denny

Bought my Shopsmith in 1986 - aside from a scroll saw and belt sander, that was the first "shop tool" I owned.

Over the years I found a used planer, jointer, etc. for the SS.

My personal opinion is that the Shopsmith is the perfect tool for those with limited space - I worked in my garage for over 20 years before building the shop I've got now.

Its versatility is the real strong point, it'll really do anything you want. Downside, of course is all the set-up you have to go thru going from one function to another.

That all said, I still use the SS for planing, jointing, as a drill press, and lathe.

They're pretty much indestructible, and you can find them pretty cheap on Craigslist here almost all the time.

Al - thanks for the comments - I've got the greatest wife in the world - after 28 years she still lets me play in the shop.