# Shop Fox mobile base review



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Hi all , I’m in the process of planning a way to insulate my garage (and Dan doesn’t believe I have one  ) , 
so I am trying to make my big tools mobile , this way I can move things around as required and out of the way as I work on drywalling the ceiling . 

My biggest headache is my General tablesaw , so I purchaced the Shop Fox mobile base with its required extension ,and assembled it today . You gotta love Amazon Prime , as it was a simple tap on the Ipad , and 48 hours later it’s on my back deck  .
I would have to say for the price of around $200 with the extension, that it’s exceptable, but less than perfect .
I am so happy that I can actually move that monster now , it’s 540 pounds! I can hardly believe I can actually move it around now . 
They consider the casters heavy duty , and if that’s so I’d hate to see light duty 
If the floors not extremely clean , like your prepping for surgery , these casters put up a fight . 
The rubber leveling feet are actually two pieces , so they actually hang by gravity as you roll your saw around . I wonder what would happen if you ran into a crack in the floor as there dragging on the floor as your moving it? 
The stand without the extension is approx $100 Canadian , so you can’t expect it to be to heavy duty . Although reviews at Amazon say otherwise ? 

As you look at the last picture , the front part of the extension is flexing . I think I could remove an inch off the bar that connects the extension, that it wouldn’t be as pronounced. 
I bought a welder , and in the future my plan is to build a better mobile base with square tubing ,angle iron , and much larger casters and better rubber leveling feet . 
I will use the Shop Fox for my General Disk sander instead . So it won’t be a total loss . 

I’m feeling ambitious, so maybe I should install my Wixey digital gauge too


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Rick for something that heavy you need a quality mobile base but you know that don't you. I love that table saw. One like it would look good in my shop.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Ah Rick the insulation has raised its ugly head again.>>>>

Hope it works out.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

hawkeye10 said:


> Rick for something that heavy you need a quality mobile base but you know that don't you. .


It’s rated for 1300 pounds , so I was hoping it would work half arsed on mine .

I gotta say , I find it hard to believe it’s capable of managing something over half a ton?
It’s not terrible , just not great . 
The good news is , once I build one , it can be recycled for my disk sander . 

When I build one , I’m sure the parts alone will be 400 bucks . I bought a welder and will be trying to weld some heavy gauge angle iron to hold pulleys up in my ceiling for a lat pull down machine . 
I’m really getting in bad shape since my gym went out of commission after the flood . I’m just gettin it back on line now , and hopefully am going to learn how to weld tomorrow . My neighbor welds , so I have a tutor . 
Having a welder will open up a lot of avenues for me . I really don’t want to spend a lot of time constructing mobile stands right now, so I took a chance on the Shop Fox , as I couldn’t find any other options .


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

This is simular to what I would like to build in the future . Not sure, but I’d be tempted to add foot pads , as I just can’t see wheels holding the saw firm enough whether they lock or not .


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

@RainMan 2.0

Rick,

I have the Delta base for my Unisaw - same as the photo, although the saw is an earlier model - and I'm guessing that the saw hasn't been moved more than a half dozen times in the 25 or so years it's been sitting in my shop, mostly to retrieve small parts that have been dropped and rolled underneath the saw cabinet - including the arbor nut once. I must say that it's pretty rigid but doesn't move easily. As you said, the rollers aren't that large so don't roll over debris well, but the two under the saw itself are fixed so there's a lot of maneuvering back and forth required in order to move it - a problem in my smallish shop. Usually, the size of the saw and shop layout dictate where the saw goes and it doesn't get moved a lot. If the assembly doesn't wobble while you're working, and you probably won't be moving it once your insulation/ceiling is installed, do you really need to build a base that will never get moved? Maybe look at beefing up the one you have?


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Hi Rick, I vaguely recall several sesigns that allow the wheels to raise up when the saw's not in use. I wonder if you you could build something like that so the saw rests on its base rather than on castors. What I recall had levers to manage raising and lowering the castors. I do recall also something about marking where the castors go on the floor since you still want to level the saw and be able to move to and fro to that same spot. In the following vids, if you need to support the extensions, make a long enough base to support saw and extension legs. Metal or wood is possible using these methods. 

Remember that you are using castors only when moving the saw. Once in position, you fold the castors up, so they're not getting flat from the weight, and you don't need to over engineer. The Rockler fold up castors should be sufficient, attached to an angle iron frame. You could still put the leveling bolts in place through the angle iron. Simpler than other methods. Personally, I'd try the Rockler fold up castors first. The weight will be distributed over 4 to 6 wheels when moving the saw, but otherwise the saw will be resting on the angle iron, The real problem then becomes how to lift the saw up onto the angle iron frame.

Vid on making retractable castors. 




Another possibility, simpler approach, but takes a little metal working skill. This is a home made, heavy duty version of the Rockler retractable wheels. 




Yet another possibility


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Thanks for the ideas guys . This Shop Fox is way to light and I’m liking the fold up caster idea, but in my case this will probably only be moved a few more times in my life time . Although I have to say it’s sure nice being able to move it for cleaning purposes ,and my shops floors never looked so good 

I just watched a video on the Rockler folding casters , and although to light for a table saw, *they would be great for my work bench *. Thanks Tom


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Ok , I found some commercial grade Casters . These should roll better , even if the floor isn’t perfectly clean :grin:


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I really like this concept . But of course there in Europe , and the caster is kind of small for my liking . Not to mention there a small fortune for the heavier load capable ones .

Plate Fitting Adjustable Leveling Casters (WDS 12198), Leveling Casters | WDS


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> I really like this concept . But of course there in Europe , and the caster is kind of small for my liking . Not to mention there a small fortune for the heavier load capable ones .
> 
> Plate Fitting Adjustable Leveling Casters (WDS 12198), Leveling Casters | WDS


Man, those casters are very cool. Simple design and very reasonable. And they also have some foot operated models. I think you need to have these mounted on something other than the bottom of the saw because they will rais the table by 5-6 inches, which is fine if you're 6ft 2in, but for shorties like me, unworkable. Back to welding a frame with outriggers so the saw only goes up half an inch above the floor. Enough to clear cables, but low enough so winding down the leveling foot is quick and easy. If you only moved it occasionally, these would be terrific.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Tom , I would have them mounted on a plate in such a way that they would only raise the table up an inch over stock . Like the picture with the red welded base


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> This is simular to what I would like to build in the future . Not sure, but I’d be tempted to add foot pads , as I just can’t see wheels holding the saw firm enough whether they lock or not .


Rick I have a Jet Proshop TS and I never lock the wheels on it.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

My mobile base for my TS is either a shop fox or a grizzly, not bad for the 450 lbs, but after 10+ years the rubber has failed on 2 of the tires.

I never really lock the casters, there are 2 fixed casters that face perpendicular to the blade, so they 'stop' any real movement of the saw when using it. The bandsaw is the same setup.

The jointer is the one I have to set the parking brake on, plus is the tool moved the most. I wheel it out of the garage to use.


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