You’re standing in your garage, trying to saw a piece of 2x4. You’ve got one foot on the wood, the other on a wobbly plastic sawhorse, and your lower back is already screaming. It's a classic DIY disaster in the making.
Honestly, we’ve all been there.
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But back in 1961, a guy named Ron Hickman had it worse. He was building a wardrobe and used a perfectly good, expensive Swedish chair as a makeshift sawhorse. He got so into his work that he sliced right through the chair leg. That "oops" moment didn't just ruin his furniture; it gave birth to the Black & Decker Workmate.
It's basically a workbench, a vice, and a sawhorse that had a baby and then learned how to fold flat.
Hickman wasn’t just some random tinkerer, either. He was a designer for Lotus—the car company—and he helped create the iconic Lotus Elan. When he pitched his "folding bench" to companies like Stanley and Black & Decker, they basically laughed him out of the room. They told him he’d sell dozens. Not millions.
He proved them wrong by selling 70 million of them.
The Magic of the Split-Top
The heart of the Black & Decker Workmate is the top. It’s not just a flat surface. It’s two pieces of heavy-duty laminate (or bamboo in newer models) that move independently.
Why does that matter?
Because the world isn't flat or square. If you’ve ever tried to clamp a tapered table leg or a round pipe in a standard bench vice, you know the frustration. With the Workmate, you can crank one handle more than the other. The jaws go crooked on purpose. It grips odd shapes like a lobster.
Why People Still Hunt for the Vintage Ones
If you go on Reddit or any woodworking forum today, you’ll see guys bragging about finding an "H-Frame" Workmate at a yard sale for twenty bucks.
There’s a reason for the hype.
The early models, specifically the ones from the 70s and 80s, were built like tanks. We're talking heavy cast aluminum frames and thick marine plywood tops. You could practically park a car on some of those old WM225 units.
Modern versions like the WM125 or the WM425 are still incredibly handy, but they’ve changed. They use more stamped steel and plastic. They’re lighter, which is great if you’re carrying it up three flights of stairs, but some old-school pros miss the "heft" of the originals.
Picking the Right Model for Your Mess
If you’re looking at the lineup today, it can be kinda confusing. Basically, they fall into three buckets:
- The Entry Level (WM125): This is the "I live in an apartment and need to fix a shelf" model. It’s light (around 15 lbs) and holds about 350 lbs. It doesn't have the fancy foot pedals, but it gets the job off the floor.
- The Mid-Range (WM225): This is the sweet spot for most people. It has the fold-down legs so you can use it at two different heights. You can use it as a workbench or a low sawhorse.
- The Big Boy (WM425): This one is the beast. It can hold up to 550 lbs. It has a one-handed clamping system where one handle turns both screws, which is a lifesaver when you’re holding a heavy board with your other hand.
Real-World Hacks You Won't Find in the Manual
Most people just use it to hold wood for sawing. That’s boring.
If you actually own one, you know the "swivel pegs" (those little orange plastic dogs) are the real MVPs. You can move them into different holes on the top to grip circles, triangles, or even a bicycle frame.
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I’ve seen people use a Workmate as a portable potting bench for gardening because you can hose the dirt right off the steel frame. Others use it as a base for a miter saw or a portable router table. Because the center is open, you can actually clamp things vertically—like a door you need to plane the bottom of. You can't do that on a solid table.
The Competition and the "Accountant" Problem
Let's be real for a second. Some people hate the new ones.
The criticism usually boils down to "the accountants got ahold of it." In the quest to make them affordable for the average homeowner, some of the legendary durability has been swapped for portability. Brands like Kreg or Worx make "project centers" now that some find more stable.
But those often lack the screw-vice functionality that makes the Black & Decker Workmate unique. There is something satisfying about that mechanical "crunch" as the wooden jaws lock onto a piece of pipe.
Making Yours Last 30 Years
If you just bought a new one, or if you dug your dad’s old one out of the shed, do these three things:
- Oil the screws. The long threaded rods under the table get dry and dusty. A little bit of 3-in-1 oil or even dry silicone spray makes the handles turn with one finger.
- Watch the moisture. The tops are usually some form of compressed wood. If you leave it out in the rain, the top will swell up like a sponge and eventually crumble. Store it inside.
- Check the feet. The rubber feet tend to go missing. If you’re using it on a finished garage floor, replace them or you'll end up with nasty scratches.
The Black & Decker Workmate changed DIY because it gave people without a "shop" a place to work. It’s a 30-pound miracle of engineering that fits in a trunk. Whether you’re a pro or just someone trying not to saw through their dining room chairs like Ron Hickman, it’s probably the most useful tool you'll ever own.
Your Next Steps
If you're ready to upgrade your workspace, start by checking the weight rating on your current projects; if you're working with heavy lumber, skip the entry-level models and look for a used WM425 or an older cast-aluminum Mk2 on local marketplaces. For those with limited space, ensure you measure your storage area—the folded thickness varies significantly between the basic and premium models. Once you have it, immediately coat the wooden jaws with a thin layer of paste wax to prevent glue or paint from sticking during your next project.