Harbor Freight Workbench

[Blue-Beard]

As the title says I was taking a look at the industrial harbor freight workbench. Is it any good or is it a POS? I also have another concern. Do you think a workbench like this with a steel frame will cause more noise than a wood frame workbench will cause during normal fab work? (stuff like hammering, grinding, etc on it)

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94309

[adampfisters]

I don't have any experience with this one but I would think that you could make your own for less and have it be as sturdy as you wanted it.

[CJHeap]

look at the sams / costco bench 26" deep x 74" wide

2" maple top, square tube powdercoated frame and legs.

I have one for a reloading bench and one for a workbench. I put a piece of plywood on the bench to protect the top when hammering.

http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0001764120206_LG.jpg

[Travis Waldher]

I don't have any experience with this one but I would think that you could make your own for less and have it be as sturdy as you wanted it.

With the cost of steel where it is, I'm not so sure about that.

[Josh83]

With the cost of steel where it is, I'm not so sure about that.
Build it from lumber. If built properly it could be done.

[Bob Williams]

I bought some 1/4" plate, 4'x8' sheet (from a seconds place) along with some 2.5"x2.5" 180 wall square tube and welded my own tables with wheels. They cost a little more than the tables listed in this post, but they'll take a lot more abuse and be around a lot longer. My tube notcher, bench grinder, etc all mount solidly to them - and they're easy to move around.

[boogerp]

Build it from lumber. If built properly it could be done.

Definitely the way to go. Built mine about 10 yrs ago and it will hold a Ford C6 on it and laugh at the weight. Used 4x4s for legs and made the bench perimeter/ bracing out of 2x6s. 1" thick plywood for the top. I think I had less than $60 in it altogether

[D60]

Definitely the way to go. Built mine about 10 yrs ago and it will hold a Ford C6 on it and laugh at the weight. Used 4x4s for legs and made the bench perimeter/ bracing out of 2x6s. 1" thick plywood for the top. I think I had less than $60 in it altogether

Not trying to be a jackass, but a C6 ain't *that* heavy.

That said, you need to determine what you expect out of your workbench. I expected mine to hold a complete axle hanging off the front of it while I used an 8' cheater to break kingpins loose, so I built it accordingly. Oh yeah, it's anchored to the floor

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/200767/original/d60-008.jpg

I've just never trusted any of the pre-fab workbenches. Anything that's light enough to be shipped reasonably affordably and/or breaks down to do so is questionable IMO. Workbenches are one of those things that need to be built on site and fully welded, again IMO.

I'd guess some of the more "heavy duty" pre-fab stuff is gonna be alright for being loaded straight down, but when you start leveraging on something in a vise I wonder if they'll stay square....

[Pt_Ranger_V8]

build it yourself.

you'll get a better product in the end, and one that's customized for you.


I built my wood bench, which is storage/'light' work - ie wiring, hammering, soldering, tranny teardown... anything that doesn't involve welding basically - for $100. 4x4 legs, 6' long, 2' deep, 32" high (IIRC)

Then, I built my welding table (which sucks, cause I didn't have a solid piece for the top)
It's 32" high, 32" deep, and about 5' long - total cost = free.

The best thing about building shit yourself is that you can add things to it that companies wont. For example, I put a piece of 2" angle along the front edge of my table, so I have an easy spot to clamp to. I also added several hooks for the stinger, ground clamp, a drawer for small cutoffs. and a hardiboard 'surround' to keep sparks off of the wall. :smokin: