Hello everyone! My name is Craig and I wanted to introduce myself. I have read many threads on here over the years and finally decided to join now that I retired and decided to tinker with a little woodworking in the the garage.
I have a 3 car garage. I am dedicating 1/3 to 1/2 for the hobby. Let me also preface any questions here with a little background. I am a guy in a wheelchair so some of my inquiries could seem a little odd. i.e.. height of some tools, weight, etc. I don't want to leave the wrong impression here though. I have always been athletic and was a world class wheelchair tennis and basketball player that competed in a couple Paralympics for the USA. So even though I am in a chair I am certainly not gimpy.
I purchased a Dewalt DWE7491 contractor saw last week. Put it together and got it all dialed in and running. And promptly took it all apart and sent it back! My original thinking was that it would be nice to be able to roll it over in the corner of the garage when not in use and allow me more space. While a nice saw, it is after all a contractor saw, and I instantly knew that it was not going to measure up to my needs. Not to mention, the table top was not flat. I had a hump in the middle that produced a 1/8" gap on either end when laying a straight edge in any direction.
So I am now deciding between the Grizzly G1023RLWX and the G0690. I know, I know, the pros and cons have been discussed add nauseam on many forums. I am heavily leaning towards the G1023RLWX because of the higher horsepower, dust collection shroud, and additional router table. No doubt I will waver back and forth over the next couple of days but I am ordering Monday regardless of the decision! I have no doubts I will be thrilled with either choice.
With all that said, I have a question for anyone with either of these saws. Is the bottom of the base solid? In other words, does it have a flat solid bottom or is it hollow and just the 4 side walls? The reason I ask is with regards to movability. I know you can get mobile stands for them but I keep reading how inadequate many of the offerings seem to be. I came across a site that sells the "Hoverpad" and was thinking that would be ideal for my situation. However, if the base has a hollow bottom then i would need to put a sheet of plywood between it and the saw and I don't want to raise it anymore than the 1" thickness of the Hoverpad. I am already freaking out about a kickback that would take off my head as I am sitting. So height matters!
Does anyone have any experience with the Hoverpads? Or does anyone know of a QUALITY mobile base that has retractable wheels so once the saw is in place I can lower it down on its own foundation and eliminate the 1" gap for mobile bases? I am curious to hear any suggestions.
I sincerely apologize for rambling! I am glad to be a new member of the forum, and am looking forward to contributing in any way I can.
Cheers,
Craig
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