JB: If you’re going to use your workbench every day, often while seated, you might appreciate having nothing under the bench! In general, you want shelves for tools and cabinets for generic storage. That said, many basements and small garages aren’t compatible with a 30-inch deep top-there are plenty of great options in 18-inch and 24-inch depths. Nobody has ever wanted a smaller workbench top when it was time to get something done. PM: Ideally, how much space should a workbench top have? In both cases, you’ll find higher-quality options via the used market than you will at a big-box hardware store this is truly a pair of cases where they don’t make them like they used to. JB: Two of the most commonly used additions to a conventional workbench are a bench vise and a bench grinder. There’s a lot to choose from along that price spectrum we’re reasonably sure one of these should suit your needs. We looked for items that do one thing and do it well having some extra features was a bonus, but not necessary. With the exception of the Bora Centipede, which is very much its own thing, all of our recommendations are either conventional workbenches or portable sawhorses. The cost of these benches and work aides varies from under $20 for sawhorse brackets to thousands of dollars for a truly beautiful European workbench built out of beech. While it's great to have features in a workbench, it is more important to have your workbench show up every time without excuses-so we chose models that are based on simplicity, durability, and repairability. The conclusion we have both drawn from seeing the countless variations of workbenches and supports in our time is that the vast majority have fallen by the wayside for this reason: the makers failed to acknowledge the axiom that the more gizmos you add, the more stuff there is to break. Along with my own experience, I relied on the groundwork of Popular Mechanics Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn to update our selections here. When it comes to workbenches and work supports, less is more. If I had a dime for every time that I’ve drilled a hole in a workbench only to change my mind later, I’d have at least a buck and a half! How We Selected These Workbenches I’m passionate about great workbenches-maybe too passionate. Today I’m using a Borroughs bench in my 3,200-square-foot race-car shop on a near-daily basis for everything from carburetor rebuilds to hobby-level woodworking. Show more The Expert: The first workbench I had was a particleboard-and-steel Craftsman sized to fit the garage in my condo-and that was more than 30 years ago.
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