Which saw should I keep?

[Mark Gordon]

Not a gloat, I need to make a decision of which cabinet saw to keep.

I have a 10 year old Unisaw, 3 HP, with an Incra TS3 fence. I love it, but just a got a chance to buy a PM 66, 12 years old, 5hp, with a 72 inch Unifence. It was a gut reaction to the big yellow machine, and I had to buy it to get a shaper- package deal.

However, I only have room (and funds) to have one saw, and I have to sell one. Any table saw will be the heart of my workshop.

I always read this forum to solve my problems, and this is the first time I need to post instead of searching older articles.

My specific question is whether one is a substaintially better machine, and if the value is about the same. If the PM is worth much more, I'll sell, and buy more cutters for the shaper.

Thanks, and thanks for all the past advice.

Mark

[Dan Drager]

Easy answer. Keep the one you are most comfortable with. That , in turn, will be the one you are safest with, and will give you the best results.

[scott spencer]

You said you "love" the Uni....do you feel as strongly about the PM?

[Mark Gordon]

Scott-

I love the Unisaw because I was using an old Craftsman Contractor's before that. Switching to the unisaw, I felt safer and I could work better (Repeatable) I just wonder if the PM 66 would be even better. I haven't used it much yet.

I'm looking for anyone's experience with both.

Mark


You said you "love" the Uni....do you feel as strongly about the PM?

[David Weaver]

I've never used a uni, but I think that a PM 66 is about as nice as that style of saw comes - that is without the newer safety features like sawstop and the riving knife on the 2000.

A buddy of mine has the 66 with 5 horsepower - it's a hoss - I'd trade my hybrid saw in a second for one.

[Paul Douglass]

I just got a saw with a 50" fence. I'm asking what would a person meet a 72" fence for? I just can't imagine needing that big of a fence. I'd keep the powermatic and put the Incra fence if it is shorter.. That's just me and for what I do with a saw.

[Don Bullock]

Mark, obviously you enjoy the repeatable feature of your Uni. That may be partly due to the Incra fence that you have on it. That may be one of the deciding factors for you.

I must admit that I haven't used either saw, so any more from me would be just pure speculation. Good luck on your choice.

[Tyler Howell]

5hp 66 with and Incra sounds like a great combo

[Paul Simmel]

Paul,

Are you talking about the length of fence itself, or, the distance of cut to the right of the blade?

[Ron Jones near Indy]

About 32 years ago my work changed from a Right tilt Unisaw to a PM 66. We now have 2 PM 66 saws. I, personally, will not go back to a Unisaw. I feel the PM is a better unit. Maybe it's just that's what I'm accustomed to using. It seems much like the Ford/Chevy situation. Both will provide good service, but there are many who swear one is better than the other.

[Jim Becker]

IMHO, the PM66 is the better saw and I also happen to like the UniFence so that is the combination I would keep given the choice of the two and if the condition is equal, relatively speaking. But if you prefer the Incra fence...transfer it to the PM and put the Uni on the Delta.

[Doug Shepard]

Dont have much experience on the Delta, but my PM66 (3HP) has been great. It's been a real set-it-and-forget-it machine. After about 4 years, I rechecked the saw with a TS-Aligner Jr and everything was still in the same place as when I originally set the saw up. It's never balked at anything I've thrown at it, all the way up to max cut height. I kick myself for not upgrading from my old C-man contractor saw about 5 years sooner than I did.

[Paul Douglass]

Paul,

Are you talking about the length of fence itself, or, the distance of cut to the right of the blade?

Distance to the right.

[Mark Gordon]

THank for all your advice and comments. Very useful. I think that I will keep the PM 66, and might change the Incra over.

However, for the debate on the fence, the rails are 72 inch long, meaning I get about 52 inches to the right of the blade. This is a substaintial benefit, because I cut sheet goods, and sometimes need that. I'm limited to 34 inches on the Incra, and of course that means that I have to reserve even more space on the right side to allow the incra center rail to protrude. I find that repeatability is more often the result of strong, beefy equipment than the "click" utility of an incra. For instance, I can get the same cut on a commercial biesmeiyer (spelling) time after time. I just can't get repeatibility on any fence or equipment that flexes.

Last questions, when I go to sell one of the saws, is there any good place to give me ideas on the price?

Mark

[Paul Douglass]

THank for all your advice and comments. Very useful. I think that I will keep the PM 66, and might change the Incra over.

However, for the debate on the fence, the rails are 72 inch long, meaning I get about 52 inches to the right of the blade. This is a substaintial benefit, because I cut sheet goods, and sometimes need that. I'm limited to 34 inches on the Incra, and of course that means that I have to reserve even more space on the right side to allow the incra center rail to protrude. I find that repeatability is more often the result of strong, beefy equipment than the "click" utility of an incra. For instance, I can get the same cut on a commercial biesmeiyer (spelling) time after time. I just can't get repeatibility on any fence or equipment that flexes.

Last questions, when I go to sell one of the saws, is there any good place to give me ideas on the price?

Mark

I miss understood. Yes 50+ inches to the right of the blade is good and what I meant I had. I was picturing 72" to the right of the blade?