Customer Reviews

Techcraft HBL60 60-Inch Wide Television Stand (Black)

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I shopped for a TV stand big enough to fit a 61" DLP TV and I went everywhere from Wal-mart to Best Buy to Ikea (online). This is the stand to get. This stand looks amazing in black metal and black tempered glass.

Wal-mart has some cheap particle board set for roughly the same price as this item. Best Buy has two classes of TV stands, those in their Magnolia section (which look great but run $1300+, I might as well get another TV) and their more moderately priced units run $299-$600. This unit still looks better than any of the stuff I saw in that section and it's bigger. There was a really basic particle board Ikea TV stand (Lack) for big TVs for $69, but they didn't deliver that model nor is there an Ikea store near where I live. And I'm glad there's not because I found this gem next.

This bad boy is 90+ pounds HEAVY and I really felt sorry for the sole UPS guy trying to carry it up the hill to my door but made me appreciate the fact that I didn't have to lug a unit in my car from a nearby store.

Ideally takes two people to setup for alignment purposes, but building it out is really easy and quick and the instructions are a snap. I'd probably build out the metal frame first, move it to where you want it, then put the glass on.

My only concern with the stand is that one of the parts came scratched and slightly dented. Luckily it was one of the support beams that runs underneath the glass and you can't see it anyway so I really didn't care because I was so satisfied with the unit after it was done, but this review probably would've been a different story if it had been one of the visible bars.

I confess that this stand really doesn't go with our home's colonial styling but, then again, neither does our 52" Sony Bravia XBR. The stand does however suit the flatscreen beautifully in style. I went oversize on the stand (60" stand for a 52" flatscreen) because I wanted a little 'margin of error' around the television so we'd be more likely to bump into the stand than the television and thus reduce the chance of knocking the television over.

The stand is pretty darn heavy. The frame isn't at all heavy, it's the three thick glass shelves (with the topmost shelf being especially thick) that add all the weight. I used the thin styrofoam type packing wrap to handle the shelves, which helped my grip as well as keep the glass fingerprint-free. Assembly might have been tedious but I worked while watching television so I didn't notice the passing of time. Everything lined up nicely and went together without even a single muttered curse. Knowing my husband's proclivity for spontaneously rearranging furniture, I stuck some heavy duty felt pads onto the bottom of the feet before I loaded the stand with the glass shelves. The 1" felt pads fit nicely into the bottom of the feet and allowed me to shift the stand on the hardwood floor even after it was weighted down. (Obviously, only do small, careful 'tweaks' to the positioning of the stand while the television is on it, otherwise remove the television before moving the stand! I know that should be obvious but...)

As others have mentioned, the shelves are not actually anchored onto the stand but the little rubbery adhesive nubs included do add plenty of friction as well as protection and the weight of the glass, even unladen with equipment, keeps the shelves pretty firmly in place -- unless perhaps you live in earthquake territory and, if you do, you probably should consider something that doesn't contain huge glass shelves, even if the glass is tempered.

I have to disagree with other reviewers about the lack of doors. Doors would only slow the accumulation of dust, not stop it, and the doors would actually make it a harder to clean, harder to assemble, etc. The simplicity of style and smoothness of the glass makes it quite easy to clean. (Cord management by bundling, wrapping, etc. will go a long way to making things easier on the eye as well as contributing to the ease of cleaning.) For the 'complaint' about the lack of doors making the equipment too accessible to children, I'd have to point out that a low object with very large spans of glass supported by 'I' shape framework is probably not the best choice for households with children. I wouldn't be worried about the tempered glass hurting the kids (unless they fell onto the edge because, even blunted, it's still a hard, narrow edge) but I'd be concerned about a sharp, concentrated force shattering the glass and causing the television to fall -- possibly on the rambunctious child.

I do love the smooth, sleek simplicity of this stand, even if it doesn't fit the rest of our decor. All the equipment blends into the shelves nicely because everything is black... except my Wii, which sticks out like a pale sore thumb. lol So, excellent price, ease of assembly, and sleek styling make this stand an excellent choice if you don't have rambunctious children or teens, or live in earthquake-prone areas. Also, if by circumstance or positioning you need to anchor your television, this probably isn't the stand for you because there's no practical way of anchoring the television to the stand. Other than that, this stand is easy on the eye as well as the wallet and does a great job of combining simplicity, style, and functionality in one affordable -- though heavy -- package.

I purchased this for a reasonably priced stand for my new Panasonic Plasma, Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P58S1 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black. The prices of flat screens have fallen but not so for the prices of stands to hold the large flat screens. Since I move my room around on occasion a wall mount was out. This stand works perfectly for this size set, flanking it with a couple of inches on eash side to spare. The problem of the smaller stands, in my opinion, is that if the TV is wider than the stand, it looks top heavy and unbalanced visually. There is plenty of depth for positioning the TV forward or backward several inches, or to rotate the TV to fine tune the position if necessary. I have mine centered on the stand in left-right and front back.

The stand is well made and provides a solid foundation for the 110 lb. Panny plus a few audio components I have on the shelves. The shelves themselves are black tinted tempered glass, shiny on one side and matte on the other. The glass sits upon rubber pads that have adhesive on one side to stick to the frame. The rest of the shelf is essentially just matte black metal frame and one plastic piece in back to hide the cabling. Assembly was extremely simple with just a screwdriver and an allen wrench, which was provided. I used my own T-Handled hex wrench which made it go much easier (I don't recall the exact size as I sit here typing). An electric screwdriver with an allen bit would be even easier but not necessary. The shelf looks great assembled, has a very modern sleek appearance that will visually blend with any flat screen. The quality is top notch.

I have only three relatively minor criticisms of the shelf. The first two are simply cosmetic. First, the glass shows dust and fingerprints easily requiring some frequent wiping if you are sensitive to them. Second, the cable management provided by the plastic piece along the back doesn't really hide the cables. If you don't want your cables to be seen you will have to make an effort to position your cables together, tie them or whatever you choose to do, and place your components strategically to cover them up. I haven't gone to the trouble yet and you can clearly see the power cables, speaker wires, HDMIs, etc. running vertically and at angles back behind. It is what it is and is not unique to this shelf, but is common to these sleek, open designs.

My last criticism is in regards to the Techraft company in their misleading specifications and has nothing to do with the shelf itself. I went to their website, downloaded the schematic drawing and planned my purchase accordingly. The dimensions and spacing measurements they give are not completely accurate. The space between the bottom and middle shelf is listed at 6.5", which is true for the front aperture, but due to the frame piece that runs the width of the shelf to provide support for the middle shelf, there is only 5" height clearance at about 8.5" deep into the rack. This came into play as I planned to place my new Klipsch L,R, and Center speakers (Klipsch Icon Series WB-14 - Speaker - 2-way - espresso Klipsch WC24 2-Way Center Channel Loudspeaker (Espresso)) on the middle shelf and my receiver, BD player and DVR on the lower shelf. The receiver, and almost all other receivers on the market except the Marantz NR1501 slimline Marantz NR1501 Slim Line Home Theater Receiver, is too tall to fit under that frame piece on the bottom shelf. The receiver and speakers are too wide to all fit on the middle shelf. This leaves me with four options; 1.) buy a new receiver 2.) buy stands for my front L & R speakers 3.) place something under the TV to raise it up about 1.5" and place the speakers on the top shelf in front of the TV or 4.) scoot the receiver back behind the brace, sticking out the back of the rack. Not wanting to spend any additional funds, I have opted for number 4 at this time.

In summary, this is a fantastic piece of furniture for the large flat screen segment. It looks great, is solidly constructed, is easy to put together, and blends seamlessly with flat screens. It is the best value on the market for this application, bar none. Just keep in mind that your receiver will not fit on the bottom shelf if it is of a standard size. I purchased mine here on Amazon because of the free shipping. You can find better prices but watch the shipping fees because this is over 100 pounds shipped. I did find it slightly cheaper, including shipping fees, other places but not with 2 day shipping speed.

I picked this unit because it is made of metal and glass, rather than particle board and plastic. I wanted something that would look great and last. The assembly took about an hour because they used so many fasteners to hold it together -- this thing is solid as a rock! The glass shelves are black on the bottom, for a very modern feel. It even has leveling feet so you can dial it into your location perfectly. This is an excellent value and should last a lifetime.

I bought this stand for my Mitsubishi 65" DLP television. I compared measurements beforehand, but was still pleased to see how perfectly the television fit on the stand. The stand is made of very high quality materials. The stand itself is extremely sturdy, yet light enough to easily move and manipulate. The tempered glass is stunningly beautiful, and strong enough to support the TV and all the components I need. I don't think there's a better value out there. Similar stands sell for 2-3 times as much at local retailers. If you're thinking about buying this, think no more. You won't be disappointed.

nice stand. easy to assemble and although it is heavy, it's not something that is ridiculous. even with all the components on it i can easily pick up one end and pull it away from the wall and put it back. the stand looks great, better than the pictures would have you believe.

the only cons i have are that the clearance between the shelves is smaller than you think. 6.5" at the front and about 8" in the middle. my onkyo receiver had to slide in sideways to get in at all, but once in there was enough room in the middle. just something to look out for. the other con i have is that the directions have you place rubber inserts on the metal so the glass can sit on them. the rubber inserts that go on the long metal polls need to be spaced out further than the picture shows. they show about 8 inches from the end, you need to set them about evenly across the whole pole since there are only 2 of them. if you follow their instructions instead, the middle of the glass will sag once you place your electronic components there.

the other con i have is the fragility of the tempered glass. it is not something i want to ever move, but unfortunately i live in an apartment so moving again is very likely. it will just be a very careful process.

Bought this to hold my home theater equipment and it is a perfect fit. It does not distract your attention from the screen, is solidly built, and you can't beat the price.

Very slick looking with three levels of black tempered glass. Its pretty heavy so the free shipping is definitely a benefit. I would imagine paying double at a big box retailer if they even had it.

Awesome product at an awesome price.

We searched high and low for a TV stand for the 65" Mitsubishi DLP TV we purchased from Amazon. I found this stand on Amazon's website and instantly fell in love!

The 60" stand is really heavy duty and was the perfect width for our DLP. It is simple to assemble and looks great with all of our components sitting on the shelves.

The stand is rock solid construction of metal and black tempered glass.

Stylish appearance, easy to assemble.
This stand is inexpensive and does its job.

After a year and half, the middle shelf shattered for no reason. It was only holding a DVD player and a mixer.

I would say the glass shelf is not reliable for long term use. The lower shelves are around 1/4" thick and top surface for the TV is maybe 3/8".
Amazon is kind enough to issue a 20% refund. I'm just glad no one is hurt and my TV is unscathed.

I would urge any potential buyers to seriously consider the hazard of this shelf. Personally I would not use it even if it's free. You could be looking at thousands of dollars of damage.

Current users should consider reinforcing or replacing the glass shelf. There is no telling when it will shatter.