Workmate Dual Height Workbench WM536

I bought this as something to help me with some basic joinery. I simply don't have space for a proper workbench and woodworking vise. Having read some of the other reviews and researched a lot I was expecting something of very poor quality but was happy to pay the discounted price and risk it. I'm glad I did as it's actually exceeded my expectations. I wanted to post this review to challenge some of the points that others have made. Firstly, the instructions. Yes, they are very poor, but not beyond the realms of human intelligence. After a bit of trial and error and thought I was able to figure out which bit went where and to be honest I enjoyed the problem solving exercise. Secondly the plastic. Yes, it's got plastic bits and plastic is not as good as metal. But it's not cheap plastic, it's the better quality kind that is fit for purpose providing you're careful and remember that it is plastic. It's cheaper and cheaper is ok if it works. And it works. Thirdly, the metal. It's not thick, but it's sheet steel pressed into load bearing shapes. This makes it lightweight but sturdy. It easily supports my weight sitting on the bench top (I'm 6'2" with a 52" waist and I wear 4XL so I think it's fair to say I'm obese) and there are no razor sharp edges. Some of them could be a little better finished and are a bit on the rough side but none that you'd really be touching for any reason. One reviewer mentioned the leg springs on the four legs being dangerous. Mine has no leg springs, just 4 moulded plastic guides that use a bit of gentle friction to keep them open or closed. The top is made from bamboo. Very strong and hard. One surface is marked and the other isn't. The ruled surface might come in handy if you don't need anything too accurate. The bench dogs are plastic. They have useful grooves in them for supporting round objects. They're not amazing but they are handy and will clamp short pieces of wood solidly enough for planing. I've managed to plane wood on mine and cut mortises and tenons to make a 6' by 3' dinner table. Would a proper work bench be more sturdy? Yes. But if you're creative with how you support the wood and use your body weight to keep the workmate from wobbling a little then it's actually fine. Sharp tools help as well. It's been perfect for my needs and space limitations. My one regret is that I didn't get the slightly longer one as there'd be a little more room for working on smaller projects and bits of wood while straddling it.

Great product. Instructions very poor but worth the effort to persevere.. Stable and workmanlike..I have had one before and this one is more stable.

The work bench is fine just what i wanted. one critism the assembly instructions were not very clear i went on line for assistance once i new how it was easy to assemble. very pleased with the outcome.

I've had Workmates in the past, and this one is similarly based on the traditional principles. The materials used in its construction are relatively inferior to my old ones, but this makes the Workmate lighter to carry around and relatively cheap to buy. As many others have observed, the instructions are largely incomprehensible but actually with a little common sense it's pretty easy to work out how it fits together. Overall, I think it's a good buy at sub £60 and well up to handling the modest DIY jobs that I have on hand.

This is a good, basic workmate. It is light but strong despite that. It folds well and hangs on my workshop wall very tidily. It has a metal framework, cleverly designed and made to take quite heavy items and withstand hard work. The jaws are made of a tough bamboo and seem really durable. I did have a more expensive model that allowed the jaws to be adjusted in parallel by just using one handle but .. that was it’s weakness in that the plastic tape that equalised the opening / closing function wasn’t very strong. Delighted with this. So much so, I bought one for my son!

Excellent product but terrible assembly instructions. Firstly DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. They are genuinely awful, the worst I've ever seen. There are a few good videos on YouTube that show how to assemble this. The only problem I had was one of the very last stages, you have to hammer in four tiny cotter pins. The holes are too small and you have to get creative enlarging them.

Nice gadget for work at home. Easy to use. Stable as a work table to fix and hold tight on any wood material you work on. Folding together is quite easy and then it is fairly small for storing it.

Does the job well enough - once it is assembled. Came with the most useless set of assembly instuctions I have ever come across. Assembling the winding handles was difficult too as I had to file down the little metal spigots before they could be hammered home.

Only received one dowel pin with the parts. There should be Two.

No me ga gustado nada,ya que la anterior era mas robusta que esta. Se ve que ha sido fabricada para que dure menos. La anterior me ha durado treinta años.

Çok sağlam ve pratik bir ürün

Die Workmate 1000 (WM1k) dient bei mir als Zusatzwerkbank neben einer großen, die fest verbaut ist. Ich wollte eine weitere Bank haben, die halbwegs mobil ist und an der man "rundherum" arbeiten kann (bei längeren oder größeren Werkstücken). Positiv: + Für eine mobile Werkbank ziemlich stabil, die wichtigen Teile sind aus Metall + Klappmechanismus arbeitet super und ist sehr komfortabel (einen Kopf zeiehn, drehen, Bank auf- oder zuklappen, rastet ein, steht) + Arbeitsplatte ist aus mehrlagigem Bambus, daher sehr hart und langlebig (bisher jedenfalls) + Arbeitsplatten besitzen eine Einfräsung, so dass auch Rohre gut gehalten werden, wenn die Platten gegeneinander gezogen werden + Zusammengeklappt benötigt sie weniger Platz und kann gut verstaut werden Neutral: o Die Arbeitsplatten sind nicht 100%ig eben zueinander; bei meinem Modell ca. 0,5 mm vertikaler Abstand (mich stört das eigentlich nicht) o Die Spannkraft der Arbeitsplatten ist nicht besonders hoch; als Schraubstockersatz sind sie wohl auch nicht gedacht Negativ: - Die aufgedruckte Bemaßung ist unbrauchbar; ich denke eher, dass der Druck aufgebracht worden ist, weil sonst die Platten so leer ausgesehen hätten; wer genau messen will oder muss ist auf jeden Fall auf einen guten Zollstock/Schieblehre/Winkelmaß angewiesen; das war mir persönlich aber vorher klar (kein Grund für Punktabzug). - Kleinigkeit: Der Haken, der die Bank in auf- oder zugeklapptem Zustand arretiert, passt nicht immer genau. Ausserdem wird an der Stelle mit der Zeit der Lack abgekratzt Fazit: Wer nur ab und zu etwas werkelt oder die Bank für den mobilen (Hobby)Einsatz möchte, ist hier gut augehoben. Natürlich stößt die Bank alleine schon durch ihre Größe und Gewicht an Grenzen - 3m lange Dielen sollte man damit nicht verarbeiten, aber die WM1k ist deutlich solider und durchdachter, als die billigen Konkurrenzbänkchen für 30 Euro. Ich würde sie wieder kaufen.

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