Every saw I have owned, DeWalt, Excalibur, Seyco, and Hegner have had sweet spots and not so sweet spots. All my saws but the Hegner lived on home made stands. My Hegner is on a mat. Maybe I'll try the shelf/weight first, thanks. I did have a cement bag in the bottom of the stands for my other saws. Sand may be better than cement.
Speeking of homes, I borrowed $50K to build my home in 1980. That included the septic tank install and well drilled/pump install. The land was separate, 5 acers for 19K. I complain about my property taxes, but got an eye opener when we started looking a homes in town. Property taxes in city limits are like paying a morgage. I do not know how people do it. But still they will vote to pass every bond issue on the ballet and then complain about the taxes.