Sawsmith 2000

[dmt]

I found a sawsmith 2000 for sale, thinking of buying. What do you think of them??? I called SS and they no longer have parts for them. Is the motor direct drive or belt driven? What could go wrong with them, and reviews if you have one. Thanks in advance.

[dusty]

If it was available to me, I would buy it but then the primary criteria for me is "Shopsmith".

You did not say how much the current owner was asking. That is usually a major factor in finalizing a buy decision.

Does it appear to be well kept or is there apparent damage (like got dropped off a truck)? I don't know if they are belt driven or not but I'd bet they are.

Where are you located? That could be a factor in setting the price as well.

Please consider completing the personal profile page. At least part of it. This helps us know a little about who we are chatting with.

Welcome to the forum. I wish you all the best in this decision.

[johnmccrossen]

I would check out this Sawsmith Users Group on Yahoo. They have a lot of info available. The arbor is belt driven through a variable speed mechanism. If in good shape already or can be reconditioned, they are a very good radial arm saw if that is what you are wanting. Some parts are available through some of the users groups and sometimes through auction. I believe a few of the members of this forum have them. I had fun restoring mine to working condition and the color scheme matches my other two working Mark V's. I don't use it very often any more but I can't bring myself to parting with it. Good luck with your decision. John McCrossen

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawsmith/

Edit 07/20/10: Oops, sorry for the confusion with the Sawsmith RAS. You may want to check out

http://www.ssug.org/index.php?option=co ... mid=100005

[SDSSmith]

I would check out this Sawsmith Users Group on Yahoo. They have a lot of info available. The arbor is belt driven through a variable speed mechanism. If in good shape already or can be reconditioned, they are a very good radial arm saw if that is what you are wanting. Some parts are available through some of the users groups and sometimes through auction. I believe a few of the members of this forum have them. I had fun restoring mine to working condition and the color scheme matches my other two working Mark V's. I don't use it very often any more but I can't bring myself to parting with it. Good luck with your decision. John McCrossen

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawsmith/

This is a good resource for the Sawsmith Radial Arm saw, but it will be lacking for information on the Sawsmith 2000. Though the Sawsmith 2000 has some similar characteristics to a radial arm saw.]

[Ron309753]

The saw arbor mounts on the motor shaft in the SawSmith 2000 cabinet. I'll let others tell you about the pros and cons since it may be my saw that you are considering buying.

Sincerely,

Ron309753

[JPG]

That sure looks in excellent condition to me! No Dusty, it ain't taken a dive off a truck(or loading dock). [Looking on craigslist and ebay]

[dmt]

The saw arbor mounts on the motor shaft in the SawSmith 2000 cabinet. I'll let others tell you about the pros and cons since it may be my saw that you are considering buying.

Sincerely,

Ron309753

It is your saw I,m looking at. Give me pros and cons, also does it have a vacum port???


Dean

[lnrmiller]

I've been using a Sawsmith2000 for over a year now and love the machine. There are some drawbacks, first is the parts availability issue, second is the fact that the motor is an open design. Sawdust can build up in the motor and cause it to overheat. I blow out everything with compressed air on a regular basis and have had no problems. I replaced the starter solenoid with a solid state unit and replace the starter cap and so far works like a champ. The saw arbors from my MK5 520 work just fine, though the dado set up is a little hinky. There is a tab for the table insert that gets in the way. Since the whole saw mechanism moves I just move it back a little out of the way of the tab. Table inserts can be an issue as well. I've had success making them out of thin plywood and planing them down to fit. And yes, it does have dust collection, though I still sweep up a lot of dust from under the machine.

It's been a great compliment to my MK5, I'm glad I bought it. I can see myself becoming a SS collector.

[mbcabinetmaker]

It's been a great compliment to my MK5, I'm glad I bought it. I can see myself becoming a SS collector.

You should get help immediately. You are comming down with the SICKNESS.

[retcaptb]

I picked up mine in Jan. of this year. I bought it used from it's origional owner. But they kept the origional fence and put it on another saw. There were three configureations of the saw. One with the round rails and a Shopsmith fence. It was called the "Standard " model (555530).There is the middle model called the" Deluxe" model(555580). It had a Excalibur fence and rails that were 48" long and one extension table. No legs were with this one. The third model was the "Ultra" model(555598). It also has the Excalibur fence and 96" long rails along with two extension tables and two extension legs to support the rails. I later found the two shorter rails and the Excalibur fence being sold on ebay and picked them up to make my deluxe model like new again. I have tried to find a motor replacement to the enclosed type but have yet to find one. The lower guard is the same as the markV guard and has a 2.5" outlet to be hooked up to dust collection of some sort. I am also going to put a magnetic switch on mine for safety along with trying to rework the dust collection to have a collector pan in the bottom of the enclosure that will give better dust control. It runs strong but have found thin kerf blades to work better with this motor. Overall it is a good tablesaw. It just needs some refinements. Also Shopsmith does have some parts that work on this saw. Mostly wear out items. You have to check by part number. Don't know how many are left though.

++++++++++++++++++++

Jim B.

Two MarkVs 520& 510, Sawsmith 2000 Deluxe model, Pro planer, Many accessories, I'am hooked.