Customer Reviews

PortaMate PM4400 Miter Saw Stand

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

[Summary: Right around 3.5 stars. Snap button problems and support only for saws with mounting holes in a rectangle lower the score, but the stand is stable and rugged.]

I got a low-end compound miter saw to add some trim to my house. I certainly didn't want to spend more money on the stand than I did for the saw, so I bought the PM4400. It was a decent buy, but the assembly took over two hours. Half of this time was spent debugging the "snap" buttons. Snap buttons are spring-loaded bumps that fit through various holes in the frame to hold the legs either open or closed. They came pre-installed on my stand's legs, and that was part of the problem.

Two of the four snap buttons would stick halfway through their holes -- not all the way up, and not all the way down. First I tried some WD-40. No help. So I took a leg off and removed its snap button to look it over. This took a flat-bladed screwdriver (as mentioned in the instructions) plus some long-nosed pliers (not mentioned). When I had the spring piece out of the leg I could feel that there was some minor roughness around the edge of the hole the button is supposed to "snap" through. So I got a circular file (again, not mentioned) and ran it around the hole a couple times. After reassembly the button snapped smoothly, as it was supposed to. I repeated the process on the other three legs and now they lock open and closed pretty handily.

When it came to mounting my saw I discovered another difficulty: The PM4400 only supports saws with mounting holes in a rectangle. My saw has the mounting holes in the back closer together than those in the front. The stand's assembly instructions said to mount the saw to a 3/4" plywood base and drill holes in a rectangle in the plywood. Another annoyance, and a bit more time getting set up.

When finally set up this stand works well. You can rest some pretty heavy stock on the support arms without a problem. And I can verify that a falling aluminum ladder didn't even scrape through the orange paint on the legs -- not that that's a recommended test, you understand :-). Stable and rugged is what you want in a saw stand, and that's what's important over the long haul. I just wish I knew that I'd have to pay a bit over two hours labor to get going.

I've been struggling along with one of these flimsy, wobbly stands for about two years. I do major remodeling and use my miter saws a lot. The so-called convenience of this one was that I could roll it from place to place. Well, barely.

Without going into all the things that are wrong with this stand, but one of them was the time one of the "lock buttons" failed to engage because the poorly-designed spring that's supposed to push it out got cocked sideways inside the leg. With no warning, the stand collapsed, sending my new $400 Bosch tilt-slide saw over the edge of a deck. I could have bought the Bosch stand for what that cost me.

Bottom line: I went to Home Depot and bought one of their Ryobi stands a few weeks ago for my litle trim saw. I had little faith in it because of the $97 price, but when I took it out of the box (fully assembled), I was blown away. It is stout, well-designed, and the best part is that my huge Bosch saw fits on it perfectly and with the flip of two levers the saw can be comfortably carried to the truck so I don't have to worry about rolling anything anywhere. I bought this stand to use under one of my small chopsaws I use for moldings and trim and ended up using it under my biggest saw. I'm going to buy another one so I can send my old stand to the scrap pile, wheels and all.

The Port-A-Mate 4400 provides a very stable and easy to adjust stand for all miter saws. My husband reviews tools for two magazines. He wanted to see what HTC had for the Sliding miter saws he was reviewing. He mounted every type of miter saw from Ryobi to Bosch and the stand functioned perfectly. A small child could assemble the saw when it arrives in the box. It is also made in America. I know because I put the saws on the stands because my husband has a bad back injury. I found it took about two minutes to mount a saw once the stand was put together. It wheels around perfectly when the stand is broken down for transporting and even I can set it up in 30 seconds when we pick a spot to make cuts. All of the manufactures stands are very expensive when compared to this stand. This stand had a perfect powder coated finish and looked like it cost hundreds more. It is the best bargain on Amazon in my opinion. Just incase you think a woman has no idea about tools I am a theater arts major. I have built many sets in the theater that require the use of many power tools and thousands of types of finishes. You can't go wrong with this miter saw stand.

I'm a serious DIY-er. I was (just like you) tired of wobbly saw horses and other makeshift setups and lugging around a 12" compound saw. I wanted a sturdy saw platform AND wheels. I did the research and decided on the Portamate based on (1) strength, (2) portability, (3) price and (4) Made in USA. I'm pleased on all accounts. The materials are strong and of good quality. The powder coated finish is first class. Once assembled it's a no-nonsense solid stand, as advertised. The saw mounts and detaches in seconds with the clamp-on mounts. The stand sets up and folds easily. Its compact when folded and easy to roll. It took me about two hours to assemble the unit due to skimpy instructions and minor hardware issues. One bolt had a thread problem that would not let it thread into the nut properly. After a session with the tap & die set, that issue was resolved. I also experienced the problem with the leg lock buttons that an earlier reviewer had. These buttons are spring loaded to snap into a hole and lock the legs when setup. The buttons are depressed to fold up the stand. The buttons worked perfectly on two legs but the other two wanted to stick, either open or closed. The problem was that the buttons fit too tightly in the leg holes. The buttons were easily removed from the holes with a screw driver and the holes slightly enlarged to allow proper clearance. The two hardware issues are very minor and I think common to many things we buy unassembled. A flawed bolt and a little too much paint/metal at the hole location, not big problems. These units are a bargain. Would gladly buy again.

just got this stand free with my bosch 3912 miter saw and am very impressed. i was not going to buy a stand, but i found the saw i wanted with the stand as an extra. after mounting the saw on the stand and making a couple of cuts, i couldn't be more pleased. the whole unit is solid as a rock. it makes moving and storing the saw easy as well. the whole thing hangs on my garage wall! by the way, buy a 3912!!

I ordered this stand recently from Amazon. On delivery, the box it came in had a huge gash in the side, which was most likely caused by the shipper (UPS), but all parts were inside and nothing appeared damaged. Small parts were neatly packaged together.

The assembly manual is fairly detailed and straightforward, although some of the photos are small and difficult to see how parts are supposed to be aligned. The instructions for putting on the wheels are kind of goofy - they tell you to put them on last but give instructions on how to do it in the middle of the text if you want wheels on the legs and at the end of the text if you want to move the stand while folded up. Regardless, it did not take very long to assemble the stand.

Once assembled, this is a great stand. I needed a stationary stand for a Craftsman 12" compound miter saw, and the simple design would make it easy to mount any size saw. The ability to wheel it around the work area is a nice bonus. I did not install the wheels so the stand could roll around folded up, so I can't comment about that. I put them on the legs, and it is simple to move the stand around the basement without any loss of stability. The construction of the stand is very solid and stable -- it does not wobble at all. I especially like the adjustable side supports -- it is easy to adjust them to support longer pieces of wood like 8 ft 2x4s etc.

For the money, this is a great stand for a compound miter saw, even the big ones. I looked at more expensive stands that were similar in design, and there is no reason that I could find to spend the extra money. This one is a bargain and well worth the price paid.

I'm glad this stand is offered. It's really a bargain for such a product. Take my advice and fix the snap buttons the day you put it together. After you do, you will love it. I'm surprised that someone hasn't written this yet, but the reason the buttons don't push through isn't the fault of the holes, it's because the buttons aren't perfectly round - they're slightly oval due to the way they are made. Before you put the stand together, pull out the buttons. You will see two slits down the side. Using pliers, flatten the areas with the slits. Test fit in the hole. Repeat until it easily fits. After that, reinsert the buttons and complete the installation. It will collapse very easily. I also wish the stand had an extra set of wheels. You can choose whether you want the wheels mounted for rolling when set up or when collapsed. I called the company (they are very nice), and they have a kit for 27$ that comes with two wheels and all the necessary mounting hardware. I purchased this so I can wheel it when open AND folded. Some of these comments may be confusing before you purchase the stand, but will be understandable when you have it. Just know that although it's not perfect, the flaws seem fixable, and for this price you should be satisfied. This stand is for someone who wants a better-than-average, affordable set up.

The ad implied that this stand was sold specifically for the hitachi miter saw I purchased from Amazon. It was a 4-hole mounting instead of a three hole, which required an additional configuration.--Misleading. Also the mounting of the saw on the rails and the picture which it showed was,I believe,wrong and resulted in the saw falling off of the rails and cracking the case of the new saw, which I had to tape together. The stand itself is ok but I would rather buy one I saw at another retail store designed for the 3 hole model and had a better grip on the saw.

I am a tool columnist for two boat-building magazines. I am finishing a huge multi miter saw review of many saws both large and small with good accessories. They all fit on this amazing stand. I have no complaints; HTC did the wood working trade a huge favor!

It has all the adjustments of the stock company stands but only 1/4 the price. I take my hat off to Mr. Cross and his team for their outstanding accomplishment. The fit and finish were as fine as any of the major tool companies stands. It makes me wonder why they charge those extremely high prices.

Anyone who wants quality with a low cost should buy HTC products. I know my shop will have many HTC products. You should also do the same; your pocket book will love you.

John Cupp
Tool Columnist

I had looked at probably every stand on the market and planned on purchasing another and much more expensive stand for my Bosch sliding miter saw. I saw this stand assembled for display at a local store and had not paid much attention to it before. I was much suprised at its sturdiness when I actually put my hands on it. I went to Amazon and read the reviews. The price was so low that I decided to try it out The reviews I read complained about the push buttons that let the legs up and down, about the paint, and about the problems at putting it together.
Mine arrived well packaged and intact. Upon opening it I read the directions. I decided to assemble it with the wheels on the bottom of the legs so I could easily roll it out of the way in my small shop. The directions were very simple. My snap buttons worked perfectly and the paint is sound. The color isnt my favorite but I wasnt buying a decorator stand . I had it together in about 5 minutes. I cant understand anyone having problems with this stand. It could have been easily assembled without the directions. The box had a picture of an assembled stand. That would have been enough.
There are a lot of saws, a lot of stands and a lot of needs and opinions. This unit wooks great for me. More sturdy than many and should stand up to any of them. You can pay more for more engineering, paint or appearance but you cant beat the price and the ease of function.

Still no problems and still very satidfied after many months of use. The problem I read in another review of a missing specialty bolt that the hardware couldnt match was a chuckle. The clerk must have been a high school kid. The part is simply a toilet flange hold down bolt and is available at any store that sells almost anything including my local Wal Mart and the local Lowes.