Potential Shop Smith owner here

[Cessnapilot89]

Good morning
My name is Cody and I am from Wyoming.

My wife and I are looking at buying a used Mark V down in Colorado. We started looking at Shop Smiths after seeing how much a table saw at Home Depot was going to set us back.

The one we are looking at is listed as having the following:


This shopsmith unit has all of the bells and whistles! $1200 obo

Just completed maintenance on it and it hums! Parts included:

Band saw
Table saw
Scroll saw
2 sanding disks
Drill press
Jointer
Belt sander
Drum sander
Lathe
Router table
Shaper

Also includes tons of extras including:

Multiple thickness band saw blades
Shaper heads
Speed reducer
Dado blades
Push blocks
Sand paper and new sanding drums
Extra pullies and parts
Complete manual

Is there anything we should be wary of? My only concern is with the table saw, is it possible to add a guard to help prevent kick back?

[chapmanruss]

Cody,

It's hard to tell the value of the list you provided without seeing the condition of the tools. If all is in good operating condition, then it would be a very good value. A Mark V with a Bandsaw, Scroll Saw and Belt Sander would set you up well for many projects. Including the Speed Reducer is a plus along with the other accessories.

Something to know as a first-time buyer is there is more than one model of the Shopsmith Mark tool. The first Mark tool was the Mark 5 introduced in 1954. The original Mark 5 became the Mark V 500 when the Mark V 510 (and 505) with a new larger Table System was introduced in 1985. In 1999 the Mark V 520 was introduce with the Pro Fence system. A Mark V 510 or 520 is a plus for Table Saw work with the larger Table System. What you are looking at is most likely one of the Mark V models.

Checking it out, the seller should plug it in and run it for you. On a Mark V Headstock with it running you should be able to easily turn the Speed Control Dial from slow to fast speed and back. If it doesn't turn relative easily or doesn't go all the way through the speeds, there is something wrong.

For reference, below is a Mark V 500 With its original accessories plus Lathe Chisels.

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1982 Mark V.jpg (131.04 KiB) Viewed 12787 times

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Below is a Mark V 510.

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Mark V Model 510.jpg (12.65 KiB) Viewed 12787 times

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Below is a Mark V 520.

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Mark V Model 520.jpg (12.21 KiB) Viewed 12787 times

[DLB]

It must be this one: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... _type=post

This is a Model 500, in my opinion it's in the premium price range for a 500. And I didn't see a speed reducer or a router table in the pictures. Seller might be saying that the machine functions as a router table. which is true to an extent.

Because you started off looking for a TS, I'd suggest a 520, or at least a 510, might be a better choice for you. I used a 500, actually a Greenie so often called pre-500, for years and it gets the job done, but the 520 is a huge step up.

This machine is a multi-generational mixture, and a bit rough because of it, but a steal for $500 if it runs and the speed adjustment works. It has a Greenie base (1950's) but a 2001 service headstock and a 520 table system. It's not well accessorized, but the table system alone goes for a bit more than $500 used on ebay. The headstock isn't put together correctly, so get back with us if you go with something like this: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... _type=post

I see some other nice machines in your area.

- David

[chapmanruss]

Cody,

It looks like David found the Shopsmith setup you are looking at. It is a Mark V 500 and like David I believe the Router Table and Speed Reducer the seller is referring to is the Speed Control of the Headstock and the ability of a Mark V to do Routing and Shaping. A way of making the tool sound more useful which of course it is. There is a couple of parts that don't belong to a Mark V but go to the earlier Model 10E and 10ER. The 4 SPT's look in good condition but the Bandsaw doesn't have the Table Insert in it and the Jointer Fence is hopefully loose and does not have a damaged Quadrant.

Something to understand is the Mark V and the SPT's can be upgraded to include newer features. The other Mark V David linked to is an example of that. It was a Mark 5 Greenie from the 1950's that has a newer Headstock and upgraded to the 520 Table/Carriage/Pro Fence System. It still has its original Table and Fence, but I don't see the original Carriage. Upgrades can be done by changing a single item, but other upgrades may require changing several parts to do it. In the case of the Greenie that has the 520 Table System, if you wanted to, for example, add the Double Tilt Bench Ends it would also have to have the Bench Tubes replaced. That is because all the Mark 5 Greenies from the 1950's had larger diameter Bench Tubes.

As David and I have both said a Mark V 520 or 510 is better for Table Saw work. If you like the one you found first with the SPT's included, you could go with that. It looks like a very good value for the price. If you want to go with the larger Table System for it you could buy the other one too, put the original Table System back on it and put the 520 Table on the one you keep. By moving the parts around you would have a newer Mark V 520 and a Mark 5 Greenie with the original Table System which you could then resell. $500 is a less expensive way to get a 520 Table System than buying it separately even a used one plus you get a Jig Saw too. You could recoup some or all of that $500 cost depending on what extra items you sell with the Greenie.

[Cessnapilot89]

Thanks gentlemen!

I wound up with a 510 locally that I am trying to make sense of.

Apparently I have the 510 lower saw guard but need to find a 510 upper as I have a 500 upper...