Decent Workbench at a low price?

[alohavw]

Looking for a decent workbench at a relatively resonable price. I've seen craftsman,Kobalt,HF as well as others out there but would like opinions on which one is the best bang for the buck.

Mahalos!

 

[RenegadeEngr]

I have Husky ball bearing chest I bought 5 years ago and I'm pretty happy with it. Alot of guys bring up good points here on whether you will need to constantly move it. If that is the case I would go with MAC or Snap On, otherwise I think Kobalt stainless steel chests are the best bang for the buck. They have had alot of specials on them and the quality is definitely there for the money. The drawers unloaded feel awesome and the construction is more than adequate. Husky makes a similar stainless steel one but I can't say I have looked at it much. As far as craftsman goes I can never seem to find a chest there that I like, and the new professional one with the LCD panel my friends who work at sears make fun of. They have some good high end chests but for the most part I'm unimpressed. For the average home shop guy I think the rule of thumb is get something well made and something that feels good unloaded with good casters.

 

[Stuey]

Kobalt and Craftsman make some alright small workbenches in the $100-$150 range.

I'd suggest building your own using 2x4s though. You can hack it, remount vises and other components as you see fit without worrying too much about long term damage, and add to it as you see fit. When your needs greatly outgrow its capabilities, build another according to your more developed feature demands.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Kobalt and Craftsman make some alright small workbenches in the $100-$150 range.

I'd suggest building your own using 2x4s though. You can hack it, remount vises and other components as you see fit without worrying too much about long term damage, and add to it as you see fit. When your needs greatly outgrow its capabilities, build another according to your more developed feature demands.

+1 Yup, I make my own and slap a decent coat of machinery gray or gray plus red enamel if I am gettin fancy. Hard to beat!

 

[krusty the clown]

4x4 posts for the legs though! mine is 4x4 legs and the rest is 2x6's, and a metal top. best of all it was in a shop being torn down and all i had to do was load it........seems nobody there wanted to lift it. it took 4 of us btw!

 

[Uncle Buck]

4x4 posts for the legs though! mine is 4x4 legs and the rest is 2x6's, and a metal top. best of all it was in a shop being torn down and all i had to do was load it........seems nobody there wanted to lift it. it took 4 of us btw!

Yup, 4x4's and 2x6"s are a given with me as well. My bench tops are all old thick wooden office desk tops. On my main bench I have it is a bit over an inch thick with oak vaneer on it. Not very good looking these days but it has withstood a lot of punishment, torch burns, solvent spills etc. I need to skin it with some steel one of these days.

 

[chrenan]

Agreed, build it yourself. 4x4 posts, 2x12 table top and bottom shelf, and 250lb casters...

 

[Uncle Buck]

Agreed, build it yourself. 4x4 posts, 2x12 table top and bottom shelf, and 250lb casters...QUOTE]

I agree on everything but the casters. I screw a 2x6 cleat to the wall then secure the bench to the cleat, no casters. I have a vise mounted to the corner of my bench and when I start pulling and tugging I do not want anything moving around or jiggling. But that is just me.

 

[eschoendorff]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15038

 

[PAToyota]

I used Simpson Strong-Ties system to build my workbench out of 2x material:
http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/catalogs/c-diy05/C-DIY05-GarageProject.pdf

Made for a nice solid workbench. Between connectors, 2x lumber, a sheet of plywood, and a sheet of pegboard for the back I put under $100 into it and have a 2'x8' bench with a full length shelf underneath and pegboard across the back to close off the shelf below and to hang tools on behind the workbench - basically what they are showing along the right side of the page, but a full 8' long instead of being broken up into 4' sections (which is what they are showing looks like) and with the pegboard going down below the workbench surface to the top of the shelf below.