“I have owned this combo machine for a few years now and really like it. In the years after purchasing the Shopsmith, I’ve purchased a dedicated drill press and went with the DeWALT planer instead of the Shopsmith branded unit (huge cost difference!).” – Jay Benton The last round of upgrades are very difficult for me to justify at this point in time. Until recently, I’ve done the upgrades Shopsmith has introduced. The lathe functionality was a huge plus as I loved turning in high school shop class. When I bought it, I only had a contractor table saw and wanted a band saw and drill press. It’s a great machine for a limited space. I’ve had a Shopsmith 510 (upgraded to the 520) since 1997. “In the latest eZine, you asked what combo tools people have or would consider purchasing. I would never part with it even though I have a complete shop full of tools (table saw, 8″ jointer, 15-5/8″ planer, 20″ band saw, multi-router, drill press, radial arm saw, etc.)” – Steve Busch While I don’t use all the attachments (jointer, jigsaw, belt sander, band saw, disc sander, drum sander etc.), I do still use the band saw, disc sander, lathe, horizontal drill press, and the belt sander. “ I have been a woodworker for over 35 years, and I started with a Shopsmith. Many of you use and appreciate the Shopsmith combination machine. My shop is 1,800 sq.ft., and I still could use more space.” – Terry Allen It does take 1-2 hr changeover, but if I had a separate machine for each, it would eat up a lot more floor space. I have a Woodmaster 725 molding machine /planer/sander. “No matter what size shop we have, space is limited. For me, jointer/planers scream dual purpose and are one of the best dual purpose machines you can own.” – Joe Kramer It takes only a few seconds to dial the table up to surface plane and back down to joint. Mine is less than 6 inches from the wall. This baby really hugs the wall as well so very little shop space is wasted. there are techniques, but let’s face it … not easy. Really? When you consider the space and setup for another entire tool, this seems ridiculous. Additionally, the jointing and planing widths match. How on earth do you face plane a 12” board if you own a 6” jointer? I know. The only drawback they touted as I contemplated my purchase was moving the table up/down in order to convert from face planing to surface planing. and the cut? Nothing short of remarkable even on highly figured wood. My jointer/planer saves a ton of time and the silent cutter is so quiet compared to straight knifes. Best investment I’ve ever made, second only to my SawStop. “I own a Hammer A-31 jointer/planer with silent spiral carbide cutter. I like it since I have limited space and it does a fantastic job as both a saw and router table without having to move from one machine to another.” – Ed Mlotkiewicz “I have a Craftsman table saw with an auxiliary table that is a router table. They are definitely a help to those of us who do not have the luxury of a freestanding 1,200 -1,800 square foot purpose-built shop. “I would not mind dual or triple purpose machines. After planing, the lumber goes to the helical head planer.” – Jack Wilson I buy my lumber rough and go from there, and that jointer is used constantly to edge and face joint lumber. The jointer though, that’s another story. I never use the planer feature and only occasionally use the mortising feature, when I do, I use it as a slot mortiser. Every piece of wood in my shop goes over that jointer. I would say that this machine is the heart of my shop with the table saw running a close second. “I have a MiniMax FS35 this is basically a 14-inch jointer/planer, and I also have the mortising attachment for it. That’s the only combo stationary tool that I own in my shop.” – Ken Keating “I, too, have a JET JJP 12 and love it as well. Like Rob, some of you jointer/planers or other combination machines. It turns out that many of you own them – and you have opinions. In last issue’s eZine editorial, Rob asked what you thought about combination machines.
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