Moving a Unisaw on mobile base

[Tom Henderson2]

Anybody ever move a Unisaw un or down a ramp using the mobile base?

In a thread earlier today, I was asking for some Unisaw cabinet dimensions. Gary came through with the dimensions I needed, and also made some insightful comments about the Delta mobile base design.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=59269

Looking more closely at the Delta mobile base design, I see what Gary was talking about. The two fixed castors are located inboard of the end of the frame, so that the frame will contact the pavement if you try to push it up or down a ramp.

The castoring wheel on the other end is several feet inboard of the other end, so it is hard to tell how much of an angle that side can handle.

So -- a long preface to my original question... has anybody out there moved a Unisaw into/out of a trailer using a ramp? Any thoughts about how long that ramp had to be to be able to keep it on the wheels and not "High center" on the frame rails?

Thanks in advance. The saw is about 2 years old with the 50" fence and extension table if that makes any difference.

[Jim McCarty]

Tom, I moved mine on its top in the back of a pickup. Remove the blade and insert and lower the arbor all the way down, put the tailgate under the left extension fence and have a couple of friends lift up on the right end of the fence rails until it pivots up and over onto its top. It won't tip over this way and it'll blow out any loose sawdust. The roller base won't handle any kind of change in angle of the ground surface. You can do it. It's a little scary going over the top, but it's the best way to transport it (IMHO). Enjoy your new Unisaw, you'll love it.

[Tom Henderson2]

Hi Jim-

Yikes -- I'm not sure I've got that much courage. at least not without removing the rails and table extensions. I'll give it some thought, though....

And at the moment it may be moot. I thought we had agreed to a price during a telephone call this afternoon, but apparantly not. So we'll see.

If not this one, then hopefully another before too long.

Thanks again. The notion of just pulling it out on its own rollers is looking like a dead idea.

Tom H.
Ventura, CA

[Don Bullock]

Tom, I'm not sure if it's possible with a Unisaw that's already on a mobile base, but I have read some posts where people have moved table saws using dollies. U-Haul (see link), as well as other places, rent them.

http://www.uhaul.com/dollies/

[Dave MacArthur]

Tom,
reference your earlier post about moving a used tablesaw, I honestly moved mine with the force of 1 forearm only, safely...
Rent a motorcycle trailer from Uhaul, aroune 20$.
Buy a folding mobile shop crane from Harbor freight, 1 ton, about 99$ this last weekend, and a chain with hooks there also, 7$.
Drive over, crane on trailer folded up. Chain around table top. Jack it up. Roll it over trailer. Let it down. Strap it down. Drive home.

You can THEN use the shop crane to move it and other equipment around your shop, and offload future stuff from a pickup without getting help from others. ;)

I also moved a Delta contractors saw, with 50" fence/table, and a built in cabinet/router station, on the Delta mobile base. So it was heavier than a unisaw, all combined, and the same mobile base. We rolled the entire thing up a 10 foot ramp or so, into a low-slung moving trailer. Two guys pushing on the thing made it get over the "hump" of the offset base wheels you asked about, but it did strip the rubber feet off the bolts, and I just pushed those on later. So that method is not hard either. But I still recommend the shop crane...it was sooooo easy.

[Tom Henderson2]

Gotta look into that option Dave. Thanks for the thoughts.

And my appologies to all for inadvertantly posting two similar posts to the same list. Brain fade on my part.

The immediate need has sort of evaporated, as the deal I was closing in on has fallen through. But when the time comes, an engine hoist sure looks like the way to go.

-Tom H.
Ventura, CA

[Tom Henderson2]

Dave-

About the HF cranes.... do the legs spread far enough to be able to set the Unisaw down between them? They must, or it wouldn't have worked for you, but I'm curious about how wide the support legs open...

-Tom H.

[Dave MacArthur]

Tom,
I bought the 2 ton crane last month when it was on sale for $140. I was going to replace it (return) with the 1 ton though, as I realized the 2 ton was more than I needed, so I actually went to the store and measured the leg width to be sure. The 1 ton is 1 inch less than the 2 ton. And the 2 ton has about 4" on each side between the legs and my Powermatic 66, which is just a bit wider than a Unisaw. I would go out and measure it now, but I just placed some ebay boxes (ok, boxes of worthless stuff I am too stingy to throw out..) in front of it. I think it was about 34" wide at the near edge of the saw.

I would recommend the 1 ton (not the 2 ton) if you do it, easier to load into the truck and stores a bit smaller.

Since buying it a few months ago, I've used it to move my jointer off truck, place it on mobile base later, put PM66 on and then off a mobile base, and pick up drill press and put it on a mobile base. It's really nice to be able to do all that without getting the neighbor, wife, or hurting my back.