ShopSmith Future Direction

[rogersk]

Was the planer too expensive to continue at a reasonable profit? IMO it is far better than the lunch box models.

Correct me if I am wrong but, as I remember it when the SS planer was introduced there were no lunch box planers. It was the only alternative to the large Powermatics et al. It certainly is far superior to the lunch box planers.

The first "lunchbox" planer introduced in the US was the Ryobi AP10 in 1986. There is a full page ad in October '86 Wood magazine introducing it. I bought mine some time after ('87 or '88, I think) and still use it today. I'm not sure when the Shopsmith planer came out.

[jsburger]

Never used a lunch box planer but have seen them used. I have the SS Pro Planer.

Much more robust construction than a lunch box.

Cast iron table (Pro Planer) not stamped steel. Continuous solid bed from one end to the other.

1 3/4HP motor.

Variable feed rate not 2 speed that a few lunch boxes have.

Movable table like most large professional planers have. Doesn't require a table lock. Most movable cutter head planers (Lunch Box) have (require?) a cutter head lock to maintain accuracy.

Very quiet. Like the difference between a shop vac and a dust collector. Induction motor vs universal motor.

Dust collection with the upgraded dust chute is fine on my Pro Planer. Certainly not perfect but then what is.

The Dewalt being 1" wider is a total nonissue for me. I don't think I have even planed something 12" wide.

[rogersk]

I've run thousands of feet of hardwood through mine over the last 35 years with excellent results and no real problems. It will do 6" thick by 10" wide, which I know is limiting, but it has never bothered me. When I bought it, planers started at 13" wide and cost $1300 or more. They were nice, but out of my price range at the time. I paid $399 for mine.

The Ryobi ad I mentioned in my previous response was April 1986, Issue 10. I mistook the Issue 10 for October. However, the October 1986, Issue 13 has a review of many different planers including the SS planer. So the SS planer was available at least by late 1986.

[chapmanruss]

The Mark Mounted Planer came out in October 1982 according to the serial number chart and a copy of the Owner's Guide I have. The Pro Planer came out in the beginning of 1985. JPG provided Everett a scanned copy of the 10/82 Owner's Guide for the Mark Mount Planer which is available as a PDF on Everett's Google Drive.

Shopsmith did sell a "lunch box" style 12" Portable Planer for a time. The one I saw has the Mfg. Date 07-91.

[larryhrockisland]

Here’s a link to the article. They didn’t seem to recommend any one in particular.

https://archive.org/details/woodmagazin ... ew=theater