# Moving Unisaw



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Any tips on moving a 48" Unisaw? The thing is heavy. My shop has steps and I can back the truck up to the steps and roll it in to the bed. Issue is how to get it off. I would hate the thing to go crashing down. I can borrow the bed ramps my friend uses for his ATV when he loads it in to his truck bed or I can buy some boards. Any advice would be appreciated. I don't know if it makes a difference but I am an able bodied mid 30's guy and can get a friend with similar credentials to help.


----------



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

I would remove the fence and any side table. As for unloading it, laying it down in the back of the truck and two guys could slide it down from the tail gate. But important to remove the fence and side table. You might even remove a wing or two if needed.


----------



## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I just sold my Unisaw, and what the guy did was really clever. We moved the saw up to the tailgate of his truck (back of the saw against the tail gate). The we simply flipped the saw into the bed of his truck, upside down and the floor of the truck had a piece of OSB in it to slide the saw over into the bed. This truck had a cap, and the saw even slid under the door of the cap. He told me that when he got it home, his son helped him get it out, the reverse of what we did to get it in. This was a bare saw with just the 2 extensions bolted on it. I had taken everything else off for the move.


----------



## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

+1 to Jerry's suggestion. When I brought my 1947 Uni home, I was alone, so I had to remove the fence and wings and then remove the table to make it light enough for me to load and unload. I knew the saw would need to be aligned anyway so I wasn't too worried about removing the table. It traveled home in the bed of the truck on its back and was a good passenger. Good luck with your new-to-you Unisaw and welcome to the club!


----------



## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I moved mine exactly the way Fred described, only I did it alone.


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Thanks Don, Same unisaw it just need to go in to storage until our new home is built. I do have to say that I love the uni. I don't know if you remember but a few years ago I was the guy who sold his Saw Stop and bought the Uni to replace it. Three years later no regrets. Its an amazing peace of equipment.

I was trying to be lazy and avoid taking it apart but after hearing what you guys had to say it may be the safest thing for the equipment and myself.


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

@Fred, that sounds like a good way to move it. Thanks for the insight..


----------



## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

I just hauled a Unisaw I bought last week and did the loading/unloading myself. Basically as Fred described, but I removed both wings (only 3 bolts each) along with the fence and rails. It also helps to raise the motor and tilt it to 45 so it's centered in the cabinet, and remove the blade if any. I got the saw moved next to the tailgate and put a couple of 2×4's under it to help with getting my hands under it, with motor opening facing the truck. Then just lift and flip over upside down in the back of the truck.. I used a packing blanket, but OSB or plywood would work as well:










Unloading is just the opposite.. slide to the edge of the tailgate and flip it back out.

Alternatively, if you are putting the saw in standing right side up instead of doing the flipping thing described above, the ramps would work. I've unloaded many very heavy machines that way using 2×8's or 2×10's as the ramps, and a couple of them were way heavier than the Unisaw. For that method though, I would recommend two people so you can keep it from tipping sideways off the ramps.. might not be necessary, but it sure makes it easier.

Cheers,
Brad


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I prefer to move table saws and shapers on the side/back, on
a piece of plywood. The wood can be slid out and tipped
down and the saw gently brought to the ground on its
corner, then tipped to upright.

Loading a Unisaw may be a trick for one fit guy but unloading
it you can do yourself, though a spotter is helpful when 
learning.


----------



## SawdustTX (Jan 14, 2012)

I scored a 52" platinum Unisaw on CL a couple years ago. In a hurry to get the deal before someone else did, I ran over, paid for it, and three of us (one mostly watching) loaded it with minimal disassembly.

We did the "flip' as others have described, except lengthwise - all 6 feet of it end over end. We left the wings on, including the long right side wood extension. We also left the fence mounting rails and the short fixed part of the folding outfeed table on, because they help reinforce the wings. When we got home, my son and I unloaded with no assistance and when I went to tune it up, everything was still perfectly aligned.

Not sure if all models are this way, but on some the motor is free hinged to keep tension on the belts. Be careful to secure the motor so it doesn't slam over when you flip it.


----------



## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I'm sixty-four and have moved my Unisaw, by myself, three times in the last few years. Keep in mind, I'm packing six stents in my heart and missing a good chunk of it, so I'm not what you would call "in my prime."

Obviously, a hand truck is a must. Actually, I think trucking the tools is the hardest part.

For the transport rig, I put down something in the bed of my van or truck to protect it, when I lay it on it's side. Whatever it is, it has to allow me to slide the saw. Carpet works, but I lucked out and got a movers piece of plastic (about 1/8" thick) just for asking.

As others suggest, I remove the wings, which knocks off a lot of weight, and makes the beast a whole lot easier to manipulate.

I set a 4×4 back from the bed around a little better than a foot (a 4×6 would be even better, but I still only use the 4" height and the 4x is only about a foot long). It's positioned so I can tip the saw back and push the 4x under the saw edge with my foot. When I let the saw down, it rests on the center of the 4x. The saw pivots and balances fairly well when I tip it just enough to get the 4x under it.

Just raising the saw that 4" takes a lot of the work out of the process of loading.

Once resting on the 4x, I tip the saw forward (a little grunting here) and keep tipping until the case is resting against the edge of the bed (the table will still be a couple inches off the bed).

Most the weight is toward the top, so once that's in, it's just a matter of letting the top down and pushing.

Pulling it out of the rig is the same thing in reverse.

When I got my first Unisaw, I just eased it out of my pickup on my upper legs. Even as a kid in good shape those many days ago, that was too scary. Still, it worked for the big planner too. Now days, this approach allows this broken grown up to do what was difficult for even someone younger.


----------

