Minimax CU300 gloat and questions

[Curtis Horswill]

I bought a 2003 CU300 smart at an auction today for what I think is a great price. I have only seen pictures so far, I was bidding by phone. Can someone give me dimensions of the unit so I can see if it will fit on my trailer? It has the 5.5 foot slider. Is it reasonably easy to disassemble it some to aid in loading? How would you lift it onto a trailer assuming no forklift available?

[Loren Woirhaye]

There's a hydraulic sort of piano dolly called a Rol-a-lift. You can rent them in pairs.

If you dismantle a machine like that it's likely to take quite some time to put back together and get lined up. If it's already set up correctly you'll save a lot of time by moving it in one piece.

[Peter Kelly]

A Johnson Bar and a set of skates are probably the better choice for moving a CU300. I think a Rol-a-Lift would get awkward with a machine that size and layout.

[Frank Martin]

When I bought mine, the former owner and I were able to get it on a low trailer. We did not disassembly anything beyond the easily removable parts, such as the outrigger, saw and jointer fences, etc. Make sure the jointer tables are locked down and do not lift or move using the jointer tables. If you really want to make it easier then rent a cherry picker and lift and load it onto a trailer. Basically not a big deal and fairly easy. In my case, the former owner was super nice and extremely helpful which was the icing on the cake.

[Albert Lee]

Congrats on the new machine! Minimax build quality machines if I am given the opportunity again I will definitely get myself a Minimax cu410 elite....

[Michael Roberts]

If the machine isn't too far away, consider hiring a flat bed wrecker. Put the machine on skates and then have the driver winch it up. I've moved my CU410 Elite twice that way with no issues.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Take the outrigger off, it quick attaches and will take all to 20 seconds, swing the support over to the machine and you'll have a surprisingly small package to deal with. It'll actually be smaller than a normal cabinet saw. Look at my user page to see some dimensional pics of my Felder, it's similarly sized. Nice score!

[David Kumm]

I'm not a big fan of transporting a slider with the table on unless going very short distances. At least lightly tap a couple of shims between the table and sub frame so the top doesn't vibrate on the bearings. A nick in the bearing ways will annoy you forever. Some home depots rent drop deck trailers which take all the hassle out of machine moving. Dave

[Rich Enders]

The CU300 is about 4 feet wide, about 7 feet long, and 3 feet high. I sort of recall that it is 1300 lbs. At the base it is shorter. At the top of the control end the slider in lock position sticks out about 1.5 feet, and at the opposite end the jointer infeed table protrudes about one foot. Happy woodworking.

[Curtis Horswill]

Thanks for the info everyone. I am going to get it next Sat. Trying to decide if it will fit on my utility trailer which will just fit a 4x8 sheet of ply. Otherwise I have access to a 14 foot enclosed trailer. I have a folding engine hoist, so lifting it is an option. I have not found a rental place that has a drop bed trailer yet, this would be the easiest option. Hopefully everything is in good working order, sort of a gamble buying it sight unseen, but I only had to give $2200 for it. Can't wait to get it home.

[Erik Loza]

The factory uses a couple of steel tabs that are bolted from the endcaps of the slider to the chassis, to preven the slider from coming loose and beating itself up during transport. These could easily be made out of some mending plates or something.

Good luck.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA