Powermatic Model 87

[Ricky Rater]

I just bought a Powermatic 20" metal working bandsaw - Model 87. I don't have pictures of it yet because my Dad found it and bought it at my request at a bankruptcy sale. He said it runs "smoothly and relatively quietly." Unfortunately we live several hundred miles apart so I'll have to wait a while to put my hands on it.

I bought it for $400. This is what it looks like (similar condition to this one, too except mine has original paint):
Search eBay for item # 120857251259

I don't need a bandsaw... just bought a brand new Grizzly 17" G0513X2BF.

Did I make a good purchase?

What do you think it's worth? Which one would you keep?

[Bruce Page]

Great metal cutting bandsaw. Does it have the blade welder?
A machine shop I once worked in had one. We used to cut 10” diameter aluminum bar stock on it and it never skipped a beat.

[Ricky Rater]

It does have the blade welder.

It came out of a machine/welding shop, so it was in use until recently although from what I can tell it saw light duty.

Would it work for wood? Or is it really a dedicated metal working machine?

[david brum]

It's too bad you can't combine their attributes into one saw. That Powermatic looks massive and probably runs extremely smoothly. It seems to be missing some key items which most woodworkers would consider essential. There's no fence, although that's easy to remedy but not cheap. There doesn't appear to be a miter slot. If you plan on doing any crosscutting, you're going to need a miter gauge and a slot for it to ride in. There also is no dust collection. You can rig up something, but it's a pain. Last, the resaw height seems a bit limited, although it's hard to tell from the picture. Whatever it is, it's probably not as much as your Grizzly.

Also, is it 3 phase? That's not necessarily a deal breaker either, but adds expense.

If it were your only saw, you could work around all of the issues, although you'd have to invest time and money. Since you've already got a good bandsaw though, I'd say to sell it for a profit and buy some really nice blades for your Grizzly. Just my amateur opinion, of course:D

[Bruce Page]

I think the resaw is around 12" I remember not having much room to spare pushing the 10" Al bar stock through it.
I don't recall what the SFPM was, probably not as fast as a dedicated wood cutter but it will cut wood all day.

[Van Huskey]

First that is an excellent bandsaw, the PM 81 which is a wood only saw is "worth" in the 600-700 range, the 87 is worth more if all the variable speed mechanism works properly. They could be ordered with a fence but it is unlikely that it actually has one, all the ones I have ever seen do have a miter slot but it is possible that some do not. Although I don't rememeber the high speed it is over 4,000 SFM and I think over 4,500 which is penty and then some for woodworking. The guides with it are probably flat hardened block guides, they were actually a quick change guide system with angle block, and 2 sizes of ball bearing options, those are likely NOT with the saw and don't know if they are available but I am sure they can be found and there are plenty of retrofit guides if the steel blocks don't work for what you plan to use the saw for. From the factory it came with anything from a 1.5hp motor to a 3hp motor, it has a nice 24" sq table, just a hair over 12" under the guides, 1" max blade, and I think the 87 runs just under 1,100 pound, a little more than the 81.

You are talking to the wrong guy to ask which bandsaw to keep since my opinion is you can never have too many bandsaws. For the rest of this discussion lets assume the 87 is in decent condition and doesn't need a lot to get it up and purring with whatever your requirements for guides, fence etc are. Going just from a which is the better overall saw perspective I would keep the PM period, no question. Although, the PM is a "light" duty saw in those terms the Grizzly is a super bantam weight. The PM properly maintained can be used for many years and probably sell for more than you paid, that ain't gonna happen with the Grizzly. Now from a monetary standpoint you will probably have more money in your pocket by selling the PM, you should be able to make a profit on it fairly easily, the more elbow grease the more you can make. You are going to lose money selling the Grizzly.

If you want a better saw than the Grizzly you now have one, if you are 100% happy with the Grizzly and have no desire for a bigger hevier saw then take the profit. Option number 4 would be to sell them both take the money and get an even better saw on the used market. Lots of options but only one is right for you.

[Ricky Rater]

Thank you for the advice guys. One of the keys to the decision I forgot to mention is limited floor space... my shop is a 2 car garage and I still want to be able to park my wife's car in it. The Powermatic has a huge footprint compared to the Grizzly.

It has a three phase motor.

Here's what I'm going to do: Wait until I can give the Powermatic a close inspection. If it needs some TLC I will do all that. If my dad doesn't mind I may just ask him to store the big thing until I get a bigger shop (maybe 5 years down the road). Then I can have two nice saws.

After I do some more research I may price it where I'd be comfortable selling it and see what interest Craigslist brings. Some people have these saws listed for over $3000 on ebay... although I haven't seen one that actually sold at that price. If I can get that much for it I know of a machine or two that would fit into my shop and add way more value than another bandsaw in storage.

Glad to know I didn't waste my $400 though! I kind of had to make a quick decision so I went with my gut.