brad_nalor wrote:Funny that Jr. DeChristoforo forgets THOUSANDS of 60 year old Shopsmith are working today, cutting, shaping, molding and the end result is still just a finished piece of wood, just done a little differently. In my opinion, any model Shopsmith going back to the beginning are capable of creating excellent resuits but with consideration to the craftsmans skill level. I've also seen knuckleheads screw-up using $160,000 precision Onsrud CNC machines. That said, its about the operator and I think his troubles and complaints are in his skill sets.
So even with the ups and downs thru those years, the Shopsmith name basic concept survives here in the good old USA. Times have certainly changed but a fair question would be, is $5,000 or whatever one cost today too much? Would you rather throw your dollars to the imported stand alone machines - good or bad ones, low or higher priced and how many of them? Would all those stand alone machines add up in comparable dollars and would they survive 60 years? Also, for the stand alone machines without longevity, how many would you go thru in 60 years?
Lets hope the Shopsmith tradition continues here in America and Jr. remembers where the bread for the family came from.
Come on quality equipment lasts and lasts and lasts. On a Delta contractor saw the only thing that I can think would wear out would be the arbor support bearings. If they did a trip to a bearing store would produce new ones.
If a casting cracked it could be repaired.
Take an old drill press what is going to wear out? Again the bearings and again a matter of going to the bearing store.
On shopsmith you have many unique parts, like the pork chop, that you would have to get from the manufacture. Look at the problems people are having trying to get that speed thingy for the Mark 7 or feed rails for the mark 7. So all parts aren't still avail.
Again I love my Shopsmith but come on at the going price of $4000 plus nearly $500+ a piece for the Spt's you can buy stand alone machines at the same price with more capability. Shopsmith still has the "fits in a small space" feature but....
In my opinion Shopsmith management is pricing themselves out of business.
Again I ask you an honest question, Would you knowing what you now know buy a new Shopsmith for nearly $4000 and Bandsaw for $544 a jointer for $489 and belt sander for $429 and three power stands for $1080 for a total of nearly $6500?
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