Hot or Not? Black & Decker’s Workmate
By Chuck Cage
I’ll go on record stating that I like my Workmate. I’ve discussed it plenty here on Toolmonger here already – and you can see it in a number of our test pictures — so I’ll spare you the repeat. What we want to know is what you think about the Workmate.
Is it too heavy for what it does? Can it be replaced with a few sawhorses and some trigger clamps? Are they getting too expensive in recent years? Let us know what you think in comments.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Bought one at a yard sale a few years ago for $10.00 Cdn; before it ever made it into the shop it was co-opted into a life in rawk ‘n roll as my behind-the-drumkit workstation: It holds my laptop, mixer and TD-8 brain comfortably on the deck with the annoying mass of cords and cables running out of sight/mind down between the ‘jaws’. My monitor amp (some little Peavey jobbie, also a yard sale refugee) wedges between the footrest and the horizontal brace at the exact angle needed to direct the resulting *baduuum, kachakka, flissshhh pok” cacaphony into my ear holes.
My opinion may change if I ever use it as it’s intended, but as of this moment, workmates rock.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I have EXACTLY that workmate (got it a couple of years ago). I like it a lot. My workshop is small so I need things that can be out-of-the-way when not in use. I sort of wish I had that fatmax stanely cart you reviewed instead because it sounds like it weighs less and has everything I’d need.
I got it at Home Depot when they were running a sale. I can’t recall the exact price paid. But it seemed reasonable enough.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
I have one of the original model workmates that my father gave me and I love it. It’s versatile especially if you get a couple of surface clamps that fit the existing predrilled holes as I have. Heck I even made a base for my power miter saw out of scrap lumber that fits into the workmate and is clamped in place to use as a saw table. My father was in the roofing and siding business and he tells me his company, the old, no longer existing Tilo roofing and siding used to give these out to the mechanics as an incentive and reward for good work and they all loved ‘em.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I don’t recall anyone who has had something like that who didn’t like it. But, personally, I don’t see the point. It would be a lot cheaper to throw a few saw horses together with some scrap lumber. Then, when I run my saw through one, I won’t care so much. I think this is the kind of thing where the people who would actually spend the money for one, are the same kind of person who will like it. But, the rest of us will never part with money so we’ll never know. Now, if someone wanted to give me one, I might consider changing my mind.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I have an older model that doesn’t have that much table-top space, and yes, it’s heavy as heck.
I use it, but I hate getting it out. My main complaint is the little rubber feet that keep falling off while you’re trying to set it up. Perhaps that problem has been solved.
Mine had a plastic drawer accessory you could buy separately - it’s not really useful, but the clamping table works pretty well.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I have a love-hate relationship with mine. When I need it, it’s convenient as hell, but I too hate the weight and chasing the rubber feet. Also, when folded and standing on edge it’s center of balance is just right to trick you into thinking it’ll stand on its own - until it falls over and bangs into something important.
Nonetheless, I love it and use it all the time. I just wish it was designed a little better.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Mine’s 10+ years old, and I love it. Heavy yes, but stable, easy to set up, and for the record, no problems with the rubber feet here. I don’t know if they’ve gotten too expensive recently or not since I haven’t bought one recently.
June 5th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
FYI Lowes has a small version of this for $20.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=176390-76015-WM125&lpage=none
I actually convinced my father to loan me his workmate and in the meantime bought him some folding sawhorses for him to trim hollow doors on.
I think that it’s pretty versatile and for apartment dwellers like me, it’s a decent worktable substitute.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Hott, in the most Paris Hilton sense of the word. The build-in clamping ability was great for building some 2×4-based shelving in the basement several years back. I forget what we paid for the thing, but it was probably well under $50, and it was worth every penny. Yes, sawhorses could be used to do the same job, but not nearly as efficiently, especially when you’re cutting dimensional lumber. (Stuff like siding or soffit fascia, yeah, I can see how this isn’t any better than sawhorses. If you need something for that job, don’t buy one of these.)
cl
June 5th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Got a Workmate as a gift when they first came out and it’s been in service ever since. It’s the best 3rd set of hands I’ve ever had. Heavy? I can carry it with one hand, and it fits in the trunk of a car. Try that with two saw horses.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Not.
Too short, too heavy, too slow to set up, to flimsy.
I like the idea but I think the execution is poor. I’m on the look out for a better alternative for a sturdy, quick to set up portable work surface that I don’t have to hunch over.
June 6th, 2007 at 4:32 am
Hot. It’s a shame that magnesium tools aren’t more common, because I’d love to see what some real lightweight castings would do for the Workmate. Aluminum just doesn’t cut it. A friend of mine has a magnesium stepladder which is rock solid to climb, and simply astonishing the first time you lift it on one finger.
But enough fantasy! Even the “mere mortal” stamped-steel Workmate is great. I don’t carry it long distances, and the frame is sturdy enough that I don’t worry about damaging it. The clamping top is great, though a bit slow to crank in or out very far. I’ve seen vises with a lever that disengages the screw so you can slide the jaw freely, then you throw the lever and twist the screw to clamp. If any of the Workmate knockoffs include that feature, I’ll consider changing brands if and when it comes time to replace the old beast.
I’ve never had the rubber feet fall off, though I suspect a dab of rubber cement or liquid nails would solve that problem in a hurry. My problem is that I’ve lost all the pegs, but I didn’t use them much in the first place. If I cared, I’d have made replacements.
June 6th, 2007 at 10:05 am
I have the 525 model with the dolly attached, and they should not even bother putting that on. Its more of a hinderance than a help. Tried moving boxes with it and its not wide enough. Clamping works good on the tool but the table space is minimal. I wish there was a table that had a large table top and collapsed for easy storage. I dont like the lightweight benches either. Seems as though if you put on weight on it incorrectly, they will tip over. I dont really care for my table, but its what I have for now. I’ll just wait and see if something better comes out on the market.
June 6th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I love them so much I have two! They’re great when you need some extra workspace or a mobile workspace. I agree that they are a compromise but they do what they need to do.
June 6th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
The few folks who are giving it a ‘not’ are talking about 2 sawhorses and a piece of plywood. Come on guys. While 2 sawhorses and some plywood give you a work surface, they don’t give you the bulit in clamps. The 425 above is set to even swivel 90 degrees so you can clamp an entire door on it. Hard to describe, but the surface is 3 boards. The board with the words ‘Workmate’ can swivel 90 degrees up so that it’s clamping down towards the flat surface. Try THAT with a couple of sawhorses and plywood.
June 6th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
I have two of the older steel models. Granted the tops aren’t as large as the newer ones and they are heavier, but I wouldn’t trade them. I have one set up with a large plywood top attached to a 2×4 that I clamp between the original tops and it works nicely as a small worktable. And, yes, the feet may tend to fall off but you can always use a little construction adhesive or another glue and glue them on permanently.
June 6th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Ignore my post about the $20 one at Lowes - I went to pick one up and saw that it was a POS.
I saw a Stanley Mobile Project Center - now THAT was a pretty little table! I read you guys’ review on it a while ago, but in person it looks really well made. I mean, there were even slots so that the table can be clamped non-uniformly. But at $85, I may as well buy a non-folding entry level table from Sears.
June 7th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I have one that the kids gave me for Fathers day years ago- (220?)
steel, heavy, and very useful!
Currently using it for cutting lumber for a deck, and I have used it to clamp a bicycle, holding parts for painting, and god knows what else.
Never had a problem with the feet, and as noted, a dab of glue would take care of that.
I have seen some of the newer, lighter workstations, but haven’t found a valid reason to replace mine.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I think my problem with these is that I’m looking for something that is a portable workbench/tool platorm not merely a saw horse replacement, hence my issue with the low height of the Workmate Bench.
June 18th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Love it. I have an older one that my father-in-law picked up at a tag sale…it’s great. I’ve built my own privacy fence in the last couple of months, and it’s been there the entire time for me (clamping top used to hold the 2×4s while I cut them with the circular saw). Yeah, it’s heavy and a bit clumsy to set up…but it gets carted around in the wheelbarrow along with the circ saw, boxes of screws, nail gun, compressor, clamps, etc…so it’s not too much of a pain. almost 300 ft of fencing done and It’s still sitting there and doing what it’s supposed to do. I like that.
June 21st, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I have one of these (though, with the MDF and laminant table top). Mostly, I’m happy with it. It fits well in my garage where I have to play Tetris with all the tools. I’d say my biggest beef of all is the fact that it’s probably about 5-6 inches too short for me so I end up stooping down a bit to work on my projects.
June 21st, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I’d like to get one but the only thing our Lowes sells now is some crummy pos from task Force. I looked at one in the store and it looks like the metal is the thickness of an aluminum can.
June 30th, 2007 at 1:52 am
I got my workmate 200 from my wife’s dad. I was still new in the box, after sitting in one of his storage buildings for who knows how long. I have used this for just about everything one can imagine, most recently, a portable reloading bench. It’s heavy and stable enough to withstand full length case resizing of even the largest belted magnums, but portable enough to take to the range. I have had no probles with the feet, or any other part of this magnificent tool. I wish I had two of them!
July 6th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
More of hate-love relationship for me… I like the idea of it, but it’s so friggin heavy, no handles or carrying places to tote it, the clamping system is pretty Mickey Mouse, the three-piece of table always seem to break in the wrong place and the holes for the plastic dogs are NEVER in the right place…. Still, it’s a great height, once you get it set up; I’ve used it for miter saw base, too.
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:08 am
I LUV my workmate (the one pictured.) I purchased it quite some time ago for around $60 new and have used it for just about every project I do. I’ve used it to mount my 8″ BD table saw, drill press, router table, etc., by drilling mounting holes for each and lableing them with marker. I used to own the BD folding saw horses which I purchased for about $30/pair but stupidly sold them at a garage sale when I moved cross country. I can’t say enough about some of the innovative BD products.
September 7th, 2007 at 9:08 am
I have an old one I inherited from my dad. It’s no trouble to set up - takes about twenty seconds. No problems with the feet.
Most recently, I used it to snap plexiglas along scored lines. It was great for that - just put the ‘glas down between the clamping boards so the score lines up with the top of the table, clamp it, and snap. Very straight edges.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Where do I find parts for a workmate 300?
September 16th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Larry, if you’re looking for the clamp jaws, here:
http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/CategoryOverview.aspx?cPath=1496.1500.2228
If you need another part, contact B&D.
September 16th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Actually, there’s a link at the top of this thread that can get you to WM 300 parts. Here’s the parts page for the “Type 10″:
http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/cgi-bin/schematic.cgi/blackdecker/79-033_TYPE_10
There are also pages for types 1, 2, 9, and 13.
September 16th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
So Larry, what parts are you looking for? I’m just curious what you’ve had break.
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:14 pm
The first and original Workmate had a diecast magnesium base. My friend’s father had one of them and it was impressive in its day. I’ve looked for years for a used one, but have not found one (one was on eBay a few years back and I missed it.) I have a steel Wrokmate that is about 25 years old and I wouldn’t trade it for any of the new ones. It has a 5/4 laminated wood deck albeit a bit too narrow, but rugged.
January 5th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Have a WM 400 about 20 years old. It has a few (extra) holes and paint, but continues to give good service. heavy, yes. solid, yes. I love it and can’t understand why they don’t make a magnesium version. Unless it’s because everyone already has one. I have to keep all my tools in a single shed 7′x4′, such is urban bliss. This bench has just gotten more valuable every year. I’m looking for additional table top clamps now. See ya.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:39 am
I have a Workmate and the product book (My mom was so organized!)…the product book is “Form No. 975396-01 10/75″ written on the back, printed in Canada. Yes, October, 1975!
I got the Workmate from my mom a couple years ago after my father passed away. I thought it was a cool thing back then when I was a kid, and NOW that I’ve got kids, I still think it’s a cool thing!
I am looking for another ‘gripmate’ peg for the two Gripmate clamps I have for the Workmate. You can see an image here: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/jhp63/Tools/P1000291.jpg
of what I am needing.
I have NO idea what model number this Workmate is. I can’t find one written on the WM itself, and the Instruction book doesn’t have a model number written either. I just know the pictures in the booklet HAVE to be from the mid ’70’s!!
October 30th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
got a workmate 300 for $10 from a company no longer needing it ;
one rubber foot missing ; still works like a charm ; got several projects out of the way with it ; great catalyst for moving stalled projects forward and “doing it now ” projects ; this may be my tipping point in getting the garage etc organized !