Lifting a cabinet saw

[Electric Stu]

I have a new Delta 3HP 50" Biese cabinet saw I bought from Amazon. I have had it (on the palate) on my mobile flatbed cart for the past 6 weeks, waiting for the rebate mobile base to arrive (which just came in yesterday).

I took the motor off to lighten the load but the beast is still too heavy for me to maneuver alone, since the cart has 8" pneumatic tires and is about 10" off the ground. I will get help to lift the cabinet into the mobile base but I wondered where the best place to lift the unit is. If I lift from the top, can I end up bending the mounting flanges on the cabinet? Should I take off the top first or try to leave it on?

Thanks for the advice, Stu

[Roy Smith]

I got a Unisaw a while ago and had to maneuver it down a flight of steps into my basement. We took off the cast iron top and put it on a handtruck. Me and a strong friend were then able to get it down the steps with very little problem.

We thought about taking the motor out, but didn't end up having to do that. You did just the opposite -- took out the motor and left the top on. I'd be worried about how top-heavy this leaves it.

In addition to the (substantial) weight savings, the cast iron top is a few inches wider and deeper than the base. We had to maneuver through some tight doorways and sharp turns at the top and bottom the stairs; saving a few inches was key for us.

Taking the top off is not terribly difficult (4 big allen-key bolts, one at each corner), but you need to understand that when you put it back on, you've got an alignment problem to solve. If it's not aligned right, the miter slots won't be parallel to the blade, and neither will the fence (since the fence rails reference off the front edge of the top). Poor alignment can lead to poor quality cuts and increase the potential for kickback. Also, if there are any shims under the top when you unbolt it, keep the shims and get them back on the same corners they came out of otherwise the top won't be level (mine didn't have any shims).

[Jim Behning]

[Upscale]

If you've got a buddy that can help you, then you might want to consider one of Lee Valley Tools' 'Forearm Forklifts". It has a load limit of 600 pounds, so you might have to remove part of your cabinet saw, but they would make moving it manageable. It's reasonably cheap at $17 (CA) funds.

[larrygfox]

manageable.

know where you are located or what is around you, but a trip to the local gym will get the job done for you. Go to the front desk and tell the person working it that you have $50.00 and describe your lifting need and that it will take about 10 miuntes or so to do. Problem solved. You get your saw lifted without taking the top off and the two guys who do it make $25.00 for 10 minutes work.

[Electric Stu]

Thanks for all of the good advice. Basically, I decided to not remove the top, hoping that it will be fairly well aligned from the factory, saving me potential set-up time (if I did remove it). I will, of course, check for parallelism between the miter slots and the arbor flange, anyhow.

After removing the motor (which took less than five minutes), my neighbor and I merely lifted the cabinet, by the top, off of the cart right onto the mobile base. Total time = 3 minutes. It felt like I was lifting only about 100 pounds (same for my neighbor).

Thanks again, Stu

[Upscale]

And if one of those guys injures himself even as little as dropping the thing on his toe, welcome to a lawsuit that will cost you dearly. As far as the straps go, their design is oriented to minimize stuff like back injuries. Lifting with the forearms while sanding up straight. Of course, an injury can happen to anyone.