Just bought Powermatic 66

[jim tritz]

I am new to this Forum and find every ones input and experience extremely useful and valuable. I purchased a PM66 saw last night for what I think was an very good deal at $350. The table has a lot of rust that will clean up, the saw ran well and sounded good with no vibration. As near as I could tell, it is in great mechanical shape. It came with the standard Accufence. The serial number is 9766612. I think this indicates it is a 1997 model year. ( I will attempt to attach a picture)

I have a few questions for those with experience with this saw.

1.) Is $350 as good a deal as I think it is?

2.) What are my best options for a riving knife if available, or a splitter and blade guard. The saw has none of these things. I have read some threads on this site and a few others, but most of them are dated. Most seem to recommend the Beisemeyer splitter, the Sharkguard, and microjig for a splitter. Are there any newer options? What about a guard to go in combination with one of the above?

3.) How heavy is this thing? I am planning on renting a truck with a lift gate to move it. (picking it up Saturday) I eventually want to put it on a mobile base. Thinking about buying a base at Woodcraft and putting it on to roll it on the the lift gate. Any experience or ideas with that?

4.) I need a manual. I have found several on Vintage Machinery, but they don't specify which years (except for a couple from the early eighties) Are all these saws basically the same, or do I need a manusl specifically for a 1997? if so any other sources to locate one.

5.) Lastly, anything I should do/check for set up before I try to use this saw? Lubrication? it has been in a garage in Indiana and has not been used much for a couple of years.

Thanks for the help and input. I really appreciate it

284605

[David Winer]

Get that Beisemeyer splitter. Seems expensive, but it's an asset that works well and stays on the saw nearly all the time. Easy to remove and reinstall when it's necessary, e.g., for dado and tilted blade.

[Peter Quinn]

Congrats and welcome, great deal on a solid saw, I have one myself and used several same vintage as you purchased in a commercial shop for years. Good saws. I like the bies splitter, easy in easy out. Riving knife is a different thing, very hard to impossible to retrofit. They hug the blade and rise/fall with it, really have to be designed into the tool, not a bolt on. The bies splitter bolts on easy, pops out for non through work, solves 80% of the problem.

did you try WMH for a manual? Weight....around 600# assembled. Clean then lubricate the lift and tilt screws....not much else going on in there. Maybe get a set of belts if it sat for a very long time.

Enjoy oh that saw!

[James Baker SD]

I'd say you got a very good price. I sold the same saw last year for $900 and thought the buyer got a good deal. I always liked the OEM blade guard/splitter that came on the saw. Tilts nicely with the blade and sides of guard move independently which means it works well tilted and when just trimming a workpiece a little (only one side raises in that case). Has to come off for dado cuts and allows for no table top dust collection are its negatives. If you're interested, I might be able to find mine as I had retrofitted the saw with a sharkguard for the dust collection.

Make sure the worm and worm teeth on the trunions are clean and greased (I prefered dry lube), check the alignment and tightness of the belts, and the alignment of the miter slots to the blade and you should be good to go.

James

[Rick Potter]

Great saw, great price. You did good.

+1 on the Beisemeyer splitter. I got mine 10 years ago. Don't know if they make thin and thick kerf models.

About moving it with a mobile base......most are made with very little clearance between the frame and the ground. I have never seen one that would roll onto a trailer. Most get hung up on driveway cracks. You would have better luck with a furniture dolly, and I would recommend tying it to the saw with a couple simple ratchet straps. go under the dolly and up and around the saw. This way, when you tilt it to get on the lift gate or trailer ramp you don't lose the dolly.

I have had very good luck cleaning the rust off the tool tables using a fine grit sanding sponge. It is flat enough to do the job, and is easy to clean. I do it dry with the sponge, then shop vac the sponge, then do the next area. Don't let the sponge get too full of rust. When you are done, wash out the sponge with water. Some like to do it with WD40 or the like, never tried it.

Rick Potter

[Don Roberson II]

I have the Sharkguard splitter & like it.

[Alden Miller]

Great saw! I love mine.

I'd add a vote for the Beisemeyer splitter.

If you remover the side table and rails you should be able to move the saw around ok. If you have help it's even easier. I moved mine from a PODS back into my new shop by myself using a couple of Harbor Freight movers dollies.

The saw top is made with a steel that has a high chrome content. I have used a buffer with rubbing compound and at other times fine grit abralon pads to clean mine up.

-Alden

[jim tritz]

Thank you all for the great input. I really appreciate it. Going to pick it up tomorrow morning. Rick and Alden, I pass an HF on the way, so I may pick up a couple of those dolly's. ( I have some ratchet straps) Was it a challenge to get the dolly's positioned under that heavy beast?

[Rick Potter]

Jim,

The way I do it is to tilt the saw one way, put a pair of 2x4 under one side, tilt it up the other way (on the 2x4's), repeat. Go up incrementally till the dolly will fit under it. Make sure you are solid, then lift one end, kick the 2x4 out of the way and insert the dolly. Tilt the saw a bit on the dolly and remove the other 2x4's. You might want to tack a piece of ply on the dolly to give you a flat area to set the saw on.

Rick P

[Rich Riddle]

The price for the saw was more than fair, especially if you don't need to rebuild the entire unit. Because it's easy, you might replace the bearings when it's new to you. That will also familiarize you with the saw and let you see how it works. But if they sound great, you might just want plug and play.