Black & Decker Portable Workbench, Project Center and Vise

A portable bench that earns its keep—within limits

Space is tight in my garage, so anything that folds, rolls, or tucks away has an advantage. This folding workbench has been in my rotation for household projects, light carpentry, and the occasional automotive job, and I’ve come away with a clear sense of where it shines and where it falls short.

Setup and first impressions

Assembly took me about 40 minutes with a nut driver and a Phillips bit. The frame bolts together cleanly, but the top requires a little patience if you want the two jaws to sit flush and parallel. My tips:

• Don’t fully tighten the top hardware until you’ve aligned the jaws. Snug it all up once everything is square.
• The dog holes are standard 3/4 in. A quick pass with sandpaper eased a few tight spots so the included pegs fit smoothly.
• Check the clamp strap (the synchronization belt that links the two crank handles) before first use to ensure it’s seated properly.

Fold and unfold are intuitive: pull the tabs, swing the legs, and the bench snaps open with a positive feel. At roughly 36–40 lb depending on variant, it’s portable but not featherweight. I can carry it one-handed for short distances; for longer hauls, two hands are more comfortable.

Build and materials

The frame is heavy-gauge steel, and the top is a laminated bamboo composite. The bamboo is a meaningful upgrade over particle board for moisture resistance and screw holding, though it can still chip at the edges if you clack tools down. A light coat of paste wax or a wipe-on finish along the cut edges helps.

There’s a familiar trade-off here. Compared to older, bombproof versions of this genre, the current unit is lighter and more compact, which is great for portability but means you shouldn’t expect the same “shop anvil” feeling. Some components in the clamping mechanism thread into plastic housings. Treat those with mechanical sympathy—firm, not gorilla-tight.

The feet are hard plastic with textured pads. On textured concrete, the bench stays put; on smooth garage floors, I could slide it if I really leaned into a crosscut. Self-adhesive rubber furniture pads on the feet solved that for me.

Clamping: the heart of the system

This bench is, first and foremost, a vise that turns into a work surface. The front and rear jaws open via two crank handles. You can operate them independently for skewed work, or link them with the one-handed strap so both jaws move together.

• Parallel clamping range: 7-1/2 in
• Vertical clamping range: 1-9/16 in (handy for holding boards on edge)
• With the bench dogs: up to 19 in between pegs in parallel, ~30 in on the diagonal

The pegs are excellent for irregular shapes—chair legs, pipe, and rough timber. I frequently set up two pegs to pinch a circular item while using the jaw for light pressure. The included converter insert bridges the jaw gap, effectively turning the clamped jaws into a continuous worktop. That’s useful for tasks like sanding or planing a smaller panel without it dipping at the seam.

Where it struggles is brute-force clamping. The synchronization strap is convenient, but it’s also the weak link if you routinely bear down with maximum torque or rack the jaws hard to one side. I treat it as a medium-duty vise: perfect for holding while drilling, sanding, routing, cutting, or assembling—less ideal for heavy pounding, tight mortising by hand, or trying to pop stubborn bearings.

Stability and ergonomics

Dual-height legs are a standout feature. I use the lower position for hand planing (lower center of gravity and better leverage) and the higher position for assembly work and detail tasks. Standing posture feels natural in both positions, and the soft edges on the top are kind to forearms.

Out of the box, the bench is stable for its size. That said, adding mass makes any portable bench better:

• Drop a plywood shelf onto the lower rails or set a toolbox there to add weight.
• Use the fold-out stance locks religiously; they make a noticeable difference in racking resistance.

With those tweaks, I was comfortable ripping small stock with a circular saw on a sacrificial board and using the bench as an outfeed support for my portable table saw.

In the field: projects and performance

• Carpentry and woodworking: Clamping face frames for pocket screws, routing hinge mortises on doors, sanding, and light hand planing all felt solid. The vertical clamping is genuinely helpful for edge work. For long boards, I use dogs on one end and a jaw clamp on the other; it’s fast and secure.
• Cutting and assembly: The converter insert creates a stable platform for small glue-ups or sanding. For cuts, I lay a scrap sheet on top and use the pegs to keep it from walking. The top surface is large enough for miter-saw support tasks, though I wouldn’t replace real sawhorses for extended cutting sessions.
• Automotive and metal: Holding brackets and small parts for drilling or cleaning is fine. I avoid heavy hammering or pipe bending—this is not a mechanics’ vise bolted to a 300 lb bench.
• Around the house: It’s the handiest second pair of hands you can fold—door stops, painting stands, a temporary laptop table in the driveway while I measure lumber cuts. It’s remarkably useful in a small shop.

Quirks and limitations

• Top alignment requires attention during assembly. If the jaws aren’t co-planar, re-loosen, clamp a flat board between them, and retighten.
• The hard plastic feet can skate on smooth concrete. Add rubber pads or place a shop mat underneath.
• The clamp strap is convenient but not bombproof. If you need maximum clamping force daily, you’ll want a heavier vise on a fixed bench.
• Some fasteners thread into plastic. Avoid overtightening; a dab of blue threadlocker can help keep things snug without cranking.

Maintenance and care

• Keep the top clean and dry; a coat of paste wax sheds glue and protects the laminate edges.
• Periodically check the strap and make sure it’s tracking straight across the pulleys.
• Lubricate the screw threads with dry lube or paste wax for smoother clamping and less wear.
• Retighten hardware seasonally; folding mechanisms see vibration and can work loose over time.

The 2-year limited warranty is reassuring for a portable bench. It won’t cover abuse, but it covers defects, and that’s appropriate for the category.

Who it’s for

• Homeowners and DIYers who need a compact, folding surface that can clamp, hold, and support a wide variety of projects.
• Woodworkers in small spaces who want a versatile auxiliary bench and vise without committing floor space.
• Tradespeople who need a portable clamping station for light-to-moderate tasks on the jobsite.

Who should look elsewhere: pros who need daily, heavy-force clamping; folks doing sustained metal fabrication; anyone expecting the mass and indifference to abuse of a full-size, fixed bench with a cast-iron vise.

The bottom line

This folding workbench earns a permanent spot in my shop because it solves more problems than it creates. It’s versatile, folds small, and offers thoughtful features—dual-height legs, vertical clamping, useful peg geometry, and a convertible top—that encourage creative workholding. The trade-offs are real: lighter-duty materials in key places, a clamp strap that favors finesse over force, and the need for careful assembly and occasional tune-ups.

Recommendation: I recommend it for homeowners, DIYers, and small-shop woodworkers who value portability and flexibility over brute strength. Treat it as a capable helper for everyday tasks, not as a fixed-shop replacement, and it will pay you back with convenience and versatility. If your workflow demands heavy clamping day in and day out, invest in a heavier bench and vise—but for most mixed-use projects, this bench hits a sweet spot.