Stanley Tools FatMax Mobile Project Center 93-292 Review

Anyone who tries to share their workshop with a car knows that space is at a premium and versatility is important. Stanley Tools knows this too. For us they have developed the Stanley Tools FatMax Mobile Project Center. I found one at my local True value Hardware Store, Parkrose Hardware. I use it a lot.

What You Get

In the large box comes a partially assembled workbench, clamping station, and hand cart. It is all one tool. The instructions are included as are a three outlet electrical box and a set of four positional flat pegs for clamping. Give yourself a half-hour for assembly consisting mostly of adding wheels and the power outlet. To make the outlet useful you have to supply your own extension cord, but it does have convenient wrapped storage for it.

In its folded position two handles with nice rubber grips can be extended easily and locked to make it a hand cart with advertised carrying capacity of 220 pounds. This cart doesn't have lots of features like stair climbing treads, but the large rubber wheels make rolling easy. With the handles retracted and the legs spread you have a nice work surface with a holding capacity advertised at 660 pounds. I have used it to stand on. It feels solid underfoot.

The work surface is also a pretty versatile clamping system with a capability to hold irregular objects like a tapered board. The four included pegs can be clipped into several different 3/4 inch surface holes to allow side clamping of round or wide boards. They protrude a little over 3/4 inch; so can get in the way of board surfacing operations. Other standard 3/4 inch accessories like for the Black and Decker work stations fit nicely.

Uses

As a hand cart it is satisfactory. I have used it to haul in heavy boxes and to move heavy things stored in the garage to make more room for working. When I am through with it, it folds easily into a small footprint that stores up against a wall - not a lot wider than a standard hand cart.

As a work surface it stands at a comfortable 33" and sits solidly on four plastic low-slip clad feet. I use it often to set my heavy grinder station on for sharpening tasks. I use it to hold projects while I paint or stain them.

As a a clamping station it has some great features and a couple of shortcomings. The table top is split and these two parts can be separated or closed via two independent crank handles. The between tables capacity will handle most dimension lumber and the independent cranks can handle things like tapered or irregular boards. If you need more capacity or to clamp irregular shapes there are four pegs that press into various holes on the two surfaces and can be used to hold things like circles or wide boards up to about 23 inches;

All the provided clamping is for clamping from the sides. The pegs are a little high to allow unimpeded access to the surface of standard 3/4 inch lumber. I have gotten around this by using some 1/4 inch plywood as shim stock. There is no provision for vertical clamping. The underside of the tables is sort of honeycombed for strength and makes using other clamps problematic. I have a couple of vertical clamps that I had with an old B&D work table that fit nicely in the holes.

Also in the top are a couple of larger holes nice for dropping in a drill or other tool. If the drill is corded you can use the three outlet plug after you have uncoiled and connected the extension you had to provide. That is a nice touch.

Overall we find this to be pretty useful in a garage/workshop. The 44 pounds we have to lug around is a small price to pay for its versatility and convenience.