• "Correcting misconceptions about this great product"

Review excerpt:

No, I don't work for BD, nor does anyone I am related to. I have NO stake in the company. I'm just a mechanically inclined person who likes tools, knows how to use them, and probably spends too much time thinking, reading and opining about them. And, here I go again...

Regarding all the comments about the drive belt slipping, IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, you morons!! Oops, did I say that out loud? Anyway, the belt WILL NOT BREAK from this slipping. The original Workmates didn't have that feature, which made the user crank both handles, everytime, ALL the time. The SLIPPING plastic belt is there to speed up the process by homing both sides of the vise jaws against the workpiece, so you THEN can TIGHTEN both vise screws USING TWO HANDS. It's a speed and convenience feature, not a way to torque both sides with one handle. All of the people who complained about the poor instructions were coincidentally the same people who did a likewise poor job of reading them, I guess. Certainly, it can't be any fault of theirs the darn thing doesn't work exactly as they misconceive it should!

Aside from being stamped steel instead of cast aluminum, this modern version is every bit as functional as the originals, if not as cool. Yes, they cheaped it up, but the same parts are there, doing the same jobs, just for less money. If they were still cast aluminum, they'd probably be $200 or $300 these days.

You don't fully appreciate the brilliance of the Workmate until you read about it and it's inventor in the book "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis. It sounds silly, but it is truly a riveting story of a young English guy living in an apartment, who needed a workbench, and then persisted when everyone turned him down, to create one of the best selling, most unique, long-lived tools ever. It's genius! And you'll see pictures of many of the various versions of the Workmate that have existed. The first few prototypes are a riot. Hard to believe he went from those to this, but he did!
Check your local library for a copy of the book, or buy it right here on amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561582700/103-9694295-6840628?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

In conclusion, the Workmate 425 is an amazing tool. I'm less enthustiastic about the smaller versions, and versions with idendity crises like the WM525, but the 425 and older models that look the same are awesome. And it's a great tool stand.

When I was younger, I used to think the Workmate was the dumbest thing I'd ever seen. I wouldn't have been caught dead using this Father's day nightmare gimmick of a gift. But after reading The Workbench Book, I bought one. I use mine alot more than even I thought I would or could, and it never ceases to amaze me the things I can do with it, with a little creative thought. After myself, it's the most versatile tool in my shop. In fact, I'm planning to buy another one right now. If only I could find one of those retro-cool cast aluminum jobs! No luck so far! Can't even find one for sale, ebay or elsewhere. And I've been looking on and off for about 2 years. Does that tell you ANYTHING? It should.

Aside from the few walking human safety hazards that have reviewed this product here on Amazon, most of what has been said is true. The box the 425 comes in is HORRIBLE, and falls apart in shipping, or even when trying to get it out of the trunk of the car and into the garage. But you don't use the box, do you? Yes, it can be a little time consuming to put together, but you'll get there. Don't tighten the bolts for the top until you get them ALL on, and clamp the vise screws down tight. Then the table boards will align to each other, and you can final torque the fasteners.

But the guy who keeps dropping it on his foot needs to stay out of the garage before he hurts someone. It's a physical impossiblity for this product to fall down with the extension feet properly extended, which is sure not difficult to figure out. Rotate them outward until they stop! Get real! Not to mention anther comment, "I was dissapointed because the top in the picture looks like some sort metal and mine was wood?" You're a WHAT enthusiast? After reading these reviews, I truly pity people and companies that sell consumer products, don't you?! How can you not?

(5 Stars)

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