Are You In A Hurry? Here’s A Quick Summary
The rock-solidJawhorse is the best choice if you are looking for the ability to clamp things. The reliable Workmate is a traditional, multi-purpose workbench that you can rely on.
For more information, please read
Although there are many manufacturers that produce Workmate-like products, Black and Decker is the only one that has been around for decades.
This article will compare the timeless Workmate with a relatively new child on the block, the Jawhorse from Rockwell Tools.
Both instruments are designed to be multi-function workbenches/vises/clamping devices, which conveniently fold up to make for practical portability and convenient storage.
So, if youve been looking for your first portable workbench/workstation, and wondering if the Workmate is better than the Jawhorse, youve come to the right place.
Take a look at each tool and evaluate their price, weight, portability, ease-of-use, and multi-functionality. By the end you should be able to determine which one is the best overall multi-purpose workbench.
General Overview: Jawhorse And Workmate
In general, portable workbenches/workstations like the Jawhorse and Workmate serve two purposes: hold things, and clamp things.
There are millions of reasons you might need these tools as a DIYer. You can be sure that each one is superior to the bulky, awkward, heavy horses that take up as much space as your car.
Consider a few applications and see if one tool is better in each situation.
Clamping
Let me just say that the Jawhorse will be better for any application in which you use the workstation to clamp/vice. The Jawhorse clamping mechanism feels stronger and more secure than the Workmate.
The Workmate clamping mechanism is controlled by twisting the two knobs on either side of the station – it works well enough, but there always seems to be some degree of Im-not-so-sure-this-is-gonna-hold-type feeling. The Jawhorse is a different story. It’s a vice that looks like the Jaws of Death. You can also use it with just one hand, unlike the Workmate. Simply slide the vice along the track until it touches the clamp you are using, flick the lock switch and then push down on the foot pedal. This will bind the vice into place. This video shows the Jawhorse at work.
The Jawhorse’s vice can be flipped around to use the foot end of the Jawhorse for larger items. This makes it far more versatile than the Workmate which can only clamp items up to 5 cm in width. Jawhorse can reach up to 10 cm.
If you need to clamp something vertically, the only situation where the Jawhorse is more efficient is when the Workmate is used.
Holding
Sorry for the silly subtitle (holding), but that’s really what workbenches do. You put stuff on them and they hold it. As a table. (Should they be called « worktables » instead of « workbenches? »
The Workmate is more efficient as a workbench.
It is easy to see the similarities. The Jawhorse does not have any function other than a clamp.
The Workmate on the other side has plenty of surface to paint, draw blueprints or do whatever else you need.
We will tell you that this is a common problem on the Jawhorse. All it takes to make it a workbench is to clamp a piece of wide wood. It can only be used up to 8 cm in width before it becomes tippy. However, that’s enough to make it a small flat workspace.
Other Considerations: Jawhorse Or Workmate
Okay, let’s talk about price. We dont want to throw an exact price out there for each, because you can always find sales/specials/promotions etc out there online. You might even consider buying used. The Jawhorse is generally a bit more expensive than the Workmate.
We said that sales are usually easy to find. Let’s assume they are the same price for all purposes.
You should also consider weight, portability, storage capabilities, and other factors.
The Workmate is about 9kg lighter than the Jawhorse. This is quite significant. It folds down more compactly. Both fold up beautifully and don’t take up much storage. We love the Workmate’s ability to fold flat into a square. You can hang it or stack things on it.
Even though the Jawhorse folds up nicely, it is a bit awkward and might be difficult to fit in your garage. The Workmate is the winner when it comes to portability and storage.
What is the overall multi-functionality of ?
What are the many uses of ?
We can’t go into too much detail, but we have found that the Workmate has a lot more uses than the Jawhorse. The Jawhorse can be used as a clamp, just like we said. Although it is a great clamp, it’s only a large clamp. Here’s an interesting video that shows how creative you can be with the Workmate.
*Update: Black and Decker recently released the Workmate Deluxe. They’ve added even more features to a workbench. You can see it in action here.
Bottom Line
What’s the verdict?
Jawhorse is the perfect vice/clamping tool for anyone who doesn’t like the clamping ability of their Workmate.
We recommend the Workmate for all purposes. It will have many uses, and it is the best portable workbench.
You can order both the Jawhorse and Workmate online.
