BLACK+DECKER Portable Workbench, Workmate Folding Workbench, 550 lb. Capacity with Clamps for Woodworking (WM425-A)

I wanted a “Workmate”. My dad had one back in the day, and I was stoked to find them still available. Slight issues putting together, but thanks to other reviews for pointers. The connection between the two winding handles is over elaborate and unnecessary, but I can see how it may assist some users. It seems to be well made, and is extremely versatile. The 425-A is much better value than the 825 Deluxe; they are basically the same but the 425 has more interchangeable “boards” on top and is way less than half the price.

I did not ever own an "original" workmate so I cannot speak to the quality when compared to the 1980's models. i can say however that this thing is AWESOME and plenty sturdy for my needs. I use it for everything from projects around the house, to a tailgating table at football games, even a portable outdoor kitchen counter when I took a Turkey to Thanksgiving and my Dad's wife did not want me to carve it indoors. It easily folds and slides into my trunk and i am tempted to just store it there since I find so many uses for it. I am a shooter and I take it with me to the outdoor range. When I get there I just unfold it and have an instant shooters bench. I have noticed other guys buying one or trying to fashion one. If the cost of an item is how much you paid for it divided by how much you use it, this thing is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Again, it is PLENTY sturdy and easily holds the 500lb weight advertised. I guess it could suddenly fall apart tomorrow but I don't see that ever happening. I will agree assembly was a PITA but that is a one time thing. I wish I had purchased one years ago.

This offering of the Black+Decker Workmate is a far cry from the model 79-001 I purchased in the early 80s. The twin independent screws of the early models connected at both the front and rear of the top of the frame, distributing the torque from clamping throughout four points. The amount of clamping torque that could be applied was impressive. Unfortunately, over the past ten years I left it out in the elements, causing the thick plywood top to fall apart. In last year’s move I (stupidly) left it behind. After seeing how the current 425 model is constructed, I wish I had brought it with me, refurbished it to last another 25 years.The Workmate 425 has a notable share of Cons:The stamped steel frame is flimsy compared to the old model I owned—a thinner steel used with lots of sharp edges in the cutouts and ends.Where the old model had independent screws driving the clamping top piece, the 425 uses a thin plastic perforated belt to synchronize the crank screws. Each crank handle is attached to a pulley wheel on the shaft, under spring tension. A sheer pin through each screw shaft holds the pulley on, but will easily spin to the next indent when clamping down, causing the belt to skip at the other handle. Using both handles at the same time to clamp onto the work, as it was with the original independent handle design, allows for a decent amount of even clamping force. But make no mistake, the belt is there only to get both sides of the clamp jaw to the work at the same time. Both handles are needed to get a firm, even hold. Personally, I don’t find this feature necessary. I may end up removing the belt. My old model worked just fine for decades without it.The instructions need to be in a larger format, with some clarification added: larger images, stick-on labels for parts X2 and X4, which are so close in looks that it took me a while to figure out which was which. Old eyes, here.My old model had a thick plywood top that weathered through decades of rain, snow, sleet, cold, heat, pounding, clamping, and more. Time will tell how long the species of wood used in the 425 will last. Fortunately, as with the older models, one can replace the wood with whatever is on hand or desired.Assembly Tips:Adding washers to each of the bolts will allow you to tighten the bolts more than without, and the heads won’t cut into the wood. Washers, as is always the case, are left out due to cost savings, not a lack of necessity.The easiest and least frustrating way to attache X4 to the middle and final clamping boards is on a bench or table. Because there aren’t any threads to guide the bolts in, place an X4 under each side of a given board while on a table or bench. Insert the bolt and washer, then give a firm tap on the bolt head with a 12oz or large hammer to force the threads to jamb into the plastic. This is all that is needed to get the bolts to start cutting threads. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THESE. Remember: steel bolts forcing itself into soft, THREADLESSS plastic.Instead of using a hammer to drive the sheer pins into the shaft holes of each handle, large slip jaw pliers make this easy, avoiding possible damage to the handle or shaft.If you find the white plastic screw connectors are not equally spaced on their respective shafts (the top looks crooked in relation to the frame) you can flip the unit on its back side, remove one end of the spring that runs across the belt (to provide tension on it). Then slip off the belt of one pulley and crank the other until the top is even in relation to the frame. Slip the belt back onto the pulley teeth and hook up the tension spring when done.Improvements/Recommendations:The top clamping work boards should be packaged with their respective plastic X2 and X4 components attached.A small bolt or slip-on pinch pin clip would be the better choice for attaching the handles. Asking the purchaser to use a hammer to drive sheer pins though a plastic handle is just asking for service calls to be made and bad reviews to follow.Instructions seem to always be the Achilles's heel for every product needing assembly by the buyer. A larger paper format was needed here, with some labeling on X2 and X4 components a great help.Conclusion:Having had an early model of the 425 for many dependable years of use, I can’t help but look at this new model with disappointment. It is nowhere near the quality, sturdiness, and clamping power of the early models. Whether the 425 is worth the price (for me) is yet to be determined. Outside of the cons given, I look forward to using my new Workmate 425. The design format, for me, is still the best for what I want out of a folding workbench. I doubt this will last as long as its older sibling did, but then again, with the TLC that I had neglected to give to old model applied to the 425, maybe it will.

Great. Easy to use

This is a well-built work collapsible and portable bench for residential use. Not robust enough for contractors.I bought it for around the house chores. It is well built for that task and it’s quite handy. A little hard to set up and stand and heavy to carry around but generally an excellent tool. I especially like the right angle option to vice with - very handy. The right angle vice is very useful for large items or awkward sized ones like doors or 4 x 4 cuts.While the workmate itself may be well engineered I can’t say that for the instruction booklet. I would’ve given this five stars for its usefulness and strength in construction, but the instructions that came with it were so terribly I can only give it three. These drawings are so inferior in fact that it made putting it together in ordinately difficult. The booklet calls for the wrong parts in the wrong instruction step and locations for screws as well as poor to follow drawings supplied there in.I recommend that only someone who is handy with tools purchased this just because of the difficulty to assembly. You’ll really have to think through how they actually designed it to put it together and the instructions too little to do any step-by-step assembly. You really get very little help from the confusing and incorrect directions that are supplied.But if you’re handy with tools And mechanically inclined you’ll find the end product quite useful for around the house. Also, use a socket to tighten the screws down - don’t try using the enclosed bolt finger tightener labeled ‘I’ in the parts list.Because the directions and drawings were so inferior to the product I had to deduct TWO stars because of the difficulty in assembling. If you know someone who is assembled one before that would be a big help. But if you’re assembling one in your garage, in Texas at 106° I would really recommend you pass on this unless you’re mechanically inclined.

I like this workbench so well, that I have two of them. I bought my first one about 30 years ago, and I'm still using it. Very sturdy and versatile. I love the clamping function and the removal top sections. The workbench can be a challenge to setup and take down, but it folds to a very compact size.