Opinions? Cost not being a factor, what miter saw stand is the better of the two: HD or Dewalt? Things to consider: portability, storage, convienence features, ease of use, weight just to name a few.
Thank Paul
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Engineered-stone shower panels are waterproof, but proper installation relies on tight seams and silicone sealing.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
I have the Tracmaster, I think. Bought it at HD or Lowes, about $150 2 yrs ago. Nice sturdy tubular legs. It holds my 12" Dewalt saw, very steady. It comes with an extension support and stop on one side, a second support for the other side is available and I thjink it is needed. I like it. Easy to set up. The saw bolts to a table that slides into a channel. When separated, the leg section is reaqsonably light. I have moved it artound when assembled, and I only do it for very short distances ... like to the other side of the room.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
The old Trackmaster (8 yrs ago) was even better but they sold our their design and it went downhill from there. I can still get some parts as they still make the truck rail systems.
I love the Rigid MSUV...I paid the full price of 199.00 , but it can be had @ 99.00 I hear.
My Bosch 12" slider fit easily, but no matter what..it is a heavy combination.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Why look here?
Curious about that RIGID miter stand. Do you think it can handle that DeWalet 12" slinding compound miter beasty? I have mine (DeWalt) bolted down onto a pair of 2x12s which are sitting on top of a pair of steel horses.
I called AD&E and ranted about how the sawhelper was supposed to be the single best contraption in the entire galaxy and I think they cut me some $ slack. In 30 years and over 1K in dismal wastes of time and money the result of that phone rant a year ago has actually made production trim enjoyable again.The non toll free phone call did produce the trade show price list and some critically pertinent advice.
those guys at AD&E are always dealing. <g>I've got 2 of the stands and the last one was bought at the Remodelor's Show in Indianapolis. I walked away from the booth twice and he kept offering new prices. The second time he told me that the stand had some small scratches or whatnot and he would drop the price again. I later heard he used that sell more than once.With that good of a product, I was suprised at their sells technique.
Barry E-Remodeler
You ever notice they dont advertise pricing on the stand anywhere, ever. They gave me the hard sell at a show too. Started walking after the first offer (the show was almost over) and he comes back with an offer $100 bellow 'list' and threw in an extra set of tapes. They kinda remind you of car salesmen.
Exactly. It seemed kinda strange for the product they are selling.
Barry E-Remodeler
So whats the critically pertinent advice? And why on earth did you spend $1,000 on the thing?
++1K on several other miter stands for my 2 crews over 2 decades. Rousseau, Delta, 2 HD SUVs at original price, etc. Current crop of sawhelpers, hands down the best.
Phone advice on table lengths, miter stops, production speedups with the system. My dime.
I just got home from a roof job where the carps were finishing the cornice and soffit...had just what you described..rigid and/ dewalt 12 slider..the kid there seemed happy.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Tommy, can you hear me?
Why look here?
Last year, I bought the Stable-Mate. It was their mid-price unit (around $130). It's sturdy, folds up easily, and is generally a good unit. However, the instructions that came with it are miserable: grainy black and white photographs with a couple of arrows and a few words of incomprehensible text. It should have taken a few minutes to assemble. It took me most of a morning. Also, some saws require that you add a plywood base to it before you can use the stand.
Chip
I have the Delta stand. I paid $200.00 for it last year, but Amazon is selling them right now for $150.00. Assembly wasn't the easiest, and the hardware isn't the best quality, but once it's together, it's very good. I made a few modifications for my DW-708. The best features of the Delta are the large wheels and the roller extensions. I wish it had a "kickstand", i.e., something to hold it upright when folded, but that's something I'll configure at some point.
Anyone try the "SawHelper" advertised in FHB?
I've had one for 7 or 8 years. Nice stand. The flip stop alone makes it worth its high price. It's rugged, accurate, & has solid extension wings left & right of the saw, which I use to cope trim on. Only a couple minor gripes: it would be nice if the extension wings were a couple inches wider (easier when cutting shelving, etc.) & because it breaks down into 3 pieces + the saw, it's a little cumbersome to move.It's not my primary stand (I use an older model Dewalt made by trac rac because it's easy to transport & set up) but it's my favorite, & any time we're on a larger job, or there are repetitive cuts to be made, it comes out of the shop.
I have both the Hitachi and the Delta. In a lot of ways I like the Hitachi better. Got it at Lowes for about 190 IIRC.
Yes. And the evolution of things to get there was
Delta stand. Absolutely hated it. Returned it the next day.
Iowa stand. Trying to save a buck. Sturdy as heck. I liked the height, being a little taller. For the money, not bad. But not expensive, and the little stop thing they throw on is both an afterthought and a waste of time.
In the mood for a change, I (cringe) bought a yellow one. It is better than the Stablemate. Lighter, more portable, folds about the same, has a little better wingspan, and at least the extensions adjust pretty easy and stay there. It is ok for repeat cuts on things that don't matter a great deal (not immensely accurate) but I do like that the supports can come off the arms and into the main frame. The knobs on the side are a great place to hang a coping saw. I think I'll hang on to that for one of the smaller chop saws.
But it wasn't cutting it. So now I have the SawHelper. I finally said that's 3 stands I've had and not been happy with, darnit I'm gonna spend the money on something worth a spit. And it is more expensive. I got the 2 7' outfeeds. Naturally, I modified things out of the box, mounting the saw (Bosch) to a larger piece of MDO and mounting the brackets to that. Mounting the arms to the saw directly would require drilling the saw base and cutting the top off the rails so the upright sliding supports would still go out (have to for compound cuts). It's a monster.
It is still portable, but obviously not as much. It is bigger and more accurate, but it takes up more floorspace. Assembly and puttering was a good piece of a Saturday. But if you show up on a jobsite, set up the saw, and leave it there for a month as a matter of course, man it's the ticket."If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
I bought the Sawhelper at the Chicago Remodeling Convention last year. It takes space and set up time, but it's measurement system is highly accurate. If you're doing a quick in and out job, I wouldn't waste the time to set it up, but if you're doing high-end crown, or are doing a major project and need a semi-permanent cut station, it's fantastic. Initial assembly takes several hours, but after that, it's quick to set up. Get a Ridgid titanium 100 tooth blade, and a autovac on it, and it's a great setup...
I own the saw helper ultrafence. I use it with a dewalt 12" slide. It is by far the best tool I've ever bought . It's sturdy , has a solid rails so there's never any adjusting. It is a production unit. The stops are perfect for multiple cuts of the same length. I hang my my coping saw on one end and clamp the piece down to the rail and there's no void so it's 100% stable. I love the stand and highly recommend it. The only other stan I've used is the dewalt, and I think it's garbage. I would consider looking at a Rousseau if I didn't use this one.
One more AD&E owner and fan here.
Have had mine for about 4 years now and would have to get another if this one somehow disappeared.
The flip stop is very easy to use and very accurate - faster than getting out a tape and pencil in most instances - once you get in the habit of using it.
I also bought the Ridgid stand last time they were on sale for $99 and now have a hybred of the two.
What kind of price range are those saw helpers in?
Who Dares Wins!
Gunner, here's a link...http://www.7corners.com/7c_store/findprod.cfm?DID=1&sku=1256633463&catThey make a few different models, but this'll give you an idea.
I have a sawhelper ultrafence. None are better. not too fast carrying it in and out of the job.
Looked at the Dewalt and passed ......... don't think it will fit in a short box truck. Bought a Portamate PM4400 from Tool Crib- $89.99. Made by HTC in the US, it's much better than expected. Very solid and stable when erected, and quite compact when folded- it fits fine in a truck with a 6' box. Assembly was a bear due to unclear and confusing instructions and there was some shipping dammage in one small area on the powdercoat paint.
The original Trackmaster was 8" 2 inches long! how dumb!, We cut it off and now fits into an 8 ft. box
I bought the stablemate plus100 for $99 at Home Depot. Went together real easy, and my Bosch 4410 fit on no problem. Not heavy at all, and easy to fold up and carry anywhere.
I bought the Rigid MSUV at Home Depot today for $99.
Pretty sturdy, but very heavy,thankfully it has wheels.
Paul,
I bought a Trac Rac T3 4 months ago and have trimmed out several houses. This is an excellent tool, easy to set-up/tear down, light-weight and extremely sturdy aluminum tube construction. The miter box bolts to a tool mount that slides in a track, you flip two levers to unlock the tool mount then just lift the miterbox off. Set-up/tear down typically under 1.5 minutes. The material rests lock with the flip of a lever and it has a very simple stop cut device that is attached to the material rest and can be turned 90 degrees and the box can be slid to acheive accurate repetition cuts (ie door jacks). The unit has wheels that are designed for interior use but I carry it through the mud to the truck approx. 35_lbs. I bought it on amazon.com for $225 but, they knocked off $25 and free shipping. The Hitatchi stand at Home Depot looks very similar priced at about $200.
You said price not being an option. Well this is one well engineered piece of equipment and since I make my liviing with it I am thrilled to not have to constantly wiggle, jiggle or kick the stand legs to make it stand it up straight.
Clark
I have the Dewalt one. The legs and base are nice and rigid, and the saw is quite stable.
The outrigger support arms are also good - the slide out easily, and lock in any position. The movable supports, however, aren't very good at setting distances - the metal arm that flips up ends up having some slop in it.
Overal, prety good.
As you can see from these comments, your first choice is between a unit that breaks down into component parts and a unit that is self-contained on wheels (where the saw stays attached).
I opted for the latter and bought the Trojan MS-2000.
This link will take you to the Amazon reviews:
http://tinyurl.com/a7q7u
This is a great system for me. The onboard extensions will expand to support very long stock, and you can move the unit from room to room without completely breaking it down. With the wheels, it is easy to lug it up stairs. I have used it indoors and out, for framing and high precision trim work.
On the downside, it is expensive (about $300), and with the saw mounted, it is heavy. To lift it into your truck, you either have to be a gorilla or have a second person. I use a van, and that's low enough so I can get the wheels in, and then lift the back side up to slide it in. Once in, it will stand vertically if you lash it to the side wall -- which saves space when you're transporting a lot of tools.
"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
-- Bertrand Russell
Everytime this topic comes up...I add my two cents.....desired or not!
Set of saw horses and a benchtop......made from scrap materials.....doesn`t cost a dime.....multiple uses.
20 yrs in the biz.....still don`t see what everyone loves about those stands.
I`m just a crotchety old fart I suppose.
ATTENTION FELLOW BREAKTIME MEMBERS:
If you`d like to discuss topics other than home building, come on down to the Woodshed Tavern. Great bunch of guys and gals letting off a little steam about everything and anything. Its not a special club, but.....as of Monday, March 14, the Tavern folder will go behind an access wall. Only those who request access to this folder by contacting [email protected] will be able to view and participate in discussions there.
I don't have a fancy stand - Just use an old B&D workmate that I have. It's ain't pretty, but does the job. And when I'm not using the saw it's good for other things too. For an extension support I use a sawhorse with a "T" made from 2X4s clamped to it.
The husband who wants a happy marriage should learn to keep his mouth shut and his checkbook open.
For years I used a saw horse with a left over stair tread mounted to the top, but when I upgraded to a sliding miter box it was too tipsy. I never realized what I was missing till I started using a stand. I like the extra height, and the long support is great for coping also.
I built my benchtop....3' x 8'....out of PT 2 x 4 and PT plywood.
Leave it out in the rain, no problem.
I find a benchtop works much better as I`m constantly in need for a work surface for a myriad tasks throughout the course of a project.
Folks have been tryin` to sell me on the stand fer years...aint happenin`!
ATTENTION FELLOW BREAKTIME MEMBERS:<!----><!---->
If you`d like to discuss topics other than home building, come on down to the Woodshed Tavern. Great bunch of guys and gals letting off a little steam about everything and anything. Its not a special club, but.....as of Monday, March 14, the Tavern folder will go behind an access wall. Only those who request access to this folder by contacting [email protected] will be able to view and participate in discussions there.
Ya, if it works and content, don't change.
I got a Delta Kickstand years ago and put a 12inDW mitersaw on there. I like it cause I can roll it up steps and thru ditches and stuff without a grunt.
Getting so I hate the grunt. Need those benches and workstations so you don't have to bend over to pick up the tools all the time.
Hate guts too.
be a gut grunter
sobriety is the root cause of dementia.
I use a pair of saw horses with a twenty foot alluminum ext. ladder. I cut the top 10 ft. section in half. They then slide out 3 ft. on each end. I mounted my Dw 708 on two pieces of 1x6 and clamp it in the middle.
That system is easy to set up and take down. It gives my a full 16 ft. of support. It is only 10 feet long and does not matter if it gets wet.
So far, I love it.
I have the AD&E Sawhelper after using many others. It is by far the best I have used.
I have the same- can't agree more. I guess thats why they can get 4 bills for it.
get the hitachi!!, by far the best i have ever seen or used
its marketed or manufatured by trukrack, far superior to the dewalt, very light easy to fold, very rigid when openned up
caulking is not a piece of trim
We have two Stablemates. They're great for portability, and they're tough. The stop on the extension is limited to the point of never-use, and the extension itself is flawed by sloppiness--you have to readjust the holding bar according to how far you extend, because the arm isn't on a positive mechanical track. It's just a rectangular extrusion within a rectangular extrusion with approx. 3/8"-1/2" play. Fully extended, the holding bar has to be lifted 1/2" inch.
Sawing clapboards requires a strong hand.
Regardless, we like 'em.
The SawHelper, hands down. You can get the extension wings any length you want. As others have said it is extremely accurate. I don't consider the fact that it is three pieces a drawback when you look at all the benifits. Set up is as advertised (less than a minute). If you take the initial time to set it up completely you will never regret it. for repeated cuts there is a slot for a self stick tape in the flipstop support. The flipstop is adjustable to account for differing blade thicknesses. There is a slot in the table to accept a 3/4 tape blade. When setup properly this gives you a very accurate by sight measurement. For one off cuts that are less than your table length you don't even have to take out your tape.
And some hardware comes with it to add some extesion wings to make the tables wider.
I recently mounted my 10" DeWalt slider to a rigid rolling stand. I would not trade the whole setup for anything .
Des, are you using the sawhelper with the ridgid stand?
Thanks for all of the comments on the Sawhelper!
Looks as good as advertised.
FF
Picked up a Stablemate a few months ago. Been real handy. Pretty good value for the $$ ($90-ish), but as someone already said, the instructions are confusing. What should have taken about 10 mins to assemble took probably 40mins (if I did another one, I'd probably have it together in less than 10).
It folds up fairly compact, and the mounting brackets stay attached to my 12" DW miter, so its quick to set it up. When set up it is stable, and nice and tall.
For another $10 I ordered a wheel set for it, but I haven't put them on yet. The wheel set will allow me to use it as a mobile shop bench tool. They also have optional wing add-ons so that you can extend them out however far you need to.
I haven't used the other brands of miter stands, so I can't say if Stablemate is better or worse, but it sure does what I need it to do for a lot less than the DW stand.
jt8
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain