Hi.
My old Black and Decker Workmate has given up the ghost.
What other portable foldup workbenches are forum members using?
Thank you.
Black and Decker Workmate
Its the Dual Height Deluxe WM825 with a wider closed table top than the others in the range that I find most useful with electrical work.
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Same here very pleased with it
Ever thought of using these instead of a workbench they are adjustable to a wider width and you can make a table top that fits to work on. Look them up to see if it might work for you
I will be also be looking looking for one very shortly! My original Workmate, from back in the 1970s, was great, with aluminium frame and plywood top. It stood up by itself when folded, and wasn’t heavy. I changed it for a supposedly better one in the nineties (asked for and received as a birthday or Xmas present, having seen adverts for it). That one had more versatility, including multiple jaw locations so could grip wider things and one part could hinge to clamp a horizontal workpiece - But chipboard top, steel frame making very heavy, and centre of gravity when folded is to one side and it has to be leant against something when put down unopened. I’ve never liked it, so with a pending house move I decided a a couple of days ago that it was time to move that on…
Can I ask, when folded is it balanced so can stand on its own?
Ah, the trusty aluminium frame! I regretted having “upgraded” mine!
Yes but it’s not exactly stable, OK to stand against a wall.
I still have a very old B&D workmate with thick plywood top and aluminium frame. Unfortunately somehow the frame broke in one place many years ago (I don’t remember how), so it has an unsightly wooden splint with duct tape round it. But it still works fine.
I think that steel one sounds like mine. Works well when up, but not easy to move around due to its weight. A real leg basher when you do
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Yep, been there, done that!
The cast ones are the best……..the pressed metal later ones are not so good…thats a keeper!! I am tempted by one of these…………..Keter…saw this at a show years ago was quite impressed…
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Looks a bit “plastic”. Did you try it for “strength/rigitity”?
Nothing against Keter, we have two of their “garden” boxes. They do that job very well, but they could not be what I would be looking for as “rigid” enough for DIY work.
OTOH if you don’t require the muscles of Arne Schwarzenegger in order to carry it 
Does it fold up “flat”?
Strong enough to put a 10” bandsaw on, so I ignored the warning not to climb on it and used it whilst refitting a gutter over the garage door.
Website says it supports 453 kg!
Folds down to about 6 inches thick, carries like a suitcase
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Yep they are super strong……..they are relatively light….which is both positive and negative…..they have to say not suitable for standing on - to avoid liability (as do Black and Decker)…..but in practice unless you are a sumo wrestler no problem - I think the clamping is superior the Workmate drives me nuts…. I currently use an old Workmate + my brother has the original aluminum version which I prefer……