# Powermatic 50 6" jointer



## firefytrdan (Mar 14, 2008)

In my neverending search for a decent 6" jointer, I came across a Powermatic 50 for sale. I haven't seen the jointer in person yet but the pics she sent look like well kept machine. She said the jointer was about 15 years old & hardly used. She is asking $500.

I wanted to get the opinion of you fine folks here at LJ as to what you thought of this particular jointer and what you think it's worth. Any opinion or advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!


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## modestmouser (Sep 8, 2008)

$500 sounds a little high for a 6" used jointer…..even hardly used….. powermatic or not.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

I have to agree that is a high price. You could get a new Powermatic 54A, which is a better jointer, for $960.00. Asking 1/2 the new price for a 15 year old jointer would be too steep for me consider buying.


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## 8iowa (Feb 7, 2008)

Newer jointers have better safety features and probably more efficient dust collection as well.

In my case, I use a #5 jack plane to prep a board for the planer.


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## matworz (Feb 8, 2009)

No. Don't buy it. You'd better give me the ladies phone number and address though.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

too expensive you can do better sorry my 2 cents I don't want to see you ripped of Alistair


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## douglas2cats (Mar 31, 2008)

I have a PM54 (not the newer, longer 54A) and $500 is about what I paid for it new years ago when I bought it. Offer her $300 and it's a good deal.


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## firefytrdan (Mar 14, 2008)

Thanks for everyone advice, I did agree that $500 was too much. I got her down to $350. She says she just wants it out or her house. I feel like that is a reasonable price. what do guys think?


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## BlankMan (Mar 21, 2009)

Depends what model it is, do you know? One of the major differences is whether the tables slide on ways and gibs or have a parallelogram mechanism. With ways and gibs you have to use shims on the ways to properly align the tables so that the infeed and outfeed tables are perfectly flat to one another, a real pain IMO. And then there's table length, you want the longest table you can get. And the fence mechanism. Most import jointers have the same fence mechanism and from my experience you always need to check it for squareness. I got tired of it on my Star 8" jointer (which won a American Woodworkers Best Buy award) and bought a DJ-20 a year and a half ago before the prices went up and with a $250 rebate.

Rockler was blowing out a Delta 6" jointer for $199 a month or two back, I've seen it for under $300 recently. I sold my 8" Star with a GE 2HP motor I put in last fall for $500 and it had a longer then normal infeed table, That was a good deal for the buyer.

Powermatic was always a good name, I bought their 6"x 48" Edge Sander maybe 10 years ago, I was not impressed with the fit and finish nor the manual, both sub-standard.

So just because it's a Powermatic don't let that influence you're decision too much, it's probably just like 10 other jointers out there. Look at the mechanisms, table length and such.


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## JimmyC (Jan 31, 2009)

$350 is a good price, if it's real clean and hardly used then it's a real good price. PM's are much better than Delta and right now, because B&D owns Delta, Powermatic (WMH group has a much better customer service dept.

Good Luck.


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## BlankMan (Mar 21, 2009)

Jimmy,

Powermatic is better then Delta right now? Can you give some references, reviews, threads, etc. that I can read on that subject please?

And just because B&D owns Delta now how does that make Delta worse? I bought my DJ-20 well after B&D bought Delta and well, it's the same old DJ-20. Why is it worse?

And I hadn't noticed WHM Customer Service to be better. When I had to order warranty parts for my Jet metal working lathe I waited months. And when they arrived they were also damaged so I waited again. I bought an 8" Jet grinder that the end bell got damaged in shipping and I waited 6 months for the replacement. Yes 6 months, I had given up, I have the correspondence to corroborate that. And during that time it was a crap shoot to contact the people handling the warranty claim, and they were slow responding, When I needed a replacement scale for my DJ-20 that got damaged in shipping I received it in a week.

I order quite a few Delta parts for refurb's and such and I've never waited more then two weeks,.And now that you can order Delta parts via DeWalt's Service Net online it's even better. If I order the parts on the weekend I have them by Wednesday, UPS Ground. One of the distribution warehouses is now closer because of the affiliation with B&D, so that's an improvement. I recently ordered the bottom cast iron base for a Delta 14" Band Saw, thing musta went 40-50 lbs., flat rate shipping on all orders $10.50, ordered it on Sunday, had it on Wednesday, surprised me to say the least.

So I'd like to hear if horror stories are occurring with Delta now that B&D owns them because Delta's Customer Service has always been top notch and the last couple of years I've seen no change. They still bend over backwards to make things right.

One of my fears is that B&D would/will take Delta down, like Rockwell did to Porter-Cable and Delta (somewhat) when they owned them. I haven't see that happen yet but if it is I'd like to know. My experiences have still been top notch.


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