Mobile Base choices dilemma

[Mark Rios]

Can someone direct me toward a comparison of mobile bases? I'm going to have to buy one for the time being for my unisaw and I'm overwhelmed at the choices available. I need it to be pretty heavy duty as I will need to be moving the saw a couple of times per day. Sometimes I will need to roll over some bigger bumps/cracks so the wheels (bearings) should be pretty tough.

Any ideas, suggestions or opinions?

Thanks very much for your info and advice.



EDIT: This application would be for a regular base, not one with a long set of rails. Thanks again.

[glenn bradley]

While pricey, HTC makes various levels of bases for a given machine. Kinda like: light use, heavy use, miltary spec., etc.

[Mark Rios]

Thanks Glenn. I'll give those a closer look. I'm looking for a top quality (read most durable) base. These may fit the bill.

Do the levels that you mention have any certain distinguishing nomenclature, i.e. grade 1, 2, 3, etc?

[Vaughn McMillan]

Dunno if it's any help for something like a Uni, but I've got an HTC base on my 6" jointer and a Shop Fox base on my 14" bandsaw, and I much prefer the HTC. It's easier to raise and lower (no need to bend over, which, with my back, is an important feature).

[Mark Rios]

I found this one at Amazon and it looks good. However it only has 3/4" clearance when raised. I'll be high-centering all day with this. Something with taller clearance is needed.

http://www.amazon.com/HTC-HRS-10-Mob...8?ie=UTF8&s=hi

[Burt Waddell]

At one time, I had a Delta, a HTC and a shop Fox base under unisaws. The Shop FOx offered some options that the other two didn't but the shop Fox was the lowest quality of the three. The HTC base has been under the unisaw for more than 12 years now. It still rolls as easily as it did when it was brand new. The wheels are still prefectly round. I've had the Delta base for 2 years and it seems to still be doing well.

Based on my experience, I recommend the HTC Stand as being a top quality piece of equipment.

[Mack Cameron]

I have seven (7) HTC's; jointer, router table stand, thickness planer, oscilliating sander stand, 2 nd router table stand, bandsaw and my table saw. I still require one for my scroll saw, it's on a homemade roller stand.

Is anyone from HTC listening to me? It's the only one for me. Good price and easily fabricated!

[Art Mulder]

Can someone direct me toward a comparison of mobile bases? I'm going to have to buy one for the time being for my unisaw and
...
Any ideas, suggestions or opinions?

Mark,

How big is your shop? My shop is a pretty modest 11x20. My TS is on a general mobile base. I don't really like it.

But then, I don't think I'll like any stock mobile base. That is because all of them, from what I can remember, tend to follow the same wheel pattern: Two fixed/straight wheels, and two (or one) wheels that pivot.

In a small shop, I am finding this to be overly restrictive and confining. I end up having to do a lot of seesawing back and forth to get the saw into the position I want. This is made worse by the large size of the saw. It has a pretty large footprint on the floor. I have a rolling bench, 25x60" and it has the same problems. On smaller tools (like my bandsaw) I did not find this to be as much of a problem.

For me, all future tool bases are going to have FOUR wheels that pivot. It will just make it much easier to move things around. This of course means that I'll probably have to make a custom base for my TS. Oh well. (on the other hand, if I had a Marty-sized shop, then the standard arrangement would be fine.)

...art

[Larry Conely]

I have several HTC bases, I've tried others, but always come back to HTC. I also have the good fortune to be within a half hour's drive of the factory in Royal Oak, Michigan.

On very heavy tools, I have also had mobile bases made. I'll purchase the wheels and have a welder fabricate the base of angle iron. At the end of the day it's about what you would spend on a mobile base, but it's heavier and is built to your specs. Stabilizers can be made with bolts and nuts or Destaco clamps flipped with your toe.

Larry

[Jim Becker]

That is because all of them, from what I can remember, tend to follow the same wheel pattern: Two fixed/straight wheels, and two (or one) wheels that pivot.

The HTC welded mobile base under my Jet cabinet saw has three wheels. The two under the saw cabinet are fixed and the one under th extension swivels. The same was true on the welded bases that were under my Jet jointer and Jet bandsaw when I still owned them. While I agree that four swiveling wheels give more instantaneous positioning, I find that they are also less stable unless they are fully double locking. Most mobile bases don't have premium caster systems like that unless they are shop-built. (I do have these type under several items, including my kitchen island and when they are locked...they are locked...)

[Rob Russell]

I had a Unisaw with 50" fence on a HTC base. The quality of the base was great, but the wheels on most prefab bases are a bit small if you have to roll over "bigger bumps/cracks".

[Frank Pellow]

I have a General 650 table saw with a big extension table all supported by an HTC purpose built base. I move the saw a lot in my smallish crowded shop and the base works works well.

[Steve Clardy]

I have the HTC under my cabinet saw.

[Corey Hallagan]

Mark, I have my table saw on the Jet Mobile Base. This one is rated for up to 600 lbs. It is also a snap together construction that uses the pop in pins etc. No tool required. It is very stout. I had a HTC base that flexed an everything so I put my drill press on that base and it worked fine. The jet rocks. I think I got it on Amazon for 39.99 delivered. I have attached a pic of my table saw on the base.

Corey

[Art Mulder]

While I agree that four swiveling wheels give more instantaneous positioning, I find that they are also less stable unless they are fully double locking. Most mobile bases don't have premium caster systems like that unless they are shop-built.

Well, I thought shop-built was implied in my posting, since as far as I know none of the commercial stands are like that.

I bought a set of the double-locking ones from woodcraft some time back.
http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1989
They're very nice. I had intended to build a cabinet/base to replace the metal legs under my contractor saw, but haven't gotten a "round tuit" yet. In the meantime I built them into a mobile base and they roll and lock very well. So I haven't tried this yet on a table saw. Works okay with my bandsaw.

But again, the narrowness of my own shop is really behind my issue.