BLACK+DECKER Workmate Plus, Work Bench Tool Stand Saw Horse , Dual Height with Heavy Duty Steel Frame, WM825
BLACK+DECKER WM825 Workmate Dual Height Tough Workbench
The BLACK+DECKER WM825 Workmate Deluxe Workbench has been designed with keen DIYers and their limitless projects in mind. The Workmate allows you to fix the piece you are working on, to the workbench, so that you can work on it with both hands without the risk of it moving during the application.
Thanks to the ideal solution of dual height, the tool can be used as a workbench, bench tool stand, vice or sawhorse, giving you the ability to work on a number of various projects. Dual clamping cranks and adjustable swivel pegs increase clamping force and offer versatility.
It has been designed for easy set up and clean up and thanks to enhanced one-handed clamp system it allows clamps to be adjusted together or independently. Its heavyweight construction allows support of up to 250 kg. Front jaw swings up for vertical clamping, increasing flexibility to clamp odd-shaped objects.
Durable steel frame construction makes the workbench robust and sturdy. In addition, workbench legs have rubber, anti-slip feet fitted to avoid any risk of slippage when force is applied during the application.
The frame of this workbench easily folds for compact storage and easy transport.
Overview
- Working heights: 800/620 mm
- Folded size: 830 x 740 x 200 mm (W x H x D)
- Vice jaw opening: 0 – 205 mm
- Maximum load: 250 kg
- Vertical clamping
- Three vice positions
- One-handed operation
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Working Heights | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Folded size (W x H x D) | 63 x 89 x 13 cm | 61 x 74 x 19.5 cm | 74.2 x 74 x 20 cm | 83 x 74 x 20 cm |
| Vice Jaw Opening | 0-11.5 cm | 0-13.6 cm | 0-13.6 cm | 0-20.5 cm |
| Vice Jaw Length | 61 cm | 61 cm | 74 cm | 74 cm |
| Max Table Width – Jaws Open | 34.1cm | 38.4 cm | 38.4 cm | 54.1 cm |
| Vice Jaw Positions | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Maximum Load | 160 kg | 250 kg | 250 kg | 250 kg |
| One Handed Operation | No | No | No | Yes |
| Fully Assembled | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vice Jaw Material | Compressed Bamboo | Particle Board | Particle Board | Particle Board |
| Weight: | 14.6 kg |
| Dimensions: | 83 x 74 x 20 cm; 14.55 Kilograms |
| Model: | WM825-XJ |
| Part: | WM825 |
| Colour: | Black/ Brown |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Stanley Black & Decker |
| Colour: | Black/ Brown |
| Quantity: | 1 |
It must be nearly 40 years ago I purchased my last workmate and how they have changed. The first one was a vice and you could clamp things whilst laying things on the surface using the plastic lugs, but now this one will clamp things at 90 degrees and the jaws open so much wider. These benches are a must for any DIYer, they fold flat and are extremely lightweight. There are two work heights and whilst the clips of the lower section look a bit flimsy – they are ready available should you break one.
Overall : I’m very impressed with my Black & Decker Workmate
hanks again, product arrived 2 days early, keep up the good work
Sturdy enough for my DIY and for the price paid, but the assembly instructions are diabolical. Especially fitting the clamp boards. Diagrams are just not enough for this part – whatever happened to words!
I resorted to YouTube for an assembly demonstration and found a great one, so was able to quickly finish assembly.
Instructions needed to be much better. The banging in of the tiny metal pin to fix the handles on was unnecessary and difficult to do.
It should come with an easier fixing or already put on.
Otherwise fine when assembled………yet to use fully.
Use online videos to help you.
Instructions to assemble are not great.Takes time to assemble Top board moves instead of being solid,sounits being worked on are NOT secure
I thought that by buying this product I would be getting someone to help with the work and make the brew, but no. Apparently it is just a table. I still have to make the tea and clean up after jobs so false advertising is certainly in play here. How can a table be classed as a “mate”? it doesn’t talk or help out! Not impressed.
As regards assembly, if you’ve ordered one of these you already have DIY skills at some leval. Throw away the instructions and refer to the on-line “How to assemble a B&D workmate plus 825” The first one that comes up shows a young lady assembling the 825. The assembly has a pause button allowing you to go back and check your assembling craft. Did it in under 30 minutes after much stop-and-pause and I’m an ageing senior. Not used the WM825 yet but it looks and feels okay and much better than my old one that has less functions.
Instructions are vague, had to look on You Tube on how to put it together. There are 3 different places to fit the fixed top which is not obvious. As the top us held in with plastic bolts changing the position will eventually wear out the bolts.
The strap which connects the two handles to allow one handed operation in tightening is poor and stretches; more of a gimmick than of actual use. On the positive side it is extremely stable and strong, the tilting facility is useful too.
I reckon you could probably buy the cheaper one and be better off
Great item but the awful instructions made it very difficult to assemble. Even with assistance from YouTube, it was still a struggle. When it has finally been constructed, it’s brilliant and no complaints there.
Not so easy to assemble and not used it yet, but seems sturdy enough.
Instructions were useless. Pictures not clear enough. Difficult to screw parts together as alignment is poor. Not nearly as sturdy as my old version. Let’s see how long it lasts!
I was reading a lot of reviews before ordering this product, most disappointment was about the instructions how to build. Apparently they improved it by adding some pictured instructions. The challenge was, that still some of the parts has not been accurately depictured. To avoid it, parts could be marked by letters or numbers. Takes some time to ensemble the whole thing. Will be helpful if you have your own socket #13, since the one from the set is a bit fragile.
In general a workbench that may not last for decades, but a fair work buddy for the value. Just needed it for a tiny carpentry project, but its pretty solid and heavier than expected. Perfect for an amateur like me I guess.
I got this for 80 and was an amazon buy in 2020, but I would have paid more now I know what I’ve got. You can use this at 2 heights. My son uses the lower height (he’s 12) and I the upper setting. Love the fact that you can clamp bigger objects. There is a satisfying clonk/click when legs extend and the vertical camping mechanism activates and when collapsing the unit. Both the adjusting handles turn at the same time (to save time). The wooden parts curiously were very dusty and needed wiping with a damp cloth. A spring had become detached in transit, but I figured out where it needed to go (check the packaging before you throw it out!) cos there was another in a mirror position on the other side. Overall a brilliant product. Hangs on a garage wall with aid of couple of hooks (not supplied). Dad bought me a cheap version to get me started when i left home, but recently showing signs of wear. Now i’m 50 it was time to upgrade to the real thing. I’ve no doubt my Dad felt this great when he treated himself to his first B&D workmate (no apologies for the nostalgia!).
Unless you have assembled a work bench before, expect to struggle with the assembly institutions. I would recommend the 1st thing you should do is put the rubber feet on the frame to protect your flooring or carpet. The instructions show the rubber feet being fitted last. I think this needs to change on the assembly instructions. Secondly when you finally assemble the workbench, the worst bit is hammering the pins into the handle rods. Apart from the risk of hitting your thumb with the hammer or damaging the frame. This process is very strenuous and physically demanding. B &D should replace this with a screw and bolt. It would have made the whole process immensely better. As for the work bench it is a good bench but the above assembly flaws let down.
Delivery on time, straightforward assembly, nice and robust, makes the cheap one I also bought look dreadful. I haven’t used it yet, but am absolutely confident it will be ideal for what I want it for. Like many things, the original brand shines bright.
Great once I got it assembled, unfortunately some of the holes did not line up properly, had to drill them out to get the bolts through.
Found the Workmate incredibly useful, but the assembly instructions are appalling. Had the major parts been numbered, it might have been a little easier to put together. As it is, it took me a couple of hours to complete the assembly. As for engineering precision, I can’t imagine for one moment that B and D actually manufacture these benches.
Totally agree with other comments regarding instructions, absolutely rubbish, however…. it is really simple to put together so they are not needed. The plastic chain for single handed use was off the gears on arrival, again simple to rectify but not much hope of it lasting . Over all a decent enough piece of kit.
Great bit of kit as ever the only thing i didn’t like is assembling it!
if you buy something you just want to use it not spend an hour putting it together
I don’t get why they don’t make the box bigger and make it ready to use
Some of the edges of the metal frame are quite sharp particularly underneath around the lever mechanism and supporting struts. They require filing as this is a health and safety issue
Good solid table. Just what I needed for my wood working. I would recommend this very stable. The only thing wrong was the assemble instructions were not very clear. But you can work it out.
I found it difficult to buy a workbench because of the reviews complaining that these are not what they used to be or as one put is quite eloquently “This is not your dad’s black and decker” and I am sure that is true. However, there is some really badly made crap out there as I found out by thinking “if they are all badly made I will get whichever one can deliver to me soonest”. However after returning my previous purchase and getting this believe me there is a world of difference. This is sturdy and usable and it actually does get the job done. Don’t buy any of the badly made knock-offs – just get this one. The price isn’t even that different.
First the bad point. Assembly instructions very poor. If they were good, I would have saved a lot of time and energy. It nearly killed my enthusiasm for it.
Other than that, I have found it really useful in completing some recent lockdown DIY projects including making 7×4 wooden bike shed.
I used it as a platform for gripping wood, as a mitre saw stand (with care), as a general table for having tools handy at the site.
It’s lightweight and sturdy. For some actions like sawing, or light hammering an object, you will need to put your foot on its leg to keep it somewhat still. I used some grippers around it and also used its own gripping centre. Overall, very good. Highly recommended to watch YouTube video for assembly. If I knew it would be this bad, I would have made a video. But realised very late. Sorry.
Good, but The Riddler, Gandalf or even Mentor of Arisia would have had trouble with the set up instructions. Fortunately the picture on the cover of the box it came in was much more useful as a reference
I don’t know what all the fuss is about. There’s a lot of people posting reviews that this unit is hard to assemble. I agree that the instructions are not that helpful. They attempt to convey in pictures what would be relatively easy to describe in words. I guess this is so that they don’t need to create lots of different instructions for different languages.
But in reality all you need is a hammer, and about 10 minutes to figure it out. The instructions aren’t entirely useless. Hammer a pair of split pins into place, clip in a pair of handles. Then fix a couple of platforms to the underside of the bigger piece of wood with the supplied bolts and little plastic spanner. Repeat for the smaller piece of wood, bolting it to the adjustable platforms that are just underneath the table of the bench. You’re done.
A quick shufty of the first couple of pages of the book (the rest is an operating guide – that’s pretty common sense anyway), and a look at the photo on the box and it’s obvious how it goes together. No video needed.
Once built the bench is easy enough to use. The only thing that’s not obvious is that the right hand crank has a mechanism that allows it to be turned independently of the other one, so that if you want to close the main jaws of the table at an angle, you can do that.
Pretty sturdy once upright. Happy with it.
I’d read a number of reviews prior to purchasing this item, so was a little nervous. Two key complaints seemed to present themselves: one, metal not as strong as on old workmates; two, assembly was difficult from the instructions provided. Nevertheless, having owned a workmate nearly thirty years ago (and having had it last a long time) I took the plunge and bought the new deluxe model. By the way, Amazon was by far the cheapest price.
On to the observations. Having owned a (very) old workmate from new, I didn’t think that the metal of the new model was any different. If it is thinner, then it is marginal, and it may be that more modern production techniques mean that you do not need the same depth. As for the instructions? Complaints are well-founded. the booklet supplied is pretty useless. Prior to buying I watched B&D’s own build video and it really helped. Once you’ve watched someone else assemble a workmate it takes 10-15 minutes only. Given how little assembly is required, I do wonder why B&D don’t supply these fully assembled. The box would only be marginally larger.
So there you have it. The workmate is still a brilliant stowable work bench for those without the space of a workshop. Watch the video before assembly and you’ll be fine.
Bought as a gift for husband to replace one bought many years ago. Instructions were not very clear which made assembly tricky. However once assembled he was very pleased with the workmate. Has not had a chance to use as yet but expect this model will last for many years just as the old one did.
Great product ,bit fiddly to build but take your time and is possible to build in 30 mins. Good quality and sturdy bench, delivered on time box a bit disheveled but in saying that not going to use box and bench was in great condition. Took time to sort out twin handle connection now works fine, happy with the whole experience, now doing DIY will be a breeze.
Bought from Amazon Warehouse, not as they advertised, unusable as it had been dropped from a height and bent one of the metal parts that the top slots into.
Managed to unbending it with some specialist hammers I have for panel beating, lucky tbh.
Workmate itself is fabulous, already have one, wanted another for holding long lengths whilst planning.
Worth getting the plus for the extra function.
Having written initially a poor review my opinion has changed upon using the piece. It does an good job as a portable work bench. The assembly instructions are poor but doable. Overall a good sturdy work bench.
Entry level and not that easy to assemble but works well. I don’t do that much DIY so it’s handy to have in the shed for when I do. If you are at it every weekend, buy a better one.
Key points for me were:
1 – Very sturdy with 2 different hights
2 – Surface area when closed is 335mm x 740mm
3 – Surface area when fully opened is 650mm x 740mm [There will obviously be a gap between the two surfaces]
4 – Open and close the jaw using just one handle
5 – Jaw section rotates up 90 degrees
6 – It’s strong enough to sit on when you’ve finished and drink a beer while admiring your handy work.
It’s pricey but you really do get what you pay for, and then some.
This is my first workmate and its nice and solid and well made. The only thing i can complain about is the instructions of how to put it together. They are shocking to say the least and do not show all the parts. Its nice and easy to use in setting up and down, the vice works well and holds objects very well, all in all i am happy with my purchase
Had one of these bought for me 35 yrs ago so I thought I’d buy another . Although of decent quality you may as well throw the instructions into your bin. Luckily I was ok took me a while to assemble being an engineer. Whoever wrote the instructions at Black and Decker need sacking as even the black slider blocks weren’t included within. Great product but crap instructions
Bought as addition to one I have had for a long, long time now. Lighter gauge material does not effect its sturdiness. Work surface is thinner but seems to be made from harder timber. Not sure about the drive belt that allows for one handed operation. Has slipped off a few times now, annoyingly. Good idea though. Overall, very pleased with it, value for money?????
The worst quality installation assembly instructions ever. It’s a normal workbench and you can work out how to put it together after some 15 minutes and experiments: The instructions have poor images, no help, no words and are a waste of paper. Be ready for a challenge but when assembled it’s works OK
My husbands old workbench had seen better days. We were moving house and trying to get rid of some junk. Therefore, we scrapped his old rusty work bench and invested in this one. It is so much easier to use. Glad we chucked the old one.
Reasonably sturdy and useful now that I have set it up properly . The most difficult aspect of putting it together is to hammer the metal pins through the handles to hold them on. On the second handle I resorted to using a M3 nut and bolt. The holes for the pegs/dogs where far too tight, I have used a rasp to make them slightly bigger. I could follow the picture instructions; there are videos on YouTube that show you how to assemble it if you can’t fathom the diagrams.
Read a lot of reviews saying the instructions are hard and it takes hours to assemble etc. Not sure what everyone was doing – took me 15 minutes, all the holes were lined up properly if you use the correct pieces in the correct places.
The reviews nearly put me off buying this but glad i did. exactly what i wanted, exactly what i expected. good price and good item.
The only item which didn’t fit properly was the metal pins to secure the rotation handles. They say hammer in place to secure, they weren’t going in with any amount of hammering. Had to put a nail through and bend it into place – that’s why this is a 4 star and not 5 star.
Nice stable product. Will be prefect for supporting home DIIY jobs. Assembly instructions are useless (even though we’re usually good at self assembly stuff) but we find a very good You Tube video that told us what we needed to know. You need to get your act together on this Black and Decker, e shouldn’t have to rely on other users to help.
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The instructions are all pictures and they are not at all intuitive. Also, they ought to say that you don’t need any tools other than a hammer to assemble it (to hammer in two split pins); I hunted for ages for a socket the right size to screw in the 4 bolts that hold the jaws in place, only to find, right at the end, that there was a weird looking plastic piece left over which was in fact a key to tighten the bolts with – I didn’t see that anywhere in the instructions.
There is also a picture to show you how to slip the belt that joins the two handles together so that you can tighten the jaws at an angle, but try as I might, I can’t find out how to do that. There’s a picture of your ear listening to a click too. It seems to imply that you hold one handle and turn the other one hard enough to make the mechanism slip and to hear it do so, but I’m sure you’d break the thin belt that connects the two handles together if you do that. Looking from underneath after raising the jaw to the vertical position, you can see the wheel around which the belt fits has a spring on top of it and a shaped lug pressing on a locking pin beneath it – the mechanism is clearly designed to push back against that spring and let the lug slip, but no way can I see how to do that.
Once assembled, looking back at it, you realise it was quite simple to assemble after all, once you’ve figured it out: two bolts and two plastic mounting blocks per jaw, then fit the handles and hammer the split pins through them, then ensure that the linking belt is over the wheel and sprockets and you’re done.
I hadn’t realised that the larger jaw can be popped off and inserted into 3 different positions – that’s a plus.
So my only real minus is that, compared with my old one that I must’ve had for 40 years, the metal sections that this one is made of feel quite sharp (they are like 3-sided boxes whereas the old one was solid). I’m sure they are really strong, but I’m wary as to how I pick it up in case I injure my hands on the edges.
Checked all the bits were there, and assembled carefully. (Utube has guides on assembly if needed). Very sturdy and robust.
The older models were stronger when they first came out. The drive belt doesn’t stay fitted, and broke shortly after getting it.
Replacement ordered and will modify to keep the drive belt fitted. The belt is its weakest point. The rest is good and works as it should.
The workmate arrived promptly but was missing key fixings. Mine has no securing bolts marked V in the instructions .This means it was impossible to secure the front vice board. The assistance website link connects you to the USA Stanley website. The WM301 is not listed on this site.
Have had one of these before but left behind following a divorce (she had the shirt off my back too!), so know how good this bench was and had to buy this replacement. Very versatile, sturdy and practical and further more folds away to hang on a wall saving space. My only gripe is the winding mechanism can be a bit stiff/wobbly and no as smooth as Id like it to be, however still wouldn’t be without this. Well worth buy this over lower end models in the long run as it lasts for years if looked after and all parts can be replaced
Bought as a gift but my husband found it very tricky to put together and the instructions were about as much use as a chocolate teapot. After a lot of huffing and puffing and a few swear words, he finally assembled it as is very pleased with the Workmate. It’s a replacement for a very old and well used one so time will tell if it’s as sturdy as the original.
Instructions with the product are easily the worst instructions i’ve ever seen, and i’ve seen several. Youtbe thankfully has a how-to guide that shows how easy it is to actually setup.
When it’s at the lower height it’s very sturdy, however the expandable legs at the bottom to increase the height seem VERY flimsy.
Reasonable product for the price but useless to use as a gift as the box was dirty and damaged and sealed with an abundance of sellotape, very unprofessional. Assembly instruction card dirty and ripped and part stuck together.
Slightly disappointed as I bought this as a replacement for my old B & D workbench. This model seems to be made of much lighter materials and I suspect will not last anywhere near as long as my old one has.
This is a solid workbench!
The instructions are as good as useless, just look up an assembly video on youtube. It’s pretty straight forward once you know how it’s done.
It’s surprisingly sturdy with virtually no wobble once it’s locked into place. I like that both handles turn at the same time so you can close the vice one handed. out of the box though I did have to spin one of the mounts on the threaded bar independently before it was put together to make sure the jaw was parallel, still not quite perfect but tightens up OK.
Took him a while to unpack it, and all was calm in the house . Until he had to get the cotter pins in the handles.
All hell broke loose!
He works on complex things as his day job , he got offended when I told him that if he could not do it , I would send it back. He nearly threw the hammer at me.
Much swearing, the dog hiding in the garden, much hammering and then him shouting “Why won’t the f@@@ing things go in!” We ended up having a row.
Then I made it worse by looking for a You Tube video , which was admittedly a bit patronising.
Finally, he got molegrips and the damn pins went in. Smacking the hammer so hard that he was convinced he was going to break the handles.
The door was the easy part.
Thanks Black and Decker for a most interesting and stressful Saturday afternoon.
I can’t wait for the next DIY adventure.
I purchased my last B&D Workmate 47 years ago and has been use extensively during this time but despite my repairs to the metal structure it finally had to go ,hence this purchase. This one is a lot lighter and slightly different design but will more than last me out.
I agree with other users that instructions are poor, I just glanced at them and chucked book and just assembled with common sense, was done in less than 10 minutes, can’t wait to put it to use, it’s my second workmate, my old one got hammered with projects then left with the ex, new chapter new workmate and I’m very pleased
This is an excellent piece of equipment i bought one of these over 30 years ago when they were first marketed, it has been around the world with me and spent most of the time outside in all weathers and served me well until now, it’s well built and sturdy and easy to assemble with the addition of composite jaws (my old one had ply wood jaws) swing front jaw and dual clamping system I expect this one to last another 30 years if not longer if your looking for a bench to last a long time this is for you.
Compared to the Workmate I purchased 50 years ago, and still use today, it is of a lighter construction and whether it will stand 50 years of use you will have to ask my son. I am very impressed with the multiple width settings of the bench and the vertical clamping action. Well done Black & Decker.
Well firstly there were parts missing from the self build pack, quickly sorted by B&D thank you.
I had to drill the 20mm holes in the wooden vice boards because the plastic grips supplied would not go in after a few days! I suspect the boards acclimatised and expanded, not a big problem.
When you open the device it does not lock automatically so be careful or it will collapse when you put something on it.
Overall, not as good as my 1970’s version. 4*
I had a B&D workmate that eventually broke apart after 30 years of abuse. Impressed with what it had put up with I decided on another and went for the WM825 as it was an upgrade on my previous one.
So far it has proved very capable. The only annoyance is the fact part of the table needs to be moved for different sizes of work pieces. A minor niggle, otherwise perfectly happy with it and hoping it lasts as long as the one it replaces.
Bought this for my son’s birthday, but I had to assemble it. This involved some very bad language as the instructions are pretty rubbish. However, I am a 70 year old grandma, with no DIY skills, and I managed it. Once assembled it looks pretty good. As yet he hasn’t used it so I can’t comment on it’s effectiveness, but it looks substantial.
It’s a good bench but the instructions are not clear. The metal legs fasten to the outside of the metal top pieces but in the instructions it looks like they fasten to the inside. You start by attaching the face plate at the bottom of the legs and back plate and then attach the legs to the outside of the top bits. You know if you’ve got it right because they are level.
I bought my last workmate over 40 years ago, so I decided to cut through the confusion of: beefed up models, high price tags, and the plethora of manufacturers who now make workmates, and go with the basic model which is similar to my original. I don’t regret this decision one bit. Once assembled it’s a great stable workbench. Takes a bit of time to put it all together, and I did fit a few parts the wrong way round, however, Its pretty obvious as the next component in the assembly won’t fit.
I love the Workmate, but I had to take to YouTube to find out how to put it together. It should have been so much easier and if Black+Decker spent just a little time in including specific information which included mentioning all the pieces in the box, that would have helped greatly.
It comes in a surprisingly small box, inside which the Workmate is in pieces ready to assemble. Unfortunately the instructions are absolutely terrible – a strip of black and white pictures with no text – and at least one stage left me completely flummoxed. Thankfully a quick look on YouTube found a video showing one of these being assembled step by step and the mysteries were solved.
Once built, the Workmate is a decent height (not adjustable) and has two wooden “grips” which are operated with plastic crank handles, and four orange plastic lugs which can be re-positioned to help you hold your item. Some of the metal feels a bit thin and flimsy, but I managed to complete my project successfully.
When you want to store it, the Workmate can be collapsed a bit like a folding ladder, so it can be leaned against a garage wall for example and not take up too much room.
All in all it’s a really handy piece of kit which makes DIY a little easier, but the build quality leaves a little to be desired and the instructions are awful. On the whole though I’m happy with it.
It’s robust easy to assemble if you take your time and erects and folds down very easily. I have used it on numerous jobs and it has made everything easier from sawing up long lengths of wood for the fire on our Narrowboat to cutting skirting boards and as an assembly bench.
You find yourself making attachments and accessories to use with it i.e. mounting a mitre box on a board so it can be held by the Workmate to make the job far easier.
Bonus, It saves numerous arguments with a real workmate when they can’t hold something still while you cut it.
I bought this as a replacement for my well-used Workmate of 30 years service. This model is slightly more versatile, but similarly robust and well made. Little has changed in 30 years. I really like the new bamboo worktop, but am less sure about the single-handed clamping arrangement. This links the two clamping handles with a kind of plastic belt drive. It works fine when clamping a straight object (ie: turning both clamps the same) but is awkward to use if you want one side tighter than the other. The belt ‘slips’ with a loud snapping sound, making me think it has actually snapped (although it doesn’t). I cannot imagine this flawed design will last another 30 years.
I spent some time reading these fairly mixed reviews before deciding to purchase the Workmate. It arrived on time, well packaged and well built.
The stand is probably much lighter than the originals but it’s made from pressed steel with dished stiffeners. As soon as I erected it I knew it would easily deal with anything I could throw at it.
The dual height option is great since the lower height is ideal for acting as a stand for my router table.
The instructions are terrible… but hey… if your buying it you’re probably interested in DIY therefore sure to have at least some “mechanical aptitude”. I ditched the instructions and just figured it out, I quite enjoyed the challenge. There’s only 8 parts and 4 bolts for heavens sake.
The top is thick level and clearly marked. I don’t suppose the marked on angles and measurements are accurate to a micron, but as a guide they’re great.
The much criticised plastic belt that connects the two clamping handles is “clearly” designed for quickly spinning the jaws to the clamping position, and then tightening with one hand on each handle to nip it up. Anyone who expects to put all their weight on one handle and have it transferred to the other by the belt without breaking it is, in my opinion, expecting far too much.
It folds impressively flat for its size.
Finally two little niggles, but neither hamper its operation. Folding the feet back down relies on a bit of a “plasticy” clicky catch. The release bar that is pulled for the 90 degree clamping option is a bit “rickety”
All in all a great purchase! Would easily recommend.
So far so good and does what you’d expect a Workmate to do.
A few observations:
– The larger of the two boards is quite loose, even when slotted into one of its three available locations. Causes problems when trying to reposition the bench
– When in the horizontal position. the section that can be rotated 90 degrees does not lock securely into position. Again, an issue when moving the bench around and doesn’t fill me with confidence about the sturdiness of the build quality.
– The assembly instructions are woeful. Some of the parts don’t feature, so it was a bit of a guessing gaming as to how the thing is put together!
Once assembled it is a good product. Decent height and sturdy. I bought this product as oppose to others because it has solid wooden slats at the top rather than MDF so less likely to break over time and if weight is put on them.
I cannot vouch for the usefulness of it as it was a present and have not used it myself but I have used many other workmates and this does not look like it would cause any problems. If you’re going to chuck a car engine on it then yeh you’re likely to have a slight issue with manoeuvrability and sturdiness, but if you’re stupid enough to think that something of this price designed for DIY house jobs can hold that then i guess you deserve what you get.
The assembly instructions are atrocious, and even being technically minded I struggled to work out what went where!
I found the spring mechanism which allows the handles to be adjusted independently far to stiff, and the belt joining the two handles jumped it’s tracks. Ended up cutting it off!
Once it was all sorted, the bench seems to be OK, but not the quality I’ve come to expect from B&D over the years. Time will tell.
I’m happy with the workbench now it’s setup, but instructions should be improved to include how to attach the top, and advice on aligning and connecting the handles.
For example, the two white plastic clips had to be removed to enable attachment of the handles. The handle pins required lubricant and a hammer to insert. Crucially, the white plastic connectors on the thread which move the top were not in alignment; one had to be manually spun to align them.
Also, be careful not to turn the handle connecters until the handles are attached, as the plastic belt (linking the two) can come off either wheel and is tricky to reconnect (like a bike chain).
Having had one of the original workmate 700 for 30 years I was a little disappointed by the build quality of the new unit. The wooden jaws are thinner and the whole thing is so much lighter. The dual winding mechanism lasted 2 days before it stopped working. Not a problem as you get a better grip on the item being held when both handles are used. Having said that the idea of being able to rotate one of the jaws is a nice idea and provided you support it properly it does hold a full size door in one place. Will it last 30 years………..have to wait and see.
This is such a clever device, it is hard to criticise any of its features – however, my personal preference would have been for some of the clever folding and sliding slotted components to be made of thicker pressed metal or perhaps forged metal.
Having said that, it is all about learning the erection tricks with a device like this – the more that you use it the better you get at it.
I recently bought two of these at the higher price of 29.90 to use as saw horses having previously bought one about 25 years ago for a similar price. Now that the price has fallen to 20.00, I have bought another two so I can place a large piece of plywood across all four, as I need a large temporary work surface to construct some log stores. I am looking forward to putting these latest two together, having thoroughly enjoyed assembling the first two. I found that it helped to have the old one set up so that I could look at it whilst following the instructions which, although they are clear and well-labelled, can be difficult to follow without additional visual aids. So far I have found that all of the parts have fitted together perfectly, all of the holes have been drilled in exactly the right places and the assembled workmate has been rigid, sturdy and level. I think it is a classic masterpiece of engineering design and the assembly has been extremely well thought out. A work of genius. Utterly brilliant.
The bench however serves its purpose for the majority of cutting tasks, although for very large or very small pieces of wood etc it’s not really suitable.
One star taken away for the most TERRIBLE instructions ever. This is a product that has made millions for Black and Decker, and yet the manual is all but unintelligible. There are parts in the box that don’t seem to be in the diagram, and other parts which don’t seem to do what they say. It’s enough to put anyone off doing DIY before they’ve even started!
I was expecting a basic workstation and got what I paid for. That said I only needed a basic vice for holding wood that’s being sawed or drilled.
If you heed other reviewers’ advice and lay out all parts before assembly, you should get the hang of putting it together. If you’re tall then this might be uncomfortably short for you.
My reason for knocking off a star is that, once unfolded, it still needs a firm hand/foot to hold it in place – it is perhaps a bit too lightweight.
I am dropping a star for those awful ( I could really swear at this point) assembly instructions that come with the workmate. Thank goodness for YouTube and the time and effort that some people put in to helping out others. All the tools with the exception of a hammer (no I am not joking, you need a hammer) are supplied in the packaging. I have promised myself one of these for years and put it to good use on day one. The platform is quiet sturdy and the retracting legs are a nice touch for adjusting the height. I read a number of reviews for the different model variations and can recommend this one for a novice DIYer like myself.
It isn’t a rugged item you can throw about and tightly clamp wood or items down with. It is, however, a sturdy enough bench that you can nip-up a 3×3 post and saw it. It might shake a little but you can hold it down.
It’s had a bit of a hammering by me and it’s not giving in. It was quite cheap but still manages to be something I depend on a lot when I have DIY to do around the house.
he reviews are right, the instructions are useless, but you don’t need them, I had it together and using it within 30 minutes of it arriving.
if you can’t figure out how it goes together send it back you shouldn’t be doing diy.
it isn’t as heavy duty as older workmates but it is solid enough.
the one handed operation is a great bonus as is the vertical holding feature with half of the table.
this is not a vice or clamp but it does hold firmly if you need to apply a lot of pressure buy a sash clamp.
Slightly flimsy compared to the other beefier ones on the Workmates range, but for under 20 on offer we aren’t complaining.
This Workmate will be used this summer for various DIY and garden tasks and although it’s not quite as strong-looking as my Dad’s one that he’s had about 25 years, it’s quite compact and still provides a decent flat working surface with clamps for sawing, drilling and hammering.
The assembly instructions were poor, but my husband worked it out in the end.
4 stars
We chose this as it was cheap and we now no longer need a full blown expensive work mate. My husband just needs something to use for small DIY projects.
It took him about 45 minutes to build the work mate and he needed a variety of tools so anyone starting out would struggle as he said it was not that easy. It came in bits in a neat rectangular box and everything was in the box.
I would say this would be useful for light wood projects only and not great for anyone wanting to do a lot of heavy carpentry. We are happy enough with it but it is pretty basic and not that heavy duty.
The printed instructions are useless. The diagram of a nut is totally bizarre showing it from the side! See attached photo of Ax8 nut.
I bought this to replace a previous original B&D Workmate. All the criticism that this latest incarnation of the Workmate is not as robust as the original; and that the assembly instructions are not straightforward, is perfectly valid; and it has fewer bells and whistles than the Bosch workbench (which was for me the only other serious contender). BUT having compared both the B&D and the Bosch “hands on”, the B&D Workmate WM835 was easily the more robust of the two, and most importantly it is much more stable to work on. For me the B&D product is still the best.
It’s ok – I wasn’t able to bang in the metal pin that holds the handle on however even with a lot of force but it’s not really an issue.
It folds down reasonable flat so doesn’t take up that much room. I like it although I have to confess I ended up doing most of my jigsaw cutting on the garden table using a clamp! It’s only really good for small work items and you can’t do boards or anything like that on it, but that’s the same for all work benches.
Bought this on Amazon because it was cheaper than even trade stores, delivered fast & free which was great!
Assembly was a bit fiddly but as I’m old enough to have once had a “proper” meccano set it wasn’t a problem until it came to fitting the winding handles onto the shafts! The roll pins supplied are shown in the cartoon instructions as being tapped in with a toffee hammer, BUT after going up to a 2lb hammer They still wouldn’t go in so I have resorted to buying some M3 x30mm screws and nuts to fix them on with.
Like others before me I’m impressed with the quality of this product for the price. However they are the worst instructions I’ve ever come across in over 40 years of putting things together!! Luckily this YouTube video talks you through the whole Left / Right & front/back stuff that you need to know https://youtu.be/CUPPYknO5Lk. & do be careful putting the final pins in!
& since I didn’t see this measurement anywhere (and it was one I wanted) when the workmate is folded up it measures: 91 cm (36″) x 64 cm (25.5″) by 15 cm (6″) deep.
For the money it is very good value. Couple of little gripes:
1) Unless I’m mistaken you need quite an obscure bolt tightener to put it together properly. I couldn’t even find one in a large Wickes. I ended up tightening it with my fingers which has sufficed for what I use it for but is not ideal.
2) When fully extended ie the two wooden panels opened as wide apart as possible, they do not open equally on each side leaving a lop sided gap. The little winding handles used to open and close the wooden panels open different amounts, one seems to go back about 2 inches than the other meaning you can’t get a flush gap when fully extended.
That aside its fairly sturdy (if you keep a foot on it) and handy for doing basic work with small materials but you will struggle if wanting to cut anything larger as can over balance. For the money it is a good addition and I’ve given it 4 stars based on that.
This is obviously aimed at amateur DIY people like me. It’s exactly what I wanted and expected, but the assembly instructions are incomprehensible and totally useless. The diagrams don’t always relate to the parts in the package. I spent an hour trying to figure it out, then went on to YouTube and found a video that was easy to follow and made sense of how to put it together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTB1llv3iF0 . It then only took me half an hour to complete. I’ve had one before and gave it to my son-in-law, so needed a replacement. It’s a handy thing to have and I’ll find it very useful now I’ve got over the frustration of putting it together.
This is a very basic Workmate and, clearly, not for ‘big-time’ work, but I am sure it will function for my present, lighter work.
BUT…(there’s always a but…!) it is delivered ‘flat pack’ and whichever idiot devised the cartoon series endeavouring to tell you how to assemble it needs to be sentenced to 2 years in Ikea, assembling furniture WITHOUT instructions. B&D’s instructions are poor – why not use words as well? It took me just over an hour to assemble, much of which was spent trying to interpret the diagrams.
I already have three of the more typical Black & Decker Workmates, one of the original design and one with the wide opening grips, but now find them rather heavy, clumsy and too low, without unfolding the legs, for many jobs, so wanted something easier and simple to use, that was also higher and lighter.
This will do nicely, but even as an engineer and experienced in DIY, I still found the assembly instructions none too clear, particularly for fitting the clamping boards.
Compared to my older workmates, this is nowhere near as sturdy or as well made, but for what it cost it will do.
The plastic “wing nuts” for locking the frame were pretty useless and the thread soon stripped, even with moderate force, and didn’t grip at all, so I had to replace them with normal M8 metal wing nuts, with a washer. There was no thrust washer on the clamping screws, so I got two M10 washer and drilled them out to 11.5mm. M12 washers might have been ok. Inserting the pins in handle was ok, but you need to take care to line up the holes, or they can be difficult to get in.
Basically you get what you pay for. I mostly wanted a portable, easily assembled, lightweight bench to stand a cross cut saw on, which I could use without having to bend down so much, so this workmate will be fine for that. However if the Silverline version had better reviews I would have got that instead and saved some money.
This would have had 5* if the instructions had been a bit less useless!!As with so many here, I found the instructions on this little gem to be sketchy and inadequate. They didn’t match the product and didn’t make assembly at all clear. I took me – a 66 year old woman – more than an hour … but some of that was spent searching for and watching this … […]
… which helped me, and I hope it will help you.
Once together it is neat, folding quickly and easily to approximately 15 cm depth, so easy to store and as it’s light it is perfect for someone who doesn’t want to do masses of heavy-duty work, but occasionally needs ‘another pair of hands!’
Delivery within 4 days of ordering even though I ordered on Good Friday – it arrived on the dot on the Tuesday after Easter. I love the fact that with DPD you get an hour’s slot for delivery, and they stick to it.
This new one is virtually identical to the first, except for two things. the new one seems to use slightly thinner gauge steel, making it lighter and not quite as stable, although in use its not really noticeable. The second is the top they are using timber rather than compressed chipboard, this should make it stronger and even longer lasting.
To sum up. This table is great value compared to the competition in this price range, ( one of which I bought a few years ago), They tend to have MDF tops and flimsy bases, which can’t take much punishment. This B&D Workmate is great for light to medium DIY work and will last you years, as long as you don’t abuse it.
I paid 20 for this & no delivery charge which I reckon is quite a bargain – would be silly to complain at that price! And it has already been put to good use. It’s quite a lightweight & compact item, and again considering the cost is quite sturdy.. although something heavier & with stronger clamping woud always be desirable.
I was expecting it to be easier to put together, but you do almost need a workbench to succeed in putting together this workbench (and this is coming from someone with extensive experience in assembling flat pack furniture). I have also managed to trap my finger when closing it, which is probably more my fault than the bench – so watch out for that, it’s painful.
It’s probably not for heavy work or for the professional worker.
Horses for courses.
Brilliant product – I have compared this to cheaper alternatives…my advice is to pay a little extra and go for the B&D, you can really tell the difference in build quality, the B&D being far superior. The instructions, however, are a little out of date! It seems that the product has been updated, but the instructions haven’t! I am of course referring to the notorious ‘V’….it is listed in the instructions as a separate component but in reality it has already been integrated. It just means that the bench is easier to construct because there is one less component to attach. Despite this, it is still easy to construct and well worth the money I paid for it.
Bought it for the company name and price. To be fair, well designed and well made, however could be improved by adding a cross bar at the bottom to stop the legs from expanding and by replacing the plastic parts with metal ones. What could also be changed to make it suitable for heavy use is to add weight at the bottom. The price should accordingly at least be doubled or tripled. For slightly more than 20 pounds including delivery, this product is very good value for money.
The clamping function is very good, hold objects tightly and steadily. The reason I said it’s not for heavy use is its weight. When I tried to use it with a router, the whole workmate moves when I push the router. I managed to get the job done with a pallet, which the delivery driver left me with loads of building materials I ordered. Must say the pallet works way better than this workmate. Cutting timber with a jigsaw on this workmate is an adventure. It could be rather handy to use it with different clamps for drilling holes.
Before purchasing this, I had reviewed it and amongst the others, this came on top.
Wasn’t diswayed by the other opinions but felt this could be it, seeing the brand name was a little more important and from past experiences of Black and Decker products I’ve purchased.
It certainly was for the price, and quality at a mere 40% off!
Had been sanding wooden panels and this holds the panels securely from the bolted handles.
Have to now and then put my foot on the lower panel bracket so I think Black and Decker should think this in mind for design, as it can wobble a bit, but workable.
Also, with one handle, I have to rotate it by turning and applying pressure to keep in. It’s fine.
Try not to extend your work surface area too far and keep within the working area, otherwise the workmate will wobble and tilt.
Instructions for connecting the pieces together wasn’t too difficult, seeing there is a useful youtube video by Black and Decker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTB1llv3iF0) for instructions. Just play and pause where necessary. I’d recommend this for anyone. I’m no DIY specialist but it does the job.
Packed away neatly in the shed!
only took 1/2 an hour to assemble
you only need a large flat blade screwdriver and a hammer to tap the handle retaining pins home
two minor faults,that don’t affect operation much, so can’t give five stars
one of the tops is warped and the slot in the metal frame where the jaw mechanism goes through has been pressed about 25 mm out of position so one side of the vice does not quite close fully
I reckon it will be nice and solid in use and should last well as its a good simple design without flimsy thin metal parts that can easily get bent like on the other 20 gbp mates on the marke