Powermatic vs Sawstop table saw. Need input.

[mike93lx]

It's a stupid name, but Very Super Cool Tools makes a really nice fence that uses the standard beisemeyer rail and accepts aluminum extrusions to create a customized setup. Might be worth trying a new fence before buying a new saw?

 

[neophyte]

Some of Powermatic was USA made and assembled (at least the pm66) through the early 2000s.

Tiers are going to be subjective but all the eastern imports are generally the same tier.

Martin and Bauerle, maybe Altendorf would be top teir, SCMi, Casolin, Casadei and Felder depending on who you agree with for the second tier.

There’s also Northfield nachinery, if you want solid old school Industrial machinery, that’s actually still made in the USA.
Delta machinery( from back when Delta was US made), looks/looked like cheap hobby machinery in comparison.
Northfield is ridiculously solid.

Northfield Table Saws

Not cheap though.
This is their current pricelist.

http://www.northfieldwoodworking.com/pricelist/pricelist-NMB-2021.pdf

Most places probably look for Northfield second hand, since a large tablesaw depending on features can run $20,000-$45,000.

 

[jar944]

There’s also Northfield nachinery, if you want solid old school Industrial machinery, that’s actually still made in the USA.
Delta machinery( from back when Delta was US made), looks/looked like cheap hobby machinery in comparison.
Northfield is ridiculously solid.

Northfield Table Saws

Not cheap though.
This is their current pricelist.

http://www.northfieldwoodworking.com/pricelist/pricelist-NMB-2021.pdf

Most places probably look for Northfield second hand, since a large tablesaw depending on features can run $20,000-$45,000.

Northfield and Newman Whitney still exist, but generally are beyond the price of Martin and (again generally) northfield is sporting a 1930s design. Nothing wrong with that, but there have been improvements in the last 90 years.

 

[PoorUB]

It sounds like I have more members vouching personally for the Sawstop at this point. I looked at the vendors that I have available and there is also Jet. Is that another company that isn't up to what it used to be?

Sawstop makes a great saw, but as others have pointed out the fence is just a Biesmeyer clone.

Seriously, if a Biesmeyer isn't doing the job for you, you need to get out of the homeowner, common pro saws, Sawstop, Jet, Delta, Powermatic, Grizzley and so on, and move up to the ridiculous priced professional saws.

I have never hear of anyone having issues with a Biesmeyer fence.

 

[rlitman]

ya, I'm aware of that. I just dont want to have to keep doing that.

I bought my PM66 used, and the Biesemeyer fence was rusted to heck. An hour of wire wheeling it, and it still locks just fine.
Rather than messing around with cardboard, I'd suggest shimming with UHMW tape. It's slipperier than the original pads, and adds a few thousandths right where you want it.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I guess I should have updated this thread. I could see plenty of people vouching for the Biesemeyer fence, I decided to take another look at it. I was able to square it and get some more friction out of the lock. It will stay as is. Thanks everybody!

 

[rlitman]

I guess I should have updated this thread. I could see plenty of people vouching for the Biesemeyer fence, I decided to take another look at it. I was able to square it and get some more friction out of the lock. It will stay as is. Thanks everybody!

Glad to hear it. I'm not saying there aren't better products out there, but I don't believe there's a more bulletproof fence on the market.
If you want to see one that's been to hell and back (at least half of the factory paint is long gone), check out mine that I posted here years back:

The Powermatic 66 Table Saw

By popular demand, I've decided to start a thread documenting my PM66 (the "centerpiece" of my shop), rather than hijack any existing threads. It all began several years back, when I was picking up a Stihl power sweep on CL, when I said "nice saw", and $300 and a day later he was dropping off...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Pen & Wrench]

I used to work for a plaque manufacturer and we routinely ran over 10,000 feet of sheeted mdf that came 97 by 49 inches, in half inch or 3/8 inch thickness, through an old Rockwell 10 inch table saw every day. We probably should have had fancier equipment but that’s the way the aviation engineer that started the company did things. We always put a board and a clamp on the other side of the fence, front and rear to help reduce the chance of the fence moving by being bumped too hard with sheet goods, and it actually worked pretty well, maybe you are already doing this, but it can really help keep the fence exactly where you set it. I think both Powermatic and Sawstop are pretty good saws, don’t think you can go wrong with either one for what you have in mind.

 

[Prospecter]

Please don't discount the safety features of the Sawstop. I don't wanna be that guy, but many accidents happen with folks who have a lot of experience and are just fatigued or making a ton of repetitive cuts and/or just let their minds wander for a split second. It could happen to anybody, even those who really know their way around a table saw.

That said, I've had a bit more experience with Sawstop than other brands and found it easily capable of everything I've asked of it. It's a darned good table saw, especially the size you're looking at.

+1 I have significant nerve damage to my hand due to a table saw accident. Good safety procedures, lots of experience, and a split second of inattention. If you are a commercial shop with insurance, Sawstop could save you some coin on the premium, too.