Workbench ?

[Greg Parrish]

These seem to be the only 3 brands of similar quality pre-made benches I can find. I don’t have time or interest to build one and rather spend my time on other projects so I’m looking for pre-built options. This will be used in a shop that has powered equipment but I’m wanting to start working with hand tools and just recently started putting together some core planes and chisels.

To take price out of the equation, if someone were to offer you one of these benches free, which would you choose and why? If there is another brand I’m missing that compares please let me know. Thanks for the input.

https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/...ench?node=4068

https://www.benchcrafted.com/classicbench

https://www.sjobergs.se/en/products/...nr=33458+33464

[ken hatch]

These seem to be the only 3 brands of similar quality pre-made benches I can find. I don’t have time or interest to build one and rather spend my time on other projects so I’m looking for pre-built options. This will be used in a shop that has powered equipment but I’m wanting to start working with hand tools and just recently started putting together some core planes and chisels.

To take price out of the equation, if someone were to offer you one of these benches free, which would you choose and why? If there is another brand I’m missing that compares please let me know. Thanks for the input.

https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/...ench?node=4068

https://www.benchcrafted.com/classicbench

https://www.sjobergs.se/en/products/...nr=33458+33464

Greg,

It is a no brainer, go for the. Benchcrafted.

Ken

[Greg Parrish]

Greg,

It is a no brainer, go for the. Benchcrafted.

Ken

Even though there is no tail vice or wagon vice on the end? I like the other features of it and thought the one sided layout actually looks perfect given my probable placement against a shop wall rather than mid floor but wasn’t sure what features may be most important from the 3. Thanks.

[Steve Southwood]

Benchcrafted. You don't need the vise's on the end. Nice to have but not needed.

[David Eisenhauer]

In my experience, the tail or wagon vise is the least used vise of the common lot. The plane stop will handle the bulk of that need. Holdfasts, does feet, etc will also do the work. I would not be surprised to find out that you could also add on some type/brand of tail vise to the Benchcrafted unit if so desired. The Benchcrafted leg vise works very well and is a daily user in my shop.

[Brandon Speaks]

While I prefer a Fridd style bench myself out of those options I would take the benchcrafted. If the lie nielsen was a shoulder vice as listed rather than the face vice pictured it might sway my opinion.

Since none have the shoulder vice I would much prefer the leg vice to a face vice for planing. I would miss not having a tail vice quite a bit but that is secondary to the first point. I do think for the benchcrafted one the addition of a moxon would be a requirement for me if I was the one using it.

[Dennis Tebo]

Greg,

I not really sure how I feel about the Sjobergs, but between the LN and Benchcrafted, with the latter being $100 more, I would take the Benchcrafted without question. But then again I guess I'm biased since I purchased the plans and hardware and made my own:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....6679-Workbench

Just by looking at the pictures, the BC appears to a lot more stout. After looking closer the LN is 340 lbs vs 300 for the BC. The LN top is 4 inches vs 3 for the BC, so most of the weight appears to be up top on the LN. I'm just fine with the 3 inch thick top I built. I have heard some people have issues with holdfast when you get to 4 inch or thicker tops.

I can understand not having the time to build one, but I'm glad I did. Not only do I have a fantastic one of a kind bench, I used the opportunity to learn/practice some things during the build. The bench gives me a great sense of accomplishment and the confidence that I can finish future projects.

Dennis

[Greg Parrish]

Thanks guys. Unless I built one it looks to be a fairly unanimous lean to the Benchcrafted bench.

[Brian Hale]

Another vote for Benchcrafted.

I use the tail vise the most on my bench and the shoulder vise occasionally but i like having both. If i were to spend money on a prebuilt bench i'd go Benchcrafted and add a Hovarter "twin Screw" vise on the end. https://www.hovartercustomvise.com/p...-hardware-kit/

0813181654_HDR_DxO.jpg

[Mike Kreinhop]

I have the Sjöbergs Elite 2000, but would have bought the Benchcrafted had it been available. I am satisfied with my Sjöbergs, except for the one-inch dog holes. Why Sjöbergs decided to break with the norm and put the larger dog holes on the Elite is a mystery to me. Fortunately, the bench comes with four dogs, so at least they threw me a bone.

[Greg Parrish]

Another vote for Benchcrafted.

I use the tail vise the most on my bench and the shoulder vise occasionally but i like having both. If i were to spend money on a prebuilt bench i'd go Benchcrafted and add a Hovarter "twin Screw" vise on the end. https://www.hovartercustomvise.com/p...-hardware-kit/

0813181654_HDR_DxO.jpg

Nice. that bench is huge looking. How big is that? Thanks for the link, I’ve bookmarked it.

[Brian Hale]

I think the smartphone camera makes it look bigger than it is..... 36" wide, 106" long and 34"high. Cost was around $550 10 years ago.

I making plans for a second bench better suited to handtool joinery, 5' x 30" x 42" high, and i'm considering that Hovarter vise for one end.

Brian

[Ian Guy]

Plate 11 http://www.plate11.com/ has good looking Roubo-style benches and kits. You can customize front vises and/or tail vises. They had a floor model at Handworks last year and it looked like a quality bench

[Andrew Hughes]

I vote for the Lie Nielsen you’ll be able to sell it quick and easy when you lose interest in the craft.
The bench craft looks like a bunch of 2x4 glued together.
I have a LN bench top. The base I made myself

[David Myers]

Benchcrafted