Replies

1. 
   JeffHeath | Feb 17, 2006 06:25pm | #1

   If you can find an older Powermatic 66 that was made in Tennessee, you'll get a better saw for half the price.  Being a 66 owner, I have witnessed the decline of the quality of Powermatic when they were 'consumed' by Jet.  Now, it's all about cutting corners for a profit.

   Now that I've gotten that off my chest, the new PM saw looks pretty good.  I saw it in action, and feel comfortable saying that.  It's better than any other cabinet saw in this class and price range, with the possible exception of the General.  It's a coin toss between the two.

   Jeff

1. 
   tangomike | Feb 19, 2006 06:57pm | #3

   so PM is cutting corners but they still managed to invest in upgrading the machine and be (retain) best in class status? How do you square those two statements?

1. 
   JeffHeath | Feb 21, 2006 02:36am | #5

   What does that tell you about the class?

    

   10 years ago, the PM 66 was considered by most to be THE cabinet saw of choice.  Now, with all the corners cut in the manufacturing process, the gap has certainly been narrowed to a close call.  I see very little difference between the PM 66 that I own and a friends General equivalent, in terms of quality, fit and trim.  When you got one from Tennessee, the tops came dead flat and polished to a mirror finish.  Not any longer.  I spent about 6 hours tuning my brand new 66 out of the box, rather than sending it back and hoping for the best on the next one they sent me.  For $2300  smackers, you shouldn't have to do squat to it. 

    (BTW, mine is 4 years old, and is of the 'newer' lineage, i.e.  made in Taiwann.)

   Jeff

   Edited 2/20/2006 6:51 pm ET by JeffHeath

1. 
   user-30034 | Feb 22, 2006 11:03pm | #6

   The PM66 and PM2000 are excellent saws.  However, before purchasing one, I would look at the General.  it is about the same price but better quality (not to mention made in Canada instead of Tiawan).  Below is a link to General.   Good luck! 

   http://www.general.ca/pagemach/machines/50250260a.html

1. 
   JeffHeath | Feb 23, 2006 12:01am | #7

   You sent this to the wrong guy.  Review the thread, and repost it to the correct one so your advice can be heeded.

   Jeff

2. 
   highfigh | Feb 25, 2006 05:16pm | #13

   If the quality of the other manufacturers dropped as much in the same time frame, the top brand would still be at the top, although some of the others may have shuffled around.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   BenA | Feb 19, 2006 05:59pm | #2

   here  is a link to a review of the PM 2000. he seems to like it. Good luck

    

   http://forums.taunton.com/fw-ratings/messages?msg=46.1

1. 
   benjiboy | Feb 20, 2006 09:53pm | #4

   for some reason, I can't get to the link that you gave me. 

   probably a short between the keyboard and my chair.

1. 
   PADDYDAHAT | Feb 23, 2006 09:23am | #8

   ben, you are not alone, Pat

3. 
   RonK | Feb 24, 2006 11:57pm | #9

   I had a chance to see a PM2000 being unpacked at a supplier today. I was very impressed with the finish of the various parts. The controls felt very smooth and the table was well finished. I was considering a new PM66 or 72 this year but based on what I saw it looks like I may change my mind. Hopefully the coming year will have a few more user comments.

   The supplier also carries Sawstop table saws and aside from the supposed safety features this saw looks very well built and worthy of someone's consideration. If you are considering a new table saw and have a chance you should look at it. My understanding is that you can disable the stop feature if you desire.

   The Supplier also mentioned Sawstop is coming out with a bandsaw in the near future. I would guess it would have the same safety feature as the table saw but based on my look at the table saw may be well built.

    

    

1. 
   benjiboy | Feb 25, 2006 04:42am | #10

    

   Thanks for your response to my queston about the PM2000.   It looks great and sounds great and I am planning to go for it. 

   I will let you know how it is after using it for a while.

   Ben

2. 
   tangomike | Feb 25, 2006 08:47am | #11

   This is off topic, but I was looking at one of the Sawstop saws today as well (not in the market, but it was there and I was curious). It is a well built tablesaw by my observation, but the guy working there said they hadn't sold a single unit. Not only is the $3k price pretty steep but Sawstop is selling the saws direct at a discount from retail... that's no way to treat your distributors.

   Edited 2/25/2006 1:11 am ET by tangomike

1. 
   RonK | Feb 25, 2006 03:56pm | #12

   I may not remember correctly but I believe they told me they sold 25 and only 1 had a safety fire. I think he mentioned that trade school were purchasing the units which makes sense given that kids are not usually the most safety minded. I am going back on monday to see the PM2000 put together and take a closer look at the Sawstop.

   I don't think I'm interested in the Sawstop myself but I was surprised by the machine that I did see. It's always good to have nice choices.