Powermatic 2800B Opinions & Updates

[Glenn Kramer]

I am contemplating the purchase of a new Powermatic 2800B drill press this coming weekend. I have read several marginal comments and reviews regarding this machine, mostly about the PM 2800 (not the 2800B).

I would be interested in hearing from those who love or hate this machine. There are 2 news 2800b"s available near me and the price is quite attractive.

Any information is helpful.

Thanks, Glenn

[Janis Stipins]

I guess I'm taking your 'any information is helpful' to a bit of an extreme here, but...

I was looking at this drill press a short while back, and I ended up not buying it. Instead I got a General 75-260 M1 and put a Woodpeckers drill press table on it. The specs on the 2800B were not different enough to justify another $500-$600 in price, to me, anyway. It works well, the runout at the bit is less than .002", and it also has the 6-inch quill travel. I did have to cut out a small rectangle from the corner of the Woodpeckers table to accommodate the General's long crank handle, which is fine with me. The only thing I'm not happy with is that the General's table has no positive stop anywhere, so it's not really practical ever to tilt the table once it's aligned.

Apologies that this isn't the sort of information you were probably looking for. Still, the 75-260 M1 is a good machine, and that extra $500+ can buy lots of other shop toys. :-)

Good luck,
-Janis

[Glenn Kramer]

Janis, I appreciate your input! Any other info about experiences with the PM 2800B from others would be more than welcomed!!!!

[Paul McGaha]

There's a 2800B set up at my local Woodcraft (Leesburg, VA).

If I were thinking of buying one, considering what I've read about them, I think I would try my best to buy one that's already set up and running well.

Just my $.02. Good luck with the purchase, I'm actually a big fan of Powermatic, I have (4) of their tools.

PHM

[Glenn Kramer]

Paul, Good idea about buying one I can see running first.
I'm trying to determine if the 2800B is an improvement over
the 2800.
thanks

[Mike Heidrick]

The reports I have read were that the 2800B is NOT better than a 2800 at all. The pro WW'er, Alf Sharp from Craft Supplies, who made the video on youtube for teh 2800b, made the video before ever actually using one. It was based only on talks with WMH/PM and seeing one unpowered. He NEVER ran one at all. I called him and asked. It really DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE vs his line in the video - It just makes sense.

Buy a Rong Fu Mill Drill.