Caution items may shift during moving

[Wilson]

After setting up my brand new BT3100 complete with accessory kit in my garage I planned to move it to my shop out back. Tonight I firmly locked down the rip fence and accessory table, wrapped up and secured the power cord onto the side hooks and proceeded to lift one side up by the rails in order to get the saw up onto its newly installed castors. After I moved it about 3 feet there was a crashing sound off toward the front. The sliding miter table slide right off the end of the rails. I saw it laying on the driveway in two pieces. After recovering from that sinking feeling of "what have I done to my baby" , I realized that the top table slides had broken off the rails. Now it is off to buy replacement parts.

I guess I should have braved the dark and cold and put the saw together in the shop in the first place.

[Sam Conder]

Man, what a bummer!

As an aside, it's not advisible to "wheelbarrow" your BT3 like that. Conventional wisdom around here is that it is possible to bend your rails or otherwise compromise the saw's accuracy by doing so.

[lcm1947]

Yeah that's enough to make me sick. I can only imagine how you must have felt. Sorry guy. Well, it's only money and it can be fixed - if that helps any.

[scorrpio]

Never lift the saw by the rails - if you need to move it, wear a pair of gloves and grab the lower edges of the saw case. - or the upper braces of the stand if the saw is mounted to it.

And for longer moves, take off the rip fence, sliding table and accessory table. And prefferably rails too.

[91FE]

Yea...been there...done that. My sliding table didn't break though. Just the plastic clips that it slides on. I'm not sure what made me more mad about the whole thing... my stupidity, or the $8 S&H on the $.35 parts.

Scott

[Boomer_01]

????

I have been moving my BT3000 around my shop using the rails/casters for 10 years and I havent experienced any problems with the rails. I thought it was acceptable to cart the machine by the rails.


Boomer

[gjat]

For the money, safety, and convenience, the $29 herc-u-lift is the way to go.

[scmhogg]

Wilson,

Sorry to hear about your damage. There is nothing worse than damage with no-one else to blame.

I am a no wheels-no lift with rails guy. But look at this early ad for the BT3000.



Steve

[pirinst]

When I'm not using my BT3100, the tables and rails are in the box. That way I can just pick the thing up and move it around when needed in the basement. The first time I tried to pick it up with all the top stuff mounted I figured it would take two people to successfully move it around plus would have to be real sure the rails didn't hit anything. Sorry to hear about the damage.

[RmeDad]

I love my Herc-U-Lifts!!!!!

God bless Ridgid!

[gmack5]

Depending where they broke, you MAY be able to rotate the Plastic Sliders 180 degrees and reattach them, assuming they didn't break thru the attachment holes, (one of the freatures of the BT series Saws). Normally, if the parts show excessive wear, you can do that to save having to replace them quite so often.

[LinuxRandal]

I am sorry for not being able to remember who, but I remember the picture. Somebody here, used the casters from the accessory kit, and attached brackets, that they snapped wheelbarrow handles on, to move the saw. I thought about that, since I see wheelbarrows, at garage sales for under $5.