Mobile base for planer

[kevin nee]

Hello, I just took delivery of a new Grizzly 20 inch planer. I want to make a mobile base. This machine weighs 880 lbs. I had planned to use a base of double 3/4 inch plywood with 4 casters. I have 4 fabulous casters. I would have to buy the plywood. I have plenty of MDF. My question is will the double 3/4 MDF hold up or should I just buy plywood?
Thanks in advance, Kevin

[Keith Outten]

My preference for a machine that heavy would be a welded steel base, 880 pounds is a lot of weight.

[Robert Hayward]

My preference for a machine that heavy would be a welded steel base, 880 pounds is a lot of weight.

+1. That machine is way too heavy for a wood base in my opinion. If the planer has four feet and the casters are directly under each foot so the plywood does nothing but hold the caster fasteners and act as a spacer between the machine and caster, maybe. I still would not do it though.

[Mike Cutler]

I thought that machine came with mobility casters?
880 lbs. puts you outside the realistic spec's of after market mobile bases, or what you can make out of wood. You need a welded frame with individual corner levelers.
Outside of that, a set of Footmasters would be my next choice, but even at that, you're probably looking a $150.00 in mobile, leveling, casters.

[glenn bradley]

One of the reasons the G0454Z is a nice 20" option; the mobility kit built in is very usable. I agree that most commercial bases are going to struggle with that weight even if they are rated higher. What kind of mobility are you after?. Moving the machine a bit to the left or the right for feed path access is one thing; moving it across the room on a regular basis is another. Is this a 1033X?

[Alex Zeller]

I have my 1033X on a Shop Fox mobile base and it handles it just fine. I did put a slight bend in one of the square tubes to match the curved front so the casters are closer to the corners of the planer. It rolls very smoothly but you can tell there's plenty of weight there. I personally wouldn't use a base made from wood.

[glenn bradley]

I have my 1033X on a Shop Fox mobile base and it handles it just fine. I did put a slight bend in one of the square tubes to match the curved front so the casters are closer to the corners of the planer. It rolls very smoothly but you can tell there's plenty of weight there. I personally wouldn't use a base made from wood.


Alex, great response. The curve was my reason for asking about the model. Maybe Kevin will drop back in. I have about 380lbs on a standard Shop Fox base and found it pretty sub-optimal. Not saying yours is, just reporting my experience. The tires failed (probably just age, not due to poor quality) and I replaced them with Grizzly's steel replacements. This rolls much nicer but does not tolerate much in the way of spoil on the floor. I bought the base used and although it seemed fine prior to installation it may have had issues under load that I just assumed were "normal".

[Charles Coolidge]

I put my Powermatic 15HH at 502 lbs on a Grizzly Bear Claw with 4 swivel wheels rated for 1200 lbs. It's working great however...

Do not trust the foot operated leveling pads to stay lifted. There are reports of these releasing on their own after a period of time under weight, I can confirm this happens. But I would not trust using a machine lifted like this in any case, I want it planted onto the floor. So here's the trick, I use the foot operated leveling pads to lift up the planer. I raise the planer then set it back down onto 4 hockey pucks slipped under the corners of the mobile base. That's rock solid. So I use the foot operated leveling pads as temporary jacks.

Also I may replace two of the swivel casters with non swivel. For lighter machines the 4 swivel is working well but trying to get 500 lbs moving in the right direction with all 4 wheels swiveling requires some jogging around. True you can push the planer sideways up against a wall into a slot without having to 3 point turn it into its storage place which was my thinking, but wrestling the machine is becoming annoying honestly.

And if you are wondering, the 15HH built in mobile base is a complete joke I removed it.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Bora Portamate 3550 - rated 1500lbs. Double up a couple of 3/4" plywood sheets in the base.

I have a couple and they work very well, although my heaviest machine is around 550lbs.

https://www.amazon.com/BORA-Portamate-PM-3550-Super-Mobile/dp/B07C74TJKD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw3riIBhAwEiwAzD3Tie2xpcT5nKAq5aqXYH_B HbOCXXQa017QQCDW7vQ6O3P7tzww_M40CxoCaxwQAvD_BwE&hvadid=445188486218&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1026044&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12889194626266571836&hvtargid=kwd-919736073293&hydadcr=28565_10166278&keywords=bora+pm+3550&qid=1628351674&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFNUEgwVUY2UFFDRDQmZ W5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyNTAyMzYxVlA3NzdZTEgxWkUwJmVuY3J 5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNjkwMjUxWVdBSThNODRUVFc4JndpZGdld E5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm9 0TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[Alex Zeller]

Alex, great response. The curve was my reason for asking about the model. Maybe Kevin will drop back in. I have about 380lbs on a standard Shop Fox base and found it pretty sub-optimal. Not saying yours is, just reporting my experience. The tires failed (probably just age, not due to poor quality) and I replaced them with Grizzly's steel replacements. This rolls much nicer but does not tolerate much in the way of spoil on the floor. I bought the base used and although it seemed fine prior to installation it may have had issues under load that I just assumed were "normal".

I have a hydraulic shop press that made it easy to bend. I removed the "Extreme" cast metal badge on the front of the machine. I have no clue about the feet that drop down and hold it in place since I've never used them. It doesn't take much force to get a board to feed into the machine and I have the fixed wheels set so they roll the opposite direction to the way you feed wood into it.

[Rick Potter]

Another option.

Consider a pallet jack. I have several large tools with 4X4's bolted to the base, which gives me space to slide the pallet jack under and move it anywhere. I fought this method for years, thinking the jack would take up more storage space than my table saw.

Then came the head slap epiphany, The jack can be stored under a shelf unit or bench, and only takes up about a foot of room for the head/handle.

Jacks are available in several widths and lengths. I bought a $60 (?) one off C/L to try it out, later bought a new Crown 48" narrow fork. I can easily move my Mini Max combo machine and level it with simple shims.