MM16 On board mobile base

[Dan Stuewe]

How well does the mobility kit on the MM16 work? Can you move the saw around easily? into a corner? concern about tipping?

Thanks,

[Travis Porter]

I can't say for the MM16, but for the MM24 it is pretty much worthless. You would be better off getting the casters from Zambus (what I did)>

[Jim O'Dell]

If you have a smooth surface, it should roll pretty easliy. My E16, lighter, is pretty good. I have no desire to do anything else to it. Jim.

[Jim Becker]

The OEM mobility kit with the MM16 gets mixed reviews. I personally don't have a problem with it, don't move my machine very often and actually keep a piece of 3/4" plywood under the base to keep the wheels off the floor anyway. It's like moving anything with a Johnson bar...a bit of push and pull until you get it exactly where you want it. Some folks do remove the door-side wheel for easier access when changing wider blades.

The Zambus casters that Travis mentions are very nice (although not inexpensive at $34-46 each, depending on which model) and I'm considering them for a larger machine that potentially will end up in my shop someday. I don't know that I'd buy them for the MM16. You could easily use a more "traditional" mobile base with the MM16 if you prefer...I know at least one SMC member has done this with success.

[Mac Cambra]

I have no problems moving the saw around, in fact I think the Johnson bar method is rather nice. The primarily complaint I have is that it interfere's with opening the lower door which in turn causes problems with blade changes. Most people overcome this by removing the wheel. Obviously you shouldn't need to do that.

[Montgomery Scott]

It works ok, but trying to wheel around 530 lbs is not easy and the narrow spacing on the johnson bar means larger turning radius.

[Dan Forman]

My problem is that my basement floor is not very even, and the saw actually gets stuck in places, high centered. Luckily I found a place where it can live without need for moving it. I also revoved the wheels to allow for blade changes, otherwise it gets in the way of opening the lower cabinet fully.

Dan

[Bruce Page]

I can't say for the MM16, but for the MM24 it is pretty much worthless. You would be better off getting the casters from Zambus (what I did)>
I have the MM16 and feel the same way about it's mobility kit.

[Doug Shepard]

This aint quite as contentious an issue as dust collection, but it seems folks either love or hate the factory mobility kit. I fell into the latter camp and followed Bruce's lead on this thread
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=10507
(except I didn't mount mine backwards :D )

[Travis Porter]

No, it isn't dust collection (thankfully). The problem I have with the MM mobility kit is on my concrete floor I can not get the saw up high enough with the johnson bar to get it to roll much of the time. It isn't like I want to move it a lot, but when I do, it was extremely difficult to do by myself. Granted, my saw is bigger than a MM16, but I would think the principles would be the same.

[Gary Herrmann]

I don't have any problems with the johnson bar, but then again, I haven't moved the saw (MM16) in two years. When I was moving it around a bit before I decided where it would go I felt it was a bit awkward, but not terrible.

[Joe Mioux]

It is hideous!

CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP

The only thing more offensive than that mobility kit, is that sorry excuse for a miter gauge.

The saw itself is fabulous, but the cheesy stuff they tack on is .... a ...

offensive.

Joe

[Bruce Page]

This aint quite as contentious an issue as dust collection, but it seems folks either love or hate the factory mobility kit. I fell into the latter camp and followed Bruce's lead on this thread
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=10507
(except I didn't mount mine backwards :D )
I still need to turn mine around...:o

[Dave A. Jackson]

My MM16 arrived this week :D and I think the moble base is great. I've got a really rough ramp up to my shop and with 2 guys pushing and me pulling we wheeled it right in. Moving it around in the shop by my self is cake.5268952690

[Joe Mioux]

My MM16 arrived this week :D and I think the moble base is great. I've got a really rough ramp up to my shop and with 2 guys pushing and me pulling we wheeled it right in. Moving it around in the shop by my self is cake.5268952690

Do you own a pallet jack!?;) :rolleyes: :)

[Bernhard Lampert]

Get Zambus Casters. They work great and have build in adjustable leveling feet. So if you moved the saw, you can level it perfectly: No wobble. The Zambus casters (stem type) will use the exiting tapped holes in any European type bandsaw.
Cheers,
Bernhard

[fred woltersdorf]

dan, hated mine hard to move on not so perfect floor.i can't take credit for my solution as i believe i found it here at sawmill creek.basicly it's a delta mobile base for a jointer.it works really well,very stable.

[Mark Hubler]

The mobility kit on the MM16 could be compared to backing up a boat trailer: two wheels in back and a pivot point in front. The lift bar has two wheels on it, and can raise the saw a little over 3", on one end. Using a combination of the lift bar and your foot (to control the arc of the lift bar and rate of lift & lowering), it is very easy to move the saw around. I have moved mine between other machines and in tight spaces, but I don't do it all that often. I can see why other have gone to Delta bases, especially if the floor is not flat or the saw is moved regularly (plus it moves the support point farther away from the saw base - more stable).

So far, tipping has not been a problem for me, but my floor is level and does not have any cracks. I think the key is to move the machine slowly and not have it too far off of the floor.

As a side note to mobile bases, I went the opposite for my table saw, I converted the Delta base for my unisaw to accept the MM lift bar. Previously, it was too easy to use the rip fence tubes to guide the saw around (and messing up the parallel adjustment). Now, I guide the saw by the base.

[Steven Wilson]

I have an MM20 and moving it around with the Johnson bar is easy once you get use to yet; and yes it's a lot like moving a boat. It's the same principle as the mobility kit on my Oneway 2436 and Minimax CU350. This is how most large machines are moved.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Mine was easy to move on a smooth floor but now that I have moved to a garage shop I find it gets hung up at times. So it all depends on how smooth and flat the surface is.

[Travis Porter]

That must have been my problem. No matter how far I went with the johnson bar the rear end never picked up enough to roll much if at all. Oh well, now I have a Mini Max mobility kit I need to sell.

[Jeff Wright]

I second the recommendation for getting the Zambus castors. Get them at www.zambus.com (http://www.zambus.com). They are pricey (about $35 each). Once installed (which takes all of ten minutes due to the fact that the supplied threaded bolts fit the threads of the saw's base holes), you can move the saw around the shop with a finger or two and it is very stable. The 300 series is the size you want. I decided not to use the castors on my MiniMax combo machine since they would have raised the machine too high for my comfort, but the increase in height on my MM20 bandsaw was a welcome side benefit of using the castors.