brianb Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 Hi All, I have been using a contractor saw for about 5 years now and finally have the space and savings to step up to something better. I'm looking at used 3 hp Cabinet saws and am probably going either PM 66 or Unisaw direction. I'm still weighing my options there, but not concerned with that right now. My concern is around getting the saw in the door (then down about 6 steps, then back up those steps some time in the future). Both saws will fit through the door long ways if I remove the extension tables, but I'm wondering about the weight. Would I be able to walk one of these saws (550-650 lbs) with a hand truck (and a few drafted assistants), or am I going to have to hold off on this until my shop is on the ground floor? I'm also wondering about having it on a mobile base. As I said, I have the space, but not unlimited and I will likely need to move it on occasion when working on larger projects. Is there a mobile base that would allow me to do this, or is this a recipe for frustration in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenskye Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 Portamate makes good mobile bases, and there is nothing wrong with having saw on a mobile base as long as it can be locked in place. If it is a straight shot down the stairs, I would take off as much weight as you can, strap it to the hand truck and have someone up top holding a rope to help in case of a slip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 I think you can do it, but you're going to want to make sure you have the right kind of hand truck. Make sure it's the heaviest duty kind you can find, with load straps and rubber stair-rollers (or whatever those are called). Also you will definitely want to remove the table-top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 Disassemble, take down piece by piece. -Ace- 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 1 minute ago, BonPacific said: Make sure it's the heaviest duty kind you can find, with load straps and rubber stair-rollers (or whatever those are called) What you want is an appliance dolly, don't try to just strap it to a regular hand truck. Rent an appliance dolly and you should be fine. Like Brian mentioned there are some real nice mobile bases out there designed for power tools. Once you zero in on a Brand of saw contact them and ask for recommendations. My SawStop has a mobile base that is sort of built right into it and the wheels are off the ground when not in use so it makes it real solid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 Beer and a lot of buddies normally works for me - not necessarily in that order. Disassemble as much as you can first though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 9 minutes ago, Chet K said: What you want is an appliance dolly, That's the name I was looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 38 minutes ago, AceHoleInOne said: Disassemble, take down piece by piece. -Ace- This. You're going to want to get into the guts to clean, repair, adjust & whatever anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianb Posted February 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 4 minutes ago, drzaius said: This. You're going to want to get into the guts to clean, repair, adjust & whatever anyway. That's a great point. Any tips/suggestions for maintenance items on these saws, or cabinet saws in general? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 2 minutes ago, brianb said: That's a great point. Any tips/suggestions for maintenance items on these saws, or cabinet saws in general? The bearings may need replacing. I've never done that, but I've heard it's not that difficult. But things will definitely need cleaning & lubing. The gears for raising & tilting the arbor get pretty gunked up with age. What to lube with is a whole discussion itself. I use wheel bearing grease & have found that I only have to clean it off & re-grease every few years. Check the belts & replace if needed. There are lots of videos on calibrating a saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotscott Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 With the fence, top, wings and handwheels removed, it shouldn't weigh all that much, so it should be manageable. You can also remove the motor to shave even more weight, and even the trunnion assembly if you're concerned about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 Yup, it won't be fun, but disassemble what you can and always duty dolly will get it done. I moved my 400 lb saw from the garage through my yard, down a hill, and into my walkout by myself. Not at all fun and I had more than one crap my pants moments, but I got it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted February 7, 2017 Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 Go to a rental store and get a "stair walking" appliance dolly. You just push a button and it "walks" heavy appliances up or down stairs. I helped install a 700 lb wood stove once. No lifting; just balance it as it crawled up the stairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwk5017 Posted February 7, 2017 Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 Ive stripped a few unisaws, and one dude can handle the base cabinet and trunnion without too much difficulty. I would say the top with a CI extension wing weighs as much as the motor which weighs as much as the base cabinet. If you break it down into 3-4 chunks, each one weighs less than 100lbs. Cabinet saws are pretty easy to move. Like everyone said, you need the top off to switch belts and bearings, so you are costing yourself a ton of extra time by breaking it all down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianb Posted February 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 2 minutes ago, Pwk5017 said: Ive stripped a few unisaws, and one dude can handle the base cabinet and trunnion without too much difficulty. I would say the top with a CI extension wing weighs as much as the motor which weighs as much as the base cabinet. If you break it down into 3-4 chunks, each one weighs less than 100lbs. Cabinet saws are pretty easy to move. Like everyone said, you need the top off to switch belts and bearings, so you are costing yourself a ton of extra time by breaking it all down. This seems to be the consensus, I wasn't sure how difficult it would be to disassemble, but as you said I'll need it off to go through the belts and what not. Thanks everyone else for the input, very valuable stuff here. 16 hours ago, drzaius said: The bearings may need replacing. I've never done that, but I've heard it's not that difficult. But things will definitely need cleaning & lubing. The gears for raising & tilting the arbor get pretty gunked up with age. What to lube with is a whole discussion itself. I use wheel bearing grease & have found that I only have to clean it off & re-grease every few years. Check the belts & replace if needed. There are lots of videos on calibrating a saw. Thanks, once I get it I'll have to dig into this deeper. 17 hours ago, Woodenskye said: Portamate makes good mobile bases, and there is nothing wrong with having saw on a mobile base as long as it can be locked in place. If it is a straight shot down the stairs, I would take off as much weight as you can, strap it to the hand truck and have someone up top holding a rope to help in case of a slip. Thanks, I wasn't sure if portamate bases were heavy duty enough, but it seems I should be able to find one that will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwk5017 Posted February 7, 2017 Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 It's dead simple. You have four bolts that hold the table to the cabinet. After that, the unisaw has a bolt and a pin that hold the motor in place. You need two people to take this motor off. I know you can do it solo with some blocks of wood, but that sounded sketchy to me. Too easy to drop 70lb motor on your foot or damage it. The pin can be a royal pain to get off after 30+ years of remaining in place. Im by no means a mechanical person. I change my oil, spark plugs, and air filters--thats about it on my car. I did 3 saws top to bottom and it had its frustrating moments, but nothing was beyond my basic abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianb Posted February 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2017 On 2/7/2017 at 9:29 AM, Pwk5017 said: It's dead simple. You have four bolts that hold the table to the cabinet. After that, the unisaw has a bolt and a pin that hold the motor in place. You need two people to take this motor off. I know you can do it solo with some blocks of wood, but that sounded sketchy to me. Too easy to drop 70lb motor on your foot or damage it. The pin can be a royal pain to get off after 30+ years of remaining in place. Im by no means a mechanical person. I change my oil, spark plugs, and air filters--thats about it on my car. I did 3 saws top to bottom and it had its frustrating moments, but nothing was beyond my basic abilities. Thanks for the outline, I think i'll be good to go. I'm sure 'll be back here once I get started, but I now have a plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted February 12, 2017 Report Share Posted February 12, 2017 Would you folks recommend the same approach, dissasemble and move the pieces, if the table saw is brand new? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Would you folks recommend the same approach, dissasemble and move the pieces, if the table saw is brand new? For a tool that heavy? You betcha! Better to grumble through the re-assembly, than to curse a broken tool (or bone)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Take pictures all through disassembly! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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