Garage workbenches

Not sure about work benches but at 21 and buying your first house you're doing things right so just want to say keep at it.

I have the 8ft Craftsman bench from Sears. I've had it for 7 years and it has been great. I love the size. I keep my tools on a set of Wall Control steel pegboards and underneath my bench in a Craftsman tool cabinet.

-MAVERICK- wrote:

Not sure about work benches but at 21 and buying your first house you're doing things right so just want to say keep at it.

+1 Good for you!

-MAVERICK- wrote:

Not sure about work benches but at 21 and buying your first house you're doing things right so just want to say keep at it.

Thank you sir and will do!

731chopper wrote:

I have the 8ft Craftsman bench from Sears. I've had it for 7 years and it has been great. I love the size. I keep my tools on a set of Wall Control steel pegboards and underneath my bench in a Craftsman tool cabinet.

I really like the craftsman ones so glad to hear that they are pretty nice

These might be a good option as well....



Bunch more here: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Tool-Storage-Tool-Chests-Mobile-Workbenches/N-5yc1vZcerm

Harbor freight stuff is pretty good especially for the money check out what they have. Or check Craigslist honestly, stuff like that gets discounted massively.

Like a snap on tool box that's 8K new you can get for 1100 with tools in it pretty much any day

Ive got a wood one currently. Can say for sure i wish i had a metal work surface. Wood gets beat up after a while.

Zaugg wrote:

These might be a good option as well....



Bunch more here: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Tool-Storage-Tool-Chests-Mobile-Workbenches/N-5yc1vZcerm

Not sure how I didn’t see that one, but that is damn nice for the price lol

I would build something if I were you. You can built it exactly how you want and it shouldn't cost more than buying something prefabbed. I built this workbench for about $40 and used cedar since it smells nice. A friend gave me the stainless steel top, but I could have but a nice chunk of hardwood in there too.

It was pure coincidence that a Craftsman 42 inch box fits inside there so well...which I bought later to consolidate all my moto tools. Hand tools in the black box, auto tools in the red.

Micahdogg wrote:

I would build something if I were you. You can built it exactly how you want and it shouldn't cost more than buying something prefabbed. I built this workbench for about $40 and used cedar since it smells nice. A friend gave me the stainless steel top, but I could have but a nice chunk of hardwood in there too.

It was pure coincidence that a Craftsman 42 inch box fits inside there so well...which I bought later to consolidate all my moto tools. Hand tools in the black box, auto tools in the red.

I love everything about your setup except how do you drink keystone light it taste like piss

First off, congrats on the new home! Secondly, make sure you have flood insurance!

Now, on to the workbench. Here's a pic of when I started cleaning out my old batcave a few years back. You can see the workbench built from 4x4's and 2x4's with plywood top and shelf. 24 deep and 8 foot long. Metal brackets and screws holding it all together. Soaks up excess oil nicely for a well seasoned work surface! Solid as can be at 25 years old now and survived the recent flood too...

Thread here: http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Spoke-with-my-tools,1297353?exclusive_forum_user=false&mobile=false&page=1

Save your money.

Scour Craigslist and local facebook "for sale" groups for kitchen cabinets. You can get them dirt cheap (sometimes free if you offer your labor to remove them before they are out) and you get so much storage space for your $$$.

Shop your local Menard's Lowes, HD, etc., for clearance laminate counter top.I like laminate because it's cheap, pretty durable, and easy to replace 5-10 years down the road when it starts getting dinged up. Melamine sheet also works really good and you can gain about 2" of usable space by not having a backslash.

I like pegboard between the base and upper cabinets for the tools that get used on the regular.

My favorite workbenches are my ones built on top of base cabinets. It is just so handy to have those big storage compartments underneath. I threw a nice coat of paint on mine and added some SS hardware. They look sharp.

For $600, if you are thrifty, you could probably fit your whole garage with used cabinets and laminate counter tops vs maybe one nice ~36 to 60" tool chest workstation. You will always want more counter and storage space than you think you can need.

If this is your first time being a home owner, I am just worried that you are going to be surprised with all of the little financial gremlins that consistently pop up.

I would be looking on craigslist. Workbenches are a dime a dozen. You can find custom made ones as well as manufactured ones. If you get lucky you will get something old with solid steel frame and will last a life time. My Dad got his one and only work bench from an old Northrup machine shop. It is a monster but has literally lasted 50 years, and still going.

I was able to do all of this for just under 1200. If you just want the benches with lower cabinets would probably be about 600. All ikea stuff, and was actually semi impressed that it's not absolute garbage.

Micahdogg wrote:

I would build something if I were you. You can built it exactly how you want and it shouldn't cost more than buying something prefabbed. I built this workbench for about $40 and used cedar since it smells nice. A friend gave me the stainless steel top, but I could have but a nice chunk of hardwood in there too.

It was pure coincidence that a Craftsman 42 inch box fits inside there so well...which I bought later to consolidate all my moto tools. Hand tools in the black box, auto tools in the red.

That fridge says kegerator all over it

I'm with Newmann, 3/4" plywood, 2x4's and 4x4's, 8ft x2ft.


I also built a rolling cart with lockable casters

Congrats on the house OP... some good suggestions in here, building a new metal shed/garage soon myself, digging everyones input.

I realize you said you didnt want to build but you can assemble a quality, sturdy, inexpensive bench with a customizable size in about 2 hours using this:

https://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-90164-2x4basics-Workbench-Shelving/dp/B0030T1BRE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1509047920&sr=8-5&keywords=Workbench

My free time is extemely limited as well but mine came out great and was well worth the couple hours it consumed. Read the reviews; they say it all.

I did a rolling bench 4x8 and put all my tools under it, I can push it up against the wall to save space or roll it out for bigger projects.
I also recently bought the Kobalt one from lowes to use at my work. It has a metal base and wood top, its pretty sturdy and has metal cabinet options as well.

There are some good work bench videos on YouTube. It might be worth your time to build what you want or buy a used one. No way I would sink 600$ into a store bought work bench. At 21 with your first house your gonna need that money for beer.

Another vote for used kitchen cabinets. I have less than $300 into my work bench which consists of two 8-10ft sections with overhead cabinets.

6 foot x 24 inches deep from Sam's Club for $199.00 each. Painted these to match the barstools in our break room here at work.

Could easily add shelves to these and the top is damn heavy.

Seen this little advertisement at Menards last night for floor coating. I love the workbench and cabinet setup

I also say used cabinets and counter top from reuse store. Got all this for $200

My $500 garage

Nothing to add except that I love these threads!

This thread is fantastic. Just moved and have a much larger garage (that will not have any cars in it, as agreed by my wife).

Doing some electrical and putting in some good lighting this weekend. Insolation, walls and floors will be next.

Work bench, sink, compressor, hydraulic press and parts washer are all in the plan. A hobby mill and lathe would be sweet too.

Another vote for kitchen type cabinets. I built these from scrap years ago and they are still great. The top is 2x6 laminated together with 1/4 ply tongues and finished with some poly urethane. It gives a sturdy works surface and a good place to mount the vise.