Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Bandsaw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase

You looking to find the "Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Bandsaw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase" Good news! You can purchase Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Bandsaw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase with secure price and compare to view update price on this product. And deals on this product is available only for limited time.

Price: $1,199.99    

Product Feature

• 14-inch band saw; built-in air pump clears chips; fully enclosed motor for longevity
• 1-1/2-horsepower motor; table tips 45-degrees right and 10-degrees left
• Solid steel and cast-iron construction for durability; built-in halogen lamp
• Includes saw, motor, blade, foot brake, work light, rip fence, mitre-gauge, chip blower
• 15-inch by 15-inch table; 44-inch table height; 20 by 34 by 68 total dimensions; 203-pounds; 1-year warranty

Product Description

60 watt halogen lamp built into the body, providing direct light on blade and workpiece while cutting. Chip blower ensures a clean, visible cut line. Extra-large, two-piece cast iron table consists of a 15 x 15 tilting. (45 degrees right, 10 degrees left) section and a fixed 15 x 5 extension for a total working surface area of 15x20. Balanced, nine-spoke cast iron wheels run smoothly. Easy-to-read tensioning gauge settings indicated in blade width increments. CARTER quick tension release lever speeds blade changes. Features durable micro-adjustable dual bearing blade guide system above and below the table. Full 6 under-guide capacity with 13-1/2 frame-to-blade clearance. Built in 4 dust port. Poly V-belt maximizes power transmission while minimizing noise and vibration. Frame mounted push-button switch. Rigid one-piece welded stand requires no assembly. Includes: 1791216K 14-inch band saw, adjustable rnitre gauge, rip fence with resaw assembly, 1/4-inch band saw blade, and gooseneck work light and chip blower, and stand.

Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Bandsaw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase Review

I have now been using this bandsaw for about one year. It replaced a Jet 14" bandsaw I had used for about three years. So far, this saw has been terrific. It is accurate and easy to set up. It provides solid and reliable performance.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

As I said, I previously owned a Jet 14" (circa 2002). The Jet and the Powermatic have several similarities, including the basic body design. But the Powermatic is much heavier-duty. One way I knew this is when I picked up the upper body of the saw. It weighs a lot more than the Jet 14"! The base is larger and more substantial than the jet, and more solid than other bandsaws I reviewed.

The power switch is the same one used in the Jet 14", which is good since I always liked it. The blade guard, which I also liked very much, is also the same. The fence, which I liked a great deal, is the same, except it is now gold instead of white.

The big differences between this saw and others? The Powermatic has the Carter tension lever. It also has a set of bandrollers, a built-in work lamp, and a dust blower. It also has a cast-iron table extension.

DEEPER IMPRESSIONS:

Putting the saw together starts to reveal several important details about its design and integrity. One thing I noticed right away was that the new saw has much heavier wheels, with more spokes. There is a brush on the lower wheel that keeps debris from collecting on the tires, a nice improvement. The knobs on the doors and other areas are rubberized. The door catches open and close smoothly, another welcome improvement.

The cast-iron table is 15x15, an inch bigger all around than the old Jet 14". I tested the table with a straightedge, and it was flat in all directions. I detected a fine sliver of light beneath the straightedge on the outer part of the table, but not even enough to slip a piece of paper through. The table pin is a new design, with a handle, making it easy to put in and out. As with all cast-iron surfaces shipped from overseas, the table is covered with a protective substance. Once clean, the surface was a bit rougher than my Jet 14", with some visible machining. I burnished the table with #0000 steel wool, and then coated it twice with Topcoat. That got it nice and smooth.

The trunnion on the Powermatic is cast iron. I'm happy about this. The Jet 14" had a steel trunnion, and felt light. The Powermatic trunnion is quite heavy. This is a welcome improvement!

It's easy to set the table square. Just loosen the knobs under the table and tilt it until the indicator reads 0 degrees, then lock the knobs again. The reading is accurate. The knobs are rubber coated for comfort. The same procedure would be followed for any other table angle.

All steel parts are well made. Inspecting the inside of the housing, all solderings were clean, and the paint covers all areas. I saw no rust or dents anywhere on the machine.

The fence goes together nicely, and it locks down securely. This fence also has a very intuitive system for adjusting squareness to the blade.

The miter gauge is light duty. The saw comes with hooks that hold the miter gauge, but I chose not to install these, since I will not be using the miter gauge.

It has a 4" dust port out of the back of the machine, which is much bigger than the little 1 3/8" port on the old Jet. Bandsaws create quite a bit of dust, especially when resawing. Although the dust port is not very effective, you might want to use it whenever you can, so you at least reduce the amount of dust.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL:

In a word -- terrible!!

I was disappointed with the instructions. WMH should have improved the manual for this new saw, but it is actually WORSE than it was when I bought my Jet 14". The instructions leave out steps, they assume certain things are already done, and they refer to the wrong parts several times. For example, they refer to screws using the wrong terminology and the wrong sizes. The pictures in the manual are often of the wrong machine, showing the old Jet 14" model at times. Someone at WMH needs to spend the time to fix this. As it is now, if you have any experience with bandsaws, you're almost better off using your intuition to put things together.

MISSING PARTS:

There were some issues here. The package was missing several screws that were needed at various points, and some of the screws were the wrong size. For example, the pan-head screws included for the power-cord plate were too large. I'll have to go to a hardware store to get the right ones.

TRACKING SYSTEM:

The tracking system is essentially the same as the Jet 14". Loosen a wing nut. Then, while spinning the upper wheel with your hand, turn the tracking knob one way or the other until you see the blade staying in the center of the wheel. This is intuitive and easy to use. The knob on the new Powermatic is smaller, which is necessary so it doesn't conflict with the Carter tension lever.

TABLE EXTENSION:

Included with the saw is a 5x15 table extension, which brings the total table surface to 20x15. It's kind of difficult to describe, but it is inconvenient to install (and the instructions don't explain it very well at all). From what I can tell, you need to take apart some of the lower assemblies to install the extension table. I just had to ask myself, "Do I really need the extension?" The answer, for me, was "maybe not." So I did not install it. A year later, the extension is still sitting on a shelf, unused, and I have never felt that I need it.

DUST BLOWER:

It seems to be that the amount of air forced through the dust blower is not enough to be of real value. With certain cuts, it does move the dust out of the cut line, but with some woods, the dust still collects in your line of sight. Sometimes, I find that the blower hose gets in my way. I guess my feelings on this feature are mixed. Sometimes helpful, sometimes not.

WORK LIGHT:

The work light is a very good idea. It has a long neck, allowing for good adjustments. It swivels out of the way when necessary. It is mounted firmly to the cast-iron frame. I like this feature, and use it every time I run the bandsaw.

BANDROLLERS:

For years, people have been purchasing bandrollers to as upgrades to their 14" saws, often spending $125 or more. Well, I was accustomed to Cool Blocks in my old Jet 14", and I always liked them. At first, the bandrollers felt awkward to me. I found it a pain to get them set just right (they need to be 1/64" from the blade). It's an extra step to loosen the set screws then adjust the rollers with an Alan wrench. With Cool Blocks, it is easier -- you just press them lightly up against the blade and tighten a thumb screw. But after using the rollers more extensively over the past year, I have come to like them. You get used to the adjustments procedure after a few tries. My main problem is that they don't work very well with narrow blades. Also, blade changes with this system are a bit more time-consuming and more difficult.

CARTER TENSION LEVER:

Now here's the best upgrade! I love having this on my saw. You just tension the blade once. Then all you need to do is lift the lever up to tension and back down to de-tension. The Carter system works smoothly, with a nice big knob to grab while making the adjustment. It locks securely into place. It has three positions: fully tensioned, lightly tensioned, and fully de-tensioned. It's not just a lever: the whole tension assembly is better. For example, the tension rod rests on a steel plate, not on the cast-iron frame. Nice system!

MAKING CUTS:

I use a 1/2" blade most often. The Carter lever brings the blade to 1/2" tension very nicely. I can easily adjust the work light. The blade goes into place easily. The fence is easy to move into position and lock down securely.

With this machine, pressing the "Start" button gives an immediate sense of a more powerful motor. There is a short pause, then the motor kicks into high RPMs. It runs very smoothly. I've seen absolutely no vibration on the table -- it passes the nickle test no problem.

Throughout cuts, the rollers hold the blade steady. The cuts are perfect and consistent at whatever angle I choose. I have resawn numerous pieces of softwood and hardwood, including maple and oak. Even when resawing full 6"-wide stock, the blade maintains consistent and straight cuts.

You will want to immediately upgrade to a better blade. The stock blade that comes with this saw is not very good.

CONCLUSIONS:

The Powermatic Deluxe 14" is a well-made saw. The instructions are useless, and a couple of the upgrades (blower and table extension) are questionable. But it has several wonderful upgrades, including a cast-iron trunnion, heavier wheels, a Carter tension lever, bandrollers, generally heavier-duty body, and a built-in worklight.

I look forward to using it with almost every project in my shop!

Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Bandsaw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Bandsaw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase ...