Harbor Freight Work Bench Question

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Fireengines

Fireengines

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Plano, TX
Now that I have a Jet JML-1041I lathe, I need place to put it.

Now it is sitting on a workbench that is way too high for comfortable turning. So, I need to get something that can accommodate the lathe and additional equipment.
I've been looking at the Harbor Freight 60" Workbench with 4 Drawers (http://www.harborfreight.com/60-inch-workbench-93454.html) and it appears it will provide a comfortable turning position and a surface for additional equipment and tool storage. On top of that it is on sale +20% off.

I have not seen this yet but before I do, does anyone have one and what do you think? Also, are there other economical options I should consider?
 
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I have owned one for a couple of years and like the bench. It's well-made, sturdy and is square so it sits just fine on concete. The only real weakness is the drawers and slides as they are just "ok" quality. For the price, you really can't go wrong.
 
Don't be fooled into thinking the entire work surface is as thick as the sides, it is not. The sides/edges hang down considerably farther but for the price it's a decent workbench.
 
Lathe stand

Heres a little thing I did, I went to Lowes and got one of those wire shelf units and the shelves are adjustable and I took a piece of plywood and cut it to fit around the upright posts. It's also alot cheaper.
 

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I bought one of the HF Benches last month and have had my Delta 46-460 with an extension added bolted to it. Now I am truly back into the turning business after losing a lot of my shop to hot water heater flood a few months back.

For me at 6' 2" it is just about the right height, but it is just a bit high. It sits on a cement basement floor that doesn't have a flat spot I believe anywhere, but it sits rock solid. I have done a couple of heavy duty bowls on it and it never moved or vibrated.

Yes, the drawers are a bit hokey, but I have all of my gouges in the drawers along with the other extraneous tools and gadgets I used for my turning endeavors.

If you are tall enough to handle the height of the lathe mounted on the bench top, then I would definitely recommend it for you. I like the darned thing so much, I'm buying a second one tomorrow and will be using it as an auxiliary bench for various purposes.

Rick (mtgrizzly52)
 
Fireengines said:
Now that I have a Jet JML-1041I lathe, I need place to put it.

Now it is sitting on a workbench that is way too high for comfortable turning. So, I need to get something that can accommodate the lathe and additional equipment.
I've been looking at the Harbor Freight 60" Workbench with 4 Drawers (http://www.harborfreight.com/60-inch-workbench-93454.html) and it appears it will provide a comfortable turning position and a surface for additional equipment and tool storage. On top of that it is on sale +20% off.

I have not seen this yet but before I do, does anyone have one and what do you think? Also, are there other economical options I should consider?
Click to expand...

:smile::smile: I have had this workbench for several years. It's very sturdy, made of hardwood, and just the right height to pull a chair up to and work at a comfortable level, or stand at and turn. The drawers are lined and large, but do not open to full length. Table is predrilled for wooden bench dogs, that are included, and end vice is also drilled for metal tail dogs that are included You could not go out and buy the wood and hardware for this price. I keep my disk sander, mini miter saw, tube cutter, and a craftsman old style wooden tool box on the back half, and still have plenty of room for assembly, work space, plus a raido on the front half. The shelf on the bottom runs full length and is as wide as the top with a lip all around to keep things from falling off. It's easy to put together with good instructions to follow. First thing I did was put 4 locking wheels on the legs so I could easly move it around if I wanted. This weekend HF ran an ad for $139.95 - 20% off, that's just over $110.00. Plus if you don't like it for any reason, you can return it for a full refund. I will usualy build my own work stations for a single purpose use, but at this price, ( I paid $109-20% way back when) it wasn't worth the effort or time to build something. Takes about 1-1/2 hours to put it together if you do it alone, less if someone helps you. You could shorten the height by cutting down the legs if need be. I am 5' 8" and have no problems with the height, even with 3" wheels added to it. If you havn't quessed by now, I am very pleased with it. ~ Jim S
 
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I have one and have my Nova lathe mounted on it. I did, however, bolster up the bolts that hole it together. Have had no trouble, thus far, with vibration. Good choice as I keep my chucks and tool rest's in the drawers as well a other "lathe stuff" so it is close at hand.
Happy turning. :biggrin::biggrin:
Ron
 
I'll be the odd-man out by saying $160 is a lot of money if you simply need a stand for the lathe.
I'm not saying the HF isn't an ok bench.

However:

The first stand I built was for a full length cast iron lathe.
It looks like a sawhorse on steroids; it was made using a couple of 2x6's, 2x4's and a 2x10 top to bolt the lathe to.

Recently, I built a workstand for a Jet mini using 5 - 2x4 kiln-dried studs plus material I had for the top.
Including glue and screws, maybe I've got $16.00 invested.
It took me roughly 6 hours to build. Granted, I don't have drawers YET but I will.

Both the sawhorse style stand and the recent workbench are rock solid with absolutley no racking and no movement while in use.
 
I have had one now for the couple of months that i have been turning, and love it! as stated before it is very sturdy! only thing i can think of it that the drawers dont slide out far enough, and find somthing to plug the holes in the table top. i guess it was a newbie mistake but i ended up cleaning shaving out of my top two drawers after my first pen! other than that i love it!
 
If all you need is a stand you can build your own - it's not rocket science and the ones I've built are all rock solid and will last longer than I will.

If you need a work bench then there are quite a few choices and a huge range of prices - also lots of plans if you want to build your own.
 
Smitty37 said:
If all you need is a stand you can build your own - it's not rocket science and the ones I've built are all rock solid and will last longer than I will.

If you need a work bench then there are quite a few choices and a huge range of prices - also lots of plans if you want to build your own.
Click to expand...

Agree with Smitty... if all you need is a stand, here's one I built for my 1014... it ain't purty, but it is functional... 2x4's in an "A" frame with a box of rocks on the bottom for stability and on wheels so I can move it about... all told with the lathe weighs about 200 lbs...
 

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Well, I purchase the bench. The perfect height. I did however, use some wood glue when putting the drawers together.

I also purchased a tool cabinet from Lowe's, using a Harbor Freight 20% off coupon. No questions asked.

I unpacked my band saw and drill press last week. What product do they use to coat their equipment? Now the entire garage smells like Harbor Freight.

Finally, the band saw was easy to put together. However, the drill press lacked decent instructions. Heck, it made Ikea look good.

I only wish the saw had a fence.
 
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Stand

Yep, the miter saw stand works great. It makes life much easier when I decide to take the lathe to the farmer's market.

Adam
DSCN2402.jpg
 
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