The ATM's Workshop - Smithy CB1220XL Review

The ATM's Workshop - Smithy CB1220XL Review: "he three-in-one machine limitations that remain as compromises for the hobbyist are centered around size and the machine's feature list. This is where you must choose between cost and function. Try to envision as many of the possible uses for your machine as possible and use the information to rate the prospective machines you find.

In the lower cost hobbyist portion of the machine tool market, there are four main competitors with three-in-one machines. These are Grizzly Industrial, Harbor Freight Tools, Shoptask, and Smithy. There may be others, but these are the companies most often mentioned in this market.

Soon after gathering all the specifications, I had narrowed my choice to Shoptask and Smithy. An important aspect of my purchase choice was going to be service after the sale, if needed. I was not able to get any more details on the Harbor Freight and Grizzly machines than appears in their respective catalogs. (I like dealing with Grizzly. Their customer service is usually quite helpful, but the lack of detailed specification on their 3-in-1 machine forced me to drop them from consideration."