Amazon.com Review

If you're like us, you've crammed more tools into your workshop than can really fit. Luckily, an HTC universal mobile base (or two) can make a world of difference. The base is sturdy and easy to assemble, plus--unlike any other mobile base on the market--it adjusts to fit virtually any large woodworking machine, forming squares from 12 by 12 to 36 by 36 inches and rectangles as big as 20 by 52 inches. Holes at 1-inch increments let you choose any shape in between, and wheels at all four corners make it easy to maneuver. Roll one tool in; roll another tool out. Moving equipment around a crowded shop has never been this easy. --Jon Groebner ... Read more

Features

• Lifetime warranty
• Four wheels for well-balanced performance
• Side rails come with holes spaced every inch
• Can hold shop tools weighing over 400 pounds
• Easy to unlock and move

Reviews (94)

FIVE STARS FOR VALUE!
If a tool is to be judged on it's utility then this is a winner. What makes this base so great is that it does what it's supposed to do, does it well, and sells for around fifty bucks.

My shop is so small Hennie Youngman could do a whole routine around it. I don't have the luxury of thousands of square feet of space to plant work stations and production tools. So, I rely on putting everything on wheels to keep it out of the way untill I need it. I made my own untill I discovered the HTC2000 mobile base.

I ordered one for my jointer and another for my table saw. My jointer is now a dream come true! The large wheels track easily and smoothly and it sets down firmly. The only drawback was that the front was higher than the back but that is an easy fix with a spacer or adjusting up your machines leveling feet.

Oddly enough I did not have this problem on the second one I ordered for the table saw. That on is so level you could set grade with it. For the life of me I can't figure the difference but who cares? The only downside I noticed on the one for the table saw was that my saw may be a little heavy for it. I have an old, big Craftsman with a custom made T-Square fence. It rolls very nicely but the cam levers for raising and lowering seem to strain a little in the lift mode. If you are going to move larger machinery I would suggest contacting the company regarding their custom made program.

Overall, if you ever want a stationary machine to have any portability you can't go wrong with this product. And at this price, you can afford a little custom tuning to get exactly what you want.

HTC HTC2000 Universal Mobile Base Review
This is the third mobile base that I have purchased and it is the first one from HTC. My other two units are the Delta mobile base in which you must provide the hardwood cross members into their provided corners. These two units support my Jet Contractors saw and my Jet 14" CS Band Saw. The HTC unit is for my Jet 6" CS Jointer. Overall the unit assembled easily and holds the Jointer very well. My biggest complaint with the unit is that it does not provide the movement flexibility that my other units do. I have a small workshop and need to swing the units around easily. The Delta base has a single wheel centered on one side of the frame and it can pivot very easily. The HTC unit with its two pivot wheel design does not permit easy movement. As I continue to expand my workshop I would not purchase this style again with the two wheels.

Excellent product, easy assembly, great price...
So, who has the free wall space in either workshop or garage to just leave a bandsaw, drill press, table saw, or router table in one place without banging the materials from your project into a nearby cabinet or storage shelf? I sure didn't. Believe me, dragging the drill press or band saw into the middle of the garage was never as much fun as it seemed ;-) Sears has a mobile base exactly like this one, but for $20 more. I bought three, and they arrived super fast in great shape. All parts accounted for(!), and easy to assemble. I'd recommend attaching the base to the tool with some bolts, though (not included). Leveling is easy to do, the base is quite stable, and the rolling action is very smooth. I thought it would be hard to justify the cost, but after buying and mounting them, I wouldn't go back. Excellent product...a definite necessity for large shop tools.

HTC2000 Price Increase
July 13, 2004 I bought a HTC2000 at $43.00 from Amazon.com. July 17, 2004 (3 days later) Amazon.com increased the price by (28.3%) ($16.99) to $59.99 each. Ouch! The price increase of steel did not jump that high.

It's a troublsome erector set
Now I believe I'm in the minority based on these reviews I see. Let me tell you my experience and use your own judgement, it's fine to have a differing opinion.
I used this for my Jet contractor saw, not that time consuming to put together but more so than the one piece unit I replaced it with.
Trying to lock it steady on those rubber feet took more time to do than putting it together. Then, If I move the saw to use my router table I have to readajust it since my cement floor only looks completely smooth. so there's some back and forth issue with making the thing stable when it's moved and repositioned.
I'm not talking about cobblestone imperfection, it's subdle variations in concrete that make 4 wheels rock back and forth ever so slightly if they're not just right. Those 2 rubber feet have to take the weight of the saw and hold it steady or else if you push something heavy there's a chance the saw will move during your pushing. I don't want to have to follow my saw back and forth with shim stock. The nut and bolt type adjustment is tedious. I think Shop Fox has a heavier universal base that uses 2 feet but with large knob adjusters and also a thicker frame.
3 wheels always stay on the ground regardless of the slight imperfection which is what I've found on the one piece mobile base that's made specifically for individual equipment. I just put the one piece base on and forget it. Rolling circles to my hearts content around like a crazy merry-go-round. Stop and cut or route and back to where it once was, no problem. Cost twice as much, saved more than that cursing this univeral base.
I'm going to put this mobile base under my drill press which doesn't have to move, but only if it has too move, it will then be able too. I actually think the slight height increase would be worth it as well. ... Read more

Features

• You can rip, cross cut easily & accurately & by yourself
• Supports full 8-foot panels
• Measures 37 by 31 inches
• Folds down for compact storage
• Fully adjustable

Reviews (7)

Nice Tablesaw Addition
I installed the HTC outfeed rollers on my Powermatic 66 Tablesaw this afternoon. Everything went together as explained in the instruction manual and all the parts were there. This addition will make ripping larger panels alot easier. I have had some bad experiences with HTC products in the past, but I am very pleased with this product. Assembly and adjustment was simple and took about 1 hour.

Excellent Tablesaw addition!
The Roller system is a excellent piece of equipment! It took a while to adjust the height of the rollers to the table. When I did, all rollers were flat with the table. The only downfall of this product is customer service! I had a defective part when assembling. Called 5 weeks ago and still have not recieved a replacement for the defective part!

Great concept/lacking precision
The design and flexability of this outfeed roller table is great. The only complaint I have is that (as others have written) the roller plane tolerance is not very accurate. Some rollers are as much as 1/8" lower or higher than the leading and last roller. I would think HTC could do better at aligning the rollers or make the alignment adjustable. I ended up attaching a removable laminated table top to the frame insted of using the rollers. Maybe HTC could sell just the folding frame without the rollers at a discounted cost. It was still worth it to me just to get the folding frame. The table folds and unfolds easily. Attachment to my saw(Powermatic 66) was easy, I installed it myself in 2-3 hours. Its great to have the outfeed table/rollers permanately attached to the saw and always in alignment when folded into place. Since I have limited space and all my equipment is mobile, its nice to just be able to fold the outfeed table down and out of the way. It is a better and more convenient design than any other outfeed table that I've seen. It took a little extra work to add a seperate tabletop, but I am glad I got one.

Roller table works well and installation was fairly straight
I am the owner of a small one man shop. I have limited space so many of my larger tools are on mobile bases. I wanted the outfeed rollers to support 4X8 3/4" plywood and mdf that I use to make cabinets. The instructions/diagrams in the installation instructions were straight foward. Although, if you are putting the roller on a unisaw you have to move the on/off box - but instructions are in the installation manual. I put the rollers on a grizzly table saw. You will want to remove the table top to get to the inside of the saw. I took advantage of when the table top was off and did machine maintence(i.e. adjust belt tension, clean and lubricate.) You will be drilling eight holes in the back of the cabinet. A template is supplied for the top four holes. The bottom holes are drilled with the support bracket mounted. I installed the roller myself in about three hours(including the machine maintence), but it would be easier to install with a helper. You have to tap the mounting bracket around a bit to find level. The adjustment screw on the bottom of the support arm is a hassel to get to once installed. I cut off an open-ended wrench to 4" in length to get to it for adjustment(rated 4 rather than 5 for this reason). Other than that it is working great and I am very happy with it. The only other advice that I would have is that if you don't like playing with stuff a little to get it to work well you may not be happy with the rollers.

This is not a precision piece of equipment
The idea is great the execution is lacking. There is too much varience with the rollers; when you align the ones closest to the table with the table and then level the furthest ones with the tables, some of the rollers in between are either lower or higher. Can't do anything about that. While the varience isn't too much, it could be a problem later. Not great but not horrible either. ... Read more

Features

• Extruded aluminum foot lever lets you lock the base in place
• Adjusts to fit a wide range of large woodworking tools
• Expands from 14 by 14 inches to 31 by 31 inches square
• Expands to 19 by 43 inches in a rectangular configuration
• The 14-inch rails have holes spaced every inch for maximum versitility

Reviews (13)

GREAT PRODUCT GREAT PRICE
I recently purchased this mobile base and I must say that for the price it can't be beat. The base is well built, easy to put together and performs as advertised. I was ready to buy craftsmans version ...untill I found this one. From what I've seen they appear to be the same except for the price. I highly recommend one for all non portable tools in your workshop.

Mr.
This universal mobile base is a real piece of work. It goes together easily and is a simple but functional design. Since it is a "universal" base, holes must be drilled to make it fit most equipment.
I mounted a Ridgid band saw on this base and I chose to drill new holes where the legs were bolted to the base. This required only 4 new holes. To adjust the side rails would have required more holes.
The only down side to this base is that user must have access to a drill press for the holes. The metal used is substantial.
I intend to purchase 2 more to use on a drill press and table saw.

Works fine, with modifications
I figured I'd have to drill a few holes to make it fit my craftsman table saw. I wasn't disappointed. If the unit you're going to put it on will need to be bolted to the base (and they all do), expect to drill holes in your unit, the corners of the base, or in the support beams. I decided to drill the support arms, and I only needed to do that in two of them. The other dimension worked out to be exactly the right length. Once I'd drilled the holes, the whole thing went together just fine. The saw moves around effortlessly and the whole unit is a LOT more stable now. I'm quite satisfied. Four stars because I had to drill it. But then, I don't believe there's a mobile base made that doesn't require some mods. Price was right, and it works like a charm.

Finished unit great - Assembly experience a pain
First, to be positive, I agree with the other reviews that the finished product is a nice mobile base. I ordered mine for my Jet 12" bandsaw and it is a good fit and plenty strong.

My issue is with the assembly experience. As others say in their reviews the assembly instructions leave something to be desired. I just don't see why companies don't take an hour and build one of their own products up while reading their own instructions. The problem is they know too much and assume things that aren't written. A minor annoyance was that the numbers of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. didn't match with the quantities listed in the parts list. In the end I had enough of everything but I'd like to have at least what is listed. But my BIG gripe is the fit of the side metal brackets into the corner brackets. Maybe I got unlucky and got some brackets that were out of tolerance but with the side brackets tight against the corner brackets the holes still didn't line up. I ended up having to drill some of the holes a bit larger to get the bolts through.

A good finished product and the price is right but not a particularly happy assembly experience.

Mystery with a happy ending
I love a good mystery as much as the next guy, but not when it comes to assembly instructions. As others have noted, the assembly instructions are somewhat limited, but the end result is worth a little trial and error. I put my six inch jointer on this base and will order another for my band saw. This unit is rock solid, rolls smothly and is nice and stable. ... Read more

Features

• Three-point leveling system
• Two rigid wheels, one swivel wheel
• Raises machine 3/4 of an inch off floor
• Heavy-gauge steel, full welded for strength and finished appearance

Reviews (9)

This one is a loser.
I read all the reviews at Amazon.com on this item and still did not believe that the HTC mobile base could be as bad as some folks say it is. After receiving it, I can say that the reviews were right. Without leveling bolts, the base is useless and the wheel lock-downs are made of cheep materials. The base can be unstable on uneven floors. I stood on the center rail that holds the extended table and my 155 Lb weigth caused the base to sag. This was before the saw was placed on it. HTC said I have 30 days to return it with no questions asked. I would except that I invested [money] and two days to beef it up and put levelers on the thing...

WEAK LOCKING MECHANISM ON MOBLE BASE
I WAS DISSAPOINTED IN HOW ACCESSABLE THE LOCK WAS ON SWIVEL WHEEL AND HOW SECURE IT LOCKED. VERY HARD TO USE

Not the best way to move a saw.
I recently purchased this base to move my new Jet cabinet saw in and out of my small work shop and onto the deck in front. There is a small drop (1/2") from one floor to the other. This method of base construction will not allow the saw to make this type of transition. For me that was a big negative. The base is of no use. Also, the base arrived with one of the two taped holes for the wheel locks left blank. Any minimal quality check would have spotted this. When I called HTC they said to tap the hole myself. For what I paid for this base I could have made my own much better. The only good thing I can say is it's sturdy and the finish is good. I guess I'll try to sell it. Look carefully before buyung this base.

A merely adequate solution
I purchased the mobile base with Jet table saw and also found that when the saw was initially placed on the base (before adding the fence rails and extension table) the base bowed toward the floor in the middle; in fact the bottom of the saw was a good half inch lower toward the center of the base than toward the outside of it. The base ulitmately relies on the rigidity of the fence rails and extension table in order to keep it straight/level. I also found that this made it difficult to line up the extension table with the cast iron top during assembly. As another reviewer noted, the base would also be more useful if it had some sort of jack screws to allow it to be leveled when not in rolling mode. I purchased two heavy duty toggle clamps and mounted them to the base so that they push against the floor when the base is parked. For the price of this base, I would have expected more.

The design of the Delta mobile base seems to be more solid; it has two rails between the saw and the end of the extension table rather than one (more strength and less bowing), and it does have leveling screws incorporated into its design. If I could easily lift the saw and place it on a Delta base, I would be tempted to do so.

Happy with, But....
I bought my base with my new 36-960L Unisaw because I knew I'd need to be able to position it and reposition it alone.
I am pleased with it, and it rolls the big HEAVY saw around fine.
My bone is when I have the saw positioned, I wish it had jacking screws to anchor it and plumb it.
So I'm making some corner "Shoes" with jacking bolts for that very use.
My garage floor has a slight slant to it for drainage reasons and I have resorted to wedging the HTC base to plumb it up level.

Otherwise, I think it's a fine base and made moving the big saw in/out/and around very easy.
I'm very glad I got it! With jacking bolts I'd give it 5 solid starz. ... Read more

Features

• Powder coat finish
• Includes 50-inch rail assembly
• High-tech molded steel cam and clamping mechanism
• Heavy duty easy to use, micro-adjust enables you to atach fence accessories and shop built fixtures & jigs.
• Exclusive quick change fence faces

Features

• Fits Powermatic 64 saw with 52-inch fence
• 3-point leveling
• Locking back casters
• All steel frame

Reviews (1)

Bolts don't fit holes -- bad omen?
I haven't actually used this mobile base yet. I got it
with my new Powermatic 64 saw, which I also haven't used
yet (need some time to set it up). But I put this base
together already (a small job that I could handle with my
time constraints). First of all, I'm disappointed that the
bolts don't fit in the holes that are tapped in the steel
bars. Maybe it's just paint, but the holes are too small
and need to be re-tapped. Seems like a small thing, but
with a "tool" as basic as this, you'd at least like the parts
to go together without too much trouble. And now that I have
it, I'm a little worried about both its stability and its
ability to lock down the wheels and stay put. It may turn
out to work fine, in which case I will rescind this comment,
but I'm already thinking that maybe I should have got one of
those bases that sit flat on the ground with no wheels and can
be levered up onto their wheels when you need to move it.

If I'm wrong, and this baby ends up working, I'll be sure to
let y'all know.

The above was written back in Mar, 2002. I've now had a chance
to use the mobile base with the saw on it. The locking mechanism
for the wheels seems to work pretty well (once I retapped the
bolt hole). However, one of the wheels slipped on my concrete
floor while I was pushing a huge piece of plywood through the
saw. It was locked up, but it's not "sticky" enough rubber and
was able to slip across the floor without rotating. And my
concrete floor is pretty rough (not polished smooth like garage
floors -- more like a sidewalk). On the plus side, the three
wheel design is more stable than I feared -- it's very difficult
to tip. But with the slippy wheel, my review stays at 3 stars. ... Read more

Features

• Roll hem with rubberized magnets on each corner
• Measures 56 by 72 inches, ideal for tablesaw, shapers, planers and jointers
• Rugged cotton sheathing with plastisol coating
• Plasticol coated
• Breathable, yet water resistant

Reviews (6)

5 Stars 4 Sure
Not Big enough for Table Saws as pictured but it covers every thing else..... Jig saws Belt sander's my 18 1/2 Planer etc. Magnet's keep cover in place while I blow down my shop and cover keeps most dust, dirt and dampness of my machine tops......... worth EVERY Penny! Buy several!

Nice Piece!
Keeps the dust and rust away, what can a man say?

Good with minor flaw
I haven't had them long enough to see if they really prevent rust, but I like the weight and breathability. I agree with another reviewer that the magnets are virtually useless. I wish there was an additonal size of 56" x 56" for bench planers and such. I haven't found anything that the 36" x 56" fits.

-Herb Mann

Could be done better for the money...
Hopefully these covers (I've bought a medium and two large) will do the job intended. That is to keep the equipment free of dust and dirt without trapping moisture on the unit whereby rust would form easily. The material is quite light weight (for the cost of these you might expect something heavier) which may tear easily if caught on the machine when you're pulling it off. However, the biggest shortcoming of these covers is the inadequate magnet strips stitched along 3-4 inches of the seam in each corner. These magnets are all but worthless. They are so weak as to not hold the corners of the (light weight) cover up underneath the top of a table saw or jointer. At best, they may hold the cover corners to vertical edges only. At that, a slight breeze will send the cover flapping. My solution is to get rare earth magnets that have a hole in the center and stitch or rivet them on to the corners of the covers. I'm sure these will do the job of holding the cover corners to the equipment. Something the HTC factory stitched-on magnets don't do.

Wrap that rascal!
Tired of using tarps or plastic sheets that snag on edges and retain moisture? Try one of these covers. They're heavy enough to stay put in a stiff breeze or near a fan, yet soft enough to fold quite easily. The magnets in the corners are a nice feature, as is the non-marring fabric. ... Read more

Features

• Handle loads up to 500 lbs
• Exclusive wedge-shaped inner leg tightens under load
• Wedge shape prevents slipping
• 4 adjustable rubber non-skid leveling feet
• 5 Galvanized steel ball bearing rollers

Features

• Heavy gauge steel, full welded for the strength and finished appearance
• For Jet model JWTS-10CW2-PFX saw with 52" fence
• Two rigid wheels, one swivel wheel
• Raises machine 3/4-inch off floor
• Brake knobs to set brake on the two rigid wheels

Reviews (2)

Good base after you tweak it
I bought the Jet JWTS-10CW2-PFX contractor table saw with the 52-inch fence and followed the link to this page and purchased the base also. The good news are that the base is easy to assemble, makes moving the table saw a breeze and even looks better than the picture above. The table saw sits on a rectangular frame and the legs of the extension table sit on an L-shaped bracket attached to that frame by a Y-shaped structure. The bad news is that the HJTS-761G base was built for a 50" extension fence. If you are getting the 52" version, before installing the legs you need to remove the end hardwood board on the extension table and re-install it 1 3/8" from the end. That way the legs will be in the perfect position. After that little tweak, the mobile base is definetly worth the money I paid for it.

Mobile Base
My mobile base for my Jet table saw is a back saver. I can position my saw anywhere in my shop. There are 2 wheel locks that keep your saw in one spot while working. Once you are done, just unlock the wheels and move it out of the way. This makes cleaning up very easy. For those of use with smaller shops, this is a big help. Order this with your new saw and during the assembly process of your saw, get your saw on the mobile base as soon as you can. It will save your back. The mobile is very well put together and very easy to assemble. ... Read more

Features

• Measures 36 by 56 inches, ideal for scrollsaws, short bed jointers
• Rugged cotton sheeting with plastisol coating
• Breathable, yet water resistant
• Roll hem with rubberized magnets on each corner

Reviews (1)

Protect your investment
Tarps kept in moisture and caused rust on my machinery. Plastic sheets fell off every time I turned on the air cleaner. So I tried one of these Tool Saver covers and quickly bought more for all my shop tools. They are substantial enough to stay put (with magnets in the corners that secure it to your tools), non-marring, and flexible enough to fold up neatly into an out of the way bundle. This, my friends, is cheap protection. ... Read more

Features

• An essential tool for all woodworkers
• Beech stock
• Solid brass slide
• Double and single pins
• Thumb screw adjusts and locks slide

Features

• Finish honed ready for use
• Shatterproof red acetate handles
• High quality Sheffield England steel
• 4.5" blade tempered to Rockwell 60-61 over entire length
• Complete with chisel tip guards

Features

• Opens up additional shop space
• Fits machine size of 23.5"x 27.75"
• 1000lb Capacity
• Heavy duty welded steel construction
• Move your machine anywhere with ease

Features

• Opens up additional shop space
• Fits machine size of 17.25"x20"
• 500lb Capacity
• Heavy duty welded steel construction
• Move your machine anywhere with ease

Features

• Exclusive wedge-lock inner support design
• 500lb capactiy
• 14" x 18" top size
• 22" to 43" height adjustment
• Non-skid leveling feet

Features

• OSHA and ANSI compliant
• Provides excellent protection in a package ideally suited to 10" contractor style saws - Also works on cabinet saws
• Original style Brett-guard for 10" Saws, mounts to left side only
• Easy adjust crank housing
• Clear shield with retractable anti-kick fingers

Features

• Stained wood handles
• Base machine ground for accuracy
• Tempered blade, honed ready for use
• Frog adjustment screw for fine adjustments
• Brass adjusting nut for simple and rapid adjustment

Features

• Opens up additional shop space
• Fits Powermatic model 54A 6" jointer
• 500lb Capacity
• Heavy duty welded steel construction
• Move your machine anywhere with ease

Features

• Heavy gauge steel & full welded for strength
• Fits JWL-1236 wood lathe
• Two rigid wheels, one swivel wheel
• Raises machine 3/4-inch off floor
• Brake knobs to set brake on the two rigid wheels

Features

• Trimming plane for small touch up work
• Comfortable soft grip handle
• High quality German steel blades
• 4.5" blades tempered to Rockwell 60-61
• Finish honed ready for use