Brawny Bandsaw is a Joy to Use

From FWW #244 (Tools & Shops 2015):
Street price: $2,900
Motor (HP): 3
Resaw capacity: 14 in.
Ease of blade changes: Very good
Ease of guide adjustments: Excellent
Guide-post alignment: Very good
Guide-post rigidity: Good
Dust collection: Good
Fence: Excellent
Resaw cuts: Excellent
Curve cuts: Very good

This is a great saw all around. All of the important adjustments are made without tools, and the guides can be set accurately with ease. Tracking the blade is simple, too, due to the window in the upper housing and yellow tires on the wheels. The 3-hp motor easily handled the resaw test—better than all of the other saws. 

Fence and guides are easy to adjust, and front brake stops the blade quickly. Every adjustment is made without tools.

From FWW #236 (November/December 2013):
When evaluating a bandsaw, I use specific criteria to determine how good the machine is. In a perfect world, I want a very rigid upper guide post so the blade won’t flex and drift, and blade guides that are easy to set and remain set in use. I also want heavy wheels, a sizable cast-iron table, a fence that moves easily and locks securely square, and of course, lots of resaw capacity and power. Powermatic has put together the total package with its category-busting 15-in. bandsaw.

The saw has 14 in. of resaw capacity, and its 3-hp motor has enough power to bully its way through any material. Heavy cast-iron wheels add inertia and create a very smooth-running machine. To test its mettle, I ripped a bunch of 12/4 hard maple practically as fast as I could push it past the blade, and encountered almost no resistance. I also resawed white-oak veneers from a wide block with perfect results.

Upper guide-post rigidity is impressive and the post can be adjusted to maintain parallel travel with the blade. Blade guides are easily adjusted via large thumbscrews and hold their settings securely. The factory-supplied AccuFence glides easily and locks securely, and the cast-iron table is big (16 in. by 21-1⁄2 in.) and solidly supported by cast-iron trunnions.

There are some great safety features, too. You can’t power up the saw when the blade tension is released. The foot brake stops the wheels and turns off power with one step—helpful when you don’t want to take your hands off an unwieldy workpiece that’s dangling off the table.

Finally, dust control is great, with two ports—one close to the lower guides and one at the wheelhouse. Overall, this machine is a pleasure to use. It’s big, brawny, sturdy, and best of all, very accurate.

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