Of the products we tested, WORX’s reinforced-steel chassis and Keter’s 3D design were particularly impressive tools of the trade. The stated maximum weight capacity is 100kg, but it felt wobbly even when we loaded it with a wheel and tyre. It’s best left for lighter duty jobs such as painting, where the price means you won’t be so worried about messing it up like you might a more expensive workbench. Clarke CFWB1 The two bench boards are fixed horizontally, but the clamping edges are shaped to grip smaller items such as pipes or fastenings. It folds up into a compact and almost flat shape, making it practical to hang on a wall. When unfolded, the hinged legs allow for two working heights, meaning you can work on taller items without having to stand on your tip toes. There’s also a step, which can also be used to steady the bench while sawing or wrestling with a rusty bolt.

The load-bearing capacity of just 200kg is the second-lowest we recorded (Draper hasn’t published figures for their product), though we did like the PWB 600’s integral storage tray and grippy feet.Any workbench will be between 800mm and 900mm high once assembled, though taller patrons, in particular, should look for products approaching the latter height to avoid stooping.

The Keter is particularly impressive, offering loads of horizontal space for resting drills, saws, spirit levels and other essential items while clamping an object. Even the Wolfcraft, whose 180kg max payload is the lowest we recorded, shouldn’t be stretched by internal doors or cabinets. Draper provides limited information on this workbench, but it’s not our shortlist’s most sophisticated or advanced product. It’s by some distance the cheapest, which is a compelling advantage, though you get what you pay for with this workbench.

Bosch claims you can dismantle their product in five seconds, which is an impressive claim if hardly ground-breaking. Our primary concern — and the reason for its relatively low overall score — is that this is the most expensive product we tested, yet it doesn’t excel in any specific area. Pros

Most of us will have some Silverline tools in our garage or shed. They are good value and useful for jobs which you don’t do often or won’t need anything too sophisticated, such as chisels and hammers. The TB01 follows the same pattern and is excellent value; in fact it is the cheapest workbench we could find. It feels solid and stable too, and has a decent 150kg load capacity, which should be enough for a small engine. The downside to this is a comparatively heavy 11.7kg overall weight.If the Keter resembles a Transformers robot, the PWB 600’s emerald paint colour and the bamboo top could only have come from Bosch. The really remarkable feature of the Workmate is the maximum load capacity – a whopping 250kg. That’s enough to hold a Rover V8 engine. We didn’t test it to that extreme, but it certainly felt perfectly secure with our heavy wheel and differential. Mac Allister Folding Workbench 850MM – Recommended That saving is almost enough to buy the third-placed Minotaur. It’s flawed in many ways, but we loved the ability to tilt the jaws to work on awkward items. All of our shortlisted workbenches have pre-drilled holes which accommodate plastic pegs (aka bench dogs), allowing you to move them around and create a flexible work surface area. Clamps range from basic handles to more sophisticated affairs, but any clamp ought to pin even heavy timbers firmly in place.