Bora Portamate PM-1800 Panel Carrier Full 4x8 Sheet Carrier Board Cart Table Saw Feed Stand That Allows One Person to Easily Move and Cut 4x8 Sheets

I used the Portamate to move double-sided Melamine panels by myself from one end of my basement to the other. Then I was able to place the panels on a work table to for layout and cutting, then getting the panel back off the table and over to where it was being installed on the wall. These panels weigh 98 pounds each, I am 70 years old with back, neck and joint issues and I was able to all the moving and work myself with only the help of the Portamate PM-1800. I have another 15 panels to do and I know my Portmate PM-1800 will save me a lot of stress on the body and will help me from doing anymore damage to my body. The adjust-ability for height and the tilt back for resting or do something else while the panel is on the Portamate is also great features. When you take it out of the box you only have to mount the two wheels and you are ready to go to work. The Portamate PM-1800 is well worth the money and it will save your back.

I found this tool to be more difficult to master than I had imagined. But I found ways to address the issues.If one has the cart loaded and standing upright with the outrigger legs folded and the whole thing balanced on the two wheels, and they let it tip away from them just a little, they'll quickly discover that the black part of the unit only locks in the horizontal position. Gravity will take hold of the load and pull the black part of the carrier down to the ground, quickly unfolding it from the red part. The locking mechanism could have been designed to lock these parts together in either position, but unfortunately it wasn't. However, a hole was provided in a strategic place and a simple 5/16 inch quick release pin can be used to keep it from unfolding.The carrier was not designed to make turns. If you have to move large panels around tight corners, you might find it convenient to temporarily fasten the load to the cart with bungy cords or a web clamp. This will allow you to lift one end of the load slightly and tilt the carrier with it onto one wheel. I found it easier to pivot the whole thing on one wheel than it was to slide the wheels sideways to reposition for a turn.It would be handy to have more than two hands when you try to fold or unfold the red parts of the cart with it loaded. I drilled a hole in one of the outrigger legs and put a long carriage bolt through it, so that now I can move the outrigger with my foot while I have my hands in other places. But if I had it to do over, I would have drilled the hole a little higher and use a bolt that's a little shorter. I think it should be about an inch higher than the top of the wheel when the carrier is folded and standing vertically.

This handy devise allows me to load a full size sheet of 3/4" plywood on to my CNC for processing by myself. The rails and gears of the CNC are exposed on the side of the machine, and this carrier flips the sheet from vertical to horizontal allowing me to easily and safely slide the plywood right on to the bed of the machine. With the adjustable height feature, I can clear the gears and rails without a problem. I am a one man shop, and having the ability to safely move sheets around the shop is critical. Without this product, I know that the plywood wood sheets would be damaged dragging them across the shop gears of the machine. The carriers construction is solid, it is made from heavy gauge steel, clearly up to the task of the heaviest sheets of material. Portamates customer service department is also second to none. I phoned with an issue and it was taken care of very quickly. I am very pleased with this purchase, I look forward to trying more of their items.

I really wanted to Love this. It's exactly what I need in my garage shop and I'm a big fan of Portamate products. I have 3 of their Mobile Bases and several sets of their lumber racks on the walls. They have great customer service so I knew that if I got a bad Panel Carrier, they would help me out. Unfortunately, this just doesn't work as well as I wanted it to.When moving a sheet of plywood, it's an odd balancing act to keep the panel vertical but not tip over. If you tilt it a little too far away from you, you can feel the carrier start to go and there's not much you can do to stop it unless your arms are 4' long. It's best to roll material leaning against your body and not vertical to avoid a crash. But in my garage, I don't always have room for that. And the having the weight of the plywood leaning against you kinda defeats the purpose of this cart in the first place. It almost needs a set of training wheels or some sort of 3rd wheel on the side opposite the operator to stabilize it a little more and prevent falls.The push-button release that lets it collapse from horizontal to vertical needs some rethinking. If you push the button, it allows you to start to collapse the lift, but you can't release the button or else it pops back out and jams up the mechanism. You have to keep pressure on the button all the way down, which is really awkward when you have a 100lb sheet of Melamine that wants to swing up into your face.For now, this is leaning against the wall in my garage gathering saw dust. I'm not sure if I will get around to giving it another shot.

Let me say that for the price there is nothing touching this material handler/mover for plywood.... with that being said.. if you want to spend 279.00+ , then of course you can get a better one. but for something simple this is all we've got at this price point. next there is Woodcraft Version for 174.99, then Rocklers for $279.99, then Maksita TC3000 for $299.99 . but for 89.99 it cant be beat