A friend recently wrote in to ask: “I plan on purchasing the Craftsman Professional table saw and was wondering what you purchased for the mobile base and if you like the table saw?” Well, to answer that last question - I LOVE the saw, and it is quite frankly the best table saw I have ever used!
I first came across this saw at the @craftsman 2014 Makecation. I have used plenty of table saws in my time, but this one called to me - with it’s cutting action smooth as butter and the perfect height of the work surface - I felt like I was in woodworking heaven!
The purchase was simple, and I was quite lucky, really. Sears was no longer carrying the saw in store; and while I was researching the purchase and sitting on a decision, they sold the floor model - which caused some alarm for me. When I inquired, they had one remaining - and it was still untouched and crated.
After it was delivered, my Dad helped me un-crate the beast, and we basically gingerly dragged it off the pallet into a mobile base which fortunately the steel pallet it sat on was a little higher, so we were lucky.
The first mobile base I had for it was the Port-A-Mate PM-2500, purchased at Rockler. I chose this base at the time because it was economical while still offering stability, but overtime it panned out to be a mistake. Despite the product indicating it could tote a up to 650lbs, it groaned under the almost 500lbs of granite, cast iron and steel the saw carries. With my small shop, I need to roll the saw away, and this proved to be a chore as the wheels didn’t like to maneuver with all that weight. It was time to upgrade.
Last holiday season, I upgraded to the Rockler All-Terrain Mobile Base, which boasts an 800lb capacity with the help of 5″ locking urethane castors. It was tricky moving the saw from the old mobile base to the new: I basically was disassembling half of the old one at the same time I was assembling the new one, using wood blocks to help hold the saw up during the transition.
Weight-handling was my biggest concern for the new mobile base, since that was my previous problem with the old one. I decided to roll it around the shop to test, and although it was not intended, it wheeled around so well, it ran over an electrical extension cord without problem, just like as advertised!
The All-Terrain Mobile base is the perfect for for the table saw, and I am very pleased with it! You can find the mobile base here.
As far as the saw itself is concerned, I love it! I have cut a few things out it now at this point, and it has performed well and is super quiet. I have since outfitted the table saw with a Craftsman digital readout, found on eBay, a 10″ e-coat master combination blade, and a steel plate logo from Sears Parts Direct (the table saw came stock with a decal, while previous models displayed this plate). Alas, the plate is no longer available. You can read more about the table saw here.