Customer Reviews

StableMate PLUS100 Universal Miter Saw Stand

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After in-store visits to look at everything available, I couldn't bring myself to part with $200 or more for any of the miter stands that really don't do their jobs any better than this one does. In fact, this one performs better than most. I have a 12" Delta twin-laser, and it is big and heavy. With this stand there is no wobble or sway, and the quick on-off clamps hold the saw very firmly in place without having to crank them down so tightly that the frame becomes damaged. This stand is made of clear-coated heavy gauge steel tubing. There are no crimps anywhere along the inner or outer rails. It was in perfect condition when it came out of the box. Perhaps the manufacturer has been listening to its customers - this unit has none of the flaws mentioned here by others. I'm frugal, and expect to get my money's worth from every tool I buy. I got that and more with this stand. $100 well spent. I am very pleased.

After spending some time working with fully assembled displays of a StableMate Plus100, a Stablemate XWC-36, and a DeWalt DW723, the Plus100 is the miter saw stand I ended up buying.

With the Plus100 costing about $100 less than the DW723, you might expect it to look and feel "cheap." Absolutely not! It's all heavy duty galvanized steel except for the precision all-aluminum mounting clamps for the miter saw. Seeing this stand in person rather than looking at the picture above or even at the StableMate web site gives you a much better appreciation for its quality construction. For example, the angled brackets for the work supports in the picture look a bit flimsy, but they're actually 1/4" solid steel. I believe the manufacturer's claim that this unit will in fact support 500 lbs. The legs might sink into soft ground, but this baby won't bend.

If you read the reviews posted here at Amazon for the Plus100's more expensive brother, the StableMate XWC-36, you'll see several comments that it takes about three hours to assemble that model. With the Plus100, the legs, extension arms and the keel beam come out of the box fully assembled as a single unit. All there's left to do is put together the work supports, the stop plate, the handle, and finally mount your saw on the clamps. It took me less than 15 minutes to completely assemble to the finger-tighten stage, then maybe another 5 minutes to tighten the nuts with a small wrench (the only tool you need) and to adjust the work support brackets so they were perfectly on line with the miter saw table.

If you want to add wheels, more work supports, etc. look at StableMate's website for various accessory packages you can buy for the Plus100. But, with spare parts laying around most workshops, you can easily make an additional stop plate or more work supports. Even attaching the wheels of your choice shouldn't be much of a challenge for the average do-it-yourselfer.

I think all the miter saw stand manufacturers claim their products will support all miter saw brands. However, some extra work on your part might be necessary to make that statement true. The "universal" mounting clamps are designed for saws that have the front mounting holes directly in line with the rear mounting holes. If your miter saw's mounting holes are not in line front to rear (as mine aren't), the standard suggestion is to cut a piece of 5/8" or thicker plywood slightly larger than the saw base, fasten the wood to the saw base, then fasten the mounting clamps to the wood.

I took a different route and just cut a piece of angle iron to the necessary length, then drilled two holes to match the rear (closer together) mount holes on my miter saw, and one hole at each end of the angle iron to bolt it to the Plus100 mounting clamps. (If that's not clear, I think you can click on my name to email me. Put Plus100 in the subject line, otherwise your email might get lost in my spam folder.) I made that angle iron support after I ordered the stand, so by the time UPS delivered the Plus100 (4 biz days w/free shipping), I was all set to go. By the way, StableMate provides all the nuts & bolts you'll need to attach your saw to the mounting brackets, even if you have to go the extra step and mount it to a piece of plywood.

The mounting clamps let you slide your miter saw left & right about 12" which is almost but not all the way to each end of the beam. Sliding my saw over as far as it will go, the closest distance the blade can get to the work support/stop plate is 16". So, if your project involves making a lot of identical cuts less than 16" long, you'll need to make your own stop plate and clamp it on. I suspect the same is true for the XWC-36; I don't know how close the DeWalt can get to each end.

Sorry for rambling on and on like this, but I know how frustrating it can be to make a purchase decision based only on a tiny picture and a brief features list. Hope this is of some help for you.

UPDATE: November 21, 2006. I've had this saw stand for a year and a half, and I'd now rate it 10 stars if that was possible. But, the reason for this update is that about a year ago I replaced my plain miter saw with a sliding bevel miter saw. Not ever having used a sliding miter saw on a miter stand, I wondered beforehand if the whole outfit might tip over, or come close to tipping with the saw in the full back or forward positions. My concern was unwarranted. The Stablemate remains, well, absolutely stable even when used with a sliding miter saw.

This is a nice light and portable miter saw stand. It breaks down quickly and adjustments are simple and quick. With the material stop I made quick work out of cutting 200 2x2 deck railing ballisters with decorative 45s on the ends. It also is sturdy enough for any materials I've loaded it with (haven't tried a 4x10 yet). Now for the bad news. The sliding arms have very little play in their sleeves, which is mostly good (they don't sag much when not clamped down). However if your saw takes a hit, which can happen, the party is over. The aluminum arms cannot tolerate any amount of bending and still slide in their sleeves, and they are not removeable for any kind of servicing. Thus the sliding, retractable support arms become non moving, non adjustable support arms, and the saw loses alot of its usefullness. Still, it's a high functioning, light weight, and very affordable stand, so go for it. Just watch for falling ladders.

I am a contractor looking for a new stand for my 8 1/2" miter saw. I wanted to get something portable and simple without sacrificing quality. After researching dozens of stands I decided on the plus 100. It sets up fast and fit my saw perfectly. The stand is constructed with heavy material and hardware that makes sense. No gizmos that get in the way. The stock supports are rounded off so it doesn't scratch the material. Other things that make this stand a good buy are; the folding legs lock in the open or closed position, the stand is sturdy but doesn't brake your back transporting it, and breaks down quick and compact. If I had to find any fault with it, it would be the extension arms slide out a little rough, but a coat of wax took care of that.

I recently purchased the Stablemate Plus to use with my compound miter saw. The Stablemate Plus was quick and easy to set up. I had the saw mounted to it in no time. The stand seems to be very stable, and well made. The extension arms let me handle lengthy work pieces, and there is a stop device which can used on either end to help get repeatable lengths. The Stablemate Plus is far handier than setting the saw on the floor and putting blocks, etc. under the work pieces the way I had been doing. I'm happy with the Stablemate Plus so far.

Absolutely the best value out there in miter saw stands. I've had this stand for 3 months now, using it almost daily. It's almost unbelieveably well built for the price.

First the positives. This stand is very sturdy and has very little flex, even with the arms fully extended supporting a 12 foot treated 2X6. I use it with a Milwaukee Magnum 10 inch compound miter saw, so the saw itself is not light.

Also, the stand sets up LEVEL. I mean all 4 legs sit on the ground. It was unbelieveable the stands I looked at in some home centers that had a slight rock in them even with a saw on board, and some were twice the price.

Assembly was easy and took less than 15 minutes. Oh, and not least of all, this baby is American made.

Possible issues with this stand are few. First, it's heavy. Honestly, when the box arrived it was difficult to wrestle into the basement. It's a little easier once it's put together so it's more compact, but if you'll be moving it a lot, the weight could be an issue.

Secondly, the adjustment knobs are plastic. I haven't had a problem, but anything that you need to use to tighten a bolt should be steel, not plastic. I'd be willing to pay an extra $5 to have real steel.

So there you go. Rock solid, American made, and does what it's supposed to do. 5 Stars!

After years of kneeling down to cut on the driveway and garage floor when doing projects around the house, decided I'd rather stand. The stablemate initially set-up quickly in about 20 minutes. I put a 12" miter saw on it and it is extremely stable. Everything on the stand seems to be well built and adjustable. I looked at other stands in this price range, but none had as many good reviews as this one. At this point I would agree with most of the prior reviews, in that this stand is an excellent value.

Edit: Oct 2009. Have used this numerous times over the years and would review it the same. Haven't though in a year or so. Thought I would mention how nicely it folds up and stores out of the way considering how big it is when set up. Nice to not trip over it.

This review is actually about this miter stand's big brother, the Pro 1000. Much of the construction and material are identical, so I think it has some validity. I shopped many miter saw stands over the last six months. I narrowed my search, but I still wasn't "sold" on any stand. I looked at Bosch, Dewalt, Ridgid and a number of others that are well rated. All of them seemed to have at least this drawback...they wobble or sway at least a little. Some are quite bad, others just a little. My other concern was that the aluminum used in most stands, will dent if you over-tighten a clamp or nut. Then I found Stablemate.

I looked at both the Plus 100 and a model Amazon does not list...the Pro 1000.

Both are super stable. Both are made of galvinized STEEL. The basic construction is the same. The Pro 1000 is longer and has more material supports. They both even use the same accessory packs.

I opted for the larger unit @ $40 more cost. I think either one could have satisfied me...I'm a guy...bigger is better!

I use a Makita LS1013 series saw on this stand. It truly is as solid as using an eight foot rock maple tool bench. I experience absolutely NO sway or wobble of any kind. These stands are a little "Old School". They are heavy by today's standards, just finished as galvinized metal and seem a little overly strong. All the parts were included, even the hardware to mount the saw on the detachable arms. Speaking of those arms, they use a patented clamp system and have no play in them. They seems stronger than any of the aluminum ones I've seen. Assembly was easy and straight forward...the directions were more than adequate.

Before you spend your money on any miter saw stand, you ought to check Stablemate out. Amazon does not list the bigger unit, but you can find it at many "real tool stores. Time will tell how well my stand ages with use, but I'm convinced Stablemate stands are at the top of the heap for strength and function.

I am a contractor and use a sliding compound miter quite often. I got tired of setting up on saw horses so I researched alot of stands before desiding to buy this one. This is an excellent stand. It has all the features you need, is very sturdy, and is easy to set up and take down. I can't see any reason to pay twice as much for other stands when this one does the job perfectly for half the price.

Considering it is relatively heavy duty, I received it with a broken u-bolt and a bent threaded shaft. The quick off saw feature is nice and the unit locks in position and folds. It looks a bit crude since nothing is finished, just bare metal but the functionality is there and for [that price]I guess you can't ask for more. I rated it 4 stary primarily because I had to call and wait for replacement parts.