Sjobergs Smart Workstation Pro Review - To Build or Buy?! 

Sjoberg is missing a great market for this excellent product. My work is on boats - remodel, repair, additions. My problem is there is never a good way to clamp and hold work material on a boat. No, I'm not in a shop, I'm working on a boat in a marina. Where can I hold a board to saw? Drill? Plane? The mini workbench would be excellent!

I agree with you, sometimes it’s just more cost effective to buy. Especially when time can be so precious! Great job

Excellent review! Thank you!

Just came across your video, Jon, and I thought it was a fair and even-handed assessment of the perennial building vs buying argument. Nicely done! The one consideration you didn’t mention, and that tips the scales in favor of building it, for me at least, is customization. You can extend this design by about one foot in length and you can start to use it to build small furniture like bedside nightstands for example. I think that, if you currently have some kind of flat work surface, you can build this mini workbench to your own custom specifications for around half the cost of the Sjoberg. As long as you don’t factor in your time - as you rightly noted.

Great points were made. Thanks, I going to buy one....Much easier...Awesome video.

Great video--covered all the important point--except one! If there are no plans available to build, you gotta factor in the amount of time it would take even a skilled woodworker to design this thing. No question for me, I'm gonna buy one! Again, great job!

Good video and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm getting ready to build myself a viseless bench and was thinking something like this, or a Moxon vise, might be useful when a vise is needed. Like you, I also have an unforgiving back and I like my work higher up than most. I'm thrifty so I probably would try to use a cheaper hard wood than beech to save money. Beech might be cheaper, but it's not available locally in 8/4 lumber. I doubt it's going to take a beating so for my purposes either maple or possibly a distant second choice of poplar would suffice. I just checked and 8/4 ambrosia maple is $8 a bft and poplar about $6 a bft. I found a vise that should work for $41 and brass bench dogs would be about $46 - only $1 more for brass on Amazon. Bench dogs could be made from oak dowel saving $40. Paul Sellers did a video on making wooden bench dogs that have a spring. Using commercially available parts, and your 11 bft estimate, that would put the cost between $153 and $175. Of course I didn't factor in the costs for glue, screws, fuel, shipping, time to make, etc... For someone like me who is not making a living from my woodworking, it would be a skill building exercise and a way to save upwards of over $100, maybe even $150, based on the current price at Woodcraft of $280.

Perfect video 👍😊

Like you I am very tall with a bad back. I bought the pro version like yours and discovered the holes in the feet exactly matched the dog holes in my Sjoberg bench! This this allows me to plane wood and cut dovetails standing upright. Very pleased with mine!

Totally agree!

Most people make table top work benches out of scrap wood and extra parts they have laying around. I actually had one several years ago that pivoted up and down as well as had a twin screw vise. (Wish I could remember what I did with it, lol.) It was sort of like a miniature workmate.

Thank you.

could you maybe make a short showing the whole workbench as regards to how it is made? thank you

Just bought one for €194, very nice and sturdy (and exact). The pro is nicer than the budget version

I'm gonna have to go against the grain on this one (pun intended lol). I say build it. You have the skill, and you can build it exactly how you want it. Yes, more time, definitely more money.... but we're not exactly in a rush (most of the time)... and I like to enjoy the process of making a jig. There is def a place to build or buy. I say: Build it! Keep up the good work!

How is the vise made? I want to build one with walnut, maple and possibly hickory. Already have the lumber and hardware to make everything. I just am wondering how the hardware on the vise is put together. Thanks.

Nice infomercial. Sjoberg's money was well spent sending this to you.

Buy