Mobile bases...what do you like and why? For cabinet saw

Jim O'Dell

Member
Messages
2,783
Location
Between Aledo and Fort Worth, TX
Hi all! I read a thread at another forum that was talking about mobile bases, and there was no clear cut answer as to which ones work best. I'm afraid what I will need will have to be custom built, but for starters, what base(s) do you like best and why? Keep in mind, this will be for a cabinet saw with a 50" rip fence and therefore will have the extra legs to deal with. Brand, model #, and what you like/dislike. Jim.
 
if at all possible mount your saw tight on the floor jim, even if it means having to open the door to run 8' stock....i really disslike saws on wheels.
 
I'm with Tod. My first saw sat on the mobile base for a year and never moved. I now have no base. There have been a few threads on this and I think it breaks down sorta like this (please read as humor):

Almost no one likes the bases they have.
Those that do like them seem to fall into two categories:
- Those with really smooth floors.
- Those who spent close to the cost of the machine on the base.
An exception seems to be shop made bases particularly when using Zambus or Zambus clones (Some of us have pits in our floors that a Zambus could fall right into so we don't have to worry about the cost).
 
Jim

I love my mobile bases. If it wasn't for them I would get anything done.( not that I get much done as it is.) That said I hate bases that sit on the wheels when they are stable. Wheels like my Shopsmith have are the best I have. When retracted the let the Shopsmith sit on it base totally. My second favorite was one I made of angle iron that had very small wheels on the rear and a single plow wheel that was in front that was activated by a cam like device. I now mostly use 16 dollar bases I get from Homier Tools that are very similar to the one I built. They are a fixed size but I cut the square tubing and insert hardwood to extend them to the size I need. They have a little more flex than the one I built out of angle iron but work out pretty well. I usually try and keep one or two on hand for when I need one as they are so cheap(or were last time I bought. If I ever retire and have the time I am going to try and come up with something similar to the Shopsmith design where the legs retract completely.

One thing for sure they need to sit on something on all four corners and not rock when you try and use them. I find it easy to weld a coupling nut on and use a bolt to level all four corners if the wheels on the rear allow too much rocking.

I have many of my cabinets on wheels also..


Garry
 
No, I want it to sit on the floor off the wheels when not needing to move them. That's the thing I dislike about the bases I've seen. 2 wheels are always in contact with the floor. I want 4 pads hitting the floor, wheels off the floor when not needed to move the unit. That's why I really like the Herc-U-Lift mobility units. But that won't work on a cab saw.
That is the other reason that I'm guessing I will have to build my own base for this saw. I'm going to have to see if my friend Bob can still get some of the adjustable feet from Xerox since he is now retired. If so, maybe I can make something that will work. Might have to be a base to encompass the cabnet and the outrigger legs, with 4 crank down wheels for when mobility is needed.
Thanks for the input so far! If you have any ideas, let me know. Jim.
 
Gary, I have thought about using those. Same as the Zambus and Great Lakes casters. It actually has the thumb wheel that lets down the pad so that it's not resting on the wheel. So it would work within my requirements, as long as the pivot locks too. Thanks for the link! Jim
 
Gary, I have thought about using those. Same as the Zambus and Great Lakes casters. It actually has the thumb wheel that lets down the pad so that it's not resting on the wheel. So it would work within my requirements, as long as the pivot locks too. Thanks for the link! Jim
Jim, I have the Zambus casters on my lathe, and although the pivot doesn't lock, it's rock steady when it's on the pads. (That may be from the 600+ pounds of weight on the pads, though.)
 
Jim, I have the Zambus casters on my lathe, and although the pivot doesn't lock, it's rock steady when it's on the pads. (That may be from the 600+ pounds of weight on the pads, though.)

Because my shop filled up with so much STUFF and I didn't have much room to maneuver it anymore, I converted my MM-20 to the, uh..(whichever was the cheapest Great Lakes or Zambus, can't remember). Whichever they are, they work great.

For my PM-66, I built my own, because I wanted the saw sitting solid on the floor and solid adjusting bolts. At one time you could see the complete pictures another fellow's website, but his site has been gone for a long time now. Basically, I used square tubing and made a frame and bolted the saw onto it. I made my own leveling bolts attached to the base frame and installed a hinged bar at each end of the frame with a swiveling castor on each end of each bar. I just use a 3 or 4' bar to quickly lift one end at a time as the bar is forced down into position and locked.
You can see a little of one end of the base in a couple of pictures in my shop thread. The base runs the full length of the saw and extension table (52" Biese System") and it's legs. Doing it this way you can build it to use larger castors (like 3" or 4") if you have rough floors, but it sits SOLID on the floor, (not on it's wheels) for use.

Sorry I don't have any of the original pictures during the build, or before the saw was put on it, as I didn't have a digital camera then. The design could be cleaned up a bit, but I just built it as I went, instead of drawing it up first.:D
 
I too use those casters on my lathe, and they are very solid, the only way to be more solid would be for the legs to sit on the floor. They have a thumb wheel, but for my lathe that is only a fast adjustment, once the pads touch, the thumb wheel will not lift my lathe off the floor, without a lot of finger stress :D The great thing is they have a built in nut, that a 1/2" or 13mm wench fits (IIRC) and you can easily put the pads down enough to get the wheels off the floor, they only have to be just off the floor. Works well for leveling.

For the SawStop, I spent the extra money and ordered the mobile base, I don't know if it will work with your saw :dunno: but I understand it is one of the best bases built out there, yeah it is not cheap, but it looks well built, so you get what you pay for.

I found some pictures >> HERE <<

sawstop_mobile_base_3.jpg sawstop_mobile_base_4.jpg sawstop_mobile_base_2.jpg

sawstop_mobile_base_6.jpg sawstop_mobile_base_1.jpg sawstop_mobile_base_5.jpg

Sure it cost $299 but this is the mini review the guy who took the pictures put up....

There is no flex at all. It is really a great base. And don't feel too bad, I am sure you are not alone in purchasing twice. The SawStop base was not available when I bought my saw as well, so I had to replace too. This base is sooooo, much nicer than any of the others on the market. I have a small shop, and before it was a pain to move the saw out to cut larger pieces, now it takes about 30 seconds. Pump the foot pedal twice, move saw to position, and lower. Done! I am really glad I bought it. When you consider time, materials, and aggravation the base would take to construct, this base could not be reproduced/copied by an idividual for $299. So with that in mind, I consider it a bargain, especially when you consider, each time you use it, the cost decreases with time savings. Good Luck.

Just another option.

BTW, in case you are wondering why I need a mobile base, I want to be able to turn the saw 90 degrees to use the length of the shop, I can etc.

Cheers!
 
For the SawStop, I spent the extra money and ordered the mobile base, I don't know if it will work with your saw :dunno: but I understand it is one of the best bases built out there, yeah it is not cheap, but it looks well built, so you get what you pay for.
Cheers!

Looks like a good solid base Stu, but in the pictures it sure don't look it gives very much floor clearance, which would make it difficult to maneuver on a rough floor.:huh: The other thing is that it doesn't seem to have any provision for raising the extension table's legs, which might not be a problem with a 30" fence system, but I do wonder if it would be a problem with a 50" fence.:dunno:

Hope my fears are not justified, and it works well for you.:thumb:
 
I think it has no trouble raising the whole saw, even with the longer rails off the floor, or that is what I think I read :huh: :dunno:

The floor in the middle of the Dungeon, if fairly smooth, and the saw is only going to be rotated or slipped sideways a max of 2 feet, so I think it will work out well.

Cheers!
 
I switched out my Powermatic mobile base for an HTC HPS-10-EX base a couple weekends ago and it feels really solid when locked. It's got floor jacks (comes with one & I ordered a 2nd) that raise it off the floor at the pivot wheel end and brake llocks on the fixed wheels. I need to make a cabinet/support for installing a steel router extension table and my old base was just for the saw cabinet so I had to get something longer. It feels a bit more secure when locked, but the original PM base does roll smoother. The HTC isn't bad, but I think the wheels on the PM base may be better.
 
I too have the SawStop base and it is a good one. The one drawback is that all four wheels don't swivel (I hate that).

I used a set of Woodcraft retracting casters on my 14" Delta Bandsaw and they work great. All four wheels swivel and the machine sets on its own pads.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=141550&FamilyID=3703


Possibly you have an older SawStop base?

From their website....

Designed exclusively for the SawStop Industrial Cabinet Saw footprint
  • Supports saw and extension table
  • No additional extension hardware required
  • 1000 lb capacity
  • Mobility in any direction
  • Four 360° high performance casters
  • No flimsy wheel brakes
  • Non-marring polyurethane wheels
  • When disengaged, the saw rests firmly on the ground distributing weight directly to the floor, not the wheels
  • Three quick pumps of the foot pedal raises the saw
  • A light press on the release safely lowers the saw
  • Fully welded solid 1/4" steel construction / black powder coat
  • High performance full ball bearing casters
:dunno:

I have to agree with you, having four swiveling casters is MUCH better than only two.
 
Mobile bases...what do you like and why? For cabinet saw

Stu,

When you get your saw and base, would you please post (or send me) some clear pictures of the base before you install it on your saw? Thanks.

Aloha, Tony

P.S. Did you decide on the step?
 
I have an HTC base for my jointer, the heculite systeim on my TS.
Id think the HTC base for TS is similar.
Although all 4 wheels dont swivel, I find it moves easy enough, completely seats the unit on the floor when ready, and makes it very managable to put away.
(you just need enough room to work it around since both sets of wheels dont swivel, but my floor is bumpy, and it handles it)
 
Top