POWERMATIC PM1000 Cabinet Saw (1791001K)

The 465-lb PM1000 features a 1-¾ hp motor locked in with beefy trunnions.  Many workhorse cabinet saws include 3hp or more; despite the smaller motor and cabinet size, this offering from POWERMATIC punches above its weight class with performance that rivals larger saws.  The precision-ground cast iron table features beveled edges for a more comfortable experience.  Large 7” iron wheels tackle blade adjustments.  One wheel controls blade height while the other controls blade tilt.  We like this arrangement much more than the competing single-wheeled designs because tilt adjustments dedicated to their own wheel are much less finicky.

Miter gauges tend to be afterthoughts from tool manufacturers, but POWERMATIC designed a quality gauge that has some adjustment features not found in many other units.  Thick, metal components prevent flex during usage and angle adjustments are made via a knob that allows the user to quickly and accurately dial in adjustments.  No more tapping or forcing a miter gauge this way and that in a hopeless endeavor to nail down your desired angle.  The gauge handle also serves as the tightening mechanism once the desired angle is achieved.  Levers on either end unlock the sliding miter gauge fence so that the distance from gauge to blade can be optimized for all manner of cutting operations.

The Accu-Fence system from POWERMATIC sets the standard for table saw fences.  The heft behind the fence eliminates flex or chatter.  A large handle confidently locks the unit in place after adjustments are made.  UHMW plastic used for the fence faces provides a frictionless surface that won’t impede stock feed rates.  The PM1000 comes in two flavors: The 1791000 has a 30” rip capacity and the 1791001 extends the table surface by nearly two feet for a total rip capacity of 52”. 

Safety enhancements include POWERMATIC’s innovative blade guard system.  Visibility is excellent and the guard’s unique actuating movement ensures an even (and minimal) gap between the blade and guard at all blade heights.  Accidental cuts are minimized since the guard system nearly enshrouds the blade.  The power button is massive and located at thigh-level so the saw can be turned off with a bump of a hip or a knee.  This seems like an insignificant feature but temporarily allocating a hand to turn off a spinning saw blade momentarily decreases control over the workpiece.  Accidents can only take fractions of moments to occur so the thoughtful design of the power button is a plus for us.

A large 4” dust port is located at the bottom of the rear cabinet face.  The combination of port and insert design keeps dust spray to a minimum.  The arbor lock is located near but reasonable away from the blade.  The push-button design of the arbor lock is intuitive and simplifies blade changes.  A riving knife is also standard and provides the mounts for the blade guard system.

Note that this is not an out-of-the-box saw like jobsite saws from the big box store.  The PM1000 comes in a half dozen boxes and will require several hours to assemble.  Also note that the saw does not ship with a blade.  We recommend a 60T blade such as the Freud Thin Kerf Finish Blade or Diablo D1060X.