My Powermatic PM200 Saga

[Robert Parrish]

I thought I would share with everyone my recent problems with a new Powermatic PM200 that I purchased from Amazon about 6 weeks ago. The saw arrived in good condition and I had no trouble setting it up. I used it for about a week doing normal cutting operations with my 10" blade and it worked great. I needed to cut some dados so I installed my Freud Safety dado set and pushed the start button, the dado blade began spinning slowly and trip out in a few seconds. I tried this several more times with the same result, even after turning off all other electrical power. I placed a call to Powermatic tech support and a tech told me to take the switch apart and check a small dial to see if it was set on 15 and if so change it to 17. I took the switch apart and it was set on 15 so I changed it and reassembled it. I pressed the start button and it failed to come up to speed again. I called Tech support back and they told me they would send out a local tech rep. He arrived the next day (an electrician) and he could not figure out the problem but suggested we order a new switch. The new switch arrived in a couple of days and I installed it. Guess what? Same problem! I called Powermatic again and this time they sent out the owner of the local company. This guy was very knowledge of Powermatic and Jet equipment. They ran several electrical test and determined that I needed a new motor! This has been over 10 days so far and I was getting a little upset. They ordered a new motor and by now it was Memorial Day weekend and they wouldn't be back until the next Wed. The 62 lb motor arrived at my house on Tues. Local tech support installed the motor on Wed and we all held our breath when the start button was pressed. Nothing! Same problem. They took the motors apart and tested them. They seemed to run fine out of the saw and on the bench. Could it be two bad switches? They decided to order another switch but by this time I decided that I did not want another PM2000 magnetic switch. I ask them to order a PM66 switch which is your basic on/off switch. It arrived Saturday morning and the tech installed it. I pressed the on switch and the iron monster came to life!! I had to make a small modification to the mounting bracket but it fits and looks good. Saturday was the last day I had to return the saw for a refund, so to cover myself I called Amazon and requested a return and they made arrangements to pick up the saw the following Wed. I have since cancelled that request.
BTW I'm not ranting against Powermatic because they stayed with the problem until it was fixed.

[Dan Lautner]

"BTW I'm not ranting against Powermatic because they stayed with the problem until it was fixed."

You should rant against Powermatic. The PM 2000 has had major problems from the beginning. If you cut corners on everything including electrical and the motor this is bound to happen. They use an unspecified asian motor and god knows what kind of electrical.

Dan

[Lewis Cobb]

Here I am waiting for my PM2000 that's on order and I start seeing threads like this on the woodnet board as well as here. First thing I am going to do is open up the mag starter and dial it up to 17, then I am going to fire the saw up about 200 times with a full dado stack on it to make sure I don't have a bum motor. It seems this is a common problem from doing a few searches and goes back quite a number of months. At least Powermatic is sending out replacement motors, switches and what ever is needed to set the thing right. Still, it's a torment when one drops a lot of cash on something and has to fiddle to set it right.

[Pat Germain]

Sounds like PM has a problem with their motor and switch supplier. It's a bummer for people getting PM saws now, but I'm sure they'll get it worked out. In the meantime, the best thing PM can do is make it right for their customers.

I don't think it's fair to generalize all Asian motors as junk. They may not be up to the quality levels of some US made motors. I have a few Asian motors which have served me quite well. However, it does seem the motors on the problem PM 2000 saws are indeed junk.

[Peter Quinn]

Seems there was another gentleman posting here the end of this past week with exactly the same problem with his PM2000. I started thinking about that switch, supposedly the 17 is for 17A? I seem to recall my PM66 with a USA made Baldor 3HP drawing 24A on a 30A circuit. Why would a 3HP PM2000 use a switch that supplies 17A? WMH specified a 30A circuit with 10AWG wire up to 50' from the panel and dropping to 8AWG on longer runs for the 66.

Am I misunderstanding something here? Its got me curious.

Also my 66 has a magnetic starter (momentary) for safety, I've never seen a 66 with a switch that wasn't magnetic even going back to the 70's. They weren't as stylish as the new switches but I'm pretty sure they were magnetic.

[John Shuk]

While it may have been frustrating I'm glad to hear about excellent service from PM. I bought a Laguna bandsaw a few years ago and had some similar type problems. They were not helpful and when I asked them to send me the new switch (that was going to replace a defective one) prewired they told me that they had invested to much in problem already and weren't going to do that for me.
Suffice to say that I'm glad there is a company that will go that far for a customer.

[Tom Veatch]

... I seem to recall my PM66 with a USA made Baldor 3HP drawing 24A on a 30A circuit. Why would a 3HP PM2000 use a switch that supplies 17A? ...

Of course, you'd know much better than I what your saw draws, but 24A seems awfully high for a 3HP motor unless it was on a 110 circuit. My 3HP Jet has an FLA of 14A @ 220V and the Leeson 5HP on my cyclone has an FLA or 20.8V @ 220. (Don't remember the exact voltages on the data plates, but they are in the 220-240V range).

220V/15A seems about right for a 3HP motor yielding about a 68% efficiency figured using KVA.

If I were forced to guess, I'd guess that the 15/17 settings are amperage setting for the overtemp protection (heater) in the mag starter and would have little effect on the condition reported by the OP.