Powermatic 64 Taiwan import???

[Dick Brown]

I just bought a Powermatic 64 fixerupper with a Biesemeyer 52" fence. Was rather surprised to find metric bolts and nuts on the saw. After comparing it to a "Lake" brand import that I have refurbished, I find many if not all the parts look like they are interchangeable. Near as I can tell the PM is a 1996. I am shocked that PM would put their name on the import! Is this common knowledge?

[David Kumm]

Wasn't the 64 their contractor " Artisan " series saw? PM imported a lots of machines in the 90s, including some of their industrial lines. There are even earlier models that were at least partially cast in Taiwan. All of the Artisan machines ( there weren't many ) were just generic Taiwanese imports rebadged. Dave

[Dick Brown]

Yes, this is an Artisan model. PM is still selling the Artisan in the $1500-2000+ range. Still imports?

[Jim Becker]

If I'm not mistaken, it's been a VERY long time since they manufactured products in the US and that in the saw end of things, that was just the cabinet saws. I think that the contractor's style saws were always imports, but I could be wrong about that. A lot of those machines indeed did come from the same sources for various brands with the differences largely being in how they were accessorized (fences, etc) and motor choices. It's still that way for many mass-market type tools.

[Robert Cherry]

Yes, this is an Artisan model. PM is still selling the Artisan in the $1500-2000+ range. Still imports?
At this point all of the PM machines are made in Taiwan. My oldest PM machine is a shaper manufactured in 1990, it was made in Taiwan. But don't confuse made in Taiwan as inferior quality. Are they as nicely made as the old green US made PM's we had years ago? Probably not, but they are darn close. I replaced my table saw and jointer within the last 5 years with PM and the castings are dead flat, beautifully ground and the fit and finish overall on these machines is quite good.

[David Kumm]

The newer PM Taiwan machines are actually better than their early forays of the 80s and 90s. The Artisan line was fairly low end but even there big planers had some mix of parts and castings. Delta did the same thing. Their Taiwan machines were a small step down from their Brazil units and their Chinese machines were a larger step down. Dave

[Simon MacGowen]

The newer PM Taiwan machines are actually better than their early forays of the 80s and 90s. The Artisan line was fairly low end but even there big planers had some mix of parts and castings. Delta did the same thing. Their Taiwan machines were a small step down from their Brazil units and their Chinese machines were a larger step down. Dave

The #1 selling cabinet saw in this part of the world, SawStop, is made in Taiwan. No users of SawStop have complained about their quality, for what is worth.

As many have observed before, the quality of an imported machine depends on the specifications and QC the vendor sets for the overseas manufacturer. Many tools from China are second-rate , not because the Chinese factories are not capable of making top machines, but because they are told by the vendors here what to make.

Simon

[scott spencer]

The PM64 was indeed a Taiwanese saw that appears to come from the Mao Shan plant, like many other Taiwanese contractor saws from that era. What sets the later PM models apart is the fence, blade guard, motor, and other bolt-ons. Very similar to the GI 50-185, some of the Grizzly contractor saws, Jet, Ohio Forge, AFF, and many others.

[Warren Wilson]

I don't know if it applies to Powermatic, but my tool retail guy has told me there are two distinct scenarios with China / Taiwan / Vietnam etc. Manufacturing:

1. The manufacturer gives them the specs and then uses inspection and quality control to ensure that the product is within those specs.
2. The manufacturer sets up their own factory, tooling, etc. and runs the plant as if it were in North America or Europe, taking advantage of lower wages, but using their regular grade of materials and manuacturing routines/inspections.

You can imagine which approach produces the better quality tools.

I have only the one source for this notion -- someone else in here might better understand how it works. But it made a lot of sense when he said it.

[Bill Dufour]

I have been lead to believe that Taiwan specs actually mean something while PRC specs are meaningless. In other words the specs will say flat within xxx... Taiwan will measure and meet those specs, fix as needed before it ships. PRC will say it meets specs, even phony up an inspectors report if you want one, and they will try to meet specs but if they are off they ship it anyway.
Inspecting costs money, fixing stuff costs money, cheaper to let it go and blame the shipper.
Bill