Shop Smith?

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I have a chance to pickup an older one for a decent price that is setup to be a lathe, drill press, table saw, planner, and disk sander. Has anyone had any experience with these? Is there other attachments for them?HF 180 amp/240 volt Mig (cap mod)1987 Harley FLHTP (project)1990 F350 XLT Lariat S/C dually1990 S&S 11SC Cabover Camper2011 Ford Ranger S/C XLT
Reply:I used to have one Mark V I believe, They make a bandsaw, jigsaw, shaper, belt sander, Disk sander, probably more Just cant remember at the moment.  I am sure a quick google will get you to there magazine or other stuff.Its a good machine doesn't take up much space when broke down.  Biggest set back is you can only have one tool set up at a time for the most part.
Reply:I had a Mark V also, with a band saw and jointer.  In at 11, out at 4 1/2.   They are a good, well made tool, although some are too small to be useable, like the jointer.Do not use the table saw, it's just plain dangerous.A good price on these is really cheap, like about $400 for a pretty well decked out unit in good shape.
Reply:The ones I've seen were really flimsy for lathe or mill work. Certainly they would function for some jobs, but stand alone machines work much better.
Reply:I guess I need to go look at it, went on to there website, I need to find out what model it is.HF 180 amp/240 volt Mig (cap mod)1987 Harley FLHTP (project)1990 F350 XLT Lariat S/C dually1990 S&S 11SC Cabover Camper2011 Ford Ranger S/C XLT
Reply:Have to disagree with Rock Knocker. The Mark is a great machine. Bought one 10 years ago for my woodworking and now into metal and it's fantastic. You'll need to chang the band saw blade to a metal cutting one but the BIG thing is that the motor is speed-settable (new word!!!) meaning you can dial down the rotational speed to 1500 to 2000 RPM which is right for metal. Wood is alot faster which is why you can't use a normal chop or table saw. The Rage 3 is the way to go. I don't see alot of them commented on here but I can't recommend the Shopsmith enough. And it gives you 100 tools in one so its perfect for the small space of a garage. As for the table saw, I've cut 1/4" mild on it with perfect results. The band saw also makes quick work of everything I've needed cut. And as for the $400 price tag, my Mark 7 was was $5000 new 10 years ago but I got a ton of extras for woodworking with it which no doubt drove the price up. The Mark 7 is still about the same price, $3700 plus the cost of goodies so I'd say more research is in order. But I can tell you, whichever model you're considering, make sure it has a variable speed motor. I don't know if the 5 has that. A constant speed motor over 2000 rpm just won't work on steel. The only drawback is that it has to be changed over for the different functions. Drill press to band saw takes all of 2 minutes though. I just can't say enough about these machines. Also, anyone coming up for Weld-o-Rama can use our Mark 7 and then decide!!!Last edited by jlames; 04-27-2013 at 12:35 AM.
Reply:The one I'm looking at is a Mark I believe, 3 speed, and it looks like it needs a good cleaning.....$200.00HF 180 amp/240 volt Mig (cap mod)1987 Harley FLHTP (project)1990 F350 XLT Lariat S/C dually1990 S&S 11SC Cabover Camper2011 Ford Ranger S/C XLT
Reply:I'm as you know, a noob at welding but because of you all here, well, I've learned alot of things not the least of which is that high rpm saws don't work on metal because of the friction heat that dulls and warps the blades and thus screws up your cuts. That's why I'm going for the Rage 3, hopefully before Weld-o-Rama on the 11th, to replace the DeWalt wood cutting chopsaw I have now with an abrasive disk. I put a 10" Lenox on my Shopsmith the other day and cut up some 1/4" and 1/8" plate scrap and, with the upgraded fence on the table anyway, the cuts were arrow-straight. A square never lies! So I don't know much about a Mark I but I do know that my Mark 7, with the speed dialed back to about 1500, works magic on tube and sheet.
Reply:The  Mark V has the speed adjustment, I had it for wood working never tried any steel on it, certainly not he lathe for steel that's for sure
Reply:No, the lathe is relatively useless on metal but, the horizontal boring capability, the band saw and the table saw functions when the system is in its horizontal position and the drill press in the upright position makes it perfect for use in our garage. After the shop is finished with our home on our horse property, it'll be nice to have the space to spread out individual machines but for close quarters, IMO, the shopsmith can't be beat. Also, there's the caveat that it's by no means rugged enough for hard, daily use and handling folks slamming heavy pieces of metal into its tables but for the casual user like me, it's perfect. I have to reiterate though; change the blades to Lenox metal-cutting blades. The Shopsmith units are made for wood.Last edited by jlames; 04-27-2013 at 02:15 AM.
Reply:The ShopSmith tools have their place, and if that's what you can afford or have a space limitation, it makes sense.    However, definitely look around for a used one.     I sold my father-in-laws unit after he passed away. It had  about every attachment for a ShopSmith Mark V made, was in pristine condition, and many parts were still new in the boxes , and the best I could do was $500.    I listed it at $1000, because it had every attachment, and I didn't get any takers.     The guy I ended up selling it to, was probably going to resell it, and I think he was looking at about $750-800, and he was pretty knowledgeable about them, knew alot about the serial # and when it was made, etc.      If you see one listed on CL, make an offer.   I'll bet you find someone who will take $400-500 for a full unit.
Reply:Yep. I checked on ebay and that's about right.
Reply:For occasional light duty use it might be OK. Or if you were working out of a tiny space. Otherwise you're WAY better off with separate real machines.
Reply:Lots of good information being given here, I have followed them for years. I agree with much of what has been said. I am a want to-be welder but have been into furniture making for years.  Shopsmith makes a fantastic unit. There is no question individual standalone machines are the best option if room and money is available. In the end Shopsmiths can get expensive. Especially when you start dreaming of everything you plan on doing with it and then buying the extra  components to accommodate said dreams.Set up time between attachments isn’t bad; however there is nothing worse than for instance getting the jointer set up and then realizing you still needed the table saw for a couple of cuts. I am sure this helps for your speed at changing out attachments, but it is discouraging. I don’t know of anyone who buys a Shopsmith because an individual attachment is the best in its field. I do know of many that buy the Shopsmith and the eventually start purchasing standalone power equipment because there are better units to be had, and you can leave them set up.. Anyway, the Shopsmiths have a following, and should be considered if it fits your needs coupled with getting it for a good price. Thousands have been sold and they have been around a long time. Ward Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver even had one in his garage. They can’t be bad!                              WSMiller Thunderboldt AC DC Miller 211 MIGSmith O/A torches Torches and GaugesRyobi chop saw
Reply:Oh my gosh. I remember that. That's another great thing about this board; experience that the younger generation only reads as "old". I guess they'll have their fond memories in television some day but I can't think of anything my daughter watched or grand daughters are watching now that can compare with "Leave it to Beaver", "Mr. Ed", "The Honeymooners", "Then Came Bronson", "Laugh In" or dare I say it... "Airwolf".
Reply:We used to have one. They did evrything, but none of them as good as a stand alone machine, except maybe the drill.  It would have limited use for metal.  The lathe is for wood only (unless you wanted to do some sheetmetal spinning, at technique from the 1900's) We sold it because it was using too much space for what it did.