My initial thoughts on the STM 1800 (after 90 days)

[ThisVeteranVlog]

I wanted to share some pros, cons, and also who I think would benefit most from the STM 1800 after about 3 months of use on various projects.

STM 1800 inital review

 

[batmanimal]

Thanks for posting this. Just got mine yesterday. Assembled quick, can’t wait to use it. (Thanks to this forum, I knew to check the pins for shipping damage first, and to have my T10 magnetic bit ready.)

Good idea to bring it with you to the lumber yard. I’m impressed what you can fit in that Prius! I used to have a Mazda3 hatchback and also had to come up with creative ways to fit lumber inside. Usually involved a Ridgid skilsaw and a pair of plastic sawhorses. Your way is much better

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

[member=77343]batmanimal[/member] I'm really glad I was able to scoop one up. This plus the TSC55KEB means I can go a little longer without having to purchase a truck!

 

[blaszcsj]

its a great bit of kit for sure. Two things I love about it are the tip up/down function of sheetgoods off the wall (I use it to pull down 100+lb mdf sheets) and the fact that it is a work surface but it is not a work surface. Meaning it does not have a top on it for me to set crap on. It is 100% functional and doesnt get cluttered with crap.

 

[sancho57]

i bought some extra brackets and made a MDF top for mine great for sanding cutting and whatever else ya use a light weight work bench for

 

[HandyDen]

i bought some extra brackets and made a MDF top for mine great for sanding cutting and whatever else ya use a light weight work bench for

Great idea!

Yes, its expensive. But if mine is stolen tomorrow, I’ll immediately be on the phone (with Chip at ToolNirvana) to buy another. I run a small cabinet shop with a nice table saw, but all my sheetgoods are ripped on the STM then cross cut on a couple of MFTs.

 

[sancho57]

i bought some extra brackets and made a MDF top for mine great for sanding cutting and whatever else ya use a light weight work bench for

Great idea!

Yes, its expensive. But if mine is stolen tomorrow, I’ll immediately be on the phone (with Chip at ToolNirvana) to buy another. I run a small cabinet shop with a nice table saw, but all my sheetgoods are ripped on the STM then cross cut on a couple of MFTs.

ya with the adj height i use it for about everything Id use a work bench for and more, finishing, sanding, cutting, I put my benchtop tools on like my 12' Makita planer, etc etc.

I dont know what Id do with out it.

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

its a great bit of kit for sure. Two things I love about it are the tip up/down function of sheetgoods off the wall (I use it to pull down 100+lb mdf sheets) and the fact that it is a work surface but it is not a work surface. Meaning it does not have a top on it for me to set junk on. It is 100% functional and doesnt get cluttered with junk.

This is so true. I have to limit how much horizontal surfaces I have in my shop, or I'll just fill them with whatever tool I have in my hand. I love how compact it can get, especially that it fits under the MFT

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

i bought some extra brackets and made a MDF top for mine great for sanding cutting and whatever else ya use a light weight work bench for

I use my conturo top on the STM since I'm using the legs with an MFT top now. It's perfect for it, just a quick clamp and the top is secured to the STM for all my edge applications.

 

[batmanimal]

I’m doing a major garage overhaul this weekend, including painting all the walls. I had to take down 30’ of shelving and allllll the crap on the shelves in order to prep walls and paint.

I slapped a sheet of plywood on the STM and it became my mobile crap-holding station. I was able to load almost all the stuff off the shelves, and all the shelves, and a bunch of scrap lumber, and move this huge pile of stuff around so it wouldn’t interfere with my painting.

Then, after I got the shelves back up, I used it as a sorting table to organize all the crap I had loaded onto it before putting all the non-junk things back on the shelves. It saved me so much time and energy!

Of course, after I was all done, plywood came off and the table folds down neatly away for another task. I think this might be one of my favorite workshop purchases ever.

 

[Ebuwan]

i bought some extra brackets and made a MDF top for mine great for sanding cutting and whatever else ya use a light weight work bench for

I use my conturo top on the STM since I'm using the legs with an MFT top now. It's perfect for it, just a quick clamp and the top is secured to the STM for all my edge applications.

I know what you are explaining isn't complicated, but you got a pic? Never thought of doing this!

 

[GarryMartin]

I know what you are explaining isn't complicated, but you got a pic? Never thought of doing this!

How about a video? ;-)
=958

 

[blaszcsj]

Note on the STM - I can confirm that the weight capacity of the the STM is ~350-400 pounds, the caster is the failure point, and a new caster assembly costs $57 (and does not come with the pin/axle.

I still love the STM but be careful on loading. I was transferring 12 sheets of mdf around the shop and did not know the capacity until after I looked it up and after I broke a caster after loading it with five sheets and moved it around the shop.

 

[Ebuwan]

Note on the STM - I can confirm that the weight capacity of the the STM is ~350-400 pounds, the caster is the failure point, and a new caster assembly costs $57 (and does not come with the pin/axle.

I still love the STM but be careful on loading. I was transferring 12 sheets of mdf around the shop and did not know the capacity until after I looked it up and after I broke a caster after loading it with five sheets and moved it around the shop.

DAYUM! 12 sheets at once, thats awesome. I had 3 melamine sheets on it and felt iffy.

 

[Ebuwan]

i bought some extra brackets and made a MDF top for mine great for sanding cutting and whatever else ya use a light weight work bench for

Forgive my ignorance; where can one order extra brackets?

I'd love some pop on tops for it

thanks!

Ev

 

[blues]

Good to know that one can pick up parts from festool if something breaks. Now on a limited run item like this, how long would festool support it with spares?

 

[glass1]

Man that’s a lot of festool tools.

 

[squall_line]

Note on the STM - I can confirm that the weight capacity of the the STM is ~350-400 pounds, the caster is the failure point, and a new caster assembly costs $57 (and does not come with the pin/axle.

I still love the STM but be careful on loading. I was transferring 12 sheets of mdf around the shop and did not know the capacity until after I looked it up and after I broke a caster after loading it with five sheets and moved it around the shop.

DAYUM! 12 sheets at once, thats awesome. I had 3 melamine sheets on it and felt iffy.

I think it was only 5 sheets, not 12: "I broke a caster after loading it with five sheets and moved it around the shop."

Which definitely tracks closer to your 3 sheets of melamine.