apparently, Yuba Consolidated Industries was buying up companies to expand which turned out to be a bad idea. That led to the group of Yuba employees forming Magna American Corporation to continue the Shopsmith/Magna Tool line. They also continued the Yard Smith Outdoor Power Tools.

The two Wikipedia references Ed listed have some Magna American Corporation information that is correct from Ohio to Raymond Mississippi. Other information in the Wikipedia entries do not have many references to verify it. I only know the direct Shopsmith/Magna information.

Interesting background story Russ. I don't think I really need to add yard tools to my collection but if I came across one now I'd be tempted to pick it up for the novelty of it. I have seen some really old roto-tillers still operating, maybe some of those are too. Apparently it had a Briggs&Stratton engine so they could be alive, and there are some videos and restoration threads on the equipment too.
https://www.smokstak.com/forum/threads/ ... lp.167778/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62VF0QMQ0do

Interesting stuff Ed. I have to wonder if the Briggs & Stratton engine on that Rototiller was original. I believe all production by Magna American had ceased by the time Folkerth went looking for Sawsmith parts that led to the forming of Shopsmith Inc. in 1972 to restart the Shopsmith line of tools.

This link tells me they used B&S engines in their tractor too, and that Magna was became part of MTD which makes a lot of lawn equipment. Some of it uses a variator type pulley like the one used on a Shopsmith Power Station for variable speed. Considering the time frame it's very likely they would use B&S engines in any of their products, but there are other engines easily interchangeable with them also.

The tools were also sold as the TillMaster line.

Someone on the forum noticed these tools back in 2015: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=16821

These quotes are from the MDT website on their history

MTD began as The Modern Tool and Die Company in 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio. Back then, we provided stamping, dies and tooling for other manufacturers, eventually diversifying into consumer products.

1959 MTD began manufacturing lawn mowers, garden tractors, and other outdoor power equipment.

1981 MTD acquired the Cub Cadet® product line from International Harvester.

2001 MTD acquired Troy-Bilt® from GardenWay®.

It is possible that MDT acquired the Yard Smith line from Magna as Magna American Corporation discontinued product lines in the 1960's. As noted in the second quote they were in direct competition with Yuba Power Products followed by Magna American Corporation for the Yard Smith line from 1959 into the 1960's. Over the years MDT has started and acquired several product lines. As for the MDT mowers using Briggs & Straton motors I have had 2 of the 20" MDT mowers in the past and if I recall it correctly, they had 3.5 HP Briggs & Straton motors.

Like the postings here, those on the Tractor Forum are what someone knows or someone believes to be true. I try to use reliable sources but it can be difficult sometimes to sort the fiction from the facts.