PM 66 Troubles...Never seen this before, have you?

[Peter Quinn]

While rebuilding my panel sled today I raised the blade up to start checking for square and heard a noise inside the cabined like metal droping, figured I had dropped a washer into the cabinet. Opened the door to fish it out and found half of a two piece retainer ring on the bottom of the cabinet.

After checking the parts blowup and removing the motor I discovered this is the ring that holds the shaft which forms the pivot point for the blade raising/lowering mechanism part of the trunion assembly! At least its nothing critical.....uuhhh.....

It is a two piece (by design) spring clip, and I can't for the life of me figure out why they wouldnt just use a regular spring clip installed with a pin spanner. I am very PO that it failed in the first place. I'm expecting this machine to last my lifetime in my one man shop and this doesn't fall in my mind under normal wear and tear. The saw is 4yrs old and only gets part time use.

I'm wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else and how PM service is to deal with. I got the machine back together to finish the days work but I don't trust this thing for long. On the bright side the new panel sled is cutting square to within .0025" using the five cut method and the saw runs smoother after retensioning the belts...passes the nickle test.

[Karl Brogger]

Huh... Same thing happened to me. I think I just replaced it with a C clip, didn't even bother contacting Powermatic

[Peter Quinn]

Do you know which size C clip (ID?) Forgot to mic that shaft while the motor was off. Thats my plan too.

Powermatic is gonna hear from me, by the time its over they'll probably file a restraining order!

[Karl Brogger]

Its not that big a deal.

I brought the two halves into Napa and bought one that looked to be the right size and one smaller and larger just to make sure I didn't have to make another trip to town. It was a couple bucks worth of parts.

Did your blade start wandering slowly to the right? I figured it out because it started rubbing on a zero tolerance plate. I never got to hear the parts hitting bottom.:o

[Peter Quinn]

No, the blade didn't move. I was setting up a new panel sled when I heard the distinct ping of metal falling inside the cabinet. I looked inside and found one half of the clip. Figured I'd better find the other half and figure out what it was for! I guess I'll pull it off and eyeball it. Maybe I should have bought a laguna!

[Karl Brogger]

I replaced the clip on mine and haven't had any trouble since.

[Peter Quinn]

Talked to WMH tech support today about the trunnion retainer clip issue with my PM66. A gentleman returned my call promptly and was most curtious. A woodworker himself as it turns out. Unfortunately he offered no assistance beyond letting me ask questions he could not answer and letting me vent about the shoddy motor mount on their 14" bandsaws (side issue...as long as I have you on the phone...:D)

It seems they get one or two cases a year where the trunion retainer clip fails and the solution is...to sell a new clip! Keep in mind this could become quite dangerous under the right conditions as it is the thing keeping the blade in its position relative to the table.

I asked him why a two piece clip is used when a one piece seems fail safe...crickets...crickets...Then I asked him if there was a compeling reason to use another two piece clip that is known to fail rather than a one piece clip that is known to last....crickets...crickets....I wondered out loud how many users dont call and simply replace the clip with a better one, or perhaps the saw with a better one.

I asked him to tell me the retainer clip slot OD so I could order the proper ID clip in a one piece format from MSC...he told me they did not have that information...Really? Maybe that is the problem...you have designed a machine without technical specs or blueprints? No one at PM knows the diameter of that shaft on a 66? I have to disassemble the motor from the trunion...again...to put a caliper to the shaft and slot? Yup.

When I complained about the shoddy bandsaw motor mount I was told they get that complaint all the time...when I asked why they don't do something about it I was told I would have my comments added to the growing list of complaints about that issue. Their suggestion was to lay the bandsaw on its side to gain leverage over the motor! I asked "Are you honestly suggesting that I lay a 350# machine which is top heavy on its side on a concrete floor to do routine drive belt adjustments? That is WMH's solution?"

If this is the direction WMH is headed then I have made my last purchase from them, and frankly feel uncertain about their future.

[Jake Helmboldt]

PM lost me after sale #1. Too bad cuz I like the 2000 but I'll go elsewhere.

[Peter Quinn]

Yeah. I hear yea. I'm not ready to sell what I own but I'm not in a big rush to buy more. This is a 3 1/2 year old machine! I'm was looking for a bit more response from them then I got.