Before anyone say it, yes, I know that as a working chippy I should be able to
make my own.... The fact is that on pretty much all the bigger jobs I go onto I do just that - I make a pair of trestles from timber, and I set them to match my/the site's mitre saw - but on smaller jobs it isn't going to happen, so having a pair of folding ones which don't weigh too much and can easily be carried in a small van work just fine for me.
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I've probably been using folding trestles for 14 or 15 years, now. I started out with a pair of ZAGs, a model long since gone because Stanley eventually took them over, but the current
Stanley model 1-92-855 Saw Horses isn't that much different from my originals. These trestles are a tad large for many car boots, but on the plus side they are rated at 455kg/pair. In the past I've laid some stud scants (3 x 2s) across a pair and unloaded the contents of a van, some 20 plus sheets of Formica-clad 18mm MDF onto them (or a bit more than the rated loading) and they haven't failed. The trestles depend on a 2-part folding shelf to tie the two legs together. The top rail has rubber anti-slip inserts (near useless) and fold-up "ears" at the outer ends to stop your work going by-byes
Good points: They are reasonably sturdy (see below). They fold up small enough to go into a small van or estate dar but you may struggle getting them into the boot of a smaller car. Strong enough to carry a man's weight. The included X-form plastic work holders can be a help if dealing with round pipes, logs, etc. Relatively inexpensive (
£30 and upwards a pair if you hunt around)
Bad points: The plastic hinges at the tops of he legs and in the folding shelf/stay aren't all that robust and will eventually break - they are none-repairable. Inability to adjust for uneven ground
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Having gone through 2 or 3 sets of the heavier trestles I replaced my completely shot pair last year with a pair of folding metal trestles from
Tool Station (ref. 40906). These are Silverline products and
initially they seemed pretty good. They folded up very tightly and tool up a lot less space in the van. They weren't rated as heavily, only 200kg/pair, but that didn't matter because I always carry a hop-up. Problem is that they didn't stay good for very long. The steel stays were very soft (in fact all the steel used is thin and a bit soft) and started to bend around week 2. They were also a lot slower to erect than my old ZAGs. Worse still there is no stay between the A-frame legs and the top rail which means that if you bump into the trestles when they are loaded they can collapse and drop the work piece or whatever they are carrying on the floor. After a couple of those they went into the garage never (?) to be retreived. In order to cure this I npotice that Axminster are selling their
own version with extra stays
Good points: They fold-up to a tiny space (relative to other trestles). Low cost.
Bad points: Pot metal construction and lack of stays renders them likely to collapse. Metal cross piece means that you need to attach a timber baulk to each to safeguard youtr saw blades. Narrow tops. Inability to adjust for uneven ground
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The Silverline trestles were retired in haste following another collapse and a pair of
Stanley 1-92-038 Junior Saw Horses. Boy, was that ever a mistake! These are much narrower than the 1-92-855s and much lighter. Than means that they can and will fall over if you push them sideways with any force. Stanley rates these at 170kg loading
each, but not so long ago I destroyed one by loading a kitchen worktop (circa 95kg) onto them a mite too roughly. The weak point is the folding stays which keep the legs from opening out. Looking around almost everyone I've worked with who's bought these (or the B&D or Faithfull knock-offs) has had one or more of these stays fail. I've currently go all four kaput at one time! As in their larger cousins these have fold-up "ears" at the outer ends to stop your work going by-byes, but overall at about 570mm wide I just find them too small
Good points: Relatively low cost (although no appreciably cheaper than the heavier model).
Bad points: Too light - can easily be overturned when you are trying to load stuff on them. Dreadfully weak plastic hinges which are, frankly, a joke. Narrow tops. Inability to adjust for uneven ground
I'm currently looking round once more, for the second time in 18 months, which is really depressing. I'd be happy to pay more, but having looked at Stanley's latest offering, the
1-92-980 adjustable leg heavy duty aluminium saw horse, at £70/pair or thereabouts (street price), I'm unconvinced. They are, after all, still composed of a lot of plastic. Is there something I'm missing here, or are most of the products on the market a pile of cheap pooh?
