Popular Woodworking 2001-10 № 124, страница 5
Remembering back to that day in 1981 when I bought the saw, I recall that although the price didn't seem too expensive then, today's prices by comparison are quite reasonable. In fact, some prices are almost unbelievable. You can buy a Taiwanese contractor table saw from Grizzly Industrial with many of the same features as my original Delta/Rockwell for only $325 plus $48 shipping. When you think about the cost of a reasonably equipped home shop, the prices are even more amazing. If you had bought a contractor saw, 6" jointer, small planer, drill press and 14" band saw in 1980, you would have paid about $3,200 — that's about $6,100 in inflation-adjusted 2001 dollars. Open up any woodworking catalog today and you can buy the same equipment and spend as little as $1,400 and as much as $2,600, depending on brand. At $6,100 for stationary equipment alone, I'm certain the number of home woodworkers would be a fraction of what today is one of top-rated hobbies in the United States among mature adult males. Are Lower Prices Ahead? According to some major manufacturers and importers, the great news for woodworkers is that prices might drop even more during the next several years. Some, such as Jet Tools' John Otto, woodworking product manager, project prices to drop some 7 |
