No matter what you build or how you organize your crew, you can’t go wrong setting up a central cutting station. You may be like me and work on top of an old door with folding legs, or work on 2×12 planks set on sawhorses. But if you get tired of rebuilding these job-built stations, or worse–if you find them in the Dumpster because your crew thought they were scrap–check out these manufactured, portable workstations.
The units I reviewed for this article provide solid work surfaces. Their collapsible designs and wheel kits make them relatively easy to set up and take down. As I found out, some are easier to operate than others, but these setups are perfect for multiple tasks and their outfeed supports allow you to work with long stock alone. The workstations are not cheap, however; most cost between $130 and $400. They’re also pretty large, and have lots of parts. The part count alone was enough to make me wonder about their cost versus benefit. I reviewed workstations from Delta, DeWalt, Iowa Manufacturing, Lee Unlimited, Milwaukee, Rousseau, Steelman, and TracRac.
Overview
These workstations fall into two distinct categories: bench type and beam type. The bench types (Delta, Lee Unlimited, Rousseau, and Steelman) have outfeed rollers or fixed outfeed supports. These workstations are essentially long, collapsible tables. They’re heavier than the beam types and take up more space whether set up or folded. But they’re beefier, too, and give you more room to work and more basic versatility.
Beam-type units (DeWalt, Iowa Manufacturing, Milwaukee, and TracRac) are folding, four-legged workstands (like a sawhorse) with outrigger work supports. You attach your miter saw to brackets, and those brackets connect to the stand’s top rail. You set the saw on the stand, then adjust your infeed/outfeed supports to proper height and support length. Depending on the unit, these brackets adjust to about 6 feet out from either side of the saw, but can go further as needed. By and large, this configuration is best suited for miter saws and some limited workbench duty, like routing trim. This type of station is generally easier to move. It also takes up less space and sets up faster than the bench types.
Despite my skepticism, I discovered both types of workstations can save lots of set-up and tear-down time in thelong run. There’s nothing to assemble on site, no one’s going to raid your workstation to use the lumber, you can cut alone, and they offer better efficiency for the contractor on the move. There are great differences between these tools, however. Depending on your needs, you may get more from one type than the other.
Bench Types
This tabletop design is best used as a multi-function workbench (as opposed to a miter-saw-specific cut station.) It works great for your miter saw, but you can also remove the saw and still have a wide, stable work platform with rollers or supports for routing, cutting, or even staging lumber. And, if you have the room, you can set up your portable table saw at one end and use the station as an outfeed table. I generally get the most use out of these units on longer duration jobs, especially trim jobs, where I need a good, straight tabletop for accurate cuts.
These benches are tough to move. Sure, they fold up and have wheels for easy transport, but they’re still heavy enough that I wouldn’t look forward to breaking them down and moving them every day. They also take up a lot of room. That’s a problem if you work out of your truck or have a small shop with limited storage space.
If you only have to move them infrequently, then you can really maximize their benefits. A good spot for a bench-type workstation is in the shop. You can move the unit around your floor space, use it for multiple jobs, or store it quickly depending on your needs.
One note: I wouldn’t permanently afix my miter saw to any of the bench-type stations without modifying my connections for easy saw removal. When you’re folding up the unit, the wheels can get away from you; I have nightmares about my $600 miter saw crashing to the ground while attached to the workstation.
Beam Types
Out of the box, beam-type workstations are designed to be used only as miter saw cutting stations. They’re light, fold easily, and–most important–take up a smaller chunk of storage space than their bench-type cousins.
But if you want to get multiple uses from the bench top like I do, buy extra brackets and retrofit them to some plywood for extra table space. This solution requires a small, additional set-up cost, but I think it’s worth it. You’ll end up with a small workbench that’s stable, straight, pretty tough, and easy to set up and break down.
Beam-type units fold up tightly enough to fit in your job box or behind the front seat of an extra-cab pickup truck. You can use this type of system if you work out of your truck for one-off jobs (set it up on a customer’s deck for a quick job) or for long-term projects like framing where you’ll use and store it on a jobsite for weeks.
Durability
Both types of workstations provide a dedicated place for your miter saws and other tools. They’re fairly tough, too. I left these units outside for a month and saw no signs of corrosion or wear. I think they can handle the elements over the long term, but your crew might be their biggest enemy. My crew can break almost anything and these units are no exception. By the same token, if your crew is gentler than mine and you’re only using the stations for trim work, they’ll probably last longer.
Smaller contractors probably will get the most out of portable workstations, especially beam-type units. You can set them up and break them down quickly each day. And, if you have a small crew, they’ll be less likely to abuse the workstations the way a large crew abuses things they didn’t buy themselves. For my sites, I’d get two: a beam-type unit like DeWalt’s for faster jobs, and a bench-type model like Delta’s or Rousseau’s for my shop and/or long-term trim work. And then there’s the Lee Unlimited Power Bench. I’d put this on a framing site as a set table. It’s indestructible.
Portable Workstation Reviews
Delta: This is a great table. Easy to set up and break down. The rollers are set up on a unique, adjustable bracket that lets you customize their length to support different material lengths. Model 50-155, $239. 800-223-7278, www.deltamachinery.com.
Lee Unlimited: While I loved the simple, innovative design, this model is heavy (85 lbs.) and cumbersome to set up. I’d use it as a framing station where I could leave it set up for awhile; you can really load it with lumber. Power Bench, $399. 605-365-5430, www.powerbench.com.
Rousseau Co.: This beautiful table offers a good, stable work area. I wouldn’t want to move this workstation around all the time. It’s easy to assemble, but there are lots of parts to adjust. Model HD2950, $299. 800-635-3416, www.rousseauco.com.
Steelman: This one’s the easiest bench-type stand to assemble and use. It has two outfeed rollers that adjust nicely. If I did end up breaking my table down each day, this would be one of my top choices. Powerbench model MS245W, $199. 800-255-7011, www.steelman-js.com.
DeWalt: With only four parts to assemble, this unit sets up and breaks down quickly and stores well. Saw mounts to two brackets that easily clip onto rail body. You could use extra clips on other tools for quick changeover. Model DW723, $229. 800-433-9258, www.dewalt.com.
Milwaukee: Light, stable, easily foldable workstation with nice price tag. Infeed/outfeed rollers are smooth but outriggers for extra length are hard to adjust. Same goes for table-height adjustments. Model 48-08-0450, $165. 877-729-3878, www.mil-electric-tool.com.
Iowa Manufacturing: Time-consuming assembly, but once set up is easy to fold. Outriggers extend to 106-inch work length. Aluminum keeps it light. Best used with single miter saw because of time it takes to adjust infeed/outfeed rollers. StableMate Model XWC-36, $140. 800-882-4422.
TracRac: Lots of parts to assemble. Tubular aluminum legs establish wide, stable base. Outfeed extension works well with good clamp. I liked the way you mount the saw to the table and then attach the table to the workstation. TracMaster, $200. 800-501-1587, www.tracrac.com.
Steve Veroneau owns Transformations LLC, a custom framing and trim company in Falls Church, Va., and is a contributing editor to Hanley-Wood’s Tools of the Trade.