Hello all,

I consider myself a tinkering hobbyist. I enjoy making small improvements around the flat and have built up a basic toolkit over the years (circular saw, jigsaw, …), nothing fancy.
Recently, I have taken a keen interest in hand tools and I am just about ready to take the plunge and invest in a proper beginner’s set of quality tools which would include a couple jack planes, block plane, chisels, saws, etc. One important component is a decent enough workbench. I’ve been looking at the models on display on the Sjobergs website and I find it difficult to tell exactly what sets one table apart from then next, apart from dimensions quite obviously. Maybe it’s just me but I find the website’s layout to be slightly confusing or lacking clarity.

For instance, they have “hobby” and “professional” lines of workbenches. As far as I can tell, there is no clear metric or rationale to objectively set these two lines apart. If somebody knows the answer to that, please feel free to chime in and kindly share your experience.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but as much as possible, I would like to be able to make an informed decision and purchase the best-suited table for me. To that effect, two models have caught my attention: the Nordic 1450 (hobby line) and the Multi Function 1060 bench (professional line). It might be from lack of experience/knowledge, but I would be inclined to say there seems to be no easily identifiable set of characteristics (i.e. differences in quality build) to rationally compare these two tables. I have a slight preference for the 1060 due to its overall slightly smaller dimensions which better suit my workspace. But I cannot exactly tell what sets the 1060 and the 1450 apart.

In general, on the official website, the 1450 has more descriptive content and pictures than the 1060. A particular concern is the vise system. It is fairly obvious from the richer description and pictures that accompany the 1450 that it is equipped with the metal rod vises. Whether the 1060 also comes with the metal rod vises is unclear because I couldn’t find any information in the minimalist technical brochure and there is no shot of the inside of the vises on the website… So, I would really like to clarify this point. Maybe the Sjobergs benches all have the same vise system, but as a beginner I don't know that for sure, and I’d like to be absolutely certain before purchasing.

I hope there is some redeeming logic to my rambling, anyway thanks for reading 😊
Cheers.