Stanley Workmate or "Other"

[John in OH]

My son and daughter live in a condo with a single car garage. He doesn't do too much garage work, but from time to time does minor household repairs. I'm thinking about getting him a Stanley Workmate, but wonder if there are any similar products that may have more features or be a better choice. Any suggestions?

 

[RamVet]

I have an old Workmate and it is a good product. A few years ago, I picked up a Keter Work Table and liked it so much I picked up another to use together for longer items. The Keter Work Table folds up into a nice small package and stores easier that the Workmate. Either is a good choice, just depends on what you prefer.

 

[BombShelter]

I love my Centipede (made by Bora now), I have the heavy duty version but they have more light duty (cheaper) versions. They fold up like a tent so they're easy to store but I do have a 2" foam 4' x 8' top for mine, it works great when using the track saw.

I have a Keter I haven't used yet, it's nice because you can mount a router underneath it.

Menards has the Bora PM-8000 that doubles as a workbench/miter saw table, when it goes on sale after Christmas I always debate getting one.

 

[Lynden]

I have a Skil X-Bench. It's no longer made so you would have to find a used one or buy something similar.

 

[BetterDays]

I have an old Workmate and it is a good product. A few years ago, I picked up a Keter Work Table and liked it so much I picked up another to use together for longer items. The Keter Work Table folds up into a nice small package and stores easier that the Workmate. Either is a good choice, just depends on what you prefer.

Neighbors had a Keter... Seemed like a great alternative to the Workmate.

I feel either is a solid solution.

 

[Prospecter]

I have a couple Workmates. I like mine, but they are annoying to store. Some of the new sawhorses have amazing features and would store more easily for occasional use.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I have a jaw horse and a workmate. They don't come out every day. But they have both saved me in their own way.
The jaw horse is handy for either stuff. I've got a chunk of plywood with a 2x4 screwed to it, and a chunk of 1\4" steel with an angle iron welded to it for tables. I butcher them depending on the need. I find it's more of the rough n ready, drag out to the job site, beat-the-****-out-of-it kind of thing.
I find the workmate to be more of the nicer, cleaner, level-ish floor kind of work table.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

I have a Skil X-Bench. It's no longer made so you would have to find a used one or buy something similar.

I like that.

 

[nadogail]

I had a Harbor Freight $10 knock off, it worked fine until i got the threads on the clamp screws messed up with welding spatter. I was young and dumb and almost perpetually broke.

i saw the Jaw Horse at Sears but was not ready t spend the money for it. If I were stating over I would shop for both a Workmate and a Jaw Horse.

 

[pbon]

A couple of folding sawhorses and a couple of 2x4 and a piece of plywood for a top might be more useful, plus and a table top removeable vise, a bag of Ryobi tools or M12 Milwaukee.

 

[Paco Pena]

I've had my WorkMate for about 35 years and always find it handy. Even makes a nice compact reloading bench. Zero issues except storage. It doesnt lean against a wall well.

Paco

 

[captain14]

Here’s a thread on B&D Workmate. There are several others just to give you some ideas and what members have done to them for workshop activities.

Dewalt has their folding collapsing table. Lowes has their version of it also. The Dewalt table is $90 at HD.

This is the most active one.

Black & Decker Workmate

I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a thread to the Black & Decker Workmate, that folding, versatile bench and vise that has helped many a do-it-yourselfer around the world, including me. It has helped me immensely the odd times I have had to work with wood and sometimes even with the...

www.garagejournal.com

Dewalt’s page for their table.

Express Folding Workbench | DEWALT

The Express Folding Workbench allows you to create a workspace anywhere in under 3 seconds. It is compact and easy to maneuver around a jobsite or garage and nicely folds for compact storage. The ...

www.dewalt.com

 

[Zeke]

You might ask yourself that if you had your SIL's skills what would work best for you? I'm a master carpenter, antiques restorer and home handyman. I have a classic Workmate plus one I converted into steel tops for welding. I weld quite a bit.

Neither one comes out more than a couple times a year. I do use anything that I can place flat on anything all the time. What do I mean?

Well, plywood on trash cans gets used a lot. I have 2 old folding card tables I would hate to be w/o. I have folding, adjustable height sawhorses that work very well, but are a PITA to set up quickly like the trash can deal. Then I have 4 T stands that make a good setup even if different heights are needed. Those are hard to store out of the way.

So, it's a mixed bag. Find out what he does do and what is needed. Personally, if I had to reduce to only one item, it would be a folding table with some area to it. Something a Workmate doesn't have.

You could, however, make a sheet with a stringer on the bottom that would clamp into the WM. Now you have a table and some jaws if you need them. I guess I never thought of that since I have several options.

 

[kbeefy]

I have a workmate and a centipede, I rarely use them.

I have a Keeter that I use all the time. I like it so much I also bought another.
I use it for projects, I use it when I go shooting, I always take one with me camping, I set up our small smoker on it at home.
I have 2 friends that bought their own after seeing mine, and I suspect several strangers as well that saw it in a campground.

I also really like folding card tables. They're about the same weight as the keeter and much larger when set up, but not as quick and easy or as strong as the keeter.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Get two of the $20 Harbor Freight models and they can double as sawhorses.

 

[olytdi]

Depends what your son would be using something like a workmate for. I always used mine primarily for clamping something to then saw or do something to. I still use mine occasionally but the tool I REALLY use a lot is a Rockwell JawHorse Portable Work Support Station. These are the bomb!

Rockwell Jawhorse

 

[Alchase]

I like that.

I have two Skil X-benches they are fantastic

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I have a couple of the original B&D Workmates and they are quite useful in the woodshop. Having two of the same model (same height) of whatever you are using helps hold long boards or make a really big table if that's what you need. They even get used to hold the ping pong table when the kids are here. Stored on hooks on the wall they get out of the way when I don't need them. Ed.

 

[Jackfre]

I’m in the Multi-Function Table camp these days. I bought a Parf Guide and the associated 20mm dogs and make tops out of 3/4 mdf. A set of the fold up Channel-lock saw horses, a few 2x4’s and the mft top. I use it mostly with my track saw. This outfit folds up to about nothing, goes together quickly and can deliver good results.

 

[rsparks64]

I have a Dewalt that is fairly lightweight and folds very easily. It has a 1,000 lb capacity. I paid about $100 at Home Depot and I use it a lot. It was a good investment.

 

[rd65]

I have an old Craftsman version of the workmate. I use it quite a bit, almost always with a 2' x 4' sheet of plywood on it (2x2 screwed to the bottom and clamped with workmate table). Always nice to have a portable work table.