When we look at jointers, there are a couple of tests at the top of our list, and this model aces them all. First, it’s got a generous 8-inch wide bed, and you can’t do better than that. But icing on the cake is the bed’s luxuriously long 82 inches, giving you absolute support and accuracy on the infeed side. We like the way the infeed table travels up and down; instead of a handwheel, you just loosen the locking lever and move the long-handled table adjustment arm. Leverage is our friend, and there’ll be no more skinned knuckles! Lock the lever again and you’re ready to cut. When you want to cut rabbets – a beautifully simple job on this jointer -- override the 1/8-inch depth limit by turning the control knob. Twist it again to re-engage this feature. The outfeed table adjusts to knife height easily, should your jointer not retain its factory setting during shipment. It’s worth checking.
We like this fence best of all the competitors for a couple of reasons. There’s a non-marring insert in the fence contacts that prevent scratching the infeed and outfeed tables while you’re adjusting it. The fence rides smoothly across the beds and locks easily. But its best trick is tilting 45 degrees – both forward and backward, giving you a total angle to the back of 135 degrees for beveling. And instead of grasping the whole fence to tilt it, this one moves beautifully by handwheel.
The three-knife cutterhead should be perfectly adjusted from the factory, but to be safe, we recommend checking it before running any stock. The head turns at 7,000 rpm, giving you 21,000 cuts per minute and a super-smooth surface.
The final feature that won our admiration is the placement of the power switch. You’ll find it below the infeed bed on most jointers, but on this Powermatic, it’s positioned on its own arm above the infeed table. We like this spot best for safety’s sake – a jointer is a beautiful machine, but with just a little operator error, it has the potential to maim. Having the power switch in the open just makes good safety sense.
We recognize that a jointer like this is a big investment, but we trust the Powermatic name for quality, reliability and a long life. You won’t regret this purchase. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste
