I'm not sure which HF dollies you refer to, but I got the ICS base. When it lifts the saw (straight up) it also lift the extension table, so the legs on it come completely off the floor. The fence rails are super heavy duty, and have no problem holding the weight of the extension. Can you link the particular HF dolly you think might work? Somone may have already applied it and have some advice.

 

The Saw Stop bases will lock into place when lowered, preventing inadvertent machine movement. Can the Harbor Freight dollies be readily secured?

 

I agree that the industrial mobile base is expensive…..BUT it is the best machine base I have and would buy it again.

 

I made my own base with four swivel casters from 6/4 red oak. The cabinet has holes front and back for mounting the Sawstop base which I used to mount mine (with 3/8" all thread rod) at the proper height. I intended to use toggle clamps to immobilize the saw in use, but found the locking swivel casters have been enough for my needs. If you check out the ICS base install instructions for the PCS you'll find that it mounts with self tapping screws into the cabinet.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/30-In-x-19-In-1000-lb-Capacity-Hardwood-Dolly-61897.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNzQ0MzM2ODQiLCJza3UiOiI2MTg5NyIsImlzIjoiMTIuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiMTA2ODIifQ%3D%3D%0D%0A

There is the HF style dolly. This one doesn't seem to have locking casters, but I think there are others that do, or they can be replaced. The advantage is that the casters swivel so you can move the machine without 3 point turns. As anyone with limited shop space knows, that can be a huge help.

Does the ICS base allow that kind of movement?

-Brian

 

Yes, the ICS base has four swivelling casters, the PCS base has two swivel, two fixed. In both bases the casters raise and lower so the wheels are only on the floor when the saw is moved.

 

Think of the PCS base as providing a "wheelbarrow" like method of moving the saw. If you want to move it "forward" or "backward", you have to do that by angling it and sort of "tacking" back and forth. In other words, you can move the saw along it's longer axis, or an angle, and jockey it back and forth to accomplish movement in the other direction. You can't just move it directly toward or away from the normal "operator position".

The ICS base does not have that limitation. It has 4 rotating casters that allow movement in any direction.

One of the most common reasons to move a saw is a "garage shop", where you keep the saw and other tools up against a wall when not in use, and then back the car out on the weekend and set up the shop for use. For this kind of a moving saw arrangement, the less expensive PCS base would not be ideal.

 

I have the ICS. And the base is fantastic you can move it with your pinky

 

Ditto…ICS base. Without a doubt the best option for this saw

 

That HF dolly look pretty tall.

Another + for ICS

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3400

 

From a maneuverability standpoint, the ICS base can't be beat. Except for one potential flaw. It raises the saw about 1/4", if that. If you have a pristine and flat floor, no problemo. If not, things could be troublesome.

 

The PCS base is simple to move and I am able to do 360s in the garage and get over the concrete seems no problem. Least footprints, saw sits flat on the ground when wheels raise. Quickly installed and you can build and use the saw before you install the base. You will never lift it again after unboxing.

I would not even consider more of a mobile base and I have the same tight space you have.

 

I wouldn't use the HF dollys - -

How do you plan to lock your saw in place?

The ICS base is best, but the PCS base if free…. so why get some crappy dollies from Harbor Freight instead of the 'real' base?

 

Biker dad, if you have the ics base and that is all you can lift your saw, you have a problem.
It only takes 2 to 3 pedal pushes to get either the pcs or ics saw off the ground to move. If you need the saw higher, more pushes raises the saw. The shop floor where I work is not flat by any means and usually takes 5+ pumps to get the table legs up high enough where they will not hit the floor. Which is usually 1 1/2" or more clearance. Although less than the legs, the saw has plenty of clearance also to navigate the uneven floorwhen up that high.

 

I was surprised by that 1/4" as well. I can't jack mine up to check without more work than I'm willing to put into it…but it sure seems like it was on the order of 1 1/2" at least.

 

There is the HF style dolly. This one doesn t seem to have locking casters…

The SawStop mobile bases also don't have locking casters. The casters are raised off the ground when not in use, and they are lowered when you use the foot pedal to lift the saw.

The advantage is that the casters swivel so you can move the machine without 3 point turns. As anyone with limited shop space knows, that can be a huge help.

Does the ICS base allow that kind of movement?

-Brian

- bbasiaga

Yes, all the casters on the ICS base swivel for full 2-axis omnidirectional maneuverability.

From a maneuverability standpoint, the ICS base can t be beat. Except for one potential flaw. It raises the saw about 1/4", if that. If you have a pristine and flat floor, no problemo. If not, things could be troublesome.

- BikerDad

Like WhoMe mentioned, the ICS base lets you raise the saw higher by pumping the foot pedal more than 1 time, like a barber's chair.

 

I wouldn t use the HF dollys - -

How do you plan to lock your saw in place?

The ICS base is best, but the PCS base if free…. so why get some crappy dollies from Harbor Freight instead of the real base?

- DrDirt

Something like that HF dolly can be built, and is very similar in concept to some of the other (shopfox etc) after market mobile bases available. Its really a question of functionality for me. The omnidirectional movement seems valuable, but the ICS base quite pricey. Dump that on top of my general desire to make things myself, and you've got a guy asking a question on how else it can be done.

I don't know if Sawstop will have the 'free' deal they have now by the time I am ready to buy mine at an undetermined time in the future. This will be a major savings project for me, as that saw is probably worth the purchase price of the rest of my power tools combined. Sounds like the PCS base is pretty decent though, so if I can get lucky on another round of 'free accessories' i'll probably go that way. Hard to argue with free, especially when its useable.

-Brian

 

Something like that HF dolly can be built, and is very similar in concept to some of the other (shopfox etc) after market mobile bases available. Its really a question of functionality for me. The omnidirectional movement seems valuable, but the ICS base quite pricey.

The other reason some people prefer the ICS base is that it's easy to raise the saw by an inch or two by putting plywood in the bottom of the base before dropping the saw in. You can't do the same thing with the PCS base since it installs directly into some holes in the cabinet.

FYI I asked SawStop last year if I could get the mobile base promo but just pay the difference and get the mobile base, and they said no. It didn't occur to me to ask a local dealer but maybe they would have allowed it. Someone here mentioned in the past month or two that he bought his saw from Woodcraft with the PCS mobile base and they refunded him for the mobile base when he returned to the store with the "free after mail-in promo" mobile base that SawStop shipped to him.

On the other hand, you could get the PCS mobile base for free and sell it on eBay, then use that money to build your own omnidirectional base and still have enough leftover for some lumber.

I don t know if Sawstop will have the free deal they have now by the time I am ready to buy mine at an undetermined time in the future. This will be a major savings project for me, as that saw is probably worth the purchase price of the rest of my power tools combined. Sounds like the PCS base is pretty decent though, so if I can get lucky on another round of free accessories i ll probably go that way. Hard to argue with free, especially when its useable.

-Brian

- bbasiaga

There's no guarantee, I suppose, but for the past few years, at least, they've run the same promotion every year for the PCS mobile base or overarm dust collection free with a PCS purchase around tax time.