Windsor Design Workbench with 3 Drawers, 60 Hardwood Surface

after reading the reviews on this product , I agree 100% , that its well made , good construction/design , easy assembly , NO missing parts , they really thought this design through and as far can tell didn't cut cost or use cheap wood . I still don't know what kind of Asian wood this is but its hard ! some other reviewers have said ," oak , ash , or mahogany even. I don't know but either way its sturdy and makes a fine work bench . some others have also complained about the draws and I found not one problem installing them or using , remember #19 goes on the right and #18 on the left during assembly . They slide in/out just fine and the added felt is another added feature too . this vise works good and it too is well made , why even the handles are of good constructed wood . I didn't "pre-drill" anything even though the directions said so , why because the wood screws self tap and just dig right in so I got a tighter fit drilling straight into raw wood . I DID GLUE EVERYTHING ! good old Elmer's exterior/interior wood glues what I use and by next day it dried hard and clean .the finish is perfect and beautiful ! This work bench is not cheaply made and thanks to the workers/craftsmen who constructed it overseas for shipping ! my box wasn't beat up as others have reported and not one scratch un-packing . this would be a great project for a parent and kid to do together also ! the bottom line : I DONT WANT TO USE MY WORK BENCH AND GET IT SCRATCHED or PAINT ON IT !!!!

IMHO, other than for shipping damage which is totally beyond the manufacturer's control, any rating under 4 stars are sour grapes. This is a very fine product and represents great value. The missus remarked "It's beautiful! That could go in my kitchen!" The directions are clear, the parts all clearly labelled. On the first build I removed all the parts from the packing and sorted them. It's obvious what each piece is. I then reviewed the instructions. The pictures could be little better, but they are definitely serviceable. Anyone with a modicum of mechanical skills won't have any trouble. [Those who wasted their youth playing video games not so much.] I assembled my second unit in under an hour and a quarter WITHOUT using the manual. YES, it really is that easy. The finish is adequate for a shop bench. For solvents, it should be protected. The drawers slide easily. They're great for holding light weight tools, sand paper, brushes, etc. Heavy stuff belongs in the tool chest. The only way anyone could get ball bearings all over the floor is by abusing the drawer slides The vise is good for holding. Don't use it to press bearings or other vice-busting work. It would be better if the drawer supports and edges were material other paper board, but with reasonable care in use they should prove serviceable. DO NOT overtighten the screws installing the lower support. STOP at the first resistance. FedEx did not ship the boxes flat as indicated thereon. This resulted in a couple of very minorly damaged drawer back edges. HINT: To install the shelf install the lower bolt only in the one of cross braces. Slide the shelf across that cross brace and rotate it up to lock the shelf in place. No assistance required.

Grade summary: A Materials quality - Very nice real wood, finished professionally, and strong metal parts. B+ Packaging - Each piece separately wrapped in bubble wrap. The overall box was nearly broken, but styrofoam protected the contents. D Directions - Horrible. It took a long and frustrating time to put this together, all because of the poor instructions. (Details below.) Overall, I was satisfied with this bench (once I finally got it put together). The only reason the instructions didn't get an 'F' is because I was able to assemble it. One idea I had after I assembled it was to add a power strip to the back, so I recommend that. In general, this met my needs. To the manufacturer: Please rewrite the instructions. I list some specific suggestions for improvements: 1. Provide a list of tools required. 2. Put the parts list up front, not in the back of the manual. Even better would be a separate page, so you can refer to it easily. 3. Put the quantity of each part on the parts list. 4. Provide pictures of ALL parts; none should be "not shown". 5. Give clear indications of orientation of parts in each assembly step. Examples in crude the vise. 6. Use better lighting for photos. Several are almost impossible to see properly. 7. Put steps in order. More than once, we are told something important three or four steps too late. For example, long after being told to screw something together, we are told to first drill pilot holes. 8. Make the Alan Wrench much easier to find. As it is, it's the same length and color as the screws, it's in a bag with the screws, and most-stupidly, it's in the bag with the Phillip-head screws, instead of in the bag with the hex screws! Furthermore, I strongly suggest that you put in pilot holes, instead of the customer having to. And while the "Connection Nut" approach is slick, they are a major pain to get to work. I would like to see a better method and / or connector for that portion of the bench.

I will be buying a second one soon. I have not done any heavy-duty woodworking as of yet. It has help organized my garage and it is a start a small woodworking shop. It looks nice and it was fun putting it together with my grandson.

Excellent value, well made, read the instructions before assembly so you figger out that they actually labeled the front of all the relevant parts :) This is a well made, solid workbench which I would recommend to anyone needing one. Be aware, you'll need two people to move it around when you get it, however, one person can assemble it. I'm a tall guy (6' 2") and also very short-sighted, so most workbenches are a little low for me. So I modified this one by adding a couple ox 2x4 stretchers on the bottom (which actually gave me another shelf) and added some Steelex 3" swivel casters. Brought it up to almost perfect height for me; no more back-breaking bending over while planing or sanding :) The one thing to watch for is that the dog holes along the front of the bench go straight through to the upper drawers; when doing a lot of sanding or anything else that produces dust or chips, make sure to tape over any of the dog holes you're not using. Highly recommended!

My husband bought this bench for me as a gift. The directions were easy to follow and it was fairly easy to put together, despite working around the broken pieces. Took the suggestion of some of the other reviewers and glued the joints as well as using the screws provided. Appears very sturdy. Drawers do not slide in and out as easily as expected, they seem to come part way out and stick, hoping that they loosen in time. I really would have given it 5 stars but the bench arrived in a box that was torn and battered, one piece that was for the side of a drawer was broken (glued it together), there was a large ding in the top edge of the bench and a drawer slide was bent. This is a great workbench, just wish they would pack it better so that the bench was better protected in shipping UPDATE: Contacted seller and they were willing to replace the damaged pieces or give a refund to cover the damaged pieces. Since the bench was already together and glued we took the refund for the damaged pieces. Seller was prompt in response and easy to work with to resolve the issues....updated this to 5 stars as working with seller was good experience.

I may have previously reviewed this product, having purchased it some months ago. The product itself is as advertised, so no problem there. HOWEVER, I would strongly caution anybody from doing any business, directly or indirectly with Windsor Design. While assembling the unit, I lost one of the rubber ends for the vise handle. I finally got around to phoning the company to see about getting a replacement part - I wasn't sure if they'd charge me or not, and I didn't really care. Well, there the horror begins. I phoned Windsor Designs, and was on hold for CLOSE TO AN HOUR, when one of their reps answered the phone. He spoke English - WHEN he spoke. I would tell him what I needed, and - SILENCE. "Hello, are you there?" Nothing. "HELLO are you there?!" Eventually, "I'm here. I'm checking on it." After about fifteen minutes of this, he asked if I would mind being put on hold (oh no) while he checks some more. Then, after another twenty minutes, CLICK! I was disconnected. I called back, but after waiting another half hour I gave up. I contacted the seller, a place called Cashpenny - and I should note here that they are not at all at fault in this matter, it's totally on Windsor Design. They (at Cashpenny) suggested I phone the manufacturer early in the morning, when they first open, in the hope they wouldn't be as buisy. I did that this morning. And indeed, I didn't have to wait long to speak to a rep. But no, they would not provide the part to me, whether or not I was willing to pay for it. They don't have any 'separate' units of that part. And, they had the audacity to suggest that I contact the seller, who "could perhaps take one out of a unit they have in inventory." Well then, what's the seller supposed to do with that unit, which would then be incomplete. So, buyer beware! If you purchase this unit, and all goes well, you'll be fine. But if you're missing something, say a part is defective or missing one of the components. Or, like me, you lose something... Well you're never going to get it from Windsor Design. Shame on them, very poor customer support, very bad service. My recommendation: Look elsewhere!

The quality of the wood and hardware are excellent. Everything fits well and assembles smoothly. The lower shelf has a protective laminate, as do the sides of the drawers. The felt lining is already applied to the bottom of the drawers. The built-in vise coordinates with the anvil pegs to form a clamping system. This is a really solid workbench. It is a little shorter than I was expecting, but the height is appropriate to the overall design, which is rock solid. A couple of construction tips: There is a tab on the sliding rails on the side of the drawers. Be sure to choose the sides so that this tab is at the front of the drawer. Inserting the drawers is not all that easy. Be sure that the sliding elements are pushed to the front edge of the rails. Place the drawer in place and push it in as far as it will go, which will not be all the way. Pull the drawer out and push it back in a couple of times. To get the drawer all the way in, pull it out and slam it sharply closed. It will go all the way in and move smoothly and freely after doing this. It won't jam if you slam it sharply, but it is a bit unnerving. The instructions don't mention this. I am very pleased to have this workbench. It is really excellent.