Hacking Harbor Freight: Hardwood workbenches (review) 

That’s great to be able to cover the holes to prevent wood dust, chips, or other debris from getting into the drawers. Thanks for covering that.

I picked up two as well. Put locking caster wheels on and can put them back to back for large projects. Love these. I modified one with putting 4 drawers on one side, just using a piece of plywood on one side for drawer support. I also installed a router insert on one and have a vacuum hooked up underneath. Get a piece of 2" pink foam 4x8 to put on top and it's great for circular saw cutting and many other things. I did cut the 4x8 in 4 pcs, so I could use how much was needed for the project. Only need 1 pc for a small project. I did reinforce the bottom shelf with some 2x4's so it can hold heavier items without flex. I would get these again for sure, if needed.

Very cool ! My dad bought one of these and told me he had issues when installing one of the drawers as well.. he consulted his neighbor who is a jack of all trades and they got it together!

I put mine together by myself...no big whoop, I'm 65 & 5'2"..........I am an artist and they are awesome! I added a second shelf for frames and mat boards storage. Getting a second table as an island and I'll put another shelf in it. I was going to make a drop leaf on the none drawer side I can swing up when I need to cut large mat boards. Great table.

I have one of these and like it a lot. I use it for my guns and reloading. I've made a detachable reloading press which I accomplished by mounting the press to a piece of wood which in turn gets firmly held to the table by means of the vise on the end of the table. It's got some problems, though - one of the drawers is very difficult to open and close, and so I rarely use it. However, for the price, it's a fantastic value.

I built an about 4 in deep 4 in wide caddy for tools , rulers measuring tape etc in between the 2 benches that I can drop things down into it and still use the top as one surface . you should try it. it runs along the entire length of the tables. works great .

Oh wow, i just bought this to build my new Tronxy X5S and was wondering what to do about the bench dog holes and BAM not only did you talk about them you provided the thingiverse download link! Very awesome...

I know this is old, but thanks for the review! Getting a pair of these tmrw! Follow-up 12/27- I did end up getting two, put them back to back and mounted them on a wood platform I made with collapsible casters. Works great overall. There are a few issues, but still worth the cost. I would definitely consider using glue and better screws.

Yes, i like mine and I put them on wheels so that I can roll them out onto the driveway to do work out there as well. Plus I got to assemble them with the grand kid and that is always interesting in its self.

I just finished assembling my table by myself, I noticed that one of the drawers was binding and not shutting right. I ended up finding that the tiny tabs inside the slide weren't bent over to 90 degrees to stop the slide. They were pushing the slide out as it passed over them, if I had been persistent it would have popped the slide/bearing out. So if your drawer is binding try pushing the slide to the stopping tabs and see if it goes pass or starts pushing it out. If it doesn't stop it, just bend the tabs to at least 90 degrees and it should work. It's a cheap table, but for the cost it does it's job well enough.

Thank you for this video. I am putting mine together this afternoon and your comment about the cheapness of the drawer slides is an encouragement. I am having those very issues with the drawers right now, which is what prompted my searching and finding this video. I'll keep working at it. I have already had to re-bend the ball bearing holders back into place after carefully placing the ball bearings back into the little metal cut holes on the slider. Also, I subscribed and look forward to seeing what else you're up to. Cheers and thanks from Muncie, Indiana.

one of the best products HF sells. amazing to get solid wood for such a price.

I have two of the HF work benches.($119 each) I also have them back to back as you do. I use mine for out feed table for my Rigid table saw and work bench. I also done away with the fiber board and the drawer slides. . I replaced it with 1/2" plywood and better drawer slides. While building the second one I put all 4 drawers on one side and added a shelf on the other side. Also the vise is not very good. Not the best work bench but I really like mine. Thanks for the video.

Instead of attempting to drill holes to move the vices & all that mess, what about just reversing the side the drawers pull out on, on one of them effectively resulting in both vices, same side

Excellent video, nice camera work! Liked and Subscribed. I just finished putting my bench together. The labels on the drawer slides were BACKWARDS. I figured it out after building one drawer (glad I didn't glue it). Yes the drawer slides are pretty flimsy, one of mine won't 'lock' to keep the drawer from coming out too far. I'll probably add some fold-up casters to be able to move it easily.

I think overall this is a good work bench, especially for the price. It is fairly stable, however it has a slight wobble from side to side. Front to back is solid without wobble. So what I did was put 1x6 or 1x8 pieces of wood going across at the base on both sides and and close to the top of the table on the back side. I couldn't really put a piece of wood on the top at the front because the drawers were in the way. I could have put it below the drawers, but chose not to. It made a big difference. Also I re-enforced the storage area by putting 1x6 or 1x8 pieces of would underneath for adequate support.

Thanks for that I'll go buy one tomorrow keep up the good work and thank you

I bought two also for same reason. Hoped to do same with vise on same side...

From your comment about the vise on the bench , I would assume it may also be very difficult to attach other types of vises ... The drawer slides - if I encountered the problem you did with them, I would go to my local big-box home store & get the same quality slides used in kitchen cabinets. More expensive, but they won't spray parts all over if you look at them wrong.

I installed toggle clamps on each side so I can lock them together. I also added castors. When locked together I can move them around my shop as one.

I couldn't hit the subscribe button fast enough after I saw your shirt. 🤣🤣🤣

WOW, nice shop, nice benches, Best of all, Thanks for the thingaverse bench plugs...YAY!!!

Great idea with the two benches

I put the whole thing together by myself. I just used a box to hold the legs up while I put the shelf in and then put the other legs on

I have 2 of these benches myself and I would like to point out that there are other negatives for a woodworker. The bench itself is a nice bench and as you pointed out I would not do heavy work on them. The negatives for a woodworker are that the vises have WAY to much slop in them and the sliding jaw is not square (atleast on mine) and the bench dog holes are NOT standard 3/4" holes for aftermarket accessories. I do agree that these benches are good multipurpose benches, but me personally I looked at the drawers and just through them in the trash can.

Another addition is to put better and longer draw slides so they open all of the way.

I need one of them building long rifles muzzleloaders

sold! going to buy two soon. was searching craigslist for a used table, but for $260 this is great. thanks!

If you wanted both vises on the same side could you switch the drawers around? Nice review, I think I will get two on sale and maybe put a tool well between them.

Thank you so much for a very informative video

I had to same exact problem with the drawers. Completely unnecessary and caused so much frustration. I also had a problem with the middle divider with the slide rails on it too. The screws for it barely would bite into the top piece. So after two years it completely fell down and i'm re-engineering things....

Thanks for the 3D bench dog blanks!!!

I love my work bench I put hillsmen poly 2cotes it made the service of my bench vary storng

For actual woodworking, I'm not happy with this bench at all. As someone mentioned below, the end vise has way too much slop - it won't hold a board flat or securely for planing. If you want to plane a thin board, the non-recessed bench dogs get in the way. The bench moves laterally while planing and had to be reinforced with cross beams to keep it steady.

Or you can just turn the top the other direction when mounting it to the frame to put the vise on the other side.

In my opinion it's the best bench out there for the money.

If you don't want saw dust falling through the dog pin holes into your drawers simply heat up some wine bottle corks (the rubber ones) and push them all the way through the holes then peel away the excess rubber. Then repress them back into the holes for a prefect flush set with the table top. (It also is a better dog pin to hold your projects in place because they are rubber and will not mare your work) I used a jewelers torch to heat them. I'm sure a heat gun would work just as well.

I just bought one, thanks for the tips! What do you think about adding wood glue to all the mating pieces before screwing them together? Would that help a little with the stability?

I had the same issue with the drawers and lost ball bearings.

can you still get these? I couldn't find this 4-drawer, only a 3-drawer that looked smaller.

That shirt is awesome 😂🙌🏾🔥🔥🔥

Great video, thanks!

I like the idea of putting two of these together like you did. Are these benches fairly sturdy? It seems like when I try out the ones they display in the store, they feel kinda flimsy. Maybe they're not assembling them well to start with. Did you have to do any reinforcement with the assembly and how well do they hold up over time? Thanks for making this vide review. It is very helpful!

Hey, I thought your comments were very intriguing. However, I would have loved to know more about the phase of construction when you needed two people. I'm nearly always working by myself in a remote area, so I'll likely need to overcome this issue alone. I understand you tried, but what if you didn't have someone in the house to help? Would you have persisted and found some way that worked? Thanks so much.

Thanks for the review!

I love mine. The only thing that's frustrating me is the right-side drawers that only go in half ways! I tried a rubber mallet but they only stick harder. Mine came with a rail with a dado cut at the center to make sure the center drawer slides are perfectly centered so I think the center drawer slides are perfectly centered because of this rail. I've got to look at those slides on the right a little closer. Argh.

Love the Binford Shirt.

Freakin' geekalicious... I've been planning to build a bench for guitar repairs, but for the price and convenience and time savings, these are fine as frogs hair. I think I would shift the top over so all the cantilever is on one end, and then install a real side-vice deep enough to hold a guitar. Now we're talkin'.

Bought one of these used at a garage sale. Great bench and solid, nit wobbly like some of the comments. My question is that it was missing the wooden vice at the end. Braces and brackets still underneath. Can you get a replacement vice with screw and bars to insert?

Great info. I picked one up today and I love it. Have you ever tried wheels on the legs?

Nice video. Also like the plugs you made. I’m sure you may hear this a lot but do you sell the plugs? Not all of us have a nice printer like yours. Thanks. P.S. nice binford shirt.

Great review, I would have just bought another bench taken out the draw slide and put the broken one back in the box and returned it to hf, for a refund.

How thick are the legs? I want to add locking casters when I put mine together.

Nicely done. It seems as if your table slides easily. Did you put casters on the legs?

I'm gonna buy one of these next month, and I would like to know how high your seat is. Being able to look down on my work is important, so I need to know how high it is from the floor to the bottom drawer, and you appear to be sitting at the perfect height, so how high is your stool. Thank You Very Much.

Would you consider latching the dual tables together and adding castors a decent upgrade?

I love mine!!

Good reveiw , i agree on the bench for the money they work okay they are not by any means a Woodworking bench as they advertise them a Woodworker needs a much heavier bench that. You can attach Items you. Need to machine , cut, chisel , etc I guess you could solve that with those benches by attaching the permanently to something solid like a wall or A concrete floor ? The reality for a inexpensive, fast. Solution the Rubberwood ones from HF are good most Woodworkers like Maple wood benches And the cost of just the material Would be twice the price or more than these little HF ones ive. Bought 2 of them myself over the years to use independently of each other and they held up. Just fine BTW i used them more as hobby benches for small projects as i do have 2 other larger Workbenches 1. A 8 foot Steel one for automobile repairs and other heavy mechanical products. And a homemade. Wood bench. For Woodworking tools and operations

I have this bench and due to very heavy use ive stripped the side vise screw. Do you happen to know if a replacement part is available. Like can you just buy the vise replacement?

I put it together by myself. I built it upside down and then stood it up.

David, would it be possible to buy a bunch of your printed hogs for filling the holes? I don't have access to a 3D printer but would pay you whatever you need. Julius in Tucson, AZ

Just bought one today, put it together without help took me about an hour and a half

I would consider these "wooden tables" although Harbor freight calls them "workbenches". The tops are less than 1/2 inches thick with a border around to make them look 2+ inches thick.

Ty friend

i just bought 2 of these and (1) one of them was missing the drawer fronts and (2) the drawers just plain suck !!! they stick and look like they are misaligned , wife is gone to HF now to get the replacement drawer fronts (30 mile trip each way )

Thanks for the info. I was looking to buy it, but now I know I need to build one myself. This ain't the right stuff for me.

Anybody try to mount the Central Forge 3" Vise on this? BTW, I built mine myself and don't recall any issues.

I have one of these Harbor Freight WB, how would you install a vice on this?

How would I add a vice to it?

The negative are the drawers, the rails are crap, bend, break etc and they only allow the drawer to open half way. If the drawers were better these tables would be a steal. Harbor Freight also really needs to sell both caps like you made for the holes and spare drawer parts.

How do you remove drawers need adjusting?

How did you get the discount codes?

i love your shirt haha

Just me, but wouldn't it have been much easier and faster to just go buy a new set of drawer slides rather than go thru the process of re-bending and assembling the cheap set that comes with the bench???

Will this fit a miter saw or will that be too big?

could you put big wheels on these?

I put it together by myself in 20 minutes

2 people not necessary. I’m 14 and put it together myself

What item # bench did you get?

Love the tshirt lol

The reason those vices are positioned there is because most people are right handed %%%%

How to secure wood to bench?

sounds like you had the drawer sides backward and then tried to force the drawer in.

The only thing I don't like about these benches is that they don't have a vice on the front. That is literally the only thing holding me back.

but are the tops flat?

You should read some of the 1 star reviews.... "Broke in half 1st time I used it." "Garbage! Broke after light duty use." I really wonder what tgese people have done to break a Chinese tree after one use.

Would you sell me a dozen of the hole covers? I dont have a 3D printer

Would you print and sell me a dozen of those flat bench dogs

Wheres the hack 😕

I wouldn’t take one of those things for free It probably has a value of your buying it for firewood. (Only if you plan to do any type of woodworking on it )

picked this up today. Not impressed. the drawers are complete garbage. screws falling out and bearings missing. HF should quit selling this junk. Continues their bad reputation.

I'd put my 2x lumber bench up against these cheapo benches any day and my bench cost less than 100 bucks to build and weighs about 200 lbs.. Everyone should build their own bench instead of the HF junk.. That's just my personal opinion.. Nobody is required to agree.. ;)

Too many ums! Very annoying....