Shopsmith Forums

For those wishing to comment on Shopsmith using the term 'Smart Motor" as opposed to the traditional term Headstock I started this topic. The Topic titled Smart Motor Speed Dial Ring, Back Up Spring part # 504196 seem to have been taken over by this discussion. The OP, tprowood, was simply asking a parts question but the thread has taken on a new path.

Please share your "Smart Motor" opinions here and maybe even delete them from the other thread so tprowood can get just the information he needs.

I'll start it off by saying I don't care for the use of "Smart Motor" to describe the Conventional Headstock. Maybe it's okay for the Power Pro motor but let's not confuse the two Headstocks.

I too do not care for the usage of smart motor when discussing other than the PowerPro. I really see no reason for why this is being done but it really causes no harm --- just possible confusion.

Unfortunately, the persons who need to hear these thoughts are nost probably not listening to the members of this group of users.

I'm not thrilled with the term, but as I already said in another thread I don't see anything wrong with calling it a 'headstock'. As others have said also, 'Smart Motor' is not a real good name for a conventional headstock at all. There's nothing all that smart about it.

Good idea, Russ. So moving this tidbit of mechatronics history over from the other thread:

... “Smart motor” used to be a U.S. trademark registered to Animatics Corporation, which engineered the “animatronic” electromechanical puppets that you may recall seeing at Disney World. At the time, “smart motor” referred to a motor that had the electronic motion controller and the power-drive electronics all integrated into the motor housing.

So it’s not much of a stretch to use the “smart motor” term for a PP headstock. But as for the conventional headstock, I’m not sure that even Evel Knevel could jump that terminology chasm.

I also played in the smart motor game two or three decades ago, but no one besides Animatics could use the term “smart motor” in their marketing. The generic term used by the industry was the eminently forgettable “integrated intelligent motor”, or IIM for short.

When I saw that Shopsmith had taken to using the old Animatics trademark, my first thought was to warn them of possible trademark infringement. But fortunately, I checked the USPTO website first, and learned that the trademark has been abandoned by Animatics.

I like the term "headstock," which is used throughout the manuals I have. And the one used by the designers and engineers before I was born and throughout my 40 years or so of using a Mark 5/V/7. Although it has a processor or two, I don't like the term for the PowerPro headstock either. I can live with it for the motor itself. But is it really that smart? When the motor is not running the 'smart portion' can look up speed chart data for you, and when the motor is running it provides some portion of the speed control. Both of those functions work pretty well, but seem pretty simple in the grand scheme of things. And it seems to me a dumb analog speed controller would be as good or better, though might not be as marketable.

- David

I liken it to using "Space Age Technology" which was cool in the late 60's and early 70's but was meaningless and sad much after that. There is nothing smart about the conventional headstock and tacking the term on to 70+ year old technology is just inviting ridicule.

It isn't as annoying as throwing "gate" at the end of anything and everything that some unimaginative idiot journalist thinks may be the scandal that wins them a Pulitzer.

I like the conventional headstock. I like the old nomenclature for the headstock. I like that I can repair the conventional headstock. I am just smart enough to appreciate the engineering marvel that the conventional headstock is.

The Smart Motor nomenclature doesn’t resonate with me.

Thanks to all of you who have added their thoughts here so far.

I would like to add to my opinion about the term "Smart Motor." Calling either the Conventional or Power Pro Headstock only "Smart Motor" tends to leave out the other functions and parts of either Headstock. The Quill, for example, is not an actual part of the motor itself but is part of the Headstock and its function. The "Smart Motor" Speed Control is two very different things between the Conventional Headstock and the Power Pro Headstock. Lastly is it really going to generate more sales jazzing up the name to "Smart Motor" for either the Mark 7 or especially the Mark V 520S or Mark 4.

Totally with you on this one. "Smart Motor" just doesn't sit right when we've been calling it a headstock forever. It's like when a brand tries to rebrand something classic with a flashy new name.

Areba21 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 1:43 pm Totally with you on this one. "Smart Motor" just doesn't sit right when we've been calling it a headstock forever. It's like when a brand tries to rebrand something classic with a flashy new name.

I agree with you about "'Smart Motor' just doesn't sit right when we've been calling it a headstock forever." But we old geezers don't have to stop calling it a headstock, nobody will be confused by that. IMO where this matters is for new customers who haven't been calling it a headstock at all, and I think the name won't sit right with them either.

It's also going to be tough on anyone trying to sell a Shopsmith to explain how anything is all that smart on the conventional headstock. Pointing out that the Speed Dial has the names of the different tools on it isn't impressive. You could probably get away with that in the 50s and part of the 60s, but I don't think it will fly now-a-days.

And then the PowerPro headstock is called the same thing! What does a Shopsmith Sales Representative tell someone about this?

"Well, this one Smart Motor is really smart because you can select very specific speeds for tools including different bit sizes and types of wood, and you can program the touch pad button display, and it has a USB port that's going to have some great future uses, we think.

Now, over here we have this other Smart Motor that has a dial on it that you turn by hand. Did your grandmother have one of those old tube TVs with a dial to change channels? It works just like that."