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Powermatic Table Saws

Powermatic has a unique history in that its founder, Leonard Smith, began the company directly in the woodworking business.  He sold rough cut lumber in Tennessee in the 1920’s and he felt he could sell more if he smoothed the wood.  So he created a planer in a workshop on his farm.  The machine worked so well one of his customers offered to buy it.  So he pocketed the money and used it to build four more planers, which immediately sold.  Ever the entrepreneur, Mr. Smith quickly left his career as a lumber salesman and set off to build a woodworking equipment business.   By the late 1920’s he had expanded his product line to include sanders, drill presses, and the tilting arbor table saw.  Let’s look at one of Powermatic’s most popular and versatile products – the Powermatic PM2000.

Powermatic Table Saws:  the PM2000 (1792002K)

Many experts consider this is the best cabinet saw available, and its price matches the “gold standard” claim – it retails for around $2700.  With this saw, however, you really get what you pay for.   It is arguable the most stable saw on the market, with cast iron construction of not only the saw table and extension wings, but also the trunnion assembly and even the saw base.  The end result is a saw weighing over 600 pounds, but the built in retractable casters allow this behemoth to be stored in a corner and moved to a larger space for operation.

The saw has a number of extremely helpful features, including a true riving knife that can be removed and reattached without tools.  This is a significant safety enhancement for operators who neglect to reattach the riving knife because they don’t want to take the time to search for the appropriate tool.  In addition, the arbor removes with a push button, making blade changes quick and easy.  The motor is a hefty 3 hp but it is 230 volts so you may need to run a special electrical hookup for the saw.   The PM2000 uses a belt drive system with an efficient Poly-V belt.

The included accessories get high marks from reviewers as well.  The Accu-Fence System, while it may not give the range of micro adjustments you get with a high end Incra, is more than adequate to handle most precision cutting operations.  The miter gauge is also much better than average.  The saw doesn’t come with a blade, allowing the consumer to apply the cost savings to purchasing their own preferred blades.

If you buy one of these beasts, be prepared to receive or transport 4 very heavy boxes and make sure you have help assembling it.  Most reviewers find the assembly to be relatively easy and are impressed with how well aligned the saw is, right out of the box.

Powermatic Table Saws:  the PM2000 (1792000K, 1792001K)

Powermatic offers two additional versions of the base PM2000 which add a table board for handling wider wood.  The table board that comes with the 1792001K model allows a router to be added to the table board, a very handy feature.    Powermatic also offers a line of PM2000 cabinet saws with 5 hp motors and some of them include the patented Rout-R-Lift system on the extension wing, not on a table board.  However, these features can raise the price of the saw significantly.

If you live near a Woodcraft Supply retail outlet you can walk in and get a demonstration of these woodworking marvels.  They may be expensive, but it’s an investment that can be passed from father to son to grandson.