# Bandsaw on Casters



## gatorrob86 (Mar 12, 2012)

I recently purchased the Shop Fox W1706 14" Bandsaw. It weighs 275 lbs and has a 18" x 15 1/2" footprint. The bandsaw sits on a closed cabinet. On the underside of the cabinet, at the corners, are 4 holes (in pretty thick looking plate metal) to accommodate the supplied bolts and rubber feet. My question is: Can I just replace the bolts with fully locking stemmed swivel casters rather than place the cabinet on a mobile base? I REALLY like the maneuverability that 4 swivel casters provides and I would like avoid the mobile base issues (not as maneuverable with fixed wheels, tilting top heavy equipment, price/quality, increased footprint). I would use a small diameter wide wheel (something like this). Would putting casters directly on the cabinet make the bandsaw any less stable/more tippable than just sitting on the supplied feet?


----------



## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

I have a Jet 14" bandsaw on this mobile base. It is stable, and doesn't raise it very much.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2080750/33126/woodriver-universal-mobile-base-hardware-kit.aspx


----------



## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I have a 14" GO555X mounted on a HF(large) furniture dolly. Maybe just a hair top heavy but works great. I roll it straight out from the wall and straight back in.


----------



## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

Bob, consider that those 3" swivel casters, the contact area with the floor also swivels and the supplied bolt holes are in a distance from the edge. You could have stability issues, I tried that path once, things got a bit interesting.


----------



## BorkBob (Jan 11, 2011)

I tried using the small HF furniture dolly on my HF 14" BS and it was a bit small. I transferred the casterrs to a salvvaged oak cabinet door and it works great. 4-3" swivel casters for 8 bucks.


----------



## gatorrob86 (Mar 12, 2012)

Howie and BorkBob, can you upload some pictures of your BS on its mobile base?


----------



## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

I grabbed some angle iron and some casters at the local Home Depot, and welded up a base that my Delta BS fits into. The angle iron keeps it from shifting in the base. It was cheap and it works.


----------



## Marlow (Feb 1, 2011)

My approach: casters and plywood


----------



## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I built a base out of plywood 3 3/4 sheets then put my casters on then put some of those threaded inserts in when I get where I want I just screw a bolt down or in my case I have 6 bolts and mine is rock solid level but mine stays put except when I clean I would advise a good base just make it urself out of plywood and it will be better than what u buy but I have a 514×2b griz


----------



## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

just get some of those neoprene casters they are easy to roll


----------



## gatorrob86 (Mar 12, 2012)

I have decided not to attach casters directly, but go with a mobile base. I have narrowed it down to 2 models:

Jet 708118 JMB-UMB Universal Mobile Base
WoodRiver Universal Mobile Base Hardware Kit

The Jet is nice because you're not tilting a top heavy piece of equipment. The main negatives I have read have to do with heavy tablesaws. The weight causes some flexing and the casters may not be stable enough when working something that requires some force. I don't think these would be issues with a bandsaw (although the W1706 does weigh 275 lbs.).

On the other hand, everyone seems to really like the WoodRiver and the base is more stable on feet.

Bottom line for me, I am going to be moving this thing whenever I need to use it, so I want easy mobility. That has me leaning towards the Jet. My only hesitation is from stability concerns raised by some reviews.

What do you guys think?


----------



## BorkBob (Jan 11, 2011)




----------



## Howie (May 25, 2010)

@Bob
Pictures of my bandsaw on a Large HF base. I find this works fine. I'm not sure how it would be with a resaw extention in it. Weight is roughly 275


----------



## gatorrob86 (Mar 12, 2012)

After all of this, I decided on the Harbor Freight mobile base. Assembled it last night and it works great! I wrote a review of it (my first review). Check it out.


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Fixed casters serve an often overlooked purpose. That purpose is to inhibit movement in one axis/plane.

I would give up the 'convenience' factor for this added security, IMO. I use the Grizzly mobile base on my 14in Rikon BS and find the four locking casters to work very well. I have no problem moving the BS (on concrete) and can even nudge the BS sideways against the fixed wheel orientation when I need to adjust placement of the BS before use. Once locked down everything is fine.


----------



## bleorgh (Mar 22, 2012)

We use brick scaffolding casters which have a 3×3 square base plate atop the bearing housing. From this extends a 1 inch threaded rod about 20 inches long. Cut the rod off once you install them or leave in place (your choice). They are a bit pricey but the solid , large steel wheels with solid rubber "tires" make them ideal for heavier shop tables/equiptment.


----------

