Customer Reviews

PortaMate HTC1000 - 400 Pound Capacity Universal Mobile Base

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently purchased two of these mobile bases, and am quite pleased with them. One was placed under a band saw, the other a contractor's table saw. They were easy to assemble and adjust to level. They are very mobile on a cement floor. The lock and unlock mechanism is easily assecable with the flick of a toe. Since they are so easy to move they have really made a difference in my limited space workshop.

I recently purchased this mobile base and I must say that for the price it can't be beat. The base is well built, easy to put together and performs as advertised. I was ready to buy craftsmans version ...untill I found this one. From what I've seen they appear to be the same except for the price. I highly recommend one for all non portable tools in your workshop.

This is a well built product. Putting all pieces together was very easy and I was ready to go in about 25 minutes. I am using this base for my Hitachi CR10A2 table saw. I have a very small woodshop space so having the tools on wheels is wonderful. I am planning to buy one more for my router table too.

This universal mobile base is a real piece of work. It goes together easily and is a simple but functional design. Since it is a "universal" base, holes must be drilled to make it fit most equipment.
I mounted a Ridgid band saw on this base and I chose to drill new holes where the legs were bolted to the base. This required only 4 new holes. To adjust the side rails would have required more holes.
The only down side to this base is that user must have access to a drill press for the holes. The metal used is substantial.
I intend to purchase 2 more to use on a drill press and table saw.

I love a good mystery as much as the next guy, but not when it comes to assembly instructions. As others have noted, the assembly instructions are somewhat limited, but the end result is worth a little trial and error. I put my six inch jointer on this base and will order another for my band saw. This unit is rock solid, rolls smothly and is nice and stable.

I bought this base to go under a Jet closed stand 14" bandsaw. I was a little concerned that this lighter (and less expensive) stand would work with the 185 lb. weight. No problems! It assembles easily, all parts are present, and the floor release mechanism works flawlessly. It's rated to hold up to 300 lbs., and looks like it would do that easily. I'm well satisfied.

I figured I'd have to drill a few holes to make it fit my craftsman table saw. I wasn't disappointed. If the unit you're going to put it on will need to be bolted to the base (and they all do), expect to drill holes in your unit, the corners of the base, or in the support beams. I decided to drill the support arms, and I only needed to do that in two of them. The other dimension worked out to be exactly the right length. Once I'd drilled the holes, the whole thing went together just fine. The saw moves around effortlessly and the whole unit is a LOT more stable now. I'm quite satisfied. Four stars because I had to drill it. But then, I don't believe there's a mobile base made that doesn't require some mods. Price was right, and it works like a charm.

Man! First I can't say enough about Amazon and their Tool Crib. Friendly service, free shipping, and arrived quickly.
This mobile base is great! But...some assembly required! Only took about an hour and I was even able to get the base under my 10" table saw by myself by building the base around the legs. It's true that the directions are not the best but anybody with a little assembly skill should have no problems, even the nylon washers that other reviewers mentioned as hard to put in (you could probably leave them out. If you put them in, just lay them on top of the wheel and slide them in to the wheel bracket together). You'll have exta bolts and nuts left over which makes you ponder if you forgot something but HTC just gives you more in case you loose some I guess.
The base rolls around just fine even though some reviewers thought the rear wheels should swivel...they don't need to and for safety probably shouldn't!
Lastly, I priced the VERY same thing at that "Craftsguy" store and the same base was almost TWICE as much. You're paying for that "Craftsguy" logo and probably tax as well! I'm going to order more of these for my other floor tools...go for it! If you have a REALLY heavy saw probably should order the 400 lb model.

First, to be positive, I agree with the other reviews that the finished product is a nice mobile base. I ordered mine for my Jet 12" bandsaw and it is a good fit and plenty strong.

My issue is with the assembly experience. As others say in their reviews the assembly instructions leave something to be desired. I just don't see why companies don't take an hour and build one of their own products up while reading their own instructions. The problem is they know too much and assume things that aren't written. A minor annoyance was that the numbers of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. didn't match with the quantities listed in the parts list. In the end I had enough of everything but I'd like to have at least what is listed. But my BIG gripe is the fit of the side metal brackets into the corner brackets. Maybe I got unlucky and got some brackets that were out of tolerance but with the side brackets tight against the corner brackets the holes still didn't line up. I ended up having to drill some of the holes a bit larger to get the bolts through.

A good finished product and the price is right but not a particularly happy assembly experience.

I have the Craftsman version of this mobile base. It is easy to assemble. Better still, it rolls, swivels, steers, and handles better than two other types that I have. The one I own is on a large band saw. The two I ordered are for my router table, and a work bench. They make a small workshop much larger! Best of all, these are $30-$40 less than the Craftsman!