Best Black and Decker Workmate - Comparison Table & UK Reviews
Thanks for taking your time to read our reviews on the best Black and Decker Workmate. The Workmate has been around for years in the UK. Black and Decker have released various models and changes to this handy workbench over the years.
At the moment in the UK they have 5 slightly different models.
In this article we compare these and see which is the best option for your individual needs.
When the company designed this type of folding workbench, it was basically to give the DIY person at home, an extra pair of hands. The actual design is simple, and is easy to set up and put away relatively neatly.
The principle is that you can fix the piece you are working on to the workbench so that you can work on it with both hands without the risk of it moving.
These workmates will hold any material up to 115 mm in width and weighting up to 250 kg.
Thanks to its dual clamping cranks, you can work on irregular shaped items and, together with adjustable swivel pegs and jaw retention grooves, the workbench delivers even higher clamping versatility and reliable material hold.
Some models have what is called a dual height, and that allows you to use this as a workbench or as a saw horse.
Top 5 Workmates by Buyer Rating
The top 5 are as follows:
Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
1 | BLACK+DECKER WM536 Dual Height | 84% |
2 | BLACK+DECKER WM125 | 88% |
3 | Black + Decker Workmate 1000 WM1000-XJ Clamping Table | 86% |
4 | BLACK+DECKER Deluxe Workmate WM825-XJ | 84% |
5 | BLACK+DECKER Workmate WM301 | 81% |
We have included a quick comparison table below. All measurements are in cms.
The main difference in these is that some are dual height. This means they can be used as a workbench, a bench tool stand, a vice or a sawhorse. It simply means you can get more use out of them in day to day tasks.
Workmate Comparison Table
Folded | Vice Opening | Jaw Length | Table Width | Max Load | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WM125 | 83 x 74 x 20 | 0-11.5 | 61 | 38.4 | 160 kg |
WM536 | 61 x 74 x 19.5 | 0-13.6 | 61 | 38.4 | 250 kg |
WM626-XJ | 74.2 x 74 x 20 | 0-13.6 | 74 | 38.4 | 250 kg |
WM825-XJ | 83 x 74 x 20 | 0-20.5 | 74 | 54.1 | 250 kg |
WM536 | 61 x 74 x 19.5 | 0-13.6 | 61 | 38.4 | 250 kg |
WM301 | 63 x 89 x 13 | 0-11.5 | 61 | 34.1 | 160 kg |
Just below, we have also completed some summary reviews on each of these, so as you can see which is the best option for you.
No 1 - BLACK+DECKER WM536 Dual Height Summary Review
- 84% Customer Satisfaction with 62% of all buyers giving this model a full 5 star review
- This model is a dual height option
- Like all workmates it does fold up fairly flat for easier storage
- Made of steel with rubber feet
- It had dual clamping cranks, adjustable swivel pegs and jaw retention grooves
- Has the flexibility to clamp odd-shaped objects.
No 2 - BLACK+DECKER WM125 Summary Review
- 88% customer satisfaction with 64% of all buyers giving this model a full 5 star review
- It has a durable steel frame with rubber non skid feet which helps prevent sliding
- It measures 33.3 by 5 by 5 inches and weighs just under 18 lbs
- It does fold flat for easy storage
- Comes with 4 swivel pegs and dual clamp cranks
- The work surface is 9 x 24"
No 3 - Black + Decker Workmate 1000 WM1000-XJ Clamping Table Summary Review
- 86% buyer satisfaction rating with 61% of all buyers giving this model a full 5 star review
- 670 x 460 mm worktop made from stable bamboo
- Maximum load: 250 kg
- Ergonomic footrest
- Clamping depth: 46 mm; working height: up to 165 mm; opening for clamping jaws
- 4 clamping pieces made from high-quality plastic
No 4 - BLACK+DECKER Deluxe Workmate WM825-XJ Summary Review
- 84% buyer satisfaction rating with 62% of all buyers giving this model a full 5 star review
- Like most Workmates this one has a steel frame construction
- It does fold flat for easy storage
- The heavier steel construction allows support of up to 250 kg
- Comes with swivel pegs and jaw retention grooves
- Has an advanced one-handed clamp system allows clamps to be adjusted together or independently
- The front jaw swings up for vertical clamping, increasing flexibility to clamp odd-shaped objects
No 5 - BLACK+DECKER Workmate WM301 Summary Review
- 81% buyer satisfaction rating with 55% of all buyers giving this model a full 5 star review
- Like most Workmates this one has a steel frame construction and folds flat for easy storage
- Has dual clamping cranks
- Comes with adjustable swivel pegs and jaw retention grooves
- Has rubber feet
- Vice jaw opening: 0 - 115mm
- Working height: 760mm
Workmate Buying Tips
- As you can see these workmates are all very similar in what they do.
- They have a steel frame which has been coated to help prevent rust.
- That frame has rubber feet which helps stop the bench from moving around
- The frame then folds relatively flat which allows you to set it against a wall, or hang it up out of the way, to stop it taking up room in your storage
- After that it is basically two wooden strips on top that when put together make a small bench
- You can then separate these two wooden strips by cranking two handles and that creates a vice space between the two strips. Into those you can insert material work pieces and then tighten the handles to secure the piece.
- With the dual height models you have 2 choices of height so it can be used as a bench and like a basic saw horse - personally we prefer this as it gives you more use out of the workmate
- The swivel pegs plug into holes and this gives you width options for clamping
- They can sometimes be a pain to assemble so we have included a video below
Overall, we think these are a useful item for any DIY person, as it simply gives you an extra pair of hands. We also know from reading the reviews that many people get frustrated with these.
Those frustrations are down to people trying to use them for tasks that they are not able to do. These are not heavy duty work benches, but they are fine for sawing some wood on, and for doing basic DIY jobs.
People also complain about the assembly of these and to be fair the instructions are woeful. That is why we put a video up here, and if you follow that, you will get it done.
When assembled, they will feel a bit wobbly, but it is not a huge issue. After all these use thin steel and fold up, so they will never be as solid as a properly made work bench.
Hopefully you have found this information on Black and Decker workmates useful.