# Yet another Powermatic review, close up.



## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Very detailed! Good luck on your choice.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

thanks for the review ,lot of good details.


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## MLWilson (Jun 28, 2015)

A well-written article, Paul.
If your teeny, tiny shop space needs someplace to store the Grizzly…


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Thanks for the great review!


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

That is a thoughtful review. Thanks.

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


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## Dee1 (Mar 24, 2013)

Paul I too bought a 14" Powermatic within the last month I gave a very quick review as I was unpacking and assembling it. now that I have used it for almost a month I have learned a few things?
The rolling base is not very sturdy at least mine is not at first I thought it had a broken weld on the back caster wheel
but today I took the base off and no broken welds. I can fix it I will add couple weld on threaded tabs and thread a couple 1/2 " cap screws down to the floor to be tightened with a 3/4 socket. 
But to be truthful now it is sitting on the cement and is very sturdy. and it is working great! so the base may or may not get put back on
Dee1


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Believe it or not Dee1, I decided against the base on your description of being broken in shipment. Thought, "if it can get broken in the box, how about when it is holding up 225 lbs, rolling on a floor?"

And to be honest, I don't move my bandsaws around hardly at all.
I did, however, put my saw on a piece of 3/4" plywood. My shop has an asphalt floor, (Old converted garage), and the plywood gives it a solid base that also absorbs vibration just a hint. I keep other large tools on steel diamond plate. You work with what you got!

So far, putting a couple large, (5" thick) bandsaw boxes through it using a 3/16" blade to cut drawers and body, it has performed flawlessly. The bandsaw box is a full lotus box, about 13" tall, so it will have a lot of curved cuts when done. Keeps right up, and the extra 3/4 pony (1.5HP total) over my old 3/4 horse Porter Cable is quite noticeable.

I am still on the fence on the Carter de-tensioning system, it still looks a bit lightweight to me. But so far, every time I shut it off I de-tension, and so far, it has lived up to the hype. I doubt I will ever have anything bigger than a 3/8" blade on this saw, so maybe good to go.

I do think that over time, the 65 watt flood lamp I put into the lamp will die early, since I see just a bit of vibration in the light, but that only occurs when cutting. I hate fluorescents that screw in, so I probably will look for a LED flood of some sort that fits that lamp hood.
So far, I love the saw…


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## Dee1 (Mar 24, 2013)

Paul I finally got my saw sitting on the rolling base and it is pretty darn stable , so I am a happy camper. now I am going to show my ignorance my rear guard is open at the front so it is just a channel now do I have mine on backwards or do you? The book shows a picture on page 7 and looks to me like the channel is open, so you would not need to remove it to change blades?


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Dee1,
If you look at the very first picture at the top of my review, it shows the guard in place, with the flange tabs where the screws go mounted on the rods that come off the main wheel covers. It covers the blade and has to be removed to change a blade when put on like this.

But I just ran down to my shop, took a good look, also looked at the exploded parts page in the book, and it does show it open channel, just as you say.

Looks like when the boys at Woodcraft put in the riser, they forgot to put the blade guard back on, got a blade on it, and were too lazy to take the blade back off to get the guard right. They put it on backwards!

I came along some time later and assumed that was the way it goes, since it turns out you can flip it and it will go either way.
Thanks! I'll be taking off the blade and putting the guard on correctly later today. Sheesh!


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I'm moving closer and closer to the ten year mark with mine. Early on, my Carter Quick Release broke and I had to put out a few bucks for a new part. When I got it, it was evident there had been a design change to address and engineering blunder. Now, innumerable uses later, it's still working fine.

I liked having a light, but the neck was too short and would not position where I needed it. As I note in my review, I mounted it on the guide bar housing and it works great, without interfering with opening the door or using the tension release.

I've done some twelve inch walnut using Olsen and Timberwolf 3 TPI blades. It wasn't a five second job, but I'll be doing it again and again.

The manual tension knob was never my favorite. Add to that, the threads stripped about six years down the road. I bought the aftermarket hand crank and regret not having done it at the get go.

As to the mobile base, maybe they've changed, but I wouldn't be without it. In fact, it inspired me to make nearly everything in my shop more mobile.


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## Hondo03 (Nov 13, 2018)

I have this sam as well and have found the mobile base to very sturdy and well built. If fully assembles in the box with the seems being welded. Great saw.


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