Poll - Do you have the PowerPro upgrade?

algale · Post by **algale** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:16 pm

I envy those who have upgraded but for me I don't see enough bang for the buck to justify it (although I reserve the right to change my mind if I hit the lottery).

The two things I would be most interested in that the PowerPro offers is a lower bottom speed and a higher top speed than the Mark V. But for a fraction of the PowerPro price I can buy a Speed Reducer and a Speed Increaser (and I'd actually get a lower bottom speed than the PowerPro offers). Granted, this would be nowhere near as convenient as pushing a button to change speeds, but the price of that convenience is too high for me to justify.

I realize the PP has other features -- reversible motor and more horsepower to name just two -- but they don't particularly intrigue me.

Now, the double tilt upgrade does intrigue me....if for no other reason to see whether I could really move my extension table from right to left without losing alignment....

Al

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:42 pm

I voted no... At one point I was giving it a lot of thought but there are just too many other things I want to spend for first. I'm already pretty well equipped and I have a good Mark VII for the two way tilt. I also have several ideas for very low speed and for very high speed.

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paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:10 am

algale wrote: Now, the double tilt upgrade does intrigue me....if for no other reason to see whether I could really move my extension table from right to left without losing alignment....

Al

You don't need the double tilt to do that, you need to follow the instructions/videos on alignment.

backhertz · Post by **backhertz** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:10 am

I was one of the first 10 to pre-order the upgrade. Why? Despite the price, I believed it to be crucial to Shopsmith's survival. Is it expensive- yes it is. I imagine Shopsmith could sell it for half the price and volume sales would snow ball the company back to happy times. But why do some people do what they do? I have no idea.

I walked into a Lowes demo and with a 10% military discount and 18 month free financing, I couldn't help myself. I am retired as well and it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

The electronics are relatively simple. I've been to Clearwater and visited Teknatool. The Florida location is just a distribution center. The main facility is in China despite the company being out of New Zealand.

The Shopsmith warranty is a solid one. I know because it took me over a year to upgrade a headstock- one I had to buy as I didn't have ready access to some others I have. The second upgrade went so much better than the first.

I''m really surprised we aren't seeing this motor technology in other tools. Why? Typically it is but one reason: cost. That is the main reason we still have huge rotating antenna dishes on radar towers. Prior to the rotary waveguide joint, the radar transmitter and receiver used to spin with the radar dish, but the rotary joint changed all of that and was cheaper in the long run.

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:13 am

backhertz wrote:
I''m really surprised we aren't seeing this motor technology in other tools. Why? Typically it is but one reason: cost. That is the main reason we still have huge rotating antenna dishes on radar towers. Prior to the rotary waveguide joint, the radar transmitter and receiver used to spin with the radar dish, but the rotary joint changed all of that and was cheaper in the long run.

Dyson is using it in their products because of the weight to power ratio and the ability to sell one product all over the world.

hdoilcan · Post by **hdoilcan** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:39 am

Altho I have the funds to purchase one, Ill wait hoping they drop the price. Don't really need one but would like to own one.

tomsalwasser · Post by **tomsalwasser** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:50 am

I wish the vote count was higher...I'm surprised more people have or plan to upgrade to a PP than those who do not. I'm glad to see all the buyers. I think without the PP Shopsmith may not make it. I'm not interested in one myself, not at the current price.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:51 am

tomsalwasser wrote:I wish the vote count was higher...I'm surprised more people have or plan to upgrade to a PP than those who do not. I'm glad to see all the buyers. I think without the PP Shopsmith may not make it. I'm not interested in one myself, not at the current price.

I think you are right the PP is saving Shopsmith for now. I think the reason the survey shows more having or planning to buy is most on this forum are avid Shopsmith tool buyers. I think many that bought the PP are people that must have the latest tool offered by SS and I would guess many have at least one of everything SS sells.

Shopsmith’s problem now is to reach the SS owner that view his SS as just a machine he uses. He doesn’t upgrade it with all the latest changes, just good enough to do the work he needs done. I figure Shopsmith has pretty much gone through all the easy sells and now have to convince the woodworker that uses a Shopsmith instead of the Shopsmither that does woodworking.

I don’t know how many Power Pros Shopsmith has sold but I will bet the ratio is fairly close to that ratio of people that commonly post on this forum, versus the number of people that are forum members. Then consider the number of actual owners of Shopsmith that never use this forum. I submit to the forum and Shopsmith that, that huge number will never consider the Power Pro at the current price.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:57 am

[quote="Ed in Tampa"]I think you are right the PP is saving Shopsmith for now. I think the reason the survey shows more having or planning to buy is most on this forum are avid Shopsmith tool buyers. I think many that bought the PP are people that must have the latest tool offered by SS and I would guess many have at least one of everything SS sells.

Shopsmith&#8217]
Ed, as usual, I think that you are just so wrong. There may be a couple tool junkies but most simply respect a reliable tool that was designed to do what we do.

As for the price being a deterrent, yes, it slows some and it turns others away. The cost and weight of the Unisaw kept me from buying one when I bought the Shopsmith but that did not dampen my enthusiasm for one. It would be in my shop now if there was room in the shop and room in the budget but there will always be a Mark V.

As for the number of PowerPros and Mark 7s that have been sold, I'd bet that there are many more than you anticipate. I participate on a couple other web links that indicate to me quite a few owners that are not forum members. I doubt that we'll ever know because of the way serial numbers are now assigned.

This thread is a good example. How many members do you know that have PowerPros and have not acknowledged that in this thread. I personally know six.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:57 pm

dusty wrote:Ed, as usual, I think that you are just so wrong. There may be a couple tool junkies but most simply respect a reliable tool that was designed to do what we do.

As for the price being a deterrent, yes, it slows some and it turns others away. The cost and weight of the Unisaw kept me from buying one when I bought the Shopsmith but that did not dampen my enthusiasm for one. It would be in my shop now if there was room in the shop and room in the budget but there will always be a Mark V.

As for the number of PowerPros and Mark 7s that have been sold, I'd bet that there are many more than you anticipate. I participate on a couple other web links that indicate to me quite a few owners that are not forum members. I doubt that we'll ever know because of the way serial numbers are now assigned.

This thread is a good example. How many members do you know that have PowerPros and have not acknowledged that in this thread. I personally know six.

Dusty
You keep comparing a Unisaw to the Shopsmith. That to me is like comparing passion fruit to peanuts it makes no sense.

One is a home hobbiest combination machine and the other a professional production table saw made for 24/7 duty in production shops.

But okay! Amazon which is by far is not the cheapest place to buy from sells the razzle dazzle jump up whoppie unisaw for $3259.

The Shopsmith Mark Vll is $3979 and 520 is $3679, $400 to $700 dollars more.

"Tools and More" sell a Unisaw which is still a professional production saw but perhaps a little closer to what a home hobbiest would need for $2999.
Which is $600 to $1000 less.

An excellent table saw while not a "Unisaw" can be bought for under $1500 and is $2479 less that Mark Vll

An excellent home hobbiest Tablesaw which is commonly sold is the Ridgid 4512 tablesaw sold by Home depot for $499. With quality high enough that I think it is safe to say it will outlive most on this forum. and Is $3480 less than the Mark Vll

Compare $499 for a complete saw to $1509 Power Pro ungrade. That is a difference of $1000.

For $1000 you can buy a lot of other tools.

That is what most guys will do. Again not all! We both know there are Power Pro's out there.

As far as numbers go I didn't give any. I said I'm guessing that the ratio of Power Pro users to owners of Shopsmith is probably similar to the ratio of people that frequently post on this forum to total forum membership.

And that, what ever that number is, it will run out one day.

My point which you missed entirely is Shopsmith needs to figure out how to convince ALL the owners of existing Shopsmiths to buy the Power Pro.
I think that number is somewhere around a million or more.

I further said I don't think they can do it that, at the current Power Pro price. At least I know one person they can't convince at the current price.