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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    uncertainbrien
    Age
    60
    Posts
    12

    Default powermatic 14 inch

    Hi,

    i just bought this bandsaw from another member. I've never owned one and it has never been run seriously and has sat for a long while. I test turned it on to check it works but should I do any lubricating etc before I start using it seriously?


    Ian

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Brisbane North
    Age
    51
    Posts
    1,299

    Default

    Watch this video. There is some valuable information in it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Hunter Valley
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,342

    Default

    Exactly what George said - that video is pure gold.

    You should also (in case you don't have one) be able to download a manual for the Powermatic easily on the Internet - it will detail required maintenance on the machine. Given it has sat for some time, I would give it a complete maintenance run through as detailed in the manual. I would then take as much time as needed to set the machine up as shown in the video George linked.

    And I would take the time to clean it both inside and out - it will surely be in excellent condition, but dust will be present, so give it time and a darn good clean up.

    Having done that, give all the cast iron surfaces a liberal treatment of Silverglide or similar to prevent rust.

    I saw that machine for sale myself, I think you've picked up an excellent bit of kit - congratulations on your purchase!

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    uncertainbrien
    Age
    60
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Thanks guys. I appreciate the response. I watch the video and will give it a go tomorrow.

    Regards,


    Ian

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    566

    Default

    I recently purchased a Powermatic 14" bandsaw from Carbatec.
    Carbatec shipped it to me in record time, and I can't fault Carbatec's service.

    There are a number of differences between the Australian model and the US model relating to component use and build quality. For the record, the Australian model is inferior.

    I have used the US version while overseas and have noticed the differences. It is only little things that they have done, but little things add up.

    I'll start with the fit of the covers - the US model has proper catches that allow the user to open the covers of the bandsaw wheels, with a turn of the star knob. In the Australian model, the star knobs remain, but the mechanism has been replaced for some reason with a long screw that requires an Allen key to operate. This means that opening the covers isn't a quick task, but requires hunting around for the correct Allen key and then unscrewing it. This is the same on both the top and bottom of wheel doors. That may seem minor, but it has a bigger impact upon the performance of the saw's dust collection.

    The US design ensures that the covers go back into their correct position. The modified Australian version does not, which means that unless you remove steel from the lower part of the cover, tape over the resulting gap or bend the cover, the door no longer fits properly and dust extraction is hampered by the resulting 4mm gap. That isn't a sign of good quality.

    The mounting brackets for the fence at the rear of the base do not hold the fence in place - instead, you can nearly guarantee that the fence will tip out and impact upon the floor at your feet. Forget about using it.

    Further to this, the base door has had the latch removed and replaced by another screw requiring an Allen key. No idea why this PITA set up was introduced, other than to save money. I wrote to Powermatic in the US, and they referred me to Axminster in the UK,and made it very clear that they were not responsible. That speaks volumes. Perhaps the British design specifications for Australians was based upon our convict past, in the belief that we'd just bypass the locking mechanisms anyway.

    The quality of the casting - my dust extraction port has a clearly visible casting defect which is disappointing on a 'high end' bandsaw.

    For those considering purchasing this saw, be aware - the motor is mounted on a flimsy piece of sheet metal, which can easily become twisted in transit and mess up the alignment of the motor. Due to Powermatic's unique set up with a special belt, if this occurs, get ready for a good 6-8 hours of trying to manually straighten the alignment via a small door without the room to place two hands into the base. This is made even more frustrating if you need to continually open and close doors and covers with an Allen key in order to test the alignment safely. I know this first hand. The US design has the same flimsy piece of sheet metal as a mount, and there are plenty of posts relating to frustrated owners needing to fix their newly shipped saws as a result. The added inconvenience of Allen screws just added to the problem.

    Is it a good saw?

    It works well excluding dust collection and yes, once set up it is a good saw. Is the quality of the build worth the money? No. Not by a country mile.

    Even the instructions are out-of-date! There are changes to the delivered model and the plans provided. And, in this day and age, why can't Powermatic include a few more pictures, or even put an assembly video online? Join the freakin' 21st Century people!!! It isn't like you don't charge a premium for your products.


    Powermatic is cruising on it's former reputation and the Australian model suffers from price-cutting decisions made by Axminster in the UK. The casting defects clearly show that QC isn't what it one was, since they moved production out of the US to Taiwan, but kept charging the same prices, and (now) more.

    The added extras and Powermatic's reputation, along with my experiences of using the US version is what drew me to this model. To be honest, buying Jet's very similar model and a couple of extras from the cost savings would probably have given me a more satisfying experience and a better quality product at the end of the same day it arrived, without the pain caused by needing to fix the saw before using it and the day and a half to get the Powermatic version assembled and aligned.

    I can't recommend this machine for the price that Australians are expected to pay. Look elsewhere and save your cash is my advice.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Brisbane North
    Age
    51
    Posts
    1,299

    Default

    I'd buy the X3452 model from Carbatec any day.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Any Powermatic machine that were made in McMinnville, Tennessee, is a good machine, the current products of Asian origin that have the Powermatic name slapped on them are machines I would rather not own.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Leopold, Victoria
    Age
    65
    Posts
    4,677

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Morbius View Post
    I recently purchased a Powermatic 14" bandsaw from Carbatec.
    Carbatec shipped it to me in record time, and I can't fault Carbatec's service.

    There are a number of differences between the Australian model and the US model relating to component use and build quality. For the record, the Australian model is inferior.

    I have used the US version while overseas and have noticed the differences. It is only little things that they have done, but little things add up.

    I'll start with the fit of the covers - the US model has proper catches that allow the user to open the covers of the bandsaw wheels, with a turn of the star knob. In the Australian model, the star knobs remain, but the mechanism has been replaced for some reason with a long screw that requires an Allen key to operate. This means that opening the covers isn't a quick task, but requires hunting around for the correct Allen key and then unscrewing it. This is the same on both the top and bottom of wheel doors. That may seem minor, but it has a bigger impact upon the performance of the saw's dust collection.

    The US design ensures that the covers go back into their correct position. The modified Australian version does not, which means that unless you remove steel from the lower part of the cover, tape over the resulting gap or bend the cover, the door no longer fits properly and dust extraction is hampered by the resulting 4mm gap. That isn't a sign of good quality.

    The mounting brackets for the fence at the rear of the base do not hold the fence in place - instead, you can nearly guarantee that the fence will tip out and impact upon the floor at your feet. Forget about using it.

    Further to this, the base door has had the latch removed and replaced by another screw requiring an Allen key. No idea why this PITA set up was introduced, other than to save money. I wrote to Powermatic in the US, and they referred me to Axminster in the UK,and made it very clear that they were not responsible. That speaks volumes. Perhaps the British design specifications for Australians was based upon our convict past, in the belief that we'd just bypass the locking mechanisms anyway.

    The quality of the casting - my dust extraction port has a clearly visible casting defect which is disappointing on a 'high end' bandsaw.

    For those considering purchasing this saw, be aware - the motor is mounted on a flimsy piece of sheet metal, which can easily become twisted in transit and mess up the alignment of the motor. Due to Powermatic's unique set up with a special belt, if this occurs, get ready for a good 6-8 hours of trying to manually straighten the alignment via a small door without the room to place two hands into the base. This is made even more frustrating if you need to continually open and close doors and covers with an Allen key in order to test the alignment safely. I know this first hand. The US design has the same flimsy piece of sheet metal as a mount, and there are plenty of posts relating to frustrated owners needing to fix their newly shipped saws as a result. The added inconvenience of Allen screws just added to the problem.

    Is it a good saw?

    It works well excluding dust collection and yes, once set up it is a good saw. Is the quality of the build worth the money? No. Not by a country mile.

    Even the instructions are out-of-date! There are changes to the delivered model and the plans provided. And, in this day and age, why can't Powermatic include a few more pictures, or even put an assembly video online? Join the freakin' 21st Century people!!! It isn't like you don't charge a premium for your products.


    Powermatic is cruising on it's former reputation and the Australian model suffers from price-cutting decisions made by Axminster in the UK. The casting defects clearly show that QC isn't what it one was, since they moved production out of the US to Taiwan, but kept charging the same prices, and (now) more.

    The added extras and Powermatic's reputation, along with my experiences of using the US version is what drew me to this model. To be honest, buying Jet's very similar model and a couple of extras from the cost savings would probably have given me a more satisfying experience and a better quality product at the end of the same day it arrived, without the pain caused by needing to fix the saw before using it and the day and a half to get the Powermatic version assembled and aligned.

    I can't recommend this machine for the price that Australians are expected to pay. Look elsewhere and save your cash is my advice.
    As I was reading this I was wondering if it was the case that Norcal states. Just a sign of the times where good names are slowly reducing quality to compete.

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