21829: first, getting it out of box

[gwyneth]

My new 21829 is sitting in its box on my tiny enclosed back porch. I had no idea the box was so huge--on its side, it's almost as tall as I am.

That's a slight exaggeration, but not much.

I have to do this by myself, and I am leaving the box on its side, vertical, until I figure out what to do next (because it would be much harder to get it back into that position if that's the way to go).

This is probably the dumbest question ever posted here, but is that carton position the best way to unpack it?

Thanks.

[jon_ramp]

I just purchased one last night myself. I've opened the box, but have not yet started to put it together. You will want to lay the box so that the longest length is on the floor. (making it much shorter than you. There is alot styrofoam inside. The box is much larger than the saw.

[gwyneth]

I thought of that...but didn't want to do it in case I had to get it upright again.

So with that approach, I'd cut the box off? Or is the saw attached to the stand so it could be lifted up as a convenient unit?

[Hoakie]

The body of the saw is attached to the stand already. I had my wife help me lift it out of the box, it's not that heavy so it was not a problem for her. From there it was easy enough to roll down to the basement. If you don't have anyone to help lift it you may need to cut it out of the styrofoam, because, as I recall, it would be extremely awkward for one person to do it.

[sparkeyjames]

All this hemin an hawin. Just layer down open er up and have fun. Seriously I had to take the saw out of the box in the store parking lot as it would not fit in my car and I could not convince a relative to help (has a van and was busy). Anyway there are a lot of small parts in the styrofoam around the main saw unit. Pay attention to the up arrows if any on the box. The main saw part is indeed already mounted on the stand. For those of you withoug the use of brute strength I suggest you lay box down cut box off all the way to floor. Take out small parts and place them aside. Lift off the top styrofoam cut off the plastic bag. Then lift handle end of saw and roll it out of box if possible. I was lucky I had 2 store employees helping me we removed everything and they took care of the box. Lots of fun transporting it in my Saturn Ion. I have had it bout 4 or 5 months now.


Also take a look in the tool talk forum and the BT3x00 forum for some more helpful posts, reviews, potential problems and some modifications. Or use the forum search function and search for "21829".


Sparkeyjames.

[gwyneth]

Thankfully, the day I ordered it I searched here to see how bad the blade supplied is; the Freud 40-tooth from Amazon arrived Wednesday.

I've got a fullsized pickup and was thinking about going to get it, but with the Sears dealer 15 miles away the $20 delivery charge seemed like a good deal. Now it seems like a great deal, since I didn't have to worry about getting the box out of the truck and into the house. Or bouncing the unpacked saw and stand off the tailgate.

[gwyneth]

Update: It is out of the box. Keeping it vertical, I removed the things embedded in the top piece of styrofoam--possibly the largest single piece I've ever seen--then tugged that piece out.

Next, I removed the loose things embedded in the second piece of styrofoam and finally did a little dance/kick box to simultaneously pull the saw+stand out and push away the styrofoam+box.

Fortunately the box was oriented correctly in its vertical position, with the stand's wheels on bottom.

After trying to find somewhere to put the intact box and knocking over a zillion things, I realized I might as well have cut it off, because, being as large as some small sheds, it will have to be reduced for trash collection. (Though perhaps if it were soaked with bondo resin it actually could be a shed.)

[timb]

It is a big box but I guess I was lucky. It just fit in my station wagon so no problem there. I saw the arrows and opened the "top" so I had no choice but to unpacked all the giblets first and by lifting one end of the box so the wheels were down, the saw just rolled out pretty much unpacking itself . I'm now using the box as a makeshift worktable which has been very useful. Perhaps my son could live in it when he goes to college this fall.

[Knottscott]

Thankfully, the day I ordered it I searched here to see how bad the blade supplied is; the Freud 40-tooth from Amazon arrived Wednesday.

Congrats on your new acquisitions... is the blade an LU86?

[gwyneth]

Congrats on your new acquisitions... is the blade an LU86?

Yes. I got paralysed by the choices, read through most old threads about blades. In the end, I decided to go for the 40T combination over the 50T because it was closer to the classic 36T included with the BT3s and my (possibly half-baked) theory was that it might be slightly better for ripping.

As soon as the checkbook recovers from the 21829 and before Amazon's blade sale ends I think I'll get a rip blade, also. But the LU86 seems to do a fine job on the cross-cuts (haven't braved myself up to rip anything yet.)

[KomaToast]

I open the box and remove everything on top of the styrofoam and remove the top piece of styrofoam then stand it on end so I can roll it out of the box on the wheels.
The box is a much bigger than the BT3100 box. I used to get four BT3100 saws in a small S10 truck, can only one 21829 in there. Can only get two 21829 saws in a full size truck with a toolbox in the back.

The 21829 is a nice looking saw, well finished. I'm going to put my BT3000 on one of the folding stands along with the pretty red cabinet panels.
I was impressed with the quality of the stand. I thought it might be a little flimsy and lightweight but it's a good solid heavy stand.
I put my BT3000 on a BT3100 stand and wasn't all that crazy about it.
The reasoning for that was so I could use it with a Herc-U-Lift that I never installed, just used the Ryobi casters and the legs flexed when tilted up on the casters. Cross bracing would help but haven't gotten a round tuit.

Keith