Customer Reviews

TracRac 24322 T3 Professional Miter Saw Workstation

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up the Makita 10" sliding miter saw (LS1013) and purchased this stand for it. I have to say, I was hesitant given the $250 price tag, as I was also looking at the $99 cheaper one. I played with the DeWalt one at the "orange" store, but wasn't overly impressed with some of the design features.

The TracRac system works great. Telescoping arms with quick cam-locks, two different work-stop pieces, rollers on both sides, can hold a 16' board no problem. The folding legs work great, it's fairly lightweight, and rolls around easily. I'm a mechanical engineer and was impressed with the design and manufactured quality of this unit.

While probably the most expensive, you really get what you pay for here. Just like the Makita LS1013 miter saw and the Bosch portable table saw I purchased - expensive, but worth every dollar.

I purchased this workstation concomitantly with the Hitachi C12LCH. My decision to purchase this workstation, in lieu of the others, was because of previous reviews, its notable accessories, and, construction material. Here's my breakdown:

Instructions. Fair. Photos were excellent but the manual needs work. E.g., the "required tools" page is at the rear of the manual. As I was constructing this workstation, I was growing more and more frustrated by the constant changing of different sized wrenches! It seemed like every page I turned to, a different sized wrench was required. I kept saying to myself, why didn't they put a "required tools" page in this manual. Well... I finally found it when I finished constructing. It's on the last page. Um, TracRac guys... that page, along with the hardware figures, needs to be in the beginning of the manual--NOT THE END.

Design. Fair. If you decide to use this station as a portable station--relying on the casters--be warned that the manufacturers failed to provide a handle for this contraption. The casters can be mounted on either end. Since the holes are already there, why not provide a handle to be installed on the opposite end???
Also, the rail slides and saw mount do not glide that smoothly on this device. Perhaps silicon spray would remedy this. But, in my humble opinion, when one shells out over $200 for a workstation, one assumes everything operates smooth as silk.
Also, nearly all the parts supplied come in pairs. But, I became disappointed when 2 important items didn't come in pairs. For example, the kit includes only ONE add-on end stop. Be nice to have 2--one for each side. Because if you have to switch it to the opposite side, it's not a prompt, simple change. Nuts need to be turned, alignment has to be re-done, etc.

Construction. Solid, for the most part. Several of the pieces, however, are scraped when you extract them from the boxes. I wasn't too pleased about that. Nonetheless, when those four legs are spread and you have your tool mounted, rest assured, this station isn't moving! And, if left outside, rust is not going to be an issue.

Set-up. Lengthy. All the hardware is separated into chronological numbered bags. A no brainer for the not-so mechanically inclined.

Packaging. Outstanding. Don't expect ample padding. But do expect various sized boxes.

Aesthetic. Eye candy material.

Ease of use. Okay. This workstation, ladies and gents, truly isn't designed for rapid transitions. Adjusting for lengths of stock, the wood stop... all this cannot be adjusted at the drop of a dime. Tools will always be required and when tools are required, that means it's "gonna take some time."

In sum, I guess it's all what you're after when purchasing a workstation. By the previous reviews, I actually thought this workstation was indeed the quintessential solution--providing versatility, durability, prompt transitions and ease of use. The 24322 T3 definitely is NOT the solution to address all these concerns. If you're looking for a workstation that is, search elsewhere.

Hope this helps....

I recently purchased a Hitachi Universal Workstation which is actually the TracRac T3 in Hitachi clothing. I used it to trim out a new house, cutting hundreds of feet of trim and moulding. It works great and is very sturdy...except a part known as a "end cap" -- a piece of brittle plastic used as a stop for the telescoping arms. The first one broke in my bare hands -- which I thought must be a fluke, the second broke the first time the extension arm reached the stop.

It has taken me awhile just to figure out that the Hitachi I bought is actually the TracRac -- so I am going to give their customer service a chance, otherwise this would be a 5 star review.

I really like how easy it easy to remove the saw from the stand and to fold up and store the stand.

I was at first hesitant to lay out my hard earned money for a piece of equipment that I thought I would only use once in a while. Was I ever wrong! The engineering on this miter saw stand is brilliant. I do not agree with the other reviewer below, that stated the wheels obstructed the folding legs. This is impossible unless he installed the wrong size bolts for the wheel plate. It took me about 2 hours to assemble (I was pretty meticulous in my assembly). Instructions were well written and illustrated, but could be a little confusing on some steps. My Porter Cable 12" Twin Laser miter saw fits like an italian leather glove due to the ingenious mounting system. The only thing I would change on the design would be to increase the wheel base to make transporting the saw stand even easier. It tends to tip when on rough ground. However the unit is light enough to carry by hand (almost like a laser tripod). Very solidly constructed. You can tell that a lot of engineering went into this product. Handled 16' 2x6 redwood with no problems. I am now starting to do crown molding and my wife can't wait for the results. I wish all tools were made this well. Highly recommended!

Purchased this saw bench from Amazon almost 2 years ago. Along with the work station I purchased a 15" hitachi chop saw. I invistigated extensivly both products and this station was the only one that would marry up to a saw that size. I am a commerical contract Glazier and my material comes in 24' lenghts. Some of these extrusions can weigh up to 200 lbs. Fabricating in the feild has never been easier.

As far as putting this thing together if you follow the instructions to a tee you should spend no more than 2 hours putting it together. Would recomend this product to the novice home owner to the heaviest commericial contractor.

FYI: TracRac's website says the T3 is made in the USA. Bought mine two months ago from Amazon and it was made in China. I have nothing against China, but we need to stop sending our manufacturing jobs overseas. I paid extra for the T3 because I thought I was supporting American jobs. Enough on that. The T3 is very sturdy and comfortable to use. I have my Hitachi C10FSH 10" sliding compound miter saw attached to it. It took me about an hour to mount the saw perfectly to the tool mount. The T3 comes with everything you need to mount the Hitachi saw, but I found that the two front mounting bolts were too long for the saw. This prevented the saw from being able to do 45 degree cuts. After trimming about half an inch off the two front bolts, the issue was resolved. A nice feature with the T3 is that it comes with feet for the tool mount. This allows you to use your saw on a bench or the floor with the tool mount still attached. You can buy additional tool mounts for your other saws and leave them permanently attached. Bosch sells an almost identical TracRac station as this one, but it doesn't come with a flip stop or feet for the tool mount.

Package arrived in good condition. As I opened the box one thing was apparent and that was "sure is bigger than I thought it would be". Truly "Heavy Duty". I had throughly checked it out on the internet prior to purchase, even went as far as making a copy of the instructions. This morning when I took it out of the box I just set the boxed instructions aside, I had a copy and didn't think I would need them. About the first line of the assembly instructions reads "Remove both end caps" while all the time showing a picture of the axle and wheels. Well the end caps are already off the axle, so after a couple more steps I decide to look at the new instructions, what a difference.

Two complaints; no handle and small wheels. Let's face it, you aren't gonna roll it around on gravel or in the dirt. One other thing - More written instructions instead of just pictures would help for those of us who are impaired in that direction.

I would highly recommend this workstation.

Bought this online from amazon, love that free shipping! i purchased the t3b for my craftsman 12" slider! its quite a beast,but this tracrac handles it and then some! in the manual they list mostly bosch,dewalt ,hitachi as the preffered saws for compatibility,but my craftsman set up nice and easy! i think this stand will accommodate just about any saw,ingenious in its mounting attachment! if there were to be a complaint,she needs a handle for transporting,other than that,its love at first sight,enjoy,,,,john w.

This thing is heavy duty. Don't plan on manhandling this stand with a heavy saw attached such as a Bosch 10" compound slider. That's why the wheels are so important but there's a catch. The wheels are small and narrowly spaced. They roll fine over fairly rough ground but if you hit a hole an inch or two deep the narrow wheel spacing can and will cause the whole thing to flip. In the legs-closed rolling mode it's top heavy and if you get that momentum going it's hard to stop it from turning over especially since you have no handle to give you any control or leverage! I can't believe the manufacturers have not provided a handle for this stand. The holes are already there at both ends to attach a simple handle that would make it so much easier to maneuver. I will be devising my own soon. Aonther idea I have been toying with is putting larger, wider spaced wheels on it. I think there is enough room and it would only require a slightly longer axle. That would help stability a great deal while rolling the stand. The rest of the stand works very well, and as I said, is heavy duty. Make sure the cam locks holding the saw are tightened securely or the saw can slide down the channel when you are rolling it. I agree that the assembly is rather fussy and time consuming and could have been made easier. The instructions are poor but what do you expect from China? Go on line and download the manual from TracRac. Once this thing is set up and in use it is an excellent stand and a beast.

I purchased this stand for use with the Makita LS1013FL. The packaging was excellent and arrived undamaged. The set up was a piece of cake and only took about 1 hour with minimal tools. Once set up the roller guides and support arms were adjusted to match the saw. I love the ease of use and portability. It is well made and easy to use. No complaints from this DIY.