Customer Reviews

(2 box set) HTC HOR-1038U 37-Inch x 31-Inch Table Saw Outfeed Roller Table

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While the idea behind this device is sound its manufacture needs improvement. The one I have has none of its rollers in quite the same plane - some deviate 1/4" - which neccessitates constant attention to make large workpieces track straight. The bracket that attaches to the saw was warped and needed alot of filing and shimming before the roller table would aline with the saw table. Included screws are easy to break and are best replaced when possible or tightened very gently when not. Some additional washers were needed where helical lockwashers are used over slots.

If you're the sort who owns a cabinet saw and have the time, you can probably make a better (and cheaper) outfeed table yourself.

I am the owner of a small one man shop. I have limited space so many of my larger tools are on mobile bases. I wanted the outfeed rollers to support 4X8 3/4" plywood and mdf that I use to make cabinets. The instructions/diagrams in the installation instructions were straight foward. Although, if you are putting the roller on a unisaw you have to move the on/off box - but instructions are in the installation manual. I put the rollers on a grizzly table saw. You will want to remove the table top to get to the inside of the saw. I took advantage of when the table top was off and did machine maintence(i.e. adjust belt tension, clean and lubricate.) You will be drilling eight holes in the back of the cabinet. A template is supplied for the top four holes. The bottom holes are drilled with the support bracket mounted. I installed the roller myself in about three hours(including the machine maintence), but it would be easier to install with a helper. You have to tap the mounting bracket around a bit to find level. The adjustment screw on the bottom of the support arm is a hassel to get to once installed. I cut off an open-ended wrench to 4" in length to get to it for adjustment(rated 4 rather than 5 for this reason). Other than that it is working great and I am very happy with it. The only other advice that I would have is that if you don't like playing with stuff a little to get it to work well you may not be happy with the rollers.

The design and flexability of this outfeed roller table is great. The only complaint I have is that (as others have written) the roller plane tolerance is not very accurate. Some rollers are as much as 1/8" lower or higher than the leading and last roller. I would think HTC could do better at aligning the rollers or make the alignment adjustable. I ended up attaching a removable laminated table top to the frame insted of using the rollers. Maybe HTC could sell just the folding frame without the rollers at a discounted cost. It was still worth it to me just to get the folding frame. The table folds and unfolds easily. Attachment to my saw(Powermatic 66) was easy, I installed it myself in 2-3 hours. Its great to have the outfeed table/rollers permanately attached to the saw and always in alignment when folded into place. Since I have limited space and all my equipment is mobile, its nice to just be able to fold the outfeed table down and out of the way. It is a better and more convenient design than any other outfeed table that I've seen. It took a little extra work to add a seperate tabletop, but I am glad I got one.

The idea is great the execution is lacking. There is too much varience with the rollers; when you align the ones closest to the table with the table and then level the furthest ones with the tables, some of the rollers in between are either lower or higher. Can't do anything about that. While the varience isn't too much, it could be a problem later. Not great but not horrible either.

Our church has developed a fabulous woodshop. In the fall of '97, we purchased this unit & installed it onto the back side of a 3hp Grizzly 1023Z table saw. It was easy to install & worked well.

This past winter, we sold the Grizzly, kept the outfeed roller unit & reinstalled it on our new 5hp General table saw. It's still GREAT!

It's particularly noteworthy because it: 1. holds lumber in alignment with the rip fence and 2. takes less force to rip lumber... the further the piece is moved along - through the cut.

We've had loads of compliments and positive comments from many users. This product is a winner.

The Roller system is a excellent piece of equipment! It took a while to adjust the height of the rollers to the table. When I did, all rollers were flat with the table. The only downfall of this product is customer service! I had a defective part when assembling. Called 5 weeks ago and still have not recieved a replacement for the defective part!

I installed the HTC outfeed rollers on my Powermatic 66 Tablesaw this afternoon. Everything went together as explained in the instruction manual and all the parts were there. This addition will make ripping larger panels alot easier. I have had some bad experiences with HTC products in the past, but I am very pleased with this product. Assembly and adjustment was simple and took about 1 hour.

True this product is not precisely flat and has 1/8" variances in height, BUT it works great. Until a couple of years ago, I had hefty football linemen living at home, but they've grown up and I no longer have anyone to hold the other end of sheet goods for ripping. This product not only fills the gap, but is an improvement. There's no variations or wobble on the other end and the stock always tracks straight since the 1/8" variances are at the outer edges causing the sheet to naturally split while staying against the fence (and, without any problems after the cut is finished). The instructions are precise and installation on my Powermatic 66 took approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, plus another 5 minutes of help (from my Marine Sgt. son who was home on leave) required to tighten the lower screws. Also, the 2 short rollers were not short and I called the manufacturer on Monday, received replacements on Friday and took another 5-minutes to slip them in place. I like the fold down feature that is adjusted to the table height since my saw is on a roller base and this product permits easy movement whereas a fixed table would be a hassle.

I've had my HTC outfeed attachment on my Jet cabinet saw since about 1995. The other day I had been struggling with trying to rip half sheets of ply on my Hitachi portable table saw using portable roller stands when I finally got so fed up that I decided to go back to the shop and do it. That's when it hit me how much I have come to take the HTC for granted. I don't think about it because it does exactly what it's supposed to do.

As far as other reviewers complaining about variations in roller height, it's not an issue I've ever noticed. Perhaps HTC uses cheaper rollers than they did way back when. Either way, I don't feel the need to check it unless I'm experiencing issues with how it's supporting the stock, and it never gives me such problems. I just level the first set of rollers to the table when I first mount or (re)mount it, and it always works from there. It never pulls stock to one side and after all this time everything still moves perfectly. Also, the folding feature is of great value to me, as I have a small shop.

Installation and removal (on the Jet anyway) are no big deal, though you do have to drill holes in the cabinet of your saw.

In summary, if you need the option to save space by folding your outfeed table down, this is a product I fully recommend. If you have a lot of space, I'd probably recommend just building ground supported tables around your saw, which might be cheaper, but more importantly would allow the possibility of extending the table around the left of your saw to support full sheet goods.

I bought this guard from Amazon. Placed the order in February, got it (finally) in May and installed it in August.

The installation went fine, though the instructions were somewhat confusing. I installed mine on my Craftsman 22124 talbe saw in about 3 hours. The table is light years ahead of the stock outfeed table on the 22124, though its certainly should be at this price.

Installation went fairly well, with the following notes that might be useful for anyone else trying to install this on a 22124:

1. The template should be cut to the base line marker, since 3.5 inches down from the saw isn't that far below the top of the cabinet. Its not that critical to get it exactly 3.5 inches from the top of the table, since the bolt holes are slotted in the main bracket. I think plus minus 1/8th inch is probably ok, but you want to be sure to level it and align it with the table top as outlined in he instructions.

2. You will need to remove the stock outfeed table, but not the bottom bracket as it doesn't interfere with the HTC bracket.

3. Take the advise on deburring the holes in the instructions seriously. I used a dremmel to do it and it made things go a lot easier and safer.

4. When installing the far bolt to secure the bottom of the main bracket to the cabinet, I found it useful to tape the bolt onto the bracket on the outside and then ease the nut on from the inside.

5. Remove the insert and the blade from the saw before attaching the main bracket.

6. Be sure to examine all of the hardware before starting, if you are missing some of the hardware it isn't worth starting the project until you have it all.

7. If you also have the overarm guard from HTC on your 22124, be prepared to find out that it interferes with the door to the cabinet. It makes it more inconvenient, but its still possible to work around. Also, if you have the overarm guard installed, you will have to modify the instructions on installing the supporting rod.

I found the unit to be reasonable in its construction. The brackets were fairly thick gauge steel, the rollers seem fine and the hardware I got was up to the task. Not sure why some of the other reviewers had trouble, but my table went on fairly quickly. I did the install alone, but if you had two people it would be much easier.

I tried a couple of cuts with it, and it definately made the job of ripping sheets easier and more convenient for the lone woodworker.

I'd recommend this accessory, but would not make it a priority purchase. The overarm guard is a much better safety investment, in my opinion.