PM2000 Wheels Disintegrated!!!

[Derek Arita]

Just an FYI...I recently stumbled across some posts on another forum, talking about wheels going bad and disintegrating. Well, I had to move my PM2000, lowered the wheels and began to move the beast. All of a sudden, the saw tilted to one corner. I couldn't figure out what was going on, then another corner went! Now, I've only moved that saw twice...when I received it and moved it into place and few years back and this time.
Anyways, when I got the saw up on a dolly and moved it, there were chunks of red/orange, heavy duty wheels left behind. These look like the same heavy duty wheels that I have used on heavy cabinets.
I had no idea this could happen. What a coincidence that it happened right after I read about it happening to others. I'd call PM for replacements, but I'll just be replacing bad wheels for bad wheels, so why bother. What I'm going to do is get a Shop Fox HD base, with cast iron wheels. I think those will have a better chance of survival under the saw. I think they're rated at 1300 lbs.
Just thought I'd post the experience here, in case others have entrusted the same type of castor wheels on their tools. Beware!https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/h151/derekarita1/0/f580bb09-2394-43da-8827-a382d0b08e62-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds (https://beta.photobucket.com/u/derekarita1/p/f580bb09-2394-43da-8827-a382d0b08e62)

[glenn bradley]

Sorry that happened. PM Has taken a lot of heat for this design in general. I think if you look back a bit you’ll see that this is been a topic of discussion for some years.

[Derek Arita]

Sorry that happened. PM Has taken a lot of heat for this design in general. I think if you look back a bit you’ll see that this is been a topic of discussion for some years.

Couldn't have happened at a worse time. Good thing I had enough extra $ for the new base. Hopefully, it's be easier to move if I ever have to do it again.

[Robert Cherry]

Thanks for posting this, I’ll keep an eye on mine as well.

[Derek Arita]

It’s too bad, cuz I love the saw, but hate their attempt at built in mobility.

[Mike Wilkins]

Had a similar event happen to a Shop Fox mobile base. Wheels just disintegrated when attempting to move a heavy band saw it was mounted on. I just went to the local Harbor Freight, purchased the same size caster and switched them out. Must be the material they are constructed with. Inexpensive correction.

[Frank Pratt]

That bad base is what kept me from getting the PM2000 and I got a SawStop PCS with an ICS mobile base instead. I bet it could fit on your saw. Best
Mobile base I've ever seen

[Derek Arita]

That bad base is what kept me from getting the PM2000 and I got a SawStop PCS with an ICS mobile base instead. I bet it could fit on your saw. Best
Mobile base I've ever seen

Frank, I don't think problems with the built in mobile base should stop anyone from purchasing the saw, as the saw itself is a great saw. That said, I think you ended up with an even greater saw. At the time I bought the PM, the SS was not yet in it's present form.
I think I'll stick with cast iron wheels this time.

[Derek Arita]

Had a similar event happen to a Shop Fox mobile base. Wheels just disintegrated when attempting to move a heavy band saw it was mounted on. I just went to the local Harbor Freight, purchased the same size caster and switched them out. Must be the material they are constructed with. Inexpensive correction.


Mike, I've read about issues with the SF wheels as well, which is why I'm going with their cast iron wheels instead.

[Bill Dufour]

FYI horror fright no longer has cast iron wheels. They have a few iron wheels with plastic tires but most are plastic wheels with plastic tires. No iron tires are sold anymore.
Bill D

[J. Greg Jones]

The orange heavy-duty casters from Woodcraft that I had on my router table did the same thing last winter. They were over 12 years old, so I wasn’t too disappointed with how long they lasted.

[Frank Pratt]

Frank, I don't think problems with the built in mobile base should stop anyone from purchasing the saw, as the saw itself is a great saw. That said, I think you ended up with an even greater saw. At the time I bought the PM, the SS was not yet in it's present form.
I think I'll stick with cast iron wheels this time.

I agree, it is a very nice saw, but when adding up all the pluses & minuses, that extra minus tipped the scales to the SawStop.

[Jim Sprester]

I have the same saw, and I love it, EXCEPT for that mobile/immobile base. A couple years ago or maybe a couple more than that now, when I attempted to move it, the handle was stuck, and when I pulled on it, out came the entire assembly! Luckily, I pushed the assembly back in, and the bevel adjustment works just fine. The base of the saw, however, is struck, with the right side of the saw being just slightly moveable. The saw works fine, except that I can't move it, and the slight moment on the right side of the saw is aggravating and a safety factor. A small wedge has solved that movement, but spending that much money, and then having this problem is absolutely disgusting!
The saw was still under warranty when this happened, and I contacted the Woodcraft store here in Wisconsin where I purchased it. The owner, whom I consider a friend, contacted Powermatic and I think all they basically said was that they would replace the parts that failed/were defective, etc. After having had a couple major back surgeries, I wasn't about to tackle that. Now, having just had my fourth surgery, there is no way I could even think about doing anything close to that. Interestingly enough, just prior to this last surgery, I contacted a serviceman for repairs of this type, and he guessed that with travel, costs it would be about $350 for him to come fix it!
The whole thing is ridiculous. Do I like the saw? Except for junk advertised as a mobile base, an unequivocal, "Yes!" Would I buy the saw again, an equally unequivocal, "No!" Would I buy Powermatic again? Take a guess. Woodcraft???

[Derek Arita]

I agree, it is a very nice saw, but when adding up all the pluses & minuses, that extra minus tipped the scales to the SawStop.
Frank, believe me, if I had the extra $, the scale wouldn't be tipping...it would fall off the table! Back when I purchased the PM, the SS was just out of the rumor stage and untested by the masses. Now, if you have the $, it's a no brainer. All that said, it doesn't take away from the quality of my PM2K...but get a mobile base for it, if you plan on moving it from time to time.

[Mikail Khan]

I have had similar issues with casters from another manufacturer. I think the material was advertised as urathane. Apparantly it degrades after a few years. I have had better results with black rubber casters. But cast iron will be the safest way to go.

MK

[Derek Arita]

Well, just to put a period on the end of this thread, I just got finished putting the PM2K on a Shop Fox D2058A, with cast iron wheels. Works great and is easy to move around. The pain was, I had to raise my router cabinet and outfeed cabinet a bit. Lesson learned, for sure. Thanks all.

[Mark Carlson]

Same here, as all my woodcraft red heavy duty casters failed. Maybe a dozen or so. Lasted 5-10 years.


The orange heavy-duty casters from Woodcraft that I had on my router table did the same thing last winter. They were over 12 years old, so I wasn’t too disappointed with how long they lasted.

[Rod Sheridan]

That’s why I always use steel wheels.......Regards, Rod

[William Hodge]

I bought the Shop Fox base with cast iron wheels for a Powermatic saw. It works great.
I move the saw a lot, because I need room. The lifters on the base are just bolts threaded through the base. I lift the saw with a pry bar, and the feet spin up or down. The pry bar live on the mobile base. Lifting a saw with those bolts in soft metal seemed like a short run solution.

[Derek Arita]

I bought the Shop Fox base with cast iron wheels for a Powermatic saw. It works great.
I move the saw a lot, because I need room. The lifters on the base are just bolts threaded through the base. I lift the saw with a pry bar, and the feet spin up or down. The pry bar live on the mobile base. Lifting a saw with those bolts in soft metal seemed like a short run solution.

William...can't quite picture what you are explaining. Do you use the SF base or the PM lifters? I've never looked under the saw to inspect the saw's lift mechanism, so maybe that's why I'm not seeing it.

[Jim Sprester]

I'm I must somehow be missing something with a lot of these replies. Why should one need to buy a mobile base for a saw which supposedly comes equipped with a mobile base? It is simply a manufacturing defect with deserves/deserved correction by the manufacturer. I realize that a lot of manufacturers only back up their warranties with necessary replacement parts now, but goodness! There used to be a word called integrity. What has been lost?

[William Hodge]

The saw is an old Powermatic 66, with no wheels. I think that the Shop Fox lifting screws threaded into the soft metal base aren't going to last, because the threads have gotten worn. The base is great otherwise.

[Derek Arita]

The saw is an old Powermatic 66, with no wheels. I think that the Shop Fox lifting screws threaded into the soft metal base aren't going to last, because the threads have gotten worn. The base is great otherwise.

No...the saw is a PM2000. The issue is, the OEM wheels are the red, heavy duty wheels that disintegrate after time. Rather than calling CS at PM, I was more inclined to buy a mobile base with cast wheels, to avoid future issues. I think PM would replace what I had, however my thought was to never have to address the issue again.

[William Hodge]

No...the saw is a PM2000. The issue is, the OEM wheels are the red, heavy duty wheels that disintegrate after time. Rather than calling CS at PM, I was more inclined to buy a mobile base with cast wheels, to avoid future issues. I think PM would replace what I had, however my thought was to never have to address the issue again.

I wasn't being clear. My saw is the old one, a green Powermatic 66. The Shop Fox mobile base with cast iron wheels is a great addition.

[Derek Arita]

Sorry William. I was more addressing Jim, who seemed a bit confused about what we were talking about.

[William Hodge]

Sorry William. I was more addressing Jim, who seemed a bit confused about what we were talking about.

It's Ok, I get miscommunications at work between the design team and the production team, and I'm a one person business.

[John Lifer]

A bit late, but I replaced one about 6 yrs ago, and all four last year with some woodcraft wheels that fit the powermatic mounts. I expect every 5 or so years is the urethane lifespab