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

Product Information

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 Who knows ... there are a couple of dimensional differences although both look identical. The difference in capacity is massive - if they were closer, then it may be a reasonable assumption that they could be, but to me, from what is online, they may be different build specs. Mac Allister seem to have reinvented the wheel with this workbench. Unlike the others in the test, it doesn’t follow the ‘replica Workmate’ formula, instead using a mainly plastic construction and a clever folding mechanism.

Mac Allister Folding Workbench, (H)755mm | Tradepoint

There are some downsides though. The half-hour it takes to assemble the bench might be forgotten after a while but is certainly an irritation at the time. But the weedy 100kg capacity means you’ll be a little limited as to what the Minotaur can be used for, and it feels a little wobblier when faced with a heavy wheel or other weighty component. Clarke’s bench has some useful features, including a choice of two working heights for the work surface and a substantial 150kg load capacity, which is enough for an entire engine or gearbox from a smaller car. The plywood worktop is fixed in a horizontal position, though. 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. 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 folds up into a compact and almost flat shape, making it practical to hang on a wall. When unfolded, the hinged legs allow for two working heights, meaning you can work on taller items without having to stand on your tip toes. There’s also a step, which can also be used to steady the bench while sawing or wrestling with a rusty bolt.I have two of the Keter, a McAllister and a Forge Steel - The McAllister and Forge steel are own brands (Screwfix, B&Q) but basically badged items. I've not noticed any difference between them. They were bought at different times - normally when on offer somewhere. Every car enthusiast dreams of having a pristine workshop, filled with equipment and with a spacious workbench for tinkering with broken bits of their car or motorcycle. That saving is almost enough to buy the third-placed Minotaur. It’s flawed in many ways, but we loved the ability to tilt the jaws to work on awkward items. The downside is a relatively low 100kg capacity and the half hour you need to invest on assembly. If your garage space is at a premium you might also need to consider storage, because the Minotaur is an awkward shape once folded.

Mac Allister Folding Workbench 850mm - Screwfix

Some classic Morris owners might buy this good-value workbench just for the name, but it has another useful feature. In addition to the conventional clamping action of the two plank-like work surfaces, they can also be individually tilted to 45 or 90 degrees. This makes it far easier to hold awkwardly shaped or large components. If space is at a premium you’ll need to think about storage too, as the Minotaur’s switchable clamping jaws mean it is an awkward and lumpy shape once folded. Draper Fold Down Workbench 800mm Folding workbenches provide a safe platform to put parts on and clamp tight while you work on them. Once you’re finished, the benches neatly fold away to maximise garage space. We put six designs to the test to see if the original Workmate has a vice-like grip on the Best Buy title, or a rival can set a new benchmark in our workshop How we tested them These are almost universally known by the name of the original – the Workmate – which was invented in the 1960s by a Ford and Lotus engineer. Whoever makes them now, they allow you to safely clamp parts to cut, paint, clean or disassemble in comfort and safety.While the Silverline is fine for lighter tasks such as painting and cleaning, it did feel a little wobbly when loaded with our heavy wheel. We’d certainly be nervous about approaching the claimed 100kg maximum load capacity. If money was no object, we’d choose the innovative Mac Allister Folding Workbench. It is easy to use, and the size of the surfaces makes it much more useful for most automotive tasks. It also folds down neatly for 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. We couldn’t find a workbench any cheaper than the TB01, so as you might expect, it’s free of frills and requires about 30 minutes of assembly time. Yet once built, the Silverline does most jobs reasonably well, with horizontal-only clamping planks. These are less versatile, but the uncomplicated mechanism means it folds up smaller than the Minotaur for storage and weighs just 4.5kg, too.