GOT MY NEW SHOPMASTER PATRIOT

[crosche]

I am taking a real hard look at getting a Shopmaster Patriot, it seems to have a lot of good features and addresses a lot of short falls other brands have. You guys seem to have postive first impressions, but I have read some really bad stuff on this forum too. What is the deal? Is the patriot worth the money? I want to buy a 3-1 due space contraints, but I don't want an expensive piece of junk. Your insights & experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chad

[digitalmdj]

They have something to do with JT the owner of the company. So don't believe what you hear from those three. Believe what you see. And to do that you need someone with a machine and go see for yourself. It doesn't take a brain scientist to see the problems unless the person is trying to hide them. JT will show you a machine that has been cleaned up and works good but don't expect the same quality when it's shipped. I will be far from it. Finding someone with a new machine will be hard because sales aren't to good for JT right now.

[instructor37]

I am taking a real hard look at getting a Shopmaster Patriot, it seems to have a lot of good features and addresses a lot of short falls other brands have. You guys seem to have postive first impressions, but I have read some really bad stuff on this forum too. What is the deal? Is the patriot worth the money? I want to buy a 3-1 due space contraints, but I don't want an expensive piece of junk. Your insights & experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chad

I think there were some issues with the older machines as seen in various posts, but not more than any Chinese product. The Patriot comes from the same factory as the Tormach and has excellent quality control. We have had good results with our machines and they hold up well under student abuse. If you are set on a 3 in1 machine I think its the best choice around. The advantages of space and having CNC lathe and mill in one package saves a lot in those expensive options. If you think its going to a be a Haas or Mazak then you will probably be disappointed, but if you go into it with realistic expectations you will probably be quite satisfied.

[crosche]

Thanks for the info, guys. I will definitely try before I buy, that's for sure. The biggest problem is finding somebody that acctually owns a Shopmaster Patriot that's within driving distance.
As far as my expectations of the Patriot (or any piece of equipment) is that it performs to the specifications that are published for it out of the box and does not require a great deal of tweaking to work properly. I am still waiting for a RFQ I sent to Shopmaster, so I will wait and see what they have to say and then proceed with caution.

BTW - Instructor37, what institution are you teaching at? Do you have any photos or clips of your machines at work? How many machines do you have?

Cheers

[digitalmdj]

Finding someone who really owns a machine is going to be next to impossible. Their not selling very many of them these days.

[smallblock]

Thanks for the info, guys. I will definitely try before I buy, that's for sure. The biggest problem is finding somebody that acctually owns a Shopmaster Patriot that's within driving distance.

Yeah- In Canada, sometimes " driving dstance" can be 1000 miles. Too bad you missed out on the Canadian dollar exchang rate of last summer, it was almost 1-1.

[jalessi]

Smallblock,

Please post lots of pictures and your new machine experience!

Jeff...

[smallblock]

Jeff,
I have been pretty busy with some engine builds lately. Still doing the same stuff on the new machine that I did on the old one. However, I do have a new idea in mind for the head work. The old shoptask had a rotating mill table, so I could turn it 90 degrees and mount a head on my fixture for doing guides and studs. But the distance to the lathe spindle was too close to do it in a single setup. The new machine doesn't rotate, but the table is 50% wider, so I can still set the head on in the longitudinal axis, plus the extra center distance allows the work to be done in a single pass. I'm now sketching out a double sided angle fixture that will hold 2 heads at once, and according to my tape measure, I should be able to mount 2 heads on the table at once, drill and tap the rocker studs and drill out the stock guides all in one setup.

[instructor37]

I'm now sketching out a double sided angle fixture that will hold 2 heads at once, and according to my tape measure, I should be able to mount 2 heads on the table at once, drill and tap the rocker studs and drill out the stock guides all in one setup.

Please post a picture when its done. We have been doing some small engine work with our machines, but nothing like that.

[sharpshooter90]

.

[markd98]

Like others have said in this forum, I think the Shopmaster offers a lot of machining capability for the money, especially with the CNC system. I have both the Patriot and the version before. I think both are solid, accurate enough, and great space savers. The Patriot is much tighter out of the crate, but a little pre-op check will tune the older versions to within advertised spec. Other 3 in 1's I tried were only usable for light cuts in aluminum. Some of the newer ones from Smithy are better. Shopmasters design is superior for the mill, and at least as good for the lathe. I give them a thumbs up.