Shopsmith Forums

I had placed an ad looking for used, broken, and even undesirable shopsmith parts and equipment. I just enjoy the whole refurbishing process. I got a response from someone that has what looks like a 1980ish 500 with an upgrade to 510 table and fence ( and the seller mentioned this ) he seems to know some of things about Shopsmith that your average person wouldn't know, even though it was his fathers. Anyway he said the motor needs repair but his father already purchased the parts needed sometime ago but never repaired it. It comes with a magna jigsaw, jointer, planer, steel table bandsaw, belt sander, and from the pictures it looks like the lathe duplicator and a bunch of Shopsmith blades, including dado, and a whole lot of little extras including the complete three book user guides. I have only seen pictures and the guy won't tell me a price he wants me to make an offer. Obviously I told him I need to take a closer look but I would really like the equipment ( especially the planer) he said he sells it all or none. So with this little bit of information what should I offer him to start negotiations that won't be unreasonable? I appreciate any input, I know this is a tough question, thanks

IMHO any one who indicates an intention to sell something should establish a price. Now from that point the 'bargaining' commences. i.e. I feel it is his move first!

Dixiegmcsm wrote:I had placed an ad looking for used, broken, and even undesirable shopsmith parts and equipment. I just enjoy the whole refurbishing process. I got a response from someone that has what looks like a 1980ish 500 with an upgrade to 510 table and fence ( and the seller mentioned this ) he seems to know some of things about Shopsmith that your average person wouldn't know, even though it was his fathers. Anyway he said the motor needs repair but his father already purchased the parts needed sometime ago but never repaired it. It comes with a magna jigsaw, jointer, planer, steel table bandsaw, belt sander, and from the pictures it looks like the lathe duplicator and a bunch of Shopsmith blades, including dado, and a whole lot of little extras including the complete three book user guides. I have only seen pictures and the guy won't tell me a price he wants me to make an offer. Obviously I told him I need to take a closer look but I would really like the equipment ( especially the planer) he said he sells it all or none. So with this little bit of information what should I offer him to start negotiations that won't be unreasonable? I appreciate any input, I know this is a tough question, thanks

Make the trip and take pictures of everything. Try operating and/or turning each equipment shaft to make sure they are not seized. Mount the sanding disk on the headstock and turn it while feeling and listening for any noise or difficulty in turning the shaft. Is it a stand alone or mounted planer? Plug in the planer and make sure the feed motor operates at the various speeds. Check the cutting head for rust.

There are many Shopsmiths available on Craig's List in Florida. Search on "Shopsmith" and "Shop Smith" on ( http://www.searchtempest.com/ ) to get a feel for what the market prices are.

I repair and rebuild Shopsmith equipment and am located east of Tampa off I-4. If you want to send me a copy of the pictures, I would be happy to give you a low to high range for each item and the package. Don't worry, I am not buying any Shopsmiths at this time as I have no more room for them. I rebuild the motors and have motors available.

Feel free to ask questions and contact me. Have a great weekend.

Bill Mayo http://www.billstoolz.com Email: annbill.mayo@comcast.net

My son and I have bought a lot of machines/farm equipment/vehicles etc. over the years and generally just avoid the "make me an offer" nonsense... We did finally decide that the best way to deal with them was to just smile and say "OK, one dollar... now it's your turn..." What usually follows is something like "Well I was sort of thinking more around __________."

In stores if I encounter a bunch of unpriced items I often announce that "As far as I'm concerned if it isn't priced it isn't for sale... Maybe I can find a store where they are for sale..."


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robinson46176 wrote:In stores if I encounter a bunch of unpriced items I often announce that "As far as I'm concerned if it isn't priced it isn't for sale... Maybe I can find a store where they are for sale..."


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Here I'd think they were free.

He finally came back with 1800.00! I think that is very high. I really don't know what I would have paid, but by the pictures it wasn't in perfect shape not to mention I couldn't even test it due to whatever repairs the motor or head unit needed. I'm just going to walk away and wait for the next deal. I really wanted the planer and a few odds and ends he had but not at that price! I'll just buy a new planer lol!

Walking away from something that doesn't feel good is the smartest decision in the world, always trust your instincts. There are always good deals right around the corner.