New/old vs old/new... or battle of the golds... WARNING

Noise, vibration, overall smoothness of operation.
Well, the powermatic has a standard 3 blade head. It is loud, it vibrates, the belt is older. It also has a dust collection area, I assume that does something. The craftsman is smooth, quiet, so quiet in fact, I forgot to turn it off while I was goofing around. Did not even know it was on… So, the winner is POWERMATIC. We are wood men… not some sophisticated wimp! I want noise, I want vibrations, I want chatter…I want to know I can take my fingers off in a split second. Category goes to POWERMATIC! (yes, a joke, the craftsman is unbelievable smooth)
Depth of cut/ stall/ etc….
Well, the 3 blade cutter is a gnarling, vibrating, loud, hot mess… so I snuk up on 1/4”. It did not big… it was just a 2×4 stud. I did not hesitate wqith the craftsman… cranked it down and let it eat. Went through a knot with the craftsman…. that is where the craftsman lost again. Instead of pitching the knot at my head at 100 mmillion miles an hour, it cut right through it… loss craftsman…

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

Lastly, weight, ease of use, overall quality, and what will still be running in 50 years. Well, the powermatic is on wheels. It is easier to roll away and put back in the corner. The fence is honestly way better on the PM… but the fence is about it. Dust collection… I’m not doing anything in my kitchen… I use it, blow the stuff out the door… but obviously the craftsman has nothing.
Overall, with the shelix head, the craftsman beats the PM hands down, in every way.. but is anyone surprised? It has a new head… it is also 75 years old.. that means it was built by men, with pride, to last.
The pm… built by ?? with $$ in mind, to fail to be replaced in 10 years. It ain’t the old pm.

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

I guess really 65… if it was from mid 50’s… I can’t add.
Stay tuned… I will compare grandpas hand plane to my pm100!

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

I get it, and did think it was funny. Interesting as well….just don’t compare anything to the Craftsman tools of today!

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

Highly amusing, and the funniest bit was- “obamanation!”

-- WWBBJ: It is better to be interesting and wrong, than boring and right.

My first jointer was a craftsman with fixed outfeed table. I hated it . Used the machine up to the day the knives flew out and destroyed the head and gibs.
Adding a insert head to what I’ve called a boat anchor take some sand. Good Job.

-- Aj

You will have to find your own dead grandpa to get one, though

Nearly spit my coffee on the screen on this one. Great read…I find the Craftsman slightly less ugly. Something about the PM color just bugs me. Don’t get me wrong I’d proudly have either in my shop but still the PM mustard yellow is just rough on the eyes to me.

My first jointer was a craftsman with fixed outfeed table. I hated it . Used the machine up to the day the knives flew out and destroyed the head and gibs.
Adding a insert head to what I’ve called a boat anchor take some sand. Good Job.

- Aj2

That must have been an earlier version. This one has 3 leveling jacks. Cuts like a dream. Zero snipe. It is truly awesome.
This is the 103.20660. Part 82 is one of the jacks, the other two are right at the rear of the cutter. The shelix guy and the guy I ordered it from both told me it was non adjustable. I had to send them a pic of the manual and a photo.
Couldn’t get manual… here are the jacks, or where they go.

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

If I was reading correctly, many had issues with the pm table sagging. That might have been the longer tables… but it took some cleaning, gib adjustment, etc. The craftsman was quick.
Pic of craftsman before I touched it.

(oops, had started on the table)

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

OH… Safety… I forgot the safety category. One of the most important.
Well, the PM has a guard very similar to the craftsman. The craftsman clearly shows it’s character by the exposed belt, little cutterhead guard, and it only had a toggle switch on the motor originally… yes, mounted on the motor.. right next to the belt.. so
CRAFTSMAN WINNER. …. I’m a man… I don’t need all my fingers. Safety is for wimps and people that can’t count to 10 without their fingers.

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

You will have to find your own dead grandpa to get one, though

Nearly spit my coffee on the screen on this one. Great read…I find the Craftsman slightly less ugly. Something about the PM color just bugs me. Don t get me wrong I d proudly have either in my shop but still the PM mustard yellow is just rough on the eyes to me.

- sansoo22

I chuckled and hoped no one would be offended. We all end up dead. He was a good man. He led a good life… he is still dead. One does not diminish the other.
I also agree on slightly less ugly… but only slightly.. when I rebuild a machine (an overused term), I strip it to the bones, use epoxy automotive primer, then usually a single stage urethane paint. Regular automotive stuff. It will outlast me, easily. Pretty easy to spray.. at least I am getting better, and I don’t have to work on it every time I want to use it.
The pm100 I am working on here and there is the green color, thankfully. It already has got a table mill, slides or whatever milled, and quick primer of most parts. I think it will be show quality smooth, though.

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.

That’s still a fixed outfeed table. I know about the adjustments under the table.
To me the jointer with the longest flattest table wins. Straight knives with a adjustable outfeed.
Powermatics are screamers they spin faster then the deltas.
Your post reads like your having tons of fun. Thumbs up here.:)

-- Aj

I read through and just have one thing to say.

-- Think safe, be safe

Very well done, and entertaining….thanks for taking the time!

-- Mike

Maybe I misunderstood fixed out feed table… I assumed that meant, not adjustable, cast in place, as is… by fixed, you mean it does not readily raise and lower via a crank, like the PM..
Hmmm.. See, I wasn’t lying.. I am no woodworker. What purpose, or why would one want an adjustable outfeed? I just made outfeed in the same plane as infeed, and top of cutter same… that is zero. Lower infeed, cutter doesn’t lower, cuts, board slides on outfeed…
When I saw the PM outfeed was on the big gib/ slide deal I thought that was idiotic… of course the table will sag… I am about to learn something.
Also, used 6 times in my 50 years might have been a lie.. it might have been less. It was in the basement of the house I was born, raised, bought and just recently sold since 74 or 75. I was born in 68. I have walked past it a time or two!

-- I am no woodworker. I am a hack trying to do something to amuse me.