Headstock repair email from SS

[a1gutterman]

I can knot say that this is true for every, or even most, of the "other" companies, you know, the ones that offer "free" manuals via pdf files, but I wood guess that the "free" manual is about all the "free" customer service that an owner of those tools and equipment will get.

ShopSmith customer service is exceptional, and I wood never question their desire for us owners to have a manual in our possession so that we can "read" what they are explaining. I see no reason that they should give them away. I wood hate to see what their phone bills are like.:)

[sswoodworker48]

Might as well throw in my 2 cents... Many of the manuals from other manufacturers that I have seen actually have very little real content about the tool itself. There are many pages relating all the safety do's and don'ts. But how many of these "free" manuals are as comprehensive as SS manuals? Perhaps the old adage "you get what you pay for" applies.:)

[osx-addict]

In adding to what Rick wrote above, I was thinking that the average tool manual for that table saw or jointer is perhaps 20-30 pages max (the rest of the pages being a translation in spanish or whatever other language they like).. The shopsmith manual is more like a book .. I've got no idea how many pages it has but I'd guess several hundred.. The PDF would be HUGE (perhaps a gigabyte or more).. Anyway, I'd happily purchase one to get the other freebies as mentioned above.

[mlettini]

:D I have been a shopsmith owner since 1980. On several occassion I have wanted to modify a feature of the product. I needed to purchase a part to attach to an existing item. Customer service told me what part to purchase and also sent me the manual for the part I was modifying. Specific example. I had a shopsmith table from the free standing router table I purchased 20 years ago. I wanted to modify it so I could attach it to the Mark V. I needed the telescoping leg to accomplish this. When I called customer service to order the leg they told me how to attach and offered to send me the entire manual for the new router table they are currently sell even though I was only purchasing one part. Of course I accepted. This what I have come to expect from shopsmith and have always received.;)

[dusty]

I sure hope you haven't "come to expect" too much. You just might find yourself a bit disappointed the next time.