Replies

1. 
   jptenberg | Dec 23, 2004 10:11pm | #1

   I bought one a couple of yrs ago to replace an old craftsman--and I wonder why I didn't do it sooner.  I have been very pleased with the PM, however I now wish that I would have gone with an 8" or wider when I upgraded as the 6" is not always enough capacity for me.

   Peter

   jpswoodworking.com

2. 
   Dustmight | Dec 24, 2004 07:25pm | #2

   Hi IMSA - My recommendation is similar to Peter's.  The PM54a is considered among the best 6" jointers on the market, but I see more value in a comparably priced 8" model from Grizzly, Sunhill, Yorkcraft or Bridgewood.  You not only get the longer beds, but wider as well.  I find extra width more of a need than length, plus you'll also gain HP and mass.  Just my humble opinion. 

   Merry Christmas!

3. 
   JeffHeath | Dec 24, 2004 10:31pm | #3

   IMSA

   If you are just going to tinker occassionally, then the 6  incher is o.k..  But, if you think you are going to be more serious about your woodworking, then I'd get an 8 inch if I were you.  Once you have designed the piece you are going to build, the very first thing that you have to do to your stock is flatten one side.  For the handtool guys, get out the jointer plane.  For those of us who want to move along a little quicker, it's the jointer.  With a 6 incher, you're going to find that most of your boards are wider, and can't be flattened without ripping them in half, flattening, and then glueing back together.  It can be done this way, but it's a pain.  I had my first 6 incher, a powermatic, for a year and a half before upgrading.  I now use a 12 inch Northfield, and am looking at a 16 incher.  If you can afford the 8 incher, than do it.  Check out the Grizzly 8 with the helical head.  A friend has one, very nice finish.  PM's are great too, though.

   Remember, if you run a warped board through your planer, you now have a warped board with parallel sides.  You've gotta flatten on side first if you want good results with your joinery.

   JC

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/24/2004 2:34 pm ET by JC

4. 
   JeffreyS | Dec 26, 2004 10:23am | #4

   I struggled with a similar decision, then decided to go to an 8". I was going to get a Bridgewood 8" but then found I could get a DJ 20 for pretty close to the same $ after shipping etc. I bought the DJ from Amazon, $1350 delivered, I did not buy the X-5 version which is the same machine but with some extra "free" tools and a 3yr longer warantee (the X5 version cost $300 more- so are those tools really free?).  I figured if I was going to get an 8" I wanted the long bed of the Delta. The PM 8" also look good- they came out with a new one recently but it cost more than the Delta.  Most of the others get a longer bed by bolting on bed extensions- I know they should work fine but I prefered a solid casting. And I like the parallelogram suspension for the beds.  I figure I paid a bit more than some others but this is a long term tool so I wanted to buy it once. 

   Jeff

5. 
   AndyE | Dec 27, 2004 02:13am | #5

   I bought a used PM 8" about 2 years ago. finally set it up and began tinkering with it about 10 months ago. Very happy with the finish on boards and the long bed length is great for supporting long stock. I have had some trouble getting the infeed bed adjusted properly. It tips in toward the cutterhead slightly so my boards get a little bowed if i make too many passes. (Well, it becomes more pronounced.) Someday I will try to get in touch with PM again and see if they have any advice. Otherwise a good solid heavy machine.

6. 
   AndyA | Dec 31, 2004 04:01am | #6

   IMSA,
   I just started using my PM6" for a project. I jointed about 100BF of Ash. The jointer runs great although I do think that the advice you have received from the other writers about trying for the 8" bed should be highly considered. It's one of those things: a 6" bed works very well but the 8" (or wider) would be more convenient. I can see myself upgrading to a wider bed if finances allow in the next few years.

   One thing I noticed with the PM 54A is that as the board became flatter (jointed) I would need to steadily apply more and more pressure to feed the board over the jointer. It actually became quite difficult until the outfeed side of the board started rolling over the roller stand. I would have thought that feeding the boards would have gotten easier as it became smoother. I applied carnuba wax but it did not help much. Maybe someone can tell me if this typical.

   FYI: The problems I have been having have not been with the jointer but rather with my garage floor: I don't think there are six square inches anywhere in my garage that are level. The ash that I am jointing are in 8-9 foot lengths. On either side of the PM beds are three rolling stands (Home Depot). I had to wrap duct tape around two feet of each roller to get the rollers level with the jointer beds. Only after I did that did I notice that the roller heads have some play in them when enough force is applied. Ugh! Anyway, I now have six roller stands that are dedicated to certain spots in my garaage for using the jointer. It is not so bad but there may be a better way: Maybe someone out there can give some advice on this subject. When I win the lottery I will have the floor leveled.

   Regards,
   Andy