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New Powermatic

F

Frank Kobilsek

Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
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Location
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Watching from home today but Powermatic unveiled a 4224 lathe today at the Symposium. Check out their website with great video, brochures and offers. I can't find a price but who cares, it great that the launch was at AAW Symposium.

Frank
 
I do see one item on the new Powermatic that struck me as an extremely useful, damage limiting, and potentially protecting life and limb. It is this:

Magnetic-backed remote on/off switch can be moved anywhere on the machine
Click to expand...

The remote "kill button" is something a few of the manufacturers have incorporated into the design, but I believe all manufacturers should consider this option. I see the stop button is oversized......also a very good thing for shutting down the machine in an emergency when attention may not be focused on the button itself.......

I have personally designed and built an oversized stop button on my Minarik Control box......here, the only method to stop was a simple toggle switch......difficult to locate and, potentially a hazard during an emergency.

ooc
 
odie said:
The remote "kill button" is something a few of the manufacturers have incorporated into the design, but I believe all manufacturers should consider this option. I see the stop button is oversized......also a very good thing for shutting down the machine in an emergency when attention may not be focused on the button itself.......

ooc
Click to expand...

Odie, I agree on having a remote switch with a bigoted button.
most high end lathes have a movable switch because it is a feature the customers appreciate.
These are essential for anyone doing hollowing

Our ONEWAYS and a General 260 have a moveable switch on a magnetic base. Robust has a similar switch.
The main pendulum switch on the ONEWAY can also be positioned at the headstock or the tailstock.

All lathes should have a big red off button.

Al
 
Very exciting to see a new lathe, but I find the price amazing - $7500. Although it is apparently larger/more capable than the 3520B, I don't see that it is twice the price bigger and more capable....it is closer to a nice metal lathe price. I was thinking more like John's estimate. Besides, it is manufactured in China, right! I personally don't see PM selling many of these when there are several other manufacturers selling for less (at least not if all lathe buyers were to have my mind set🙂). The other thing that gets me is the focus on ever larger lathes. I would like to see more than one manufacturer build a really high quality/capable 12"-16" x 38"-42" lathe with a manageable price tag. And that someone isn't China. Walter Meier has the best thing going in that range right now in my view, but even they have room for price vs. quality improvement. I was looking forward to a big deal from PM when I got their e-mail weeks ago, but I can't say my expectations were met. Nice lathe, but I guess I was expecting something that would be more for the average woodturner.
 
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Matt Lewis said:
The other thing that gets me is the focus on ever larger lathes. I would like to see more than one manufacturer build a really high quality/capable 12"-16" x 38"-42" lathe with a manageable price tag.
Click to expand...

Matt..... My thinking is very much similar to yours, but I can remember at one time I thought I needed a 24" swing. I think it's safe to say the majority of the more seasoned, or experienced turners tend to go for something in the middle range.......like your suggestion of 12" to 16" swing in a high quality lathe......this is the most useful range, to be sure. I might bump that up a tad and suggest going up to 18", or 20".

I'd be willing to bet Powermatic will sell a lot of these new 4224's, though. It's doubtful that a large established lathe company is going to bring something like this to market, unless the research indicates there will be buyers.......and, I think the buyers are definitely there! IMHO, the great majority of these buyers will be newer, and more inexperienced turners who don't have a lot of "hind sight" when it comes to buying a high-end lathe that will fill all their needs......all they know is they want something bigger and better quality than what they have. The mindset is: The bigger, the better, because it "covers all the bases".

Powermatic will be happy to take their money! 😀

ooc
 
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Personal choice................

as usual will determine the market for this machine. I'm sure the electronics and h.p. among other additions are a welcome improvement for some. I am happy with my 3520, even with the recent inverter setback, but find I rarely utilize its full capacity. I can't envision needing one that's larger.
Jake
 
odie said:
I'd be willing to bet Powermatic will sell a lot of these new 4224's, though. It's doubtful that a large established lathe company is going to bring something like this to market, unless the research indicates there will be buyers.......and, I think the buyers are definitely there! IMHO, the great majority of these buyers will be newer, and more inexperienced turners who don't have a lot of "hind sight" when it comes to buying a high-end lathe that will fill all their needs......all they know is they want something bigger and better quality than what they have. The mindset is: The bigger, the better, because it "covers all the bases".

Powermatic will be happy to take their money! 😀

ooc
Click to expand...

You could be right. Now, if this lathe had a pattern maker's carriage, which it should for the price, I might be one of the buyers.

Regards,

Matt
 
For the size, it's not really out of line with the other lathes of comparable specs.Lathe prices have been increasing. Look at the price of a VB36 now. Well over $10k. Stubby prices have increased. Oneway's have increased. Not sure on the Robust but if you haven't noticed the price of Steel has increased. I'd venture to say that if it was at $6999 then people would consider it a pretty good deal. You know they will run sales that will put the price in the $6800-$7000 price range also.
 
I have a few pic of it in the vendor page of the AAW 2012 pics. Trent and I talked with Nick (and the Chinese engineer, sorry, name escapes me) for a bit on it. I was actually a bit impressed. The indexing is innovative, but I see some issues with pinch points. The sliding headstock lock is now a double (kudos), and the built in vacuum generator (venturi?) was more quiet than I could ever have imagined. And they have improved (their) banjo toolrest lock, but it looks more complicated and could get fouled with shavings, than it needs to be.
 
Steve:

Nick Cook told me that it IS a venturi vacuum generator, and I also was impressed how quiet it was. There is a built-in vacuum gauge in the headstock; I didn't see the air-bleeder adjustment to regulate the level of vacuum, but there is a 90 degree twist-action rotary switch in the headstock to turn the vacuum on and off. As long as there are in-line filters, This probably would work OK. I still have some issues with venturi vacuum generators for chucking applications.

Great to see you at the symposium!

Rob
 
I was just looking at the photos. does it not have a handwheel. I'm assuming the index wheel is on the outboard side. I love a handwheel. The tool rest lock looks very secure. It will be interesting to see if it fouls with shavings. Doesn't really matter to me I suppose because that kind of money is out of my league but I love looking at top of the line gear.
 
john lucas said:
I was just looking at the photos. does it not have a handwheel. I'm assuming the index wheel is on the outboard side. I love a handwheel. The tool rest lock looks very secure. It will be interesting to see if it fouls with shavings. Doesn't really matter to me I suppose because that kind of money is out of my league but I love looking at top of the line gear.
Click to expand...

me thinks the index wheel is the hand wheel.

I knew it was a venturi, but put a ? there for some odd reason. but for that type of generator, it was really quiet.
 
john lucas said:
I was just looking at the photos. does it not have a handwheel. I'm assuming the index wheel is on the outboard side. I love a handwheel. The tool rest lock looks very secure. It will be interesting to see if it fouls with shavings. Doesn't really matter to me I suppose because that kind of money is out of my league but I love looking at top of the line gear.
Click to expand...

It looks like the two opposing sides of the tool rest base are meant to flex slightly to secure the tool rest post. This might make for a little more secure hold on the post.....or at least MY posts, because they are not all exactly the same size. The slotted base ought to accommodate a little variance in tool post diameters a little better.........

Regardless of this, the variance in diameters has never been a problem for me.......

.......or, am I assuming something that isn't so about the method of securing the tool rest post on the new Powermatic....?

ooc
 
Odie I've seen a lot of things clamped that way on other machinery and it really works well. I have had a problem with other brand tool posts slipping slightly with my 3520A so the extra clamping surface of the new style of rest would be welcome.
Rob I'm curious about your comment on Venturi style. Granted the early venturi style systems were loud and needed a lot of air volume. The newer one designed for wood turning (having a brain fart and can't remember the name) is quiet and does not require a huge compressor to run it. They do have the advantage of not shuting off immediately if you lose electric power. although rare that did happen to me one evening and trying to duck a flying bowl when you can't even see it was not fun.
 
New Powermatic 4224B lathe

I bought the new 4224B powermatic lathe and reported my experience on this forum. http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=9661

Venturi? Yes! Quiet? Yes!

Made in China? Taiwan and the engineer was present at the Symposium.

Five years in study to produce this lathe.

Do I like it? I'm not fond of the price, it is a lot of money, but I love this lathe. I feel I can do just about anything. It has some excellent features not found on other brands.

Sometimes, one who spends a large sum of money on anything, will say they are happy and review it very positively because they don't want to appear as someone who, shall I say, made a bad buying decision. It happens! Well, that isn't the case with me. I feel the 4224B is worth the price and I am truly happy I bought it.

Regards, Doug
 
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