re: shaper

Timothy:

I was just about to respond to your original question…
The Elite S is Minimax premier line, and crosses into the ‘parent’ company (SCMI) offerings. SCMI is perhaps the largest woodworking machine manufacturer in the world – they are much better known in Europe than on this side of the Atlantic – Martin, Felder, & Altendorf seem to rule the ‘Euro-machine’ market here, with Minimax having a consistently strong product line-up. My guess is that your grandchildren will pass it down to their children.

Minimax has both a strong fan base and an odd corporate history – it seems Minimax was a joint-venture or co-owned with US & Italian partners at some point. In recent years, Minimax / SCMI seems to have strengthened the parent relationship, and better supported the products.
You should be Very pleased with its performance.
Mike