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Tom Hartranft
10-08-2012, 4:22 PM
Looking to buy a set of general purpose foldable sawhorses for around the house use. Currently have two options in mind for reasonable price. They won't get hard use, but need to be stable when needed.
http://hideahorsefoldingsawhorses.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Crawford-Storehorse-10016-6-Sawhorse-30-Inch/dp/B000VSPTQ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349727385&sr=8-2&keywords=sawhorse

Your thoughts please on these two or others that you like. Thanks in advance for your experiences.


Tom

Rich Riddle
10-08-2012, 4:42 PM
I would not purchase either pair. I don't want wood or plastic. I have several sets of foldable sawhorses and use the ones that are steel. On the top I place a 2 x 6" cut to length as a sacrificial piece that can be replaced. You can find them at Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, etc., but here is what the look like:

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1058&bih=670&tbm=isch&tbnid=iqNXgqxjFO5krM:&imgrefurl=http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/portable/bench.html&docid=wIk10zzIXNKUQM&imgurl=http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/portable/images/Folding%252520metal%252520horses.jpg&w=480&h=320&ei=UDpzUKfYKfPW0gHN84CICw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=631&vpy=208&dur=50&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=197&ty=108&sig=112683789414864794972&page=3&tbnh=137&tbnw=174&start=40&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:40,i:239

Jerome Stanek
10-08-2012, 5:23 PM
Plus 1 on those steel horses. I have a pair and use them all the time. had 3 sets of them but someone liked them better than me and 2 sets walked off the job.

David G Baker
10-08-2012, 5:31 PM
I have a set of the heavy metal saw horses and love them. They are adjustable so you can vary the height of the legs to match your needs. I fastened good quality 2x4s to the top of mine to protect them from my accidental carelessness. Mine are over 20 years old or older and have served me well and strongly recommend them. It is amazing the amount of weight you can stack on them.

Dave Lehnert
10-08-2012, 5:47 PM
Have no experience with them but thought I may pick some up next time I need a sawhorse.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_77883-72596-SS-29_0__?productId=3073379&Ntt=sawhorse&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dsawhorse&facetInfo=

Rich Riddle
10-08-2012, 6:16 PM
Have no experience with them but thought I may pick some up next time I need a sawhorse.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_77883-72596-SS-29_0__?productId=3073379&Ntt=sawhorse&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dsawhorse&facetInfo=
When I tried those they were very flimsy, just like the plastic ones are. They're made out of sheet metal more or less. I've tried just about all the possibilities and finally decided on the steel one's where you can place a sacrificial board on the top. With my errors, I need something forgiving. I also like the ability to adjust the height of each leg independently. At times, the work surfaces have been less than level and that helps a lot.

Matt Meiser
10-08-2012, 7:15 PM
I have the Hide-A-Horse and love them.

Michael Weber
10-08-2012, 9:39 PM
I bought these. They're stable, adjustable for height and the horizontals extend if needed. Bottom brace is not strong enough to stand on but it's not designed to be. I found out after I stepped on it and it snapped. Otherwise I've been happy and would purchase again. At the time I purchased them they were cheaper at home depot than they were at Amazon. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100626317/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=sawhorse&storeId=10051#.UHN-Z67pWtM

Jamie Buxton
10-08-2012, 10:14 PM
Why are all you woodworkers talking about buying sawhorses? Build them!

Kenneth Speed
10-09-2012, 12:51 AM
I wouldn't buy a saw horse. I'd make Krenov style trestles. I find them far better than saw horses in the shop or at a job site although they do have a tendency to walk away when one isn't looking. The only time they don't outperform a sawhorse is on uneven ground. They don't fold but store very compactly by nesting together.

Ken

Mike Cozad
10-09-2012, 5:14 AM
I am thinking about building a few sets of the Shop Dog sawhorses. I will look to improve on the strap though.....

I do like the hide-a-horse but they are a bit spendy for me. Since my only jobsite is my own home, these Shop Dog's should fit the bill and are right in my price range. His ideas for versatility through different top stretchers is only the beginning. I can think of endless possibilities. I do think if a guy was to use it for the miter saw station it would need to be more stable though.....

http://www.woodshopdude.com

Jerome Stanek
10-09-2012, 5:54 AM
I have a set of the sheet metal ones and the legs bent when I used them for 2 sheets of MDF. The heavy steel ones can hold 4 sheets with no problems.

Jerome Stanek
10-09-2012, 5:57 AM
I wouldn't buy a saw horse. I'd make Krenov style trestles. I find them far better than saw horses in the shop or at a job site although they do have a tendency to walk away when one isn't looking. The only time they don't outperform a sawhorse is on uneven ground. They don't fold but store very compactly by nesting together.

Ken


I bought mine when I was installing drug store fixture and had to keep the space to a minimum.

Rich Engelhardt
10-09-2012, 7:34 AM
@ the end of the day, my back really appreciates the lightweight folding plastic saw horses.

Brian Elfert
10-09-2012, 7:39 AM
I have the sheet metal ones like the Lowes link and no issues with them. I was able to screw a board to the top for a sacrificial board.

Matt Meiser
10-09-2012, 8:25 AM
@ the end of the day, my back really appreciates the lightweight folding plastic saw horses.

But that's the thing about the Hide-A-Horse design. They are just as light and actually more compact. There's a ton of thought that went into these things to make them both light and strong.

Tom Hartranft
10-10-2012, 7:20 PM
Appreciate the responses. Thought I'd close the loop with some added info to help anyone else who might wish to get a set of collapsible sawhorses. Lots of options out there.

I built my own non-collapsible wooden sawhorses some years ago and they are still functional, but they always seem to have something sitting atop them in my basement workshop and are a pain to unload what sits on them and haul up to my driveway for temporary uses. As a result of your responses, I redirected my search away from anything plastic and focused on metal collapsible sawhorses, although I'm also drawn to the all wood Hide-A-Horse, but with shipping @ $24, a set runs ~$110 shipped. I found a made in USA brand of adjustable height folding metal sawhorses by Fulton that in addition to being made in USA, appear to be robust when set up and very compact when folded up, but they are even more pricey than the Hide-A-Horse; a set runs ~$140 shipped ... http://www.toolbarn.com/fulton-ts-525.html.

So, after mulling over what I want ... temporary, infrequently used, reasonably robust when set up, nicely compact when folded up for storage ... I opted for a set of China-made Task Force adjustable-height sawhorses bought locally at Lowe's today with a bit of sales tax but no shipping costs ... http://www.lowes.com/pd_162111-31596-60142_4294764776__?productId=3488679&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo= .

Edited 11 Oct to add a couple of photos after scraping off the labeling and the black soft rubber top laminate plus adding sacrificial 2x4 tops. I like 'em for my general purpose temporary uses ... compact for storage when collapsed, quite sturdy and rigid when upright, quickly configurable with sacrificial 2x4 top, good enamel paint job, but a color that I won't feel bad about overspraying during painting projects outdoors.

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr183/tjh_020/Sawhorses/IMG_1734Small.jpg

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr183/tjh_020/Sawhorses/IMG_1733Small.jpg

Tom

David G Baker
10-11-2012, 12:11 AM
Tom H
The ones you bought are similar to mine and they should give you years of use with out any problems.

Jerome Stanek
10-11-2012, 7:24 AM
mine look just like those but say made in USA

Rich Riddle
10-11-2012, 7:50 AM
So, after mulling over what I want ... temporary, infrequently used, reasonably robust when set up, nicely compact when folded up for storage ... I opted for a set of China-made Task Force adjustable-height sawhorses bought locally at Lowe's today with a bit of sales tax but no shipping costs ... http://www.lowes.com/pd_162111-31596-60142_4294764776__?productId=3488679&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo= .
Tom

You made a wise choice. Even if your sawhorses one day get used long term, like for storing lumber, they will hold up to 1200 pounds for a very long time. They are very durable. If you live closer to Sears or Home Depot, they sell the same style (in case you end up buying more like the rest of us). I have purchased sets at various locations and all have the same heights.

Jason Roehl
10-11-2012, 8:16 AM
I once had a pair of the collapsible plastic sawhorses. They lived up to their name--they collapsed. As I recall, I had not a lot of weight on them, but it was a cold day...

I've long since bought a pair of the orange steel with legs that fold into the top. I added treated 2x4s to the tops of each (with a little extra length), and they have served me quite well for a number of years now both at home and on the jobsite. When folded, they don't take up much room, and I've put lots of weight on them without incident. My only complaint is that the legs are not adjustable, and for my 6'0" height, they could stand to be a few inches taller, depending on what I'm doing.

On a related note, a pet peeve of mine is when people use a circular saw with sawhorses but don't bother to properly set the depth of cut--and put a bunch of deep cuts into the top of the sawhorse. Sure, they're replaceable, but they quickly become an uneven surface.

Jim Koepke
10-12-2012, 3:26 PM
My suggestion would have been to build a set. If it becomes a table, build another set.

For those still interested in acquiring a set, here is my post on building a saw table:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?146777-Saw-Table-Project

It is easy to change it to building a saw horse by making the tops out of 2X6s & 2X4s.

I like using 2X3s & 2X4s for the legs, but have also used 1X4s & 1X6s,

By half lapping the joint between the top and the legs, the load capacity can be higher.

Looking at this old post reminds me of a few things that were left out.

The legs attachment points should be positioned in such a way so the feet do not reach beyond the top's ends.

For general use, all angles are 15º. If used in construction where the horses need to be carried between wall studs, use 10º for all angles. This keeps the feet closer together.

Also if you want compact stacking, make one horse shorter and trim the width of the top so it will nest between the legs and caps of the larger horse.

jtk

Mac McQuinn
10-12-2012, 8:38 PM
Thanks for sharing the Hideahorse design. I think these will work out pretty well for my purposes. I like the light weight, size & U.S. made designation especially. I have a older set of the metal folding items w/ sacrificial top and they are heavy and have several pinch points which have left more than a few marks over the years. As I get older the weight spec. is very important to me.
Mac


Looking to buy a set of general purpose foldable sawhorses for around the house use. Currently have two options in mind for reasonable price. They won't get hard use, but need to be stable when needed.
http://hideahorsefoldingsawhorses.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Crawford-Storehorse-10016-6-Sawhorse-30-Inch/dp/B000VSPTQ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349727385&sr=8-2&keywords=sawhorse

Your thoughts please on these two or others that you like. Thanks in advance for your experiences.


Tom

Ray Griswold
01-27-2013, 3:13 PM
Looking to buy a set of general purpose foldable sawhorses for around the house use. Currently have two options in mind for reasonable price. They won't get hard use, but need to be stable when needed.
http://hideahorsefoldingsawhorses.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Crawford-Storehorse-10016-6-Sawhorse-30-Inch/dp/B000VSPTQ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349727385&sr=8-2&keywords=sawhorse

Your thoughts please on these two or others that you like. Thanks in advance for your experiences.


Tom
The HideAHorse sawhorses are light and easy to set up and durable, too. I pulled my job box full of tools, out of my truck and slid it off the tailgate onto these horses. (Just the right height) There they sat most of the winter in the weather. Two years later they have grayed a bit but work just like new. Nice Design.

Scott T Smith
01-27-2013, 6:23 PM
Although you've already purchased your sawhorses, for the benefit of anybody else reading this thread I would recommend that you check into the Trojan TS27's. They are a professional model sawhorse billed out as the strongest and most durable sawhorse. I like how they easily break down for transport or hanging on the wall when not in use.