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

Product Information

Offering a maximum clamping depth of 34mm, its full width of 525mm achieves a mid-table finish in our comparison chart (below). 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. 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.

However, we must praise Bosch’s combination of an aluminium frame and a waterproof bamboo top. Not only is this the most aesthetically pleasing product to store in your tool shed, but it’s also convenient.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. 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 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. Even the Wolfcraft, whose 180kg max payload is the lowest we recorded, shouldn’t be stretched by internal doors or cabinets. All of our shortlisted workbenches have pre-drilled holes which accommodate plastic pegs (aka bench dogs), allowing you to move them around and create a flexible work surface area.The two bench boards are fixed horizontally, but the clamping edges are shaped to grip smaller items such as pipes or fastenings.

Bosch claims you can dismantle their product in five seconds, which is an impressive claim if hardly ground-breaking. Our primary concern — and the reason for its relatively low overall score — is that this is the most expensive product we tested, yet it doesn’t excel in any specific area. Pros We reviewed six of the best-selling workbenches to see which stood out for the motoring DIYer. We tested how well they gripped a radiator hose while being cut, held a wheel while it was being wire brushed, and provided a platform to hold a differential.To save costs it comes as a big bag of bits, so you’ll need to do about 40 minutes of assembly yourself, but once built you are left with a pretty basic – and small – bench. But it is uncomplicated, easy to use and folds up to a smaller size for storage. The 4.5kg weight means it’s not too much effort to lift off a hook on a garage wall either – that’s less than half the weight of most other benches here. Supplied with four clamps, it’s an attractive and practical design finished with water-repellent materials, making it great for outdoor work in harsh conditions.