Mobility Kit for mm16 ? Worth it or not?

[Joe Mioux]

Is the mobility kit for the MM16 worth the money ?


Thanks Joe

[Doug Shepard]

IMHO No - I'm much happier after following Bruce's lead
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=10507

[tod evans]

will you need to move the saw? if so do you have room to swing the johnston bar? it works well if you`ve got the room...02 tod

[Ken Styer]

I have the MM mobility base on my MM 16 and it works great. I couldn't imagine it any other way.

[Ken Garlock]

Go for the mobility kit. A $2k saw, what is another $150. It does make moving the saw easy.:)

[Bruce Page]

Joe, if you’re talking about the one that MM offers then no. If you’re talking about putting it in a regular Delta type mobile base then yes! You can have my MM “Mobility Kit” for postage.

[Cecil Arnold]

What Bruce said--including sending you my mobility kit.

[Jim Becker]

I have no problem with my MM16 mobility kit...it was included in the price anyway when I bought my machine. But some folks like other formats of mobility and that's great, too.

[Frank Pellow]

I have a similar mobility kit with my similar saw (the ACM 400). I can't imagine having the saw without the built in mobility -it's great! The kit was included in the price of the saw but, if it had not been, I would have paid quite a bit (say $200 US) for it. I have no idea why folks don't like it. All of my major tools are mobile using different technologies (Delta, HTC, home-made) and I like the ACM (and MM) design the best.

[Joe Mioux]

I do have an extra htc-general mobile base that may work, if it wouldnt I could chop it down to make it work.

Any thoughts.....?

THanks joe

[Roger Bell]

I have the MM16 "mobility kit"....."free" with purchase. It works. But it is pretty basic and a bit mickey-mouse and requires a lot of jockeying to move the machine where you want it. You need a LOT of room to maneuver the saw by using the johnson bar. Which means (for me, at least) that I must move OTHER machines so I can move the bandsaw. So I would not characterize the "mobility kit" as at all equivalent to a "mobile base".

So if you have a small space and really need to move your machines around a lot, you would be much, much better off with a good quality mobile base.

If you have a big space and plan to move the machine only once it awhile, the kit is probably fine.

[Corvin Alstot]

But it is pretty basic and a bit mickey-mouse and requires a lot of jockeying to move the machine where you want it. You need a LOT of room to maneuver the saw by using the johnson bar. So I would not characterize the "mobility kit" as at all equivalent to a "mobile base". So if you have a small space and really need to move your machines around a lot, you would be much, much better off with a good quality mobile base.If you have a big space and plan to move the machine only once it awhile, the kit is probably fine.
Ditto what Roger states, plus the mobility kit gives the saw a top heavy
feeling when your swinging it around, not sure if the mobile base is more stable.

[Dan Forman]

If your floor is uneven, such as in my basement shop, the saw can get high centered easily with the stock kit. Then in order to open the bottom door fully for blade changes, you will have to remove the wheels.

Dan

[Aaron Montgomery]

If your floor is uneven, such as in my basement shop, the saw can get high centered easily with the stock kit. Then in order to open the bottom door fully for blade changes, you will have to remove the wheels. Dan Hi Dan - I had the same problem - especially since the spine of my MM16 sits against the wall. I eventually pushed the pins out of the hinges and replaced them with slightly smaller diameter nails. Now I just pull the doors to do blade changes. I think it's the best mod I've made to the bandsaw. I'm not really sure why the MM line does not come with easily removeable doors..

And I agree with most of the other posts - the MM mobility kit leaves a lot to be desired. In the fullness of time I intend to replace it with a more traditional mobility solution such as Bruce did. Who wants to come over and help me lift my MM16 on to the new mobility platform? :)