# Powermatic PM2000 - Assembly and setup review



## jap (Oct 10, 2012)

thanks for the review


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## xwingace (Apr 25, 2011)

For that price, the crown is unacceptable.


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## Timthemailman (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks for the review, nice saw.


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## Lildrgnoflb01 (Feb 25, 2010)

Hey Darthford,

Sorry to hear about the troubles with your saw. I purchased the same saw and there was a tiny chip on the table top and the wing had a small beveled area where it mated with the table top. I called Powermatic and they sent a brand new table top and wing..NO QUESTIONS ASKED! They didn't even ask for the old ones back. I'm sure you can hit them up for a new top, since by far, a crown is a more serious issue than my tiny chip.

You had me wondering about the bolt size so I went and measured mine. They're 1 1/4" alright, but I had no problem starting them with plenty of threads. And yep two washers, lock washer and nut. Thinner washers maybe? I wouldn't worry too much about there only being two bolts for the rear rail, I've tugged, bumped, bashed and yanked the table by the rear rail and it's still rock solid. I think there are only two since the rear rail doesn't do much other than hold the extension table on. I even replaced the table that came with the saw with a router table, and still, those two bolts are holding tough.

My arbor lock is metal? Either that or they found a way to make plastic stick to a magnet. I hope PM is not starting to cut corners. Maybe you could ask about that and see if they switched.

I got a few of the leecraft inserts as well, the one with the riving knife is great. I heard a tip from another lumber jock to remember to put a sacrificial board over the plate when you make the kerf, that way there is no tear-out. Unfortunately, I didn't see that hint til after I cut my first plate. =/ I did keep the OEM plate for beveled cuts though. And you're right, its ugly. But mine is smooth???

I really love my saw, so I hope you can get your very legitmate issues straightened out with the manufacturer. They were great the one time I had to talk to them, so hopefully your experience will be the same.

Good Luck!


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

My guess is they changed the arbor lock to metal after the plastic ones were breaking, I seem to recall this being an issue. To clarify this saw while just out of the crate is like 3 years old. I purchased the saw for my brother for his birthday several years ago and the sale on the house with the shop he was buying fell through. Its sat in his packed 1 car garage ever since so we decided to set it up in my new house recently. Something is thinner on the extension table assembly since they made this one then. Good to know 2 bolts hold it, I put a 3rd grade 8 bolt in the rear rail so its going nowhere in any case.

Yes the instructions are to clamp a board over the top of the Leecraft when cutting up through it, I don't know about tear out mostly this is so the throat plate doesn't go flying across the shop ;-)

Good to hear your throat plate is smooth, it sounds like they made a few improvements since I purchased this saw for my brother. The grinds on the fence rail are also pretty course, the plastic from the adjustment nubs under the fence are already shedding plastic shavings just from minor sliding back and forth during setup.

I won't bother with table replacement unless that crown is real bad, it may just be the edges around the throat plate opening. In any case this saw is probably out of warranty by now.


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## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

Great review and details. Sorry to hear about the crown….. I'm in the market for a saw and having a hard time on which one right now.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Not everything was perfect or acceptable with my PM2000 out of the box either. However, after 5 years I'm still pretty satisfied with it. Thanks for the well thought out review.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

First time I'm hearing of a lot of these complaints. My PM2000 is two years old and has been trouble free since day one. I have three 1-1/4" bolts holding on the back rail, not two, and the bolts are plenty long including washers. My table has a slight dip near the center approx .001 per my feeler gauge. Arbor runout was .0000 as per my dial indicator. As for the throat plate, yes it leaves much to be desired as does the factory miter gauge. I view these items as expendable. The first purchases I made after the saw were a ZCI from Leecraft and a quality miter gauge from Incra. You will need to keep the original throat plate for 45 degree bevel cuts unless you buy an additional one from Leecraft. As for the arbor lock, mine was metal. Never heard of a plastic one.

Good luck with your saw and be safe.


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## Routerisstillmyname (Oct 16, 2008)

That is not acceptable. I would make them ship another part and pick the other one up. we're not talking about sub 400 dollar saw.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

This is a lifetime tool. You don't want to be seeing that crown for the next ten years. Call them and see if you can get a new top, as Lil said. I did with Grizzly on my bandsaw on the fence, and they sent a complete new one, no questions asked.


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## Lawseeker (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks for your informative review. I am looking at the PM or a SawStop. Your review is helpful toward my decision. Hope you are successful obtaining a new top. Stay safe and kick a little dust….


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

******************************************************* ching ching ching ching chang chow chu choo choo


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

Alrighty then lol


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## mcase (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm sorry to say that I'm not surprised. I bought a pm 66 new and its table flatness was a joke. There were plenty of other problems too. When I went to buy an 8" jointer several years ago I looked at PM first (that undeserved reputation for quality is a priceless asset). I came across enough posts complaining about (you guessed it) table flatness to set off the "don't get fooled again alarm". Bad enough on a supposed high-end (high priced anyway) table saw, but on a jointer no way! I emailed PM and asked what tolerance they would guarantee on the jointer beds - -no answer, which of course answered my question in a back hand sort of way. So I got rid of my 66 and got an SS industrial - a vastly higher quality machine. And for the jointer I got a Grizzly G0490 with those dead flat beds everyone raves about (they were dead flat by the way). So WMH Tools I hope your listening because your customers are finally tuning in.


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## 9FINGERTIM (Feb 1, 2013)

Sometimes there are advantages to being a tightwad .After 15 years of using my old craftsman ts 1398 i was so tired of the incredibly bad stock rip fence,that i almost gave up and went for a ridgid. I went so far as to look at one but it just dident seem as rugged as my old craftsman(15 amp three horse motor).I had read on this sight of the numerous successfull delta fence transplants that had been performed by fellow woodworkers and my accountant /budget director /wife liked the idea of 200 bucks better than 500 bucks.Since everything else on the saw still performed well I bolted on the new fence and rails and stepped into a whole nother world of sawdust making no more c c lampps holding down both ends of the fence!I felt so gratefull to the saw that I treated it to a new specialty rip blade and a new belt. I guess the moral to this story is sometimes its better to refurbish the good old iron you own than to take a chance on buying an unknown level of quality. sometimes its "better the devil you know"


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

Update: 10/18/2013 - one of the mobile base wheels fell apart, chunks of it started falling off and trailing the saw like bread crumbs. This is with very little movement on a very smooth brand new concrete garage floor, looks like the material just got brittle and broke down. It got so annoying to move recently plus the 65 hand cranks to crank it up/down I purchased a Shopfox super heavy duty mobile stand WITH the mobile stand extension, arrived today so I'll lift the saw up on the new stand with the tractor this weekend. I tell you I want to buy a Grizzly 1023, this is my brothers saw I may try to talk him into selling it so I can get it out of my shop and order up the Grizzly.


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