Anyone buy an Armor-Tool bench?

[fredhargis]

Has anyone bought one of these yet?
If I could past the price I'd buy one, just curious if anyone has one and what think. Regret buying it? This one intrigues me more than the Festool bench (MFT?) because well, it's not Festool, and I guess they are US products. (My slam on Festool is the company and it's policies, not necessarily the tools.)

[museumguy]

Don't own one but is nice looking. I looked up similar ones on Amazon and the one you linked to seems to be the best of the group. I'd say go for it.

[Mr Eddie]

Has anyone bought one of these yet?
If I could past the price I'd buy one, just curious if anyone has one and what think. Regret buying it? This one intrigues me more than the Festool bench (MFT?) because well, it's not Festool, and I guess they are US products. (My slam on Festool is the company and it's policies, not necessarily the tools.)

Fred,
I needed an out feed table and wanted it to double as a Festool MFT style bench similar to the Armor bench you're looking at.  I ended up buying a Kreg stand and a replacement Festool MFT top.  I'm working on the frame that will attach to the Kreg stand and hold the MFT top.  The finished top will be 32" x 52".  I enclosed the stand with 3/4" ply for storage and to add more weight.  I don't need it to be mobile so the extra weight is a plus - it's very solid - more than the Festool MFT stand.  I'll post some pictures in the next few days after I have it finished.  Here's an earlier post of mine without the frame for the top.  Kreg has casters available if portability is a factor for you.

https://forums.woodnet.net/showthread.php?tid=7347163

The MFT top is very useful for holding material.  I don't think you'll regret having this style of bench.

Lonnie

[fredhargis]

Lonnie, I had considered the Kreg frame, but not with the MFT top. It might have come out a little less expensive but I wasn't sure it would be as useful.

[Cooler]

I bought this welding table on sale for $200.00 from Northern Tool.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/..._200712274



It comes with a full array of clamps (a good thing because the holes are smaller than woodworkers are accustomed to using.  And you do have to bolt them in place so that they don't rack.

But the holes are perfectly aligned.  The top is 1/8" thick steel.  And it was cheap at $200.00 (not so cheap at $329.00 which is the current "sale price").  It just arrived and I have not used it yet.

[tablesawtom]

Why any one would buy at able like that, for that amount of money, is beyond me. If you are a woodworker and enjoy working with wood, it is a nice way to spend an afternoon. 

Tom

[Scott W]

Why any one would buy at able like that, for that amount of money, is beyond me. If you are a woodworker and enjoy working with wood, it is a nice way to spend an afternoon. 

Tom

Some folks have limited time to be in the shop and don't want to spend it making shop furniture. Some do want to do that. Either way is a fine way in my opinion.

[kdouglaslee]

Some folks have limited time to be in the shop and don't want to spend it making shop furniture. Some do want to do that. Either way is a fine way in my opinion.

You're right, of course, but I think a lot guys, particularly when they are new to woodworking, see something shiny and new and think that it'll be better than what they can easily and far more cheaply do themselves. $434 including shipping plus sales tax is a pretty huge amount of money for something that can be made for the cost of a load of 2x4 SYP, a forstner bit and some casters (if you wanted it to roll, that is).

[paulJohnstoneJr]

I bought a butcher block top at Menards and made my own version of the armor tool table (as my tablesaw outfeed table)
I did not want to go the MFT route, as I already had a lot invested in 3/4" clamping elements.. The Armor tool clamps are fantastic, the ones that clamp the edge (like this  https://www.woodcraft.com/products/armor...rmor-p7-il )
are compatible with MFT too.  They work really well.   Plus the top is thick enough to use holdfasts, etc.

Also, Sears / Craftsman put their own name on Armor tools awhile ago and discontinued them.. There might still be some floating around on ebay at a discount.

[glzahn]

My neighbor bought one last summer and he absolutely loves it.  But it's not for me.

I've built my own work benches and cabinets just because I could.  Someone replied about limited shop time and why build "furniture" for your own shop.  I personally spend a lot of time in my shop, not as much as I'd like, but when I build shop "furniture" I tend to build it like it's going into my house.  A beautiful piece of furniture is just as enjoyable in the shop as well as in the home.  It gives me a chance to practice building and designing techniques.....and if it's not perfect....hey it's shop furniture. I love looking at the curly maple face frames on my chop saw station, the walnut, cherry, and spalted maple work bench.  They're beautiful pieces of furniture that I hope to pass down to my children.

Just my $.02