seeing a lot of used shop smiths

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The nice thing about the SS is that you can will it to your kid and they will still be able to get parts for it!

I had a 1967 SS 500 and the switch went bad. I called and the response was, "certainly we can send you a new one". Try that with anything else with the possible exception of lathes.
 
I have had mine since 1986 and I cannot complain. I had to replace the motor, but that was my fault. It was not meant to rip wood for 2 hours straight and the motor overheated :redface:. It still worked but never had the same oomph until I replaced the motor. At this point I own a stand alone TS and Drill press, so I primarily use the SS for a lathe. Sometimes I use the horizontal boring function and disk sander, but not often. I still lust after a Jet VS, but the SS does everything I ask of it and does it well enough that I cannot justify the cost.
 
Mine was made in 1963 (I bought it used in the early 90's). Still works fine. I replaced a couple parts from shopsmith, and I replaced all the bearings, which I was able to get at a local bearing distributor pretty inexpensively. I probably didn't really need to replace them all, but I had it apart to put in an upgraded (2 bearing) quill, so I figured I might as well do it while I had it all apart. I got the upgrade an new belts for a song way back when woodcraft stopped carrying SS, so having the cheap parts prompted a pre-emptive overhaul for the machine's 35th birthday - it never actually broke.

Since I got the TS and mini lathe, my SS is used primarity for the Drill press and the band saw attachment. Sometimes as disc sander or to spin buffs.

Amazing to think my machine is almost 50 years old
 
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I think they are well worth the few bucks that people want for them. I saw one recently (Craigs List) for $50 bucks. It was REALLY OLD, and REALLY RUSTY, but still worked.

At $50, you can't buy a buffing station that cheap.

The only problem I have ever had with ShopSmith is tilting the bandsaw table is a bit cumbersome. Parts are still plentiful.
 
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I want to live where you are. Shop smiths around here are going for over $300. I can get a knew small lathe for less.
 
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