# POWERMATIC PM 54HH ONYX JOINTER - POOR QUALITY, VERY DISAPPOINTED



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I would be the same way. I bought what I thought was the best and got less. 
Thanks for the review and sorry it had to happen. Now we know that they are not serious about customer service.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the jointer. Did you get a chance to use it? I would be interested to read about that too.


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## RockneLaw (Feb 28, 2011)

ChuckC: I didn't even get to the point of setting it up, unfortunately. It was pretty late, and I stopped everything when I noticed the bad bolt.


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## geoscann (Feb 27, 2012)

You now if this equipment was still built in the *US* not just assembled here they would probably have sent out a rep who would have repaired, and set up the machine for you. but no more its to expensive to send some one from china. shame on them hopefully they will loose some sales over this, To bad their fault. good luck.


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## Furnitude (Oct 18, 2008)

I'm sorry you're disappointed in this machine, but with all due respect (and I'm sure I'll regret this), we're talking about a bolt worth a couple dollars and some paint. I think some perspective is in order here. You didn't talk at all about the most important thing, the thing you bought the machine for: how it performs as a jointer. The customer service person probably could have done a better job (though, to be fair, we're only hearing your side of it). As far as the paint goes, I think the transition point from the highly polished bed to the side of the machine is notorious for chipping (other jointer owners, please feel free to weigh in). If the bed or fence were warped or if the motor was burned out or something major like that, then I'd say absolutely return it. But now the company has to absorb an enormous shipping cost while they were good enough to offer you free shipping in the first place. I just think customers returning machines like this for such minor problems is one of the things that makes it hard to operate a business and makes equipment more expensive for everyone. I have a friend who owns this exact jointer, and it does a stellar job, producing a glasslike finish on even the most difficult wood. He loves it. I'll have to ask him if he got any bad bolts or had a problem with the paintjob. Knowing my friend, who does woodworking for a living, he probably would have just gotten a new bolt and started jointing. Anyway, that's my unsolicited take.

And to Geoscann, also with all due respect, what company in the U.S. would send out a rep to set up a sub-$1,500 machine for you? To be competitive, their margins are already razor thin. How could they possiblly stay in business doing that?


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## RockneLaw (Feb 28, 2011)

FurryTude: I appreciate your perspective (see below). Just to clear things up: I paid for my shipping (the "free shipping" was only for the non-onyx jointers. But, with a tip of the hat to Adam Smith, there is no such thing as "free shipping" it's getting rolled into the costs somehow - businesses aren't benevolent societies, and thank goodness for that). One other thing about margins: They must be substantial enough to offer 15% off all of their tools and still turn a meaningful profit. Margins are narrow on groceries, not on hard goods. Avg cost of Capital in the U.S. is about 12%, so there's probably (at least) 50-85% markup on the machine. Not that that is in any way determinative of my decision. But anyway . . .

Everything you said crossed my mind, and remember I put up $1,200 to buy the thing to begin with (and unpacked the beast of a thing), so I wanted to like it a lot. And, to be honest, it wasn't my idea to return it. That's what the powermatic guy wanted to do (what does that say???). I was waiting for a, "Can we replace it with a regular one for you?" But it didn't come, so I didn't push it (It's a reasonable to expect that if they can't get the main bolts right, they won't have gotten all of the rest of it right, either - they may have gotten the rest of it 100%, of course, but I never got that far, so I won't know.

When you compare the quality of this to my sawstop, it doesn't even come close. They're both made overseas, so this is not a "USA vs. foreign" thing. The sawstop's fit and finish were excellent. The powermatic, quite the opposite.

Finally: Rust, Rust, Rust. Oh, and Rust, Rust Rust. Tools aren't made to look pretty, no question. Some of my favorite non-Woodworking tools are pretty beat up tools from my grandfather (he was a machinist for Goodyear for 49 years). But the quality of this even LOOKS cheap.

It just hit me!!! I've been trying to remember where I've seen this paint thing happen before - it seemed so familiar, but I couldn't place it - I just remembered: I used to work in a sporting goods store in High School and then some in college. I worked in the fitness and team sports section, and I sold some Barbell/Dumbbell sets. These things were NOT made (or packed) with precision, and whenever you took them out of the crate (hoping the box didn't fail and drop some of the weights on your toes), there were always a ton of paint chips - just like this. And you know what? Those things rusted WHILE sitting on the showroom floor of the store! Not in the warehouse, on the main floor. I'm glad I finally pieced that together. I feel better about returning the jointer now. Sorry for the walk down memory lane!


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## ducky911 (Oct 6, 2010)

I have a Powermatic 54. I bought it used, it is probably 8 years old. Seems brand new, works great. I not sure what better would be on my dream jointer if I went to replace it.
I may put a spiral head on it come spring.
Powermatic makes a very good jointer.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

sounds like the concept of "we'll paint it a different color and charge more for it" doesn't quite roll out as planned…

that said, I'd be more inclined to check the flatness, squareness, and motor/cutter performance, as those could potentially surpass all other jointers in that class. although, for a new machine, I'd rather avoid the paint coming off on day-1

as for rust rust rust… oh rust rust rust… unlike the dumbells that are mfg. with protective (at least to the eye) plastics/paint, jointers and most WW equipment has lots of unprotected cast iron (beds/fences) that requires constant care and maintenance. so the chipped paint in this case (not that it should be considered OK) is not the invitation for rust , nor would it add rust if you maintain your machines properly.


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## JoeyC (Aug 16, 2012)

Now that you've got that settled, can I suggest the Grizzly G0490X? Excellent jointer for a similiar price plus it has 2 more inches of capacity. If you cannot do 220v they make a 6" 110v, for about $500 less than the PM. This has been an excellent machine without any adjustments/issues after unpacking. I wouldn't trade it, unless I got the 12" version.


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## jmaichel (May 22, 2010)

I see both sides of the argument. Rockenlaw is right when you pay $1200 for a 6" jointer, you expect it to be flawless, this includes cosmetic defects as well unless it was sold as a one off. Customer service did not do their part either, they could have offered to send a replacement jointer or possibly some free accessories to make up for the defects. I would have liked to see a review on how well the jointer performed and if its worth paying twice as much the cost of some other jointers.


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## saucer (May 1, 2010)

I plan on buying a Powermatic jointer but it will be a used one that was made right here in my town. I dont blame you for sending it back, that seems to be the only way for them to understand they have to do better or we will spend our money else where..


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

"*I'm sorry you're disappointed in this machine, but with all due respect (and I'm sure I'll regret this), we're talking about a bolt worth a couple dollars and some paint. I think some perspective is in order here. You didn't talk at all about the most important thing, the thing you bought the machine for: how it performs as a jointer. The customer service person probably could have done a better job (though, to be fair, we're only hearing your side of it). As far as the paint goes, I think the transition point from the highly polished bed to the side of the machine is notorious for chipping (other jointer owners, please feel free to weigh in). If the bed or fence were warped or if the motor was burned out or something major like that, then I'd say absolutely return it. But now the company has to absorb an enormous shipping cost while they were good enough to offer you free shipping in the first place. I just think customers returning machines like this for such minor problems is one of the things that makes it hard to operate a business and makes equipment more expensive for everyone. I have a friend who owns this exact jointer, and it does a stellar job, producing a glasslike finish on even the most difficult wood. He loves it. I'll have to ask him if he got any bad bolts or had a problem with the paintjob. Knowing my friend, who does woodworking for a living, he probably would have just gotten a new bolt and started jointing. Anyway, that's my unsolicited take.*"

+10.

This review section is starting to become a haven for clueless whiners and malcontents.
Not only isn't there a single word about the operation of this machine, the owner didn't even attempt to use it. Instead, he saw some chipped paint and a damaged bolt and ran off crying to the manufacturer. Then, of course, he sat at his computer and proceeded to type 1500 words none of which are relevant to the actual function of the tool.

Another in a long line of useless reviews…..yawn…..


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## MJCD (Nov 28, 2011)

Whether this should be in the Review or Forum section is a bit pedantic. This is a legitimate gripe, and PM's becoming famous, or infamous, for lowering the quality bar. The amount paid is significant, the expectations reasonable, the result is unsatisfactory. He's telling us to beware the quality, and trading on an old trusted brand name. Thanks, RockneLaw.

MJCD


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## MJCD (Nov 28, 2011)

MJCD


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Why would the country of origin have anything to do with whether a manufacturer would send out a service tech? There's an awful lot of high quality stuff that comes from all over the world.

As Mitch pointed out, it's the price of the tool that makes the difference. Even though tools like this seem expensive to us, sending out a tech with a typical "loaded" dispatch rate of $100+ an hour, on a tool that retails for a grand, to replace a bolt, is kind of far fetched… Remember, Powermatic probably sold this tool to the retailer for $500-600…

We consumers demand rock bottom tool prices. This necessitates world-sourced manufacturing, phone service, and shipped parts. Think back to the 70's… How many brand new machines, like this jointer, cabinet saws, stationary planers, etc… did you see in home shops?

BTW… LOTS of those old tools were delivered and accepted with very little thought to cosmetics, or complaints about tuning after setup, or chasing a thread here or there during setup.

Just sayin'... we need to have reasonable expectations.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

we're talking about a bolt worth a couple dollars and some paint

You know, perspective is a funny thing. I bet if it was *YOUR* thousand dollars spent on a *NEW* jointer you would not be so cavalier about the flaws.

IMO, RockneLaw has a legitimate gripe, I would be pissed too….


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

It's all about perspective. I paid $1200 for a PM BS. I did a review here.

I had a few problems and the customer service rep walked me through one and sent replacement parts for the others.

One of my issues was when I installed the included riser kit the top of the BS wasn't aligned properly. I could of sent it back and in a couple of weeks received a new one (that was hopefully better) but I cut my losses, enlarged the holes in the *riser* (per the advice of the service rep), and got it to work. It took me very little time to do it and was the better solution, in my opinion.

If the jointer checked out otherwise I would have just touched up the paint and changed the bolt.

Good luck with the next one.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

"You know, perspective is a funny thing. I bet if it was YOUR thousand dollars spent on a NEW jointer you would not be so cavalier about the flaws."

That's where perspective comes in….

I've seen and touched LOTS of wood and metalworking machines, including possibly the entire Grizzly line, ranging from brand new to 100 years old.

This is NOT furniture, it's machinery! In fact, as you move up the line, you're more likely to find stuff that is normally sold to an audience made up of folks who mechanically understand the machines, or shops that have an in-house machine mechanic, not a hobbyist consumer inspecting paint flaws.

It's about function. Check out a race car, or a factory machine, up close… you'd be amazed…


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## HillbillyShooter (Feb 15, 2012)

Looks like everyone (and each generation) has a different prospective. I bought my PM Model 60 (8" long bed joiner) in 1996. When I got it home, I found that some of the paint on the top of the stand had flaked off. I just called the manufacturer and order spray paint, paying for it myself without a thought. Sprayed the top, assembled and adjusted everything. I installed carbide knives and have never had to adjust or fiddle with them since. Last month I purchased a Wixley guage and checked the level and 90 degree fence which I had set 16 years ago and not touched since. The bed was dead even at 0 degrees except for the last 10" inches on the out feed which dropped off 1 degree. The fence was at 90 degree set against the stop and off 1 degree in the front. Love it as much as the day I bought it and will probably upgrade to Byrd heads in the near future. Also, checked my PM Model 66 TS I set up in 1994-the blade was dead on at the stop 90 degrees to the table and at full against the tilt stop it was dead on 45 degrees.


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## SlickyRicky (Sep 5, 2012)

I got one and it does a great job for me. I didn't notice any paint issues. sorry you are disappointed I love all my powermatic machines.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

This is NOT furniture, it's machinery!

Yes, but when I pay top price, I expect it to be as close to perfect as possible. To each his or her own, but I expect the same kind of quality I deliver to my customers.


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## RockneLaw (Feb 28, 2011)

My apologies to Furnitude (I didn't mean to insult, honestly), I misread his logon. . . I even said I respected his perspective!!! (as i had all of the same considerations, but weighted them differently, thus arriving at a different conclusion). If I had meant to be insulting, what would be mean about Furry Tude? What's a Tude? The closest thing I have in my mind is a Mon Chi Chi (sp?)) Tude is in his actual name. . . . I may change my logon (if that's possible) just to show that I woudn't be offende by it.


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## RockneLaw (Feb 28, 2011)

I've changed my name (and my profile picture)! I shall henceforth be known as Furry Tude and looke like a MonChiChi. No offense, Furnitude!


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## geoscann (Feb 27, 2012)

*Furnituide* I,am giving all due respect. In 1984 I purchased a sears craftsman 12" tablesaw direct drive. The trunion would not let the saw tilt correctly so i called sears they told me they would have a rep call me. The next day a rep from emerson called me, ask me to ck a couple of things i did as he asked. he told me that he was not sure what the problem was but he would be in michigan the following week and he would stop and look at the saw. he came and took the saw apart called the factory, they next day aired the part he re installed it and went throught tuning the up i learned a lot he thanked me and left. fantastic service. that was a 700.00 dollar saw. but now you cant even get someone on the phone that can even try to help you. and their answer to everything is send it back. MY point if your new furnace quit and they told you that it would be 3 or 4 days before they came out and it was 5 below zero out what would you do. your wood working tools are no different right!!!!!


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## MedicKen (Dec 2, 2008)

Not surprising at all. Its made where? Oh yeah, Taiwan in a non ISO 9001 factory. DO NOT BUY IMPORTED TOOLS


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Ken,

Which American made 6 inch jointer would you recommend?


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

This reminds me of the days when I was in the engineering dept at the company where I worked. There was a call to a friend down the hall. When he went by my office he said why don't you come with me. We went to the assemby shop. The assembler had put the brackets on the wrong side of the belt guard on the equipment. He said I will cut off this part and leave the welded on part on the guard. I will touch this up with paint. My friend looked him in the eye and said if you went downtown to the dealer and bought a new Caddilac and asked what is that knot on the bumper and you were told it is where the bumper guard was put on the wrong side the first time but we ground it down and chromed over it what would you tell him? The assembler said I would tell him to put me a new bumper on it. Well, my friend said this costs the same money as a new Caddilac. I say the customer service man should be canned and YOU the purchaser should have contacted his supervisor. Go up the line until you get satisfaction.


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## bbc557ci (Sep 20, 2012)

I have a PM model 054 that I bought new in 1997. Works well, and I have no gripes about it. It sat in and was used in my unheated garage for 14 years. I moved so now it's in my basement. Yeah, there's a bit'o rust on some unpainted parts but nothing too bad. None on the bed or fence because I keep that protected. And there's no chipped/missing/damaged paint on it, anywhere.

When I got the tool there was no cracked, loose or otherwise damaged paint. And the fasteners were all in good order. If I were to lay out $1000 or more for another one, and it arrived with defective fasteners and paint falling off of it (and if I didn't need it right away), I'd probably do just like Furry…. I'd call wherever I got it from and expect that they'd make it right some how. If the clearly visible parts/areas are that shoddy, I'd be somewhat concerned about the machine overall. And, regardless of where it was made, it's just not right to ship a customer a product that isn't up to par. Just my opinion.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I recently rebuilt a 1950's era PM 60 8 inch jointer. 
They never applied any primer to the bare metal…just painted all of the steel and the cast iron (so thin , you could just about see through it ). 
The bolt holes that hold the cutter head caps in place are no where near centered or straight , and it appears that they smashed of the excess cast iron flashing with a sledge hammer ! 
*Want to guess where it was made ???*

Sorry for your flawed jointer , but maybe spending $1200 plus shipping on a six inch jointer should be a wake-up call ! 
You should thank PM for sending you a bad one, because now you have a chance to reconsider whether you want a jointer to look pretty , or just do its job : )

Happy Holidays to all !


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

because now you have a chance to reconsider whether you want a jointer to look pretty , or just do its job : )

You should be able to have both at the price sold. These two should not be mutually exclusive.


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## LepelstatCrafts (Jan 16, 2011)

I'll throw my hat in on this one. Tools are tools yes, but money is still money. If there was some major paint issue with my $1000 machine I would instantly question what else is going on. The fact that there was an issue with the bolt as well would have thrown up a second red flag.

I had a problem with my Craftsman TS when I got it. The blade insert was missing a lot of paint. I got on the phone and asked for another to be sent out which wasn't a problem. It's a good thing I replaced it because as I was waiting for a new insert, I took a closer look at the missing paint one. There was a micro crack under where the paint chipping was. If this had broken apart with the saw under power, that could have been a bad day.

Personally I have used PM and I am just not impressed with what you get for the price. Maybe if it is for full on manufacturing, I might think differently, but like I said PM seems way over priced to me. Ridgid, Grizzly, Craftsman, and even (oh the horror) HF, are in my shop and I am happy with it. It really all is about what the OWNER is looking for.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

@Cessna
"You know, perspective is a funny thing. I bet if it was YOUR thousand dollars spent on a NEW jointer you would not be so cavalier about the flaws."

Did you not read my post?? I spent $1200 on a PM BS and had MECHANICAL problems with it and I fixed them without sending it back. My review on it details what I went through. I never considered sending it back, but that's just me.

It sucks to spend that much on a tool and have issues but sometimes you have to just deal with it.


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## MedicKen (Dec 2, 2008)

@Cessna…..Powermatic, Delta, Crescent, Yates, Moak, etc…...prior to 1970


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

I never considered sending it back,

You know, you start allowing this and pretty soon you will be in the same situation as we are in Mexico. ********************ty customers service, arrogant and complacent behavior towards the customer.

I had to send a Hammer jointer/planer back 2 times before I was satisfied. It took e mails to Austria and threats of legal action to do what they were supposed to do gladly in the first place, give me a NEW machine in working order.


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## Xtreme90 (Aug 29, 2009)

I know i love my Grizzly!!!


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

"@Cessna
"You know, perspective is a funny thing. I bet if it was YOUR thousand dollars spent on a NEW jointer you would not be so cavalier about the flaws."

Did you not read my post?? "

I was agreeing with you… He had a paint and single bolt issue.

I've been in the same boat, receiving a Delta X5 bandsaw (in 2002 - missing cabinet top - MADE IN USA!) and a DJ-20 (1999 - missing belt, pulley, and belt guard - 1/2 made in USA!) that arrived missing show stopping parts from sealed boxes. I also had a $2000+ JDS cyclone arrive with chipped paint due to rough handling during shipping.

In all cases, I was upset and disappointed.  However, in all cases the machines have been awesome once set up to do what they are designed to do. If I were reviewing these machines, which wouldn't happen until AFTER I USED THEM TO PERFORM THEIR INTENDED USES, I would certainly note the issues and reduce the rating accordingly.

Remember, the hobby and small shop woodworking machine market is relatively small. We can pay gold-plated prices and expect a man-friday to arrive to make the machine perfect. Or, we can buy an affordably priced machine that will perform it's intended function well.

As we sit and discuss how Pepperidge Farm remembers… I mentioned in an earlier post that equipment like this was very rare in home shops in the 70's and before… Few could afford this level of equipment before worldwide sourcing took hold. So, we can have solid performing machinery that the average Joe and Jane can afford, even if it takes a thread chase or paint touch-up here or there… Or, we can have top-notch, perfectly set-up, USA-made, beautifully finished, locally supported, equipment that only a small factory can afford.


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## xylophage (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm very surprised to hear people say that you are over reacting, about the paint job and miss threaded bolt. Its compliance like this that allows companies to keep prices high and quality low. IMHO Our hard earned money is more important than a multi million doller companies bottom line. I say good for you for standing up for yourself and your wallet.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Furry mentioned a cross threaded bolt and peeling paint. In this he was trying to tell us that it didn't suit him and he wouldn't stand for poor quality if he was going to spend a large sum of money. If we accept poor craftsman ship then we well continue to see that grow. Now the entire fraternity is fighting over this; not with the Powermatic company but with each other….your friends. This appears to be a situation where all those that want to give large sums of money for sagging quality go to the left side and all those that demand perfection for their money go to the right and let's rumble! lets get over this. Furry simply pointed out what he received and how he handled the problem. Remeber then Oldsmobile put Chevrolet engines in some of their cars back in the late '70's? I thought it was the best of both worlds but Olds lost the law suit. So apparently the folks wanted quality for their dollar.


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## CyberDyneSystems (May 29, 2012)

Well said Grandpa! respect your elders 

If the two dollar bolt is threaded wrong, doesn't that mean drilling and re-tapping the multi hundred dollar casting to get it right?

This is exactly when someone should send a product back for a refund! The more people that feel it's okay for a company to ship defective $1,200.00 products, the more people that will accept that and move on,

.. the more we all lose.

At this stage in my life, I've adopted (co-opted) the phrase "It's the Customer Support Stupid"

ie:, if I don't get it, they don't get my business. Period.

This attitude once put me in front of an international firing line of fan boys that would rather accept being trod on than face the fact that they had been burned by the company to which they gave their brand loyalty.

Stand your ground! The more you do so, the better it is for all of us consumers, even those that flame you for doing so.

Jake (who had the misfortune of suffering with a broken Canon 1D MkIII for nearly two years before Canon would replace it)


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

I agree 100% on Furry's review. It's not like he went to Harbor Freight, spent pennies on the dollar, with the expectation that there would be some work involved to get it working like a fine-tuned machine. He had the expectation that he was paying a good amount of money for a quality product out-of-the-box. Whether it worked fine the first time or not, I would see these initial problems, and be weary that they were indicators of a product that did not have the long-term quality I had paid top dollar for.


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## BambooII (Dec 13, 2011)

After reading all the comments, I might suggest a book called Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Shell. It discusses how we have come to accept poor quality in favor of price in many different products. Now, I own Powermatic, Jet, Delta large tools and a number of different brand small power tools; and I am fine with the Powermatic bandsaw I have. My point is this: if we just keep accepting whatever the manufacuturer sends us, suck up any complaints we have, then the manufacuturer will have no reason to make improvements and probably will keep letting quality drop to save additional costs. So, if you weren't happy with the jointer, you have every right to return it. I buy my tools from a local distributer (ACME tools) who will make good on any defective tools at the local level, which is nice and a good reason to buy locally. By the way, I have a new Jet jointer which works great (I assume you are aware that the same company owns Jet and Powermatic). Best for the Holidays!


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

http://westernmass.craigslist.org/tls/3472295999.html

Only $100 and made in the USA !


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

Nahh….he'll never go for it, it has some paint chips…..


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

"After reading all the comments, I might suggest a book called Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Shell. It discusses how we have come to accept poor quality in favor of price in many different products. "

GREAT BOOK!

Remember, though… lots of posters here think prices are high.

This is why I've tried to offer comparisons of home shops of today to home shops of the 60's and 70's. In order to protect the usability for stated purpose of many tools at a given price point, something has to give…

I would have loved to hear how this jointer mills wood.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

I would be upset about the paint job at that price, but I think the gun was jumped on writing a review before even using the tool.

As far as ISO9001 goes, it has nothing to do with a good product. You can produce a piece of garbage but as long as you follow a set process you can get ISO9001 certification.


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## bigkev (Mar 16, 2011)

I have no problem with this post being here, not that it means anything. Some good info was passed on to other potential buyers. You have every right to be disappointed and to return it. For that price it should be perfect out of the box.

Would any of you go to the car dealership and buy a car with scratched or flaking paint if the salesman offered to give you some paint and a razor blade? I think not. And if you would then it's clear noone should be paying any attention to what you say anyway.


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## Everett1 (Jun 18, 2011)

I went with the Grizzly 8inch, and spent less money than you did.

A while back, FineWoodworking had an article about how a lot of machines from Taiwan are made in the same exact factory. After reading that, made my grizzly decision easier.

LOVE that jointer btw.

If i spent that much on a 6" i would be annoyed too.


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## ScottStewart (Jul 24, 2012)

There is an important point (to me) that I have not seen made here.

He bought a PM, paying a premium over other jointers in the same class. If I am bottom feeding and buying HF/black and decker type tools, I am willing to overlook small problems that do not affect the function of the tool.

If I am paying a premium for a PM (compared to a Jet, Grizzly, or Delta type tool), I damn well expect it to:
1. Have very good QC where this type of crap never made it out the door. (if their QC is lacking on this, where else is it lacking?). I am paying so I that I don't have to deal with this type of stuff.
2. Be structurally sound and do the job it was intended to do with a minimum of PITA's.
3. Have superb fit and finish.

OP paid a premium for these things, didn't get them. CS didn't fix it appropriately.

WM Holding group failed twice in this situation. It is entirely reasonable to send the tool back and look for value elsewhere.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

I have to say I'm wishy washy on this whole subject…I would be dissapointed if my brand new 1200 dollar jointer was chipping paint and had other small problems..but I think I would have pushed through and set it up and seen how it operated before I penned a negative review. I am very picky and demanding when it comes to equipment (well everything for that matter) but sometimes you have to let small stuff go if you like the bigger stuff. If the jointer performed flawlessly, and was well built and dialed in where it really is important then I would have just settled for a replacement bolt and some touch up paint. But that's me…other people have other levels of quality. Barry makes a good point about the proliferation of production level machinery in home wood shops..20 years ago you would be hard pressed to find Powermatic machines in anyone's garage wood shop!


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## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

Bad paint and a bolt would never bother me to much, but I know that it will for others. The real issue is that they are taking the machine back, you are getting your money back, and it is to bad because re crating the machine and taking it to the shipper is a bit of work. No body wins. I hope you have better luck with your next joiner.


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## cutworm (Oct 2, 2010)

Strange. I read a review a few weeks back where a guy bought a jointer from HF and had to do a little tweaking but gave it high marks. He was attacked for the high marks because it wasn't perfect and he had to work on it a little. Just the opposite here….... I actually agree with both reviews. I think when you buy Powermatic you have certain expectations.


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## Sarit (Oct 21, 2009)

I think we should remember that he paid "extra" for the paint job. So when the paint job turns out crap, he probably should be upset.

Could you show us a photo of the cracking paint?


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## RockneLaw (Feb 28, 2011)

I wish I could, but the retailer (Tylertool) had FedEx there THE NEXT DAY to pick it up. That kind of service caught me off guard, and I had to rush home to pack it back up. The best I can describe it is that it was like flaking rust. For instance, they had completely painted over the adjustment screws/bolts and that paint had "bubbled" to the point where I just pressed with my finger and it crumbled off. Of course, it didn't crumble off evenly, so it looked terrible and exposed the cast iron. It was something else, that's for sure.

For all of the "negative" about Powermatic, I can't say enough good about Tylertool. They have been fantastic to work with. I have placed three subsequent orders (for smaller items) and they were on my doorstep the next day (I didn't select next day service). I live in TN, and they're in Georgia, so actual transit time doesn't take that long, but having them on my doorstep 24 hours after I placed the order means their processing is FAST.


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## SugarbeatCo (Mar 10, 2012)

I have the same jointer. The onyx series was a 90th anniversary edition. It cost me the same amount with a 7 year warranty. It's the nicest jointer I have ever used. My high school shop teacher used it the other day, he said in 32 years it was the nicest he had ever used. 1200 dollars for a machine of this caliber is not a bad price. Very happy with my purchase. Sorry you were not happy. All of my bolts lined up perfectly, and paint still looks great.


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## RodNGun (Feb 4, 2012)

I was sorry to read this review. I just bought the same jointer (in yellow) and I couldn't be happier. It took some time to "tune it up." However, once set up properly the thing is spectacular. The Byrd head is quiet and makes a perfect cut, the long heavy tables make it versatile and accurate… I think its the best jointer I've ever used. Sorry about the bad experience, but consider keeping it and try to look past the poor execution by PM. Mine works better than expected.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

Given the amount of money involved for a 6" jointer, furry had every right
to expect "top of the line" fit and finish imo.

Had it been just a defective bolt then that would be a different 
story.

On a sidenote:

I wonder how close to the ocean these tools sit awaiting shipment,and how long? 
Often that is why these tools come with layers of protective grease. The salt in the air 
in seaside ports and harbors will start to rust these machines in a matter of hours.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

All I can say is I love my Rikon 6" jointer which I got brand new, directly from Woodcraft, on model year clearance sale a couple years ago for $150 + tax and shipping. Think it came to around $212. I'd be willing to put a coat of black paint, heck I'll even throw in some gold pen striping, on it for $600 plus shipping.


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