Beech Wood Workbenches

I was getting ready to build a classic workbench, but was tight on money and had several projects in the works. The table was easy to put together and did not take long at all. As for the durability it feels very solid, but I will put it to the test until I build my dream workbench. The one complaint that I had was the Bench dog holes had the finish that was sprayed onto the surface in the holes especially on the vises and you have to do some touch up to get the bench dogs to go in the pre-drilled holes. In addition you're going to want to want to go over the bench real quick with 500 grit or greater sandpaper to smooth the finish. Over all I think this is a good product and would definitely recommend this to a friend.

I purchased the 72" version of this bench from my local Rockler store with a 20% coupon. I compared it to a similar Sjobergs model and found the fit, finish and overall quality of the bench material to be much better. I also preferred the vice hardware on the Rockler, it is a bit more substantial than the Sjobergs. There's not much I can add to the other reviews, they sum up the pro's and con's quite well. I can confirm the comments regarding the finish, it required just a light sanding which took about 30 minutes but yielded a nice, smooth feel. And as mentioned by others, the support rails have a weird attachment method which requires jamming a screwdriver into the fastener socket for tightening.My table was packed correctly and all the parts were cut to the proper length. Like the other reviewers, I used my own glue for the dowel fittings. The one modification I made was to increase the overall height of the table. I am 6' and the 33" factory height was too low for me. I added a horizontal 4 x 4 to the base of the "H" leg system along with leveling feet which is just right for me.Two of the supplied bench dogs were slightly over-sized and a few of the drilled bench dog holes were slightly under-sized. I had to expand a few of the holes with light bore sanding.Overall, I'm very happy with this bench, the fit and finish are excellent, the weight is good and it works perfect in small basement shop.

For its price this is an good buy. Particularly like the hole layout on the top.

I can second most points Mr. Abraham makes above. Here is where I differ:1. I give it slightly higher marks (four stars). This product is a perfect fit for my needs, as a weekend project platform. There are fancier and more massive benches, and they cost 2x and up. 2. No issues at all with vise components, I am very pleased with them so far. A reference edge is ideally used during assembly to ensure vise ends are flush with the top. I guess anyone wanting this type of bench would already know that. 3. No problems with fit.4. The insets for the stretcher nuts are definitely a problem. It's the critical joint in the assembly; it needs to be tight, and periodically re-tightened. My recommendation is to replace the bolts with suitable hex bolts and install them in reverse - a hex wrench should have no problems in these insets. Yeah I know its ugly with the nuts in plain view. But if you get bolts long enough you have extra pegs to hang stuff on.5. I don't mind some wiggle room in the dog holes. Here in Florida the wood will swell up for 9 months out of the year, and the extra room is welcome. 6. the packaging was good, but the bench is HEAVY and one corner was a bit dinged in shipment. I just took a rasp to it and smoothed it over - not an issue for me. 7. The trestle design of the legs is a big plus. The footers provide adequate space to install casters. I hope this can help set your expectations - keep in mind that overall I think this bench is a good value and I recommend it.

I purchased the 72" bench at a local store with a 20% off coupon so, I am very happy with the price and the quality of the bench. Following the reviews of the previous gentlemen, I found the following:1. Directions are pretty bad. Lay everything out on the floor and study the pictures on line. Then it makes sense. I lucked out with the dog holes on the legs. I never even thought about it. You will need 10mm and a 3/4" wrenches, a screw driver and 320 grit sandpaper. Assembly time for me was about 2 1/2 hours.2. The finish is okay. Lightly sand all of the parts prior to assembly. You will love yourself for it.3. The glue was the consistency of peanut butter so I didn't use it although I thought it was nice of Rockler to include it.4. The vises, dogs and plywood shelf fit perfectly for me. No missing parts.5. I did have a problem with spinning bolts but I solved it with the screw driver mentioned above.6. One of the nice features of this bench is that you can install the plywood as a shelf or a tray. You could also install it at the bottom to leave room for cabinets or drawers. That said,I recommend not gluing the joints with the bolts until you decide how to configure the shelf/tray. This is a well thought out, high quality bench at a very good price. I recommend it.