# Powermatic 14" bandsaw



## sbryan55

Chuck, this is a pretty good review. When I put my saw together I did not have any of the issues that you did and it has perfomed well for me. The only real issue I have with the saw is the fence. It is tensioned by a locking lever and inside the mechanism is a plastic wedge that puts pressure on the front support. This wedge has come loose on my saw and I have tried glue, double sided tape, etc. to get it back on but the piece keeps coming off which makes the fence useless since it can't be locked down without the wedge in place. I have gotten around this by using clamps to hold the fence down but this is an annoyance.

With the issues that you had with your saw I would say that you are right in giving it a 4 star rating.


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## woodsmithshop

I have had this saw w/riser block for a couple of years now with no real issues,I did not like the fence, but I already had a Kreg fence from a previous band saw, so it has worked out well for me. I did wire mine for 220v.
I think one reason I had no problems with assembly may be because the only saw the dealer had in stock was the display model, so, I took it


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## 280305

How about that - ChuckC and ChuckV have the same saw. Anyway, I bought mine about two years ago with the riser block but no stand. I had only very minor initial problems. The customer service was first rate.

The saw has been flawless since I got it set up.


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## Sef

Gotta say, I'm with deke. That saw would have gone back as soon as they suggested I enlarge some holes. I expect better than that from even HF stuff.


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## ChuckC

I agree. It was definitely a bummer that I had the problems. I had to enlarge the holes in the riser, not the saw itself. It still shouldn't happen though. They said a bad batch of risers got out?? I ordered it from Woodcraft so returning it would have been a pain. I may have done just that if I picked it up from a local store.

Scott: That plastic wedge should still hold the fence. I can't remember exactly how it's mounted but for mine it hangs off something in the handle. The double sided tape just keeps it in place but it's not required for it to work.


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## Jimi_C

Eeesh, yeah, when a manufacturer starts telling me to re-machine something they should have machined properly in the first place is when I stop buying from that manufacturer. I would not have given them 4 stars for this, 3 tops.


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## Rileysdad

I always thought Powermatic was supposed to be the Gold Standard in shop machinery. That's how they price their stuff. I don't know about the other problems, but the riser block alignment problem has been know for quite some time. You would think they would have fixed it by now. As for customer service, it's good they took care of you, but Grizzley does a hell of a job with customer service, their machines are very well built, and they are much more reasonably priced.


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## paperbender1965

I have this saw and have loved it since day one. Sure there were adjustments to be made, but that is true with any tool you purchase. Once I set things to right, it has been great. That being said, customer service has been lacking in lots of things lately. I have had a few products that were either defective or had missing parts and it was though I had done something wrong by the sound of the "customer service" person. The riser block problem should have been fixed, and a replacement sent. The customer should never have to do any modifications to a piece of equipment. I am glad I read this before I purchased the riser block, something that I was strongly considering.

Glen


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## spalted

I bought this saw used and have had it for about 4 months. I agree that the fence clamping mechanism leaves a little to be desired, but I've yet to have any real problems with it. I just feel as though it's not a positive lock. I installed the riser block and did not have any problems with my kit. Overall, I'm very satisfied considering I didn't pay retail and other than the fence I have full confidence in the quality.


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## ChuckC

I was really unhappy about having to modify the riser but my concern was that I'd send it back, wait 2 weeks, and then get a new one with the same problem. It took no more than 10 minutes to enlarge the holes and I was able to get it together right away. The pins are only for alignment, they are not structure.

If I had the cash my shop would be all Powermatic. I am more impressed with the saw after the complications and the customer service than I am unhappy with the issues.


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## tierraverde

Just for what it's worth, the best band saw ever produced, bar none, was the Do-All line. Expensive ? yes!
Indestructible, precise, built like a brick S.H. you bet.
Unfortunately, overseas cheap competition killed 'em.
Powermatic, Rikon, General are not even in the same league.


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## woodsmithshop

Deke, back around 3 yrs or so, Rikpn had a few issues also, I wanted an 18" Rikon, but no one could assure me those problems were fixed, or that the one I wanted to buy was before or after the fix, so I bought the PM, I think now the Rikon is ok, but it was not for sure when I got the PM.


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## tierraverde

Deke,
Do-All was the largest maker of Band Saws used in metalworking. But with their variable speeds, they were great for wood also.
They were equipped with a simple to use induction welder, along side a grinding wheel to remove the excess weld when welding a new blade together. You didn't have to buy a certain length blade, you just bought a 100' coil and welded new blades to size when necessary.
Google "used do-all saws" and you'll find many of these for sale. Only downside is they are 220V 3 phase machines.


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## woodprof

I agree with Boardsmith, but in my case it is the Rikon Deluxe 14" bandsaw. Went together without a hitch, and easily saws wood thin enough to be considered veneer with the furnished fence and just the normal setup routine.

If I had paid hundreds of dollars more and had to modify the saw to put it together, I think it would have gone back just out of concern about whether they would honor the warranty after I "modified" it, even though they told me to. Glad it's working well for you now.


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## Ken90712

Nice saw review, glad its working well.


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## DYNO360

Do-Alls are great, but my favorite was a Northfield, made in the U.S.A., of course.


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## OutPutter

Hi ChuckC,
Thanks for the review. I'm glad you posted it. Personally, I don't care much for tools that aren't pretty much plug and play. I don't like having to talk to customer service about modifications to make it play. Whether or not you should have returned it is none of our business. However, it makes it a lot better review if you don't give away four stars so easily. It leaves me wondering what would have had to happen for you to give it two stars. I suppose one star would mean it wouldn't even turn on? LOL.

Best,


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## ChuckC

I appreciate all of the comments. Believe me when I say I was really upset for the first 2-3 weeks of having the saw. I really only had 1 real issue with the saw itself which were the stripped threads. The blade tension is Carter, not PM. The riser, albeit PM, is not the saw but an accessory to the saw. I wasn't reviewing the riser. To be honest opening a couple of holes in the riser (not the saw) wasn't really a big deal. It took a few minutes and got me past the problem.

The saw warrants 4 stars from me because their customer service rep got me past the issues and it's been flawless for over a year now.


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## kelvancra

I bought my 14" Powermatic band saw about four years ago. It changed my way of woodworking. Before, I had a Craftsman and I used it only a little. Generally, I just played around. The Powermatic, on the other hand, gets used nearly every time I go out to the shop. I've not played with Grizzleys or others, but this saw and the Craftsman are night and day apart.

Having now logged a lot of time on my band saw, I suspect much of my dissatisfaction with the Crafstman may have been from using Sears blades. I would love to see how it does with a good blade and properly tensioned. Of course, even with a good blade, it wouldn't begin to compete with the Powermatic's motor and solid feel.

I fried a guide bearing shortly after I got it. Since then, I fried four more (in one day). I had just swapped to a thicker resaw blade and neglected to gap the bearings to the blade. I probably over stressed them. I went into sticker shock when I found they ran sixteen to eighteen dollars each, plus shipping. The good news is I since found the bearings (part number 608Z) on line for a fraction of the price. A ten pack runs around five dollars and shipping is seven. The company I bought from is NationSkander California Corp at vxb.com, out of California.

I had the same problem others did with the teflon/plastic wedge on the fence. A couple attempts at gluing it failed, until I tried some five minute epoxy, which has been holding up well for a couple years now. With that fixed, I have no complaints about the fence. Of course, I haven't played with other fences, so might be surprised by their performance. Still, I manage to produce veneers with this one.

I didn't like the position of the work light. Every time I opened the upper door, it had to be moved. Too, it just never seemed to position well for lighting the cutting area. I moved the light over to the housing for the upper guides. This required drilling and tapping the housing, without going though the housing and into the guide bar, which raises and lowers for height adjustments. This turned out to be a simple task and resulted in a vast improvement. I rarely have to move the light, even when opening the upper door, and it just seems to better light the work area.


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## Chelios

I am still looking for a bandsaw and thought this couls be it, but the quality issues you experienced are making me move on. Thanks for the review


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## MagGeorge

Ok. I get it, this is a good band saw. Supreme customer service and quality product simply means top-rated consumer satisfaction.


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## Surfside

You did a nice review on the tool, Chuck! This information is worth the time. Thanks for posting!


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## MR_Cole

I got mine for free (used) and it was in perfect condition except that the quick release gears were broken. Ive been trying to figure out if powermatic will replace it if i didn't buy the saw new? otherwise its an awesome saw.


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## ChuckC

The gears on my quick release broke again about a month ago. The saw is out of warranty but they sent me new ones, no problem. The new ones look a lot better.

I also called Carter and they told me that PM makes their own version of the Carter quick release. It turns out that Carter licenses the design to PM so when you buy a PM BS with a Carter QR it's actually a PM QR that's made in China (Carter is made in the USA).

I ended up buying an additional set of gears from Carter just so I had a spare.


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## tulsagolf

On the Powermatic 14" bandsaw, I read, but did not remember to raise the carter quick release to the full tension BEFORE tightening the knob per the instructions note on page 22 which states "the tension lever must be in the highest (tension) position when setting the blade tension. Failure to comply may cause damage to locating block at base of lever". I had to order a new gear, moving block and spring pin after I disassembled the top works of the saw. Lesson learned.


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## Fireball

I just got one of these from my local Woodcraft during the black friday sale. Got 15% off, plus I got the floor model which included the riser block, assembly and mobile base.

I probably should've logged on to read reviews before I purchased, but I love my PM2000 and am hoping that the PM bandsaw was a good purchase as well. My PM2000 is about 7 years old now, sounds like Powermatic quality might be slipping a little.


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