Makapuu
Well-known member
I am going to get either a 4' or 6' Gladiator Maple top adjustable workbench for Father's Day. I am trying to decide which length. I live in a beach community where homes are side by side, and I have a 2 car garage that I can barely fit two cars. To allow for tool chest(s!), washer and drier, Christmas storage, etc etc. I have only one car in there - a 2008 GT 500 because it is far too wide a car to fit another car and everything else (including my wife's GT 500).
I like the adjustable feature because I have back problems and is difficult for me to bend over, and I want a tall workbench. In the space crunch I have, getting the 6 foot is really pushing it. I have plenty of tool storage and will not be using the workbench for any sort of tool storage - only ongoing projects. I may get a roller that slides underneath, but small enough (like a 31" griplatch) for some tool storage (and I don't really need it but we all know how that goes…) so I can still fit a chair under there or sit with my legs underneath while working.
Once I get a decent 4" or 5" bench vise bolted down, in practice, with a 4 footer, is there a lot of hassle getting projects done in that remaining space? Everything I do in terms of projects is usually automotive or household repair. On the flip side, is there a lot of benefit to the extra 2 feet of getting a longer six footer? What experiences have others had with workbench length in situations where you wish you had more space?
FYI we moved 2 years ago and I had a 3 car garage and it was a complete mess. To move close to the beach we needed to size down so I dumped my workbenches and a lot of my tools that I felt were not high-quality because I wanted to both size down and upgrade.
I have always had 4 foot workbenches in the past but used them for tool storage too so was always frustrated with them being too short. Now with an organized work area and lots of shelving and two tool chest stacks, I should have a clear workbench and won't have that problem.
I like the adjustable feature because I have back problems and is difficult for me to bend over, and I want a tall workbench. In the space crunch I have, getting the 6 foot is really pushing it. I have plenty of tool storage and will not be using the workbench for any sort of tool storage - only ongoing projects. I may get a roller that slides underneath, but small enough (like a 31" griplatch) for some tool storage (and I don't really need it but we all know how that goes…) so I can still fit a chair under there or sit with my legs underneath while working.
Once I get a decent 4" or 5" bench vise bolted down, in practice, with a 4 footer, is there a lot of hassle getting projects done in that remaining space? Everything I do in terms of projects is usually automotive or household repair. On the flip side, is there a lot of benefit to the extra 2 feet of getting a longer six footer? What experiences have others had with workbench length in situations where you wish you had more space?
FYI we moved 2 years ago and I had a 3 car garage and it was a complete mess. To move close to the beach we needed to size down so I dumped my workbenches and a lot of my tools that I felt were not high-quality because I wanted to both size down and upgrade.
I have always had 4 foot workbenches in the past but used them for tool storage too so was always frustrated with them being too short. Now with an organized work area and lots of shelving and two tool chest stacks, I should have a clear workbench and won't have that problem.
