Customer Reviews

Powermatic 1791228 Model 64 Artisan 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-1/2 Horsepower Contractor Saw with 50-Inch Accu-Fence, 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, Table Board, and Legs, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my second table saw. The first was a cheap contractors saw with cast-iron webbed extensions that wobbled and had more run-out than a 58 Chevy with bad bearings. I looked very seriously at JET and DELTA cabinet type saws, but found this Powermatic 64A.

The facts: 1. It has solid cast iron extensions that add significantly to the saw's stability. 2. The blade and arbor tilt to the left which is a great safety feature and reduces kick-back potential on chamfer cuts. You won't find this on any saw near this price. The lack of a left-tilting arbor kept me away from Grizzly, although I am sure their saws are okay. 3. The fence alone is worth buying the saw. While maybe not as substantial as the ones of Powermatic's Model 66's, the 64A's fence is every bit the equal to the Biesemeyer, Unifence, or Jetlock. It is accurate, reasonably easy to set up and is solid. 4. The dust collection sucks (no pun intended). I fixed this by enclosing the base with MDF and putting a dust/chip box in. 5. The factory blade is, well, okay for cutting something that you don't care about. Invest in a good saw blade and use the factory provided one for rough sawing. 6. If you build an MDF enclosure for the base like I did, you will find the saw is much quieter and runs smoother due to the extra mass.

If you've got $1300-1500 lying around, buy the JET or DELTA. If you've got $1800, buy the Powermatic 66. If not, this is a great saw for the money. By the way, JET just bought Powermatic, so Powermatic should be on sound financial footing for some time; this means spare parts should be available for a long time too. Oh yeah, don't run it on 110 volts; convert it to 220v (easily done)- it will run cooler and use 1/2 the amperage. The instructions for assembly leave something to be desired, I should warn you. But if you have a bit of mechanical sense, you should not have any problems. The saw is made in Tiawan - but Powermatic makes sure their QA/QC people stay on top of production.

I received my saw and the boxes were in great shape, No Damage. Table is nice and flat with extensions bolted up and very Sturdy. Set-up was nearly completed in under 2 hours with the exception of the Pin that the motor tilts on was not in the box. After tearing apart my garage and the boxes for another hour, it was not to be found. The Belt was also twisted to the point it was vibrating very badly ( I used a Prybar in place of the Pin. Had to see it run!!) I called Toolcrib on monday and pin and new belt arrived wednesday. The Saw runs GREAT. Passes nickel test and fence is OUTSTANDING. Little adjusting to get parrell but no big deal. Left tilt is very nice, but keep in mind that if a dado is used your measurement on the fence rail will be off because the dado stacks toward the fence changing the measurement. This is offest by the saftey of being able to bevel rip wide pieces safley. Table inserts need replacing (Not very good quality) and the blade is good for rough cutting only. I will be putting a Forrest 2 on very soon with some zero clearance inserts but I would not hesitate to purchase this saw again over any of the others in this Class.

Most of my experience with powermatic has been with the heavier industrial woodworking machinery, so I was not sure how the lighter, contractor line would perform. I'm pleased to say that the saw performs as I would expect from powermatic... great! The only problem I found was that I had to readjust the trunnion alignment a little, but I've had to do this on other saws also to get them just right so it was no big deal. The saw went together easily and is stable for a contractor saw but I still added additional bolts to the fence for rigidity. I upgraded to a zero clearance plate and a link belt to reduce vibration (which wasn't bad anyway). It's a good tool for the money and I'd buy it again.

The saw was easy to assemble and easy to setup. Be sure if you order the 50" you plan to either make a table and legs or order them from Tool Crib. Amazon does not carry those parts. Also, DO NOT order the mobile base as listed from Amazon. It works fine for the small fence, but for the 50" it rolls the wrong way to be able to store your saw. The wheels roll back and forth instead of length wise. I have yet to find a good fitting mobile base for this saw but I am looking.

I'll review the saw in two pieces: setup and performance.

1. Setup. The saw comes in three boxes. Setup is not that easy - I don't see how some people got it done in two hours. It took me about eight hours one night to assemble, and about three the next to set it up. Instructions for the assembly of the saw are good enough that the average handyman with some horse sense shouldn't have much trouble. Table extensions mounted easily and are flat without needing shims. The problems I had were with the fence and the blade guard. The fence is a trick to install with just one person, and the switch, which is supposed to mount to the fence rail, doesn't fit anywhere. to boot, none of the instructions tell where/how to mount it. I ended up bending the flange down and buying another bolt to get it to attach to the fence. The blade guard is nice, but a PAIN to align. First, when you tighten the bolts after adjusting the fence, it wanders out of alignment. Also, the front attachment point for my guard isn't straight, so when the splitter is aligned with the blade, it has a pronounced front-to-back bow. Plan on building a table extension for the 52" rails - it's quite necessary and quite easy to build. If you need ideas, visit a Powermatic dealer and look at theirs - particle board and birch plywood is all it is.

Performance. There is some vibration, though not as much as the toy saw that I used to have. Can't use a link belt with this saw because the pulleys are the wrong type (apparently a new development). It barely passes the nickel test. Table top is quite smooth, and the fence is excellent. There's enough power to cut just about anything - my latest project used 2" thick red oak. Replace the blade and the inserts - they are all stamped 'Fisher Price' somewhere.

Overall: not a perfect saw, but a great compromise for those of us who are serious about the hobby but don't have the money or spousal permission to buy a 66.

This is a quality contractor's saw for the money. I'm most impressed with the fence system. Do yourself a favor and wire the saw for 220V. Metric end wrench's are needed for assembly. Take your time during assembly the instructions are poor. Use WD-40 or kerosene to remove the rust inhibitor on all cast iron parts. The saw blade that come with the saw can be used for ripping plywood and not much else. Get a quality blade for serious jobs. Powermatic technical support is responsive. I e-mailed them with a question and had a response that same day and received a follow-up call the next. During set-up the saw required minor adjustments for zeroing the tilt indicator and for 90 degrees for blade to table top. I purchased my saw from a Woodcraft retail store for customer service before and after the sale. My wife and I are serious woodworkers/crafters.

After extensive research, I purchased this saw for $... with a $.. rebate. Dollar for dollar it cannot be beat.

It took me less than 2 hours to have the saw up and running and adjusted. I agree that the blade the saw is shipped with is marginal at best. I quickly replaced it with a Freud Premier combo blade and added Freud blade stabilizers. The finish quality of the cuts is now superb. Just a dress up with 220 and I'm ready to finish.

I got the 50" fence so I could rip 4x8's of plywood to any width. I also built an extension table and welded up a set of legs for it. With my router tucked in the extension table, I am able to use the Accufence for both tools. I replaced the plastic on the right side of the fence with a custom fence for my router setup. The Accufence was easy to set up and is dead on every time for both tools!

Although the inserts are merely acceptable, with my blade and oak I have no problem with tearout. I will probably replace them with zero clearance ones soon.

The table is flat and true, and my extension wings were easy to line up. The beveled edge is only on the table itself though, not on the extension wings. This is one area where I feel Powermatic dropped the ball. Why not bevel all the pieces? That way, wider stock would glide onto the table as easily as narrower pieces.

That not withstanding, the saw was realitively inexpensive, has the safety of a left tilt, was easy to setup, and produces quality cuts with ease everytime. I would recommend it to anyone. However, whats up with the new price?

I bought this saw after reading all of the reviews and they are mostly correct.
The saw is the smoothest running contractor grade saw on the market and the construction is excellent. Out of the box the fence was slightly out of adjustment but I aligned it in two minutes using the procedure in the manual and it has held true. I've aligned other fences and this was the easiest and most accurate I have ever encountered. I especially like the solid feel and positive locking mechanism which sets the fence true every time.

I agree that the assembly is involved and the instructions lacking. The belt guard will rub if the motor isn't attach correctly, but this is easy to fix by sliding the mounting plate away from the belt. The best advice I can give is take your time on the assembly and think about how all the pieces will fit together because once you are finished you will love this saw.

I just bought the saw after weeks of comparison shopping and found that the Powermatic had everything that I was looking for. I was looking at the Jet, Delta and DeWalt brands, and feel that the Powermatic was the best buy for the money, and the quality is number one.

Pros: The table's table finish is fantastic. Very smooth and true. The saw feels very study and strong. High quality. T he motor is quiet and it has a clutch that stops the blade nicely when you shut the saw off. The accu-fence is accurate and a breeze to work with. Very high quality.

Cons: There are two bolts that hold the the belt cover on, but I could only put one on because the second one rubs the belt. If the belt was shorter, the guard would fit better. The table is beveled, but the extension wings are not. The motor was a little tricky to align on the back of the saw. The directions could have been a little easier to understand. I do not like the way that the blade gaurd mounts on the saw. There is two bolts that hold the gaurd in the rear, and one that is located right behing the blade that makes removal of the guard difficult.

The saw took me about 4 hours to assemble, and about another hour to make some final adjustments. Make sure that you get a mobile base for this saw, if you plan on moving it around. I am very happy with the saw, and glad that I went with the Powermatic brand. It is a well built table saw, and high quality. I would have this a 5 star rating if it was not for those minor issues. I puchased this saw from Amazon...Very fast delivery.

The Bottom Line with only a few minor issues, the saw stands out as a great saw. The price and service solidify my choice of this saw.