Just got one of those pack o' cards in the the mail that contained a postcard for information on a 10 in 1 wood/metal shop. The company is Smithy. I'll have to admit, the idea of owning a single tool that "does it all" has its allure, especially when you're lazy like me and hate to drag out four or five tools when you want to make something (you know - drill, circ. saw, chop saw, planer, joiner, etc etc etc). However, I am also well aware of the rule that the more things a product does, the less likey it is to do any of them well. Do any of you have any experience with these thingies, about how much one should pay, good brands, can I find them used in decent shape, etc.

The ad copy for the Smithy product states the following: 450 lbs "2.5 times more than others" (one assumes there is a stability issue at work here), "state of the art ELECTRONIC speed controls", "extra POWER-IN-RESERVE DC motor" (what is this and why is it important?). There is also a 30 day free buy-back offer and an "industry leading warranty"

So whatcha think? Am I heading down a dangerous path by sending in my card (postage pre-paid, no less), or are these actually a not-bad deal. How do the inclusive "tools" stack up to individually pruchased tools and what level of quality can I expect them to perform at? Thanks for your time in answering.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), July 27, 2001

Answers

Hey,

If it's a shop smith they are really quality tools that work great in their many configurations BUT!, the configuration changes are a pain in the ass. Uh, can say that without being edited? So if you don't like to drag out multiple tools, you won't like to reconfigure when you go from needing one tool to another. If your doing a lot of work it's definitly better to have multiple tools. A shop smith can be very cost effective if you want a lot of tools for the money, don't do much production work, and have the time and patience to be reconfiguring a half dozen times each project. Most people I know that owned one usually ended up leaving it in one configuration and getting the other tools to go with it. It all depends on your needs.

CQ

-- Carter (chucky@usit.net), July 27, 2001.

I have a 1949 shopsmith, it is accurate, and allmost bulletproof! If I am making something like bee hive boxes where I would run 50 or more pieces at a time, it is excelent. But to change from table saw to drill press to lathe involves tools and time, if you have a tight budget be aware that shopsmiths around here still sell for $1,000.00 even the 53 year old ones (with a large group of attachments). If you are doing a limited amount of jobs, home owner type things (a deck, a staircase) then a shopsmith is overkill.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), July 27, 2001.

Most larger areas have Shop Smith classes, mostly full of old men who are excellent wood workers. Might be a way for you to see if this is what you want or not. Know my DH went through a phaze of wanting one, another big toy for the shop. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 27, 2001.

I had a ShopSmith. It takes too long to change set-ups. It's a big, big waste of time. Plus MOST parts have to come from the factory and are VERY expensive. I wouldn't have another all in one machine.

-- David Constantin (cajundavid@hotmail.com), July 28, 2001.

Have had two shopsmiths over the years. They are, in my opinion, of reasonable quality. They do several things quite well, but nothing extremely well. I have never done one bit of repair on either machine, just keep it clean. The changeover from one function to another is kind of a pain but other than when i'm remodeling or some other major project, it's worth it, not clutting up my shop with too much equipment and it sure makes moving easier.

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.