MAC ALLISTER FOLDING WORKSTATION. Ideal For Indoor and Outdoor Workshop Use

Product Information

All our products, bar the Stanley, have cross-pieces providing additional bracing between the legs, with the WORX and Keter turning these braces into practical tool storage. The work boards themselves are larger too, with handy measurements for length and angles which could make fabricating parts easier. Once you’ve finished working, the Draper collapses easily and folds almost flat to make storage easier. The load-bearing capacity of just 200kg is the second-lowest we recorded (Draper hasn’t published figures for their product), though we did like the PWB 600’s integral storage tray and grippy feet.

The maximum widths we tested ranged from 384mm on the Keter to 850mm on Stanley’s FatMax, with the latter more than sufficient for most jobs.

At first glance the Clarke bench looks similar to our winning Workmate, with legs that can be deployed or folded to give two possible working heights. It also has a step so you can put a foot on it comfortably to steady the bench while using a saw, or can reach high up if working on a tall parts such as a bumper.

Clamps range from basic handles to more sophisticated affairs, but any clamp ought to pin even heavy timbers firmly in place.

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If the Keter resembles a Transformers robot, the PWB 600’s emerald paint colour and the bamboo top could only have come from Bosch. Vertical clamping, inboard measurement markings, tool storage, and wobble-free chassis design are some of the attributes we valued highly in testing. The stated maximum weight capacity is 100kg, but it felt wobbly even when we loaded it with a wheel and tyre. It’s best left for lighter duty jobs such as painting, where the price means you won’t be so worried about messing it up like you might a more expensive workbench. Clarke CFWB1 The really remarkable feature of the Workmate is the maximum load capacity – a whopping 250kg. That’s enough to hold a Rover V8 engine. We didn’t test it to that extreme, but it certainly felt perfectly secure with our heavy wheel and differential. Mac Allister Folding Workbench 850MM – Recommended

It feels solid and stable too, and has a decent 150kg load capacity, which should be enough for a small engine. The downside to this is a comparatively heavy 11.7kg overall weight.

The Draper’s maximum clamping width of 430mm is the second-smallest we tested, with only the Keter performing worse in this area. The two products have almost identical weights, though Draper hasn’t published a maximum load — it’s unlikely it would match the Keter’s impressive 453kg payload capacity. Then again, this product is half the price. Any workbench will be between 800mm and 900mm high once assembled, though taller patrons, in particular, should look for products approaching the latter height to avoid stooping. Weight is more significant, especially if you’re going to be lugging a bench up and down your stairs alongside tool bags and other equipment. Mine have had a hard life and they still function although one of them has sagged a little in the middle so that it's no longer flat. They're heavier that they look but very easy to carry and store/transport and for that reason they have made my B&D Workmates redundant. They take literally seconds to erect or collapse - much faster than anything else I've ever used.