MAC ALLISTER FOLDING WORKSTATION. Ideal For Indoor and Outdoor Workshop Use

Product Information

It folds up into a compact and almost flat shape, making it practical to hang on a wall. When unfolded, the hinged legs allow for two working heights, meaning you can work on taller items without having to stand on your tip toes. There’s also a step, which can also be used to steady the bench while sawing or wrestling with a rusty bolt. Most of us will have some Silverline tools in our garage or shed. They are good value and useful for jobs which you don’t do often or won’t need anything too sophisticated, such as chisels and hammers. The TB01 follows the same pattern and is excellent value; in fact it is the cheapest workbench we could find.

If money was no object, we’d choose the innovative Mac Allister Folding Workbench. It is easy to use, and the size of the surfaces makes it much more useful for most automotive tasks. It also folds down neatly for storage.Our shortlisted benches all have grippy (if compact) feet, reducing their propensity to slip on anything other than polished surfaces. I have two of the Keter, a McAllister and a Forge Steel - The McAllister and Forge steel are own brands (Screwfix, B&Q) but basically badged items. I've not noticed any difference between them. They were bought at different times - normally when on offer somewhere.

The maximum widths we tested ranged from 384mm on the Keter to 850mm on Stanley’s FatMax, with the latter more than sufficient for most jobs. The work boards themselves are larger too, with handy measurements for length and angles which could make fabricating parts easier. Once you’ve finished working, the Draper collapses easily and folds almost flat to make storage easier. Supplied with four clamps, it’s an attractive and practical design finished with water-repellent materials, making it great for outdoor work in harsh conditions. It feels solid and stable too, and has a decent 150kg load capacity, which should be enough for a small engine. The downside to this is a comparatively heavy 11.7kg overall weight. If space is at a premium you’ll need to think about storage too, as the Minotaur’s switchable clamping jaws mean it is an awkward and lumpy shape once folded. Draper Fold Down Workbench 800mmEven the Wolfcraft, whose 180kg max payload is the lowest we recorded, shouldn’t be stretched by internal doors or cabinets. The load-bearing capacity of just 200kg is the second-lowest we recorded (Draper hasn’t published figures for their product), though we did like the PWB 600’s integral storage tray and grippy feet. Any workbench will be between 800mm and 900mm high once assembled, though taller patrons, in particular, should look for products approaching the latter height to avoid stooping. Weight is more significant, especially if you’re going to be lugging a bench up and down your stairs alongside tool bags and other equipment.