Just curious if anyone knows if these saws are made in the US, or offshore? Specifically the G0444, their low-end model. It's not a determining factor in choosing one, but I lean towards buying domestic where possible.
They are offshore - China and Taiwan.
Frankly a lot of the "domestics" are either coming from the same area or a significant amount of their content is from the east. I have a Powermatic
45 jointer upstairs that came from the same neighborhood - still a good tool.I spent quite a bit of time comparing the 1023S tablesaw with its JET and Unisaw counterparts. The 1023 was my choice. Frankly the new Unisaws are not the machines they once were. They are still a pretty good machine for those willing to pay a $400 or $500 premium (or more). When I bought mine I couldn't find a "bare Unisaw" without extensions and othere accessories that took the package price to the $1,600 range. I bought mine bare for $875 with shipping. If I had added the extended rails and table it would have been in the $1,200 range. Griz sells direct and is cheaper.
This was before recent price increases on all of them.
RonB
Grizzly has often featured their quality control folks at the factories in Taiwan in their catalogs. They have imported most of their tools for many years and are noted for it.
All of the major table saws are made in Taiwan at this point; Jet, Grizzly, Powermatic, Delta, etc.
The only ones made in North America I have seen are from General. Made in Canada. The prices are about 2000 for a 3hp, Baldor motor, heavy trunions and the like, but not quite as nice as the Powermatic for the same price.
It's getting harder and harder to find big tools made in North America, and with the quality of machines made over seas going way up, maybe harder to care.
Andrew
AFAIK they're all made in Taiwan.
If it will have any influence on your decision, I currently own Grizz
8" jointer, edge sander, cabinet saw and 15" planer. The jointer and edge sander are several years old (10 at least) and the fit/finish on them is a bit rough, but functionally they perform perfectly. The planer and cabinet saw are just several months old, fit/finish is much improved and functionally they're as good as anything else I've seen out there.It seems the majority of Grizz owners are quite happy.
And they have good support too. Some of the traditional USA brands are losing their traditional support. And their reputations. If you want good tools, you need both a good tool to begin with and good support also.
And grizzly does well with telephone and parts support. This is often much quicker and chaeaper than the alternative.
Maybe they should call them pandas instead of Grizzlys. Thanks.
America,
The Powermatic 66 is still made in the U.S., LaVergne, TN.
The General 350/650 is still made in Quebec, Canada.
Barry
"The only ones made in North America I have seen are from General. Made in Canada. The prices are about 2000 for a 3hp, Baldor motor, heavy trunions and the like, but not quite as nice as the Powermatic for the same price."
I'll take the General over the Powermatic any day - fit, finish, mass, design... Maybe someday Powermatic will have a metal side cover...
Both excellent saws, but with the lid off, the PM 66 is more massy. Trunnions are considerably heavier.
Everything I have read online and from talking to a dealer in town indicates the PM66 is made in Taiwan. There might be some letter combination still made in the states, but the ones around 2k are all imports.
Andrew
Powermatic (800-274-6848 ) states the 66 is, in fact, made in the USA. Some of the auxilliary pieces may be farmed out, but not the saw itself.
That's really weird. I watched them assembled in LaVergne last year. Things do change, but at the time, I was told there were NO plans to change. Parts are outsourced, or were at that time, but for an area about 150 miles around the plant. It's a flagship model, and relatively few are sold, the system is in place, so the company is losing little to produce the 15-20 or so a day in the U.S.
Yeah, That is odd. I am in the market for a new cabinet saw and was told by Barbo Machinery in Portland Or, that the 66 was made in Taiwan.
Makes it all the more appealing that it's made in the US.
Hopefully they are wrong on that one, sorry for any confusion.
Andrew
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