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Thread: What Powermatic bandsaw is equivalent to the Powermatic 66 table saw?

  1. #1

    What Powermatic bandsaw is equivalent to the Powermatic 66 table saw?

    Hello all,

    I just picked up a Powermatic 66 table saw, and am now on the hunt for a good (older) bandsaw. I would like something in the 18" range or larger.

    Is there a solid Powermatic 18" bandsaw that is a similar build quality, from the same era as the Gold PM66? If Powermatic doesn't make one, any other brands?

    This will be used for hobby wood working, resawing, cutting curves, etc.

    Thanks you all!

  2. #2
    The Powermatic 81 and 87 are the closest thing at 20 inches. I just picked up a Powermatic 87, which is like the Powermatic 143, the wood metal version. The Powermatic 81 and 141 would be the 20 inch and 14 inch wood only versions respectively.

    If you are going to do mostly smaller work, the 141/143 is a very, very good saw. I know where a 143 is locally for a very good price, but I do not need another band saw at the moment, I have three and have use for all three.

    Biggest thing with buying an 81 or 87 is finding one at a reasonable price that has not been run to death. Mine was a school industrial arts machine before working in a blue grass fiddle shop...a lot of these 20 inch Powermatics were run hard and put away wet as it were in industrial settings.

    For roughly the same money you can find used Laguna 18 inch, used 20 inch Deltas, and quite a few Italian band saws in the 16-24 inch size.

    The other big thing with the Powermatic 20 inchers is that they are rather heavy,a bout a thousand pounds for the 81 and 1300 or so for the 87....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Moscow, Idaho
    Posts
    294
    Yep, what Chris said.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Hachet View Post
    The Powermatic 81 and 87 are the closest thing at 20 inches. I just picked up a Powermatic 87, which is like the Powermatic 143, the wood metal version. The Powermatic 81 and 141 would be the 20 inch and 14 inch wood only versions respectively.

    If you are going to do mostly smaller work, the 141/143 is a very, very good saw. I know where a 143 is locally for a very good price, but I do not need another band saw at the moment, I have three and have use for all three.

    Biggest thing with buying an 81 or 87 is finding one at a reasonable price that has not been run to death. Mine was a school industrial arts machine before working in a blue grass fiddle shop...a lot of these 20 inch Powermatics were run hard and put away wet as it were in industrial settings.

    For roughly the same money you can find used Laguna 18 inch, used 20 inch Deltas, and quite a few Italian band saws in the 16-24 inch size.

    The other big thing with the Powermatic 20 inchers is that they are rather heavy,a bout a thousand pounds for the 81 and 1300 or so for the 87....
    Thank you for the reply.

    I think the PM 81 or PM 141 would fit the bill.

    Do you find the PM 87 to get pretty grimy cutting metal and wood? I'm not sure I'd want to cut wood and metal on the same saw.

  5. #5
    It has been probably a decade since this particular saw has cut metal, it is utilized as a wood only band saw in my shop.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,889
    If you buy any bandsaw make sure to take the table off before moving it. People try to lift by the table and the trunnions break off. They lay it down with the table supporting it and the trunnions break off. Or they get it into the trailer and strap it down over the table and the trunnions break off at the first turn.
    I have seen several good tablesaws for sale only problem was broken trunnions which are no longer available. I have also seen a numbe rod ads from people trying to buy used trunnions for a tablesaw. When I bought my disk sander one trunnion was cracked in two.
    Bill

  7. #7
    Quality levels can be predicted somewhat by the MSRP. My 1997 Catalog lists the following prices:

    $2600.00 Model 66 table saw
    $2000.00 Model 141 14" wood cutting band saw
    $3000.00 Model 143 14" metal-wood band saw
    $4600.00 Model 81 20" band saw
    $8700.00 Model 87 metal-wood cutting band saw
    $1800.00 Model 50 6" jointer
    $2200.00 Model 60 8" jointer
    $2600.00 Model 1150A 15" drill press

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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