SAWSTOP: Any Updates?

[Dave Wright #2]

Alan,

I lifted mine into its shop-made mobile base with two sawhorses, a bunch of 3"x3"x3/4" plywood scraps, and a spreader bar clamp. The sawhorses fit beneath fence rails, one against each side of the saw. The spreader clamp was used to tip the front of the saw up. Plywood scraps held it there and I shifted the spreader to the back. Rinse and repeat until the saw is high enough to slide the base in below, then reverse the process to get it back down into the base. Work carefully to make sure that the saw doesn't tip or shift unexpectedly.

Just a thought if there aren't several strong backs handy.

Regards,

Dave

[Alan See]

Weren't you worried about bending your rails? Of course, I haven't seen the rails yet. I have been seriously considering just leaving the thing on its pallet, and buying a pallet truck (jack) to move it around. I could put pallet type bases under all my machines, and probably come out cheaper than buying a mobile base for each. I'm tall, so the extra 3" height isn't much of a problem. Has anyone ever done that?

[George Summers]

Alan -

The pallets, to me, would seem to be a good idea at first, but then I was thinking (bad idea sometimes). The pallets are quite a bit bigger than the bases of most machines. Wouldn't the pallet sticking out around the machine get in the way of walking around the machine and create a trip hazard?

George

[Dave Wright #2]

Alan, the rails and steel angles that attach them to the table castings are quite sturdy. Where I placed the sawhorses may have also been important. The horses I used fit beneath the rails so they could be placed close to the cabinet. Not much of a span. I was more concerned about the fact that much of the saw's considerable weight would be suspended from the top and the cabinet tabs. Steve Gass advised me ahead of time that they would take the load, but I should take care with the lift because the saw is not equipped with dropstop.

George, interesting idea leaving the saw on the pallet. It adds 4 1/2" to the saw's height for a total of 38 1/2". I'm 6'-0" and have been happy with my saw at 35 1/2" (34" + 1 1/2" added by my mobile base). I would guess that 38 1/2" would work for a person 6'-4" or above. The pallet measures 38" square - pretty large compared to the 20" x 25" cabinet footprint. It would almost surely interfere with use of the saw. The pallet jack idea is interesting though. One might make a custom pallet, thinner and smaller, for the purpose.

[Ian Barley]

Most of my bigger machines are "palletable" either with blocks to raise them, standard palets or custome pallet stands. It certainly works out cheaper than a mobile base for each machine.

[Alan See]

You wouldn't really need to use an actual pallet. You could build a custom base for each machine with appropriately spaced lifting points on either side of the center of gravity. The base wouldn't really need to be 4 1/2" tall either, just tall enough to clear the thickness of the tines on your pallet jack

[JOSEPH GOVEA]

Joseph, Me too! My Sawstop arrived last Wednesday, But Yellow misplaced by rails! Rails should arrive on Monday. The saw is fantastic! though I haven't made any rip cuts yet. Quite an improvement over my trusty Ryobi BT3000! I also have a mobile base on order from HTC. When it gets here, I guess I'll need a little help lifting the saw on.

Hey Alan, glad to hear that you are getting your rails monday, yellow found my rails the other day, ups brought the second set friday. Sent them back of course I only need one set. My replacement table should be hear monday via ups. Still waiting for my moblie base from HTC. Spoke to the rep friday he said I should receive no later than this coming friday. All I can say is the SAWSTOP C/S has been GREAT!!

[Alan See]

The guy I spoke to at HTC told be they have sold their entire production of Sawstop mobile bases, and are building more. I have a 2 week wait to get mine. I guess that means Sawstop is having an impact on the marketplace. I wonder if Powermatic or Delta have noticed a drop in Cab. saw sales?

[Dave Wright #2]

Maybe so; makes me wonder how many Unisaws and PM66s are sold in a typical year. It looks like SawStop will have shipped about 1000 in their first 12 months of bonafide production. Total retail value, including fences & accessories, around $3M. Not bad, but then that's the gross and they have plenty of R&D to pay off.

The gently rounded SawStop cabinet front renders it incompatible with any conventional mobile base. HTC is the only "off the shelf" option, which I'm sure is why they are seeing good sales of their units. You can also go shopmade as I did. A third option worth mentioning, but one that I have not personally tried, is the Jet casters that attach directly around the skirt of a closed cabinet machine (http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/index.cf...tail&iid=11604). They are rated to 600 pounds, which is a little short of this saw but may work anyway. Price is about $70 per set. I would be interested in hearing if anyone has tried these.

[Alan See]

Still No Rails... Yellow had assured the Sawstop people that the reails woud be delivered today, but it's 5:30, and not so much as a phone call from Yellow. I called the claims office, and they transferred me to the appointment desk voice mail. When I followed up with Renee at SS, she told me she would get another set enroute to me tomorrow, AND light a fire under YF from her end. I have been very impressed with the level of service and concern of everyone I have spoken with at Sawstop. Yellow Freight, I am less impressed with.

[Ken Waag]

I talked to SawStop the other day and my saw is due end of May -early June. I guess that means I get the rails about August? Hope you guys get that situation straightened out soon.

Ian- I like the pallet ready tools idea. I always learns something reading thru here.

DW #2: thanks for the tip on the horses and spreaders. I'd been thinking ahead on ways to lift and move and that may be the ticket.

General comment: Yes, I'd bet that the Wilton (Jet&Powermatic) and Delta folks are having a few meetings. I wonder if they are wishing they had bought into the idea in the first place. I am sure they are hoping for bad reports, false triggers and accidents. I have a feeling something interesting has to come out of this. I bet either they make some drastic changes or one/both bites the bullet and trys to buy Sawstop out. Any takers?