# Pre-purchase comparison PM 1500



## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

I think you made a fine choice. I looked into the PM1500 after reading your post and nearly ordered one. But they are 2+ months out and to be honest a bandsaw is only a nice to have for me right now so I'm holding off. Look forward to your review after yours arrives.


----------



## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

You know…dang it Herb…FINE I ordered one just now! lol The 10% off and free shipping made me pull the trigger.


----------



## mdhills (Mar 12, 2011)

Your table will get taller if you mount the bandsaw on zambus casters for mobility.

Matt


----------



## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

It would seem the Harvey 15" HW615 would have been a more direct comparison no? About the same price. Looks like some nice features and about 50 lbs heavier than the PM1500.


----------



## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

I agree that's a pretty close comparison Foghorn. One thing I really wanted was the PM's side discharge top dust port vs the front port on the Harvey and so many other bandsaws. PM also added some shrouds and did some design to improve dust collection. Another nice touch was the bright yellow bandsaw tires for each of sight through the blade tracking window. The deeper I dug the more little things I found on the PM that I liked.


----------



## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

It looks like a great saw. I've only ever seen the 18" one in the flesh and it was a beast.


----------



## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

To assist with this review- pre-purchase saw- here is a youtube review. I think the video will help people "see" what is being written about here. 





I have the PM14 with a riser block- it was the top dog at the time. It appears that PM is stepping up their game on improvements. Since I won't comment on a bandsaw that I don't need or want I hope it brings you good results and be sure to let us know-


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

> I think you made a fine choice. I looked into the PM1500 after reading your post and nearly ordered one. But they are 2+ months out and to be honest a bandsaw is only a nice to have for me right now so I m holding off. Look forward to your review after yours arrives.
> 
> - darthford


 Darth, i understand. The bandsaw was supposed to be after the table saw, drum sander, and dust collector upgrades.
That $300 off sinched it for me.


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

> You know…dang it Herb…FINE I ordered one just now! lol The 10% off and free shipping made me pull the trigger.
> 
> - darthford


Ahah! Fret not, I'm still feeling OK two days after the buy!


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

> Your table will get taller if you mount the bandsaw on zambus casters for mobility.
> 
> Matt
> 
> ...


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

> It would seem the Harvey 15" HW615 would have been a more direct comparison no? About the same price. Looks like some nice features and about 50 lbs heavier than the PM1500.
> 
> - Foghorn


Good point Foggy. I'll post a comparison between that one and the PM soon. I suspect the Big harvey should do better.
It's just too bad that PM does not offer anything right around the $2K price point.
The main attraction with thw smaller Harvey was features/value per dollar


----------



## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

> Your table will get taller if you mount the bandsaw on zambus casters for mobility.
> 
> Matt
> 
> - mdhills


Interesting point since we have had no actual reviews stating the lift difference; similar to lifting a truck. What is the difference between factory specs and after installing casters? The engineers make their product but do the added casters affect the actual lift dimensions of comfort?

I watched the introduction video, which looked solid but from experience, I bought my Power Matic 14 w/ a riser block, it even came with Carter market products from WoodWhisper and Charles Neil video "pitches"...

Again at the time PM was the gold standard in tools… but the saw compared to a Laguna 14 - Laguna wins hands down. Best of luck to Power Matic the video looks good and much improved…


----------



## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

I wanted to go with a smaller but capable bandsaw. I had the Grizzly 19" in my 2 car shop and it was so big I couldn't find a spot for it where it wasn't in the way. So for me the PM is a better fit.


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

> Your table will get taller if you mount the bandsaw on zambus casters for mobility.
> 
> Matt
> 
> ...





> Your table will get taller if you mount the bandsaw on zambus casters for mobility.
> 
> Matt
> 
> ...


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

The PM 14 and the 14 inch Lagunas look to be very different animals. I also looked at the lagunas at my local dealer. Saw too many negative reviews for table flatness, fence flatness, and lousy customer service. That scared me away.


----------



## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

+1 after the videos I think that you will be satisfied- you got the Gold Standard- let us know.


----------



## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

If the choice is powermatic or laguna in my book powermatic wins. I have had bad experiences with the laguna. My woodworking club shop purchased one last year and it's been out of service 5 times for various reasons. The powermatic has not had any issues in the 10 years it's been in service. The 20" powermatic I had when I taught is 60+ years old and the only thing we done was new tires and a new motor. That saw was bought when you got American made quality something you can't get today.


----------



## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> If the choice is powermatic or laguna in my book powermatic wins. I have had bad experiences with the laguna. My woodworking club shop purchased one last year and it s been out of service 5 times for various reasons. The powermatic has not had any issues in the 10 years it s been in service. The 20" powermatic I had when I taught is 60+ years old and the only thing we done was new tires and a new motor. That saw was bought when you got American made quality something you can t get today.
> 
> - Woodmaster1


You can still get high quality in Europe, Japan etc. but it ain't cheap.


----------



## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

> I think you made a fine choice. I looked into the PM1500 after reading your post and nearly ordered one. But they are 2+ months out and to be honest a bandsaw is only a nice to have for me right now so I m holding off. Look forward to your review after yours arrives.
> 
> - darthford
> That $300 off sinched it for me.
> ...


I folded like a cheap lawn chair and ordered one, couldn't pass up the free shipping and 10% off sale.


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

Just a follow up. Now in the second delay period. Shipping went from late April to late May. Dealer says don't be surprised when he tells me late June.


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

> Well the saw has not yet arrived, but i did want to share my reasons for choosing the Powermatic over a few other brands.
> I got a chance to compare the Powermatic to similarly priced Jet and Rikon units. The comparison did not include any actual use, as the units were on display at the Indianapolis Rockler store.
> To me, the PM just felt more substantial . I especially liked how solid the blade guard felt when fully extended. The crank handle also felt better and operated more smoothly.
> 
> ...


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

Update time. I believe I ordered and paid for the saw in February. It arrived 1st week of July.

The fence rail did not look right. The end caps were barely hanging in place, and the protective tape that covers the 
front of the rail where the clamp locks it in place was gouged in several small places.

I contacted customer service before the Independence Day holiday and was assured by jackie that he would get back to me the following Tuesday. Come Friday, I called him again. Sent some pics for his "evaluation" to determine if this was a warranty issue.

Another week + passes. No returned call or emails. I sent an email expressing my disappointment and asking if it was time to get the dealer involved. Later that day, I visited my dealer to explain the issue and allow him to see the problem.
Surprise! Jackie calls me the next morning. Jackie asks if I want a new rail, advising that he has none in stock and it could take 6 weeks to 6 months to get one. Jackie promises to email me some form required for returns. (The form never arrived).

I explained my dealer agreed this should be a warranty issue and I would be back in contact with him.
My dealer promised to contact PM and get me a new rail. He removed a bunch of the protective tape, which is powder coated over, but the indented gouged areas would not clean up.

There were also three screws and washers loose in the packaging that I have not yet determined where they came 
from. Hope they are not critical. 
This might seem like a small issue to some, but this is not some big box store bandsaw. My standards and expectations are higher.

The fence rail is usable as is, but for $3K I expected better and my dealer agreed.

My dealer is following up to see that I get a new fence rail. The end caps will not stay in, and fall out after running the saw for a few minutes.

The saw seems to perform well. I have not ran a band saw since high school, so I'm starting over. 
Have cut a few templates for adirondack chairs and several practice pieces. Saw appears to have a lot of power so far.

Doubt I will buy another PM product as their customer service stinks.

Oh, and a side note to those who suggested buying the Harvey brand and using a mobile cart to raise the table height. The dealer recommended against using a mobile base as table saws are somewhat top heavy. I have this on a Bora base, but only pull it out from the wall a couple of feet for use. You can tell it would be more stable sitting directly on the floor.


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

Ok, not sure why the pics did not post the last one shows the powdercoat and tape embedded in the gouges. Sorry they are not right side up..


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

- mdhills

Interesting point since we have had no actual reviews stating the lift difference; similar to lifting a truck. What is the difference between factory specs and after installing casters? The engineers make their product but do the added casters affect the actual lift dimensions of comfort?

I watched the introduction video, which looked solid but from experience, I bought my Power Matic 14 w/ a riser block, it even came with Carter market products from WoodWhisper and Charles Neil video "pitches"...

Again at the time PM was the gold standard in tools… but the saw compared to a Laguna 14 - Laguna wins hands down. Best of luck to Power Matic the video looks good and much improved…

- Desert_Woodworker
[/QUOTE]



> Update time. I believe I ordered and paid for the saw in February. It arrived 1st week of July.
> 
> The fence rail did not look right. The end caps were barely hanging in place, and the protective tape that covers the
> front of the rail where the clamp locks it in place was gouged in several small places.
> ...


----------



## Herbb (Feb 16, 2021)

OK, here's my delayed follow up report/review on my Powermatic PM 1500.
I've used the saw a couple dozen times, so i am still learning.
No word from PM yet on the boogered-up fence they sent me. My dealer is staying with keeping the pressure on P M to replace it. 
you may recall (male) customer service agent "Jackie" tried to convince me to live with the messed up fence because it could take "6 weeks or 6 months to get a replacement".

Well today I wanted to try resawing with a new 3/4" blade. I cut some.cedar last night and decided to do an Alex Snodgrass fine tuning before finishing the stack. 
After making all the suggested adjustments, the saw won't start. Everything appears to be normal so i thought I'd check he safety switch on the upper door.

I found apiece of stamped metal, a bracket of some sort, just lying inside the upper wheelhouse. It was looking like it wanted to fall into the wheel at any moment. I had not noticed this bracket in the past, and I've had the door open many times.

I think I mentioned the loose hardware i found when i unpacked the saw. I never found what looked like missing fasteners, so i figured they were dropped in the crate by mistake or as a joke.

I'm going to confirm my hunch that the "extra" hardware is what was supposed to be holding this bracket in place. It mounts between the blade guard and the guide bar bracket assembly. Some sort of bracing or stabilizer.

Needless to say i am very disappointed in PM's quality control. I don't feel one should have to reassemble a $3000 machine when it arrives.

the USA abandoned the gold standard in the 1970's. Apparently Powermatic followed suit. Between the lousy quality of assembly and the non-existent factory customer service, I've had it with PM.
I will not be buying another PM product, and i am looking to purchase a table saw, drum sander, and nice dust collector soon.


----------



## BGZAMBONI (Oct 28, 2016)

PM1500 is currently selling for $3750 on Woodcraft website, so if you got it for $2700 that's a steal! Good for you, if I could find it for $2700 I would probably go for it as well.

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/powermatic-15-bandsaw-model-pm1500?via=573621bd69702d0676000002%2C573621e069702d0676000f61%2C5764018e69702d3ae3000bf8


----------



## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

He ordered and paid for it in February. That's what inflation has done under the watch of our caring leaders since.


----------

