After consideration of your very helpful input, the gracious offer of one member to come look at his MM16, and lots of reflection I decided to order the Grizzly G-0636X. It met all of my criteria at the lowest cost - by far. I also have a friend who has one so I got a chance to look at it in the flesh. It was extremely well designed and built, so as long as Grizzly had not substantially changed the machine in the 7 years he's had his I felt confident it would meet my needs - IF I could get it into my basement shop.
I ordered the machine on a Wednesday and it arrived the following Tuesday via UPS Freight.
The driver graciously agreed to leave it on the pallet jack so we could pull it up to my garage, 120 ft away.
A friend and I uncrated it and then two friends and I pulled it under my garage door using a winch on the back of my car through a snatch block I screwed to the ledger plate of my house.
I won't bother you with all the details. Suffice to say it was quite an undertaking to get it down my basement stairs. I used winches and a chain fall instead of muscle power to make the process as easy and safe as possible. To lighten the 620 lb load, I first removed the wheel covers, wheels, and table. I tried to remove the motor, too, but could not remove the set screws that hold the drive pulley to the motor shaft. I soaked them in penetrating oil overnight to no avail, so I had little choice but to leave the motor on. How do you remove those set screws? I suspect they were installed with some kind of permanent Loctite product.
Turning the saw around the corner to basement stair way as I knew it would be. But we finally managed it and down the stairway it went, on its back, lowered with a chain fall in the top of the stair well.
Once at the bottom of the stairs I put it on the mobile base.
From there it was easy to wheel into my shop, where I put the parts I had removed back on.
No injuries to body or machine. Now I just have to bring power and dust collection to it. I'm very impressed with design and build quality of the machine. The fit and finish is first rate. It meets all my expectations and I think it will be a pleasure to use. I bought a 1.3 Woodmaster CT for it and I'm looking forward to sawing some 12" wide veneer with it.
Thanks again for you thoughtful input.
John
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Originally Posted by Mike Berti
