Well as I posted previously I had a Grizzly 1023RL on order since February. The order got delayed twice which got me to thinking about other options. The more I read here on the Creek about other top line saws the more I realized the difference in quality and features that I didn't want to be without. I had my search narrowed down to 2 saws, the PM2000 and the Jet Deluxe Xacta. With about a $500 difference between the two it was a tough choice. $500 buys a lot of lumber.
I decided on the PM2000 thanks to a lot of input from guys here, especially Van Huskey who owns this saw and provided a lot of insight.

Well just 4 days after the order was placed a 50ft trailer pulls up to the house. He had a liftgate and a pallet truck. Residential lift gate service is included for no charge on Powermatic saws. Problem being he couldn't back the trailer up to my garage where I wanted it and the bluestone driveway only allowed us to get the pallet jack about halfway up before bogging down. Anyway here she sits




Here are the rest of the boxes included on the skid



My shop is in the basement so I needed to break this saw down to the bare bones in order to handle it. This saw can be described in one word, massive.
I removed the cast iron top which weighed well over 100lbs, and also the motor, which was an easy 80lbs with its cast iron mounting flange.
Here's what I was left with:





Even with all that weight removed the cabinet and base, along with the casters and trunnion assembly still weighed over 200lbs. Getting this monster down a narrow flight of stairs was no easy job.

Here's a pic of the beast in my shop



One of the first things I wanted to see was how difficult the caster system was to use. I heard stories about how you can only lift the saw 1/16" or so, so I tried it out. Fully extended I got a shade over 3/8". Plenty for any floor.



Cont.