Hot Or Not? Vika Quickbench
By Gordon DeWitte
Apparently available only at Woodcraft, the $90 Vika Quickbench is way less expensive than the $475 Festool MFT/3 (see TM 7/27/09), and 40% less than the $150 Vika Twofold™, but does it warrant a place in your shop or garage? It has a 32″ high, 30″ × 24″ work surface with a 24″ × 3½” opening vise and four plastic bench dogs. The Quickbench can hold up to 300 lbs and, when used in pairs as sawhorses, has a capacity up to 2,000 lbs. Two or more units can also be connected together to make a workstation or larger area bench. There’s a 15A, 3-outlet power strip with circuit protection in the base of one pair of its legs.
What do you think? Would this replace — or supplement — your trusty old Workmate (e.g., TM 8/26/09)? Let us know in comments.
Vika Quickbench [Woodcraft]
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
NOT HOT. Skill work table and Rockwell jaw horse is more versatile.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:04 am
Too much plastic.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:20 am
For about $25 I would spring for it. But like davidp says, too much plastic. I’ll stick with my workmate.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I’m going to say NOT. There is nothing about it that really impresses me. As Festus says, the Rockwell jaw horse is more versatile. I’ve got that on my short list for a future acquisition.
I’m surprised you haven’t brought up the Walko 3 workbench:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2021174/25170/Walko-3-Compact-Workbench.aspx
Of course the price of that one is insane at $629. I got a real laugh when Woodcraft had the audacity to say (via their facebook page) that this was a great workbench for beginners.
As for the Vika TwoFold, I got mine a year ago from Costco for $49.99. Maybe that was a store special or something. It is rock solid. It has plastic on the scaffolding side but the whole thing has a steel frame. I don’t see any evidence that the quick bench has a similar steel frame.
All that said, I’ve got two workmates and they both still see more work than the Twofold..
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:54 pm
How about a saw attachment. I want a portable table saw.
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I see nothing a quick mod on a work mate can’t solve for less than the asking price.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Patrick: so true making a MFT is not that hard…..
David: Plastic ? what is wrong with plastic. I know it still has a bad wrap but……… It can be as strong as steal in some cases, and then have the flexibility to withstand high impact without weight and Imperial Crap-ton.
ShopMonger
November 8th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
hot!…will make those clumsy workmates obsolete for on the job.