Has anyone used one of the harbor freight work benches for reloading. I have heard both good and bad. Mostly saying it is not sturdy enough. Any input would be great.

I looked at one in the store. It would be borderline, IMO.

My take on it as well. I looked at them. I went to Sears and caught a mechanic's bottom chest that, without the wheels on it, was 35in tall. I bolted a piece of 3/4 ply on top and mounted the Dillon. Drawers have tons of room for storage and it is heavy as hell and ain't going anywhere.

I have used HF woodworking bench for reloading. It is short for me but set up and leveled on cinder blocks it works fine.

My reloading bench is a baker's table, I purchased mine from an unfinished furniture store though I have seen them in Big Box Home Centers. They have nice thick butcher block tops and sturdy 4x4 legs, a couple of drawers and two shelves. It has proven to be an excellent bench. I also have a microwave cart with similar construction and locking casters that I use for additional presses. If your reloading operation is small or your space limited the microwave cart may suit your needs.

I have not used Harbor Freight so weight my thoughts accordingly.

I started with a Lyman nutcracker tool and anything would have been an improvement. If Harbor Freight had been around I would have bought a bench I could afford at the time and built it up over time with screws and nails and glue and called it good. But Harbor Freight really isn't strong and sturdy enough especially for a progressive or more stressful loading. At the time I'd never have thought I'd ever need something sturdy enough to run a progressive with a case feeder and all the rest. Now I do and I find my needs are for sturdy beyond Harbor Freight.

I now have 8 feet of stainless bench top (Sears stainless over particle board) along with another 6 ft stainless and a couple of 6 ft. butcher block tops. Stainless grounded is sort of handy with static and the rest of it. Mostly from Sears Surplus where by spending a lot of time over several years I was able to make some buys at very good prices. Notice that for the time invested I was valuing my time at nil but that's a fair price for my time - I'm retired and have more time than money. I have no idea what bargains might be available from Sears Surplus or otherwise as Sears Holdings holds what seems to be a decade long going out of business sale. Sears Hardware Week sales are still worth some effort.

Bottom line I would either buy a Harbor Freight as a starting kit and expect to build it up or I would start shopping Sear's and Craig's List and all the others including periodic sales at Sears and otherwise with cash in my pocket. If I had the time to wait, as in fact I did, I'd expect to find something that pleased me more at a price I could stand within a few months but not a few days.

If you look around, you might find some kitchen base-cabinets that someone is replacing. Once you screw that to the wall, it is plenty stout. A solid core door ripped to width makes a good top for it.

Any good workbenches from a store for reloading?? Trying to find something that I can get away with putting in our finished basement.

Instead of their bench, get 2 of their rollaway cabinets, for a base, and put a hollow-core door on top. Their top cabinets are great, too.

I have had reloading benches in the past made out of hollow core doors which worked out well. Also built one out of counter top and kitchen base cabinets and an old steel office desk obtained at the end of an auction, the auctioneer just gave it to me as he could not get any bids. There's a solution for everyones budget, I even built a bench out of old bowling alley lane, the stuff is rock maple and eats carbide tipped saw blades though.

Door slabs work good, but you want a solid core, not hollow.
If appearance matters get two nice base cabinets and stain a birch door slab to match.

As an insurance property adjuster I was able to get some slightly damaged kitchen counters and wall cabinets as salvage and put them in my laundry room. I reinforced the end on one counter and use it for reloading. It works, but there is no room for my legs under the counter's edge. I'll be overlaying the counter with heavy planking that extends out 20 inches.

I looked over the HF workbench several times and like it, but it just seems a bit too light for my needs.

Lows, I saw one of these at a local store, The stainless one is the way I am leaning. Sorry no pic account to post pics.
link
http://www.lowes.com/pd_484712-55738-3DPCWB2013_1z11pdj__?productId=50109236&pl=1

charlee

Sam's Club, you can get nice steel frame benches with 2" thick maple tops for under $200 bucks. Heavy and sturdy.

Phil

I have one of their woodworking benches. It's plenty sturdy enough for reloading. You might have to leave one of the drawers out, though, to be able to mount the press.

as others have said, get something nice and reinforce it.

I made a long work desk in my basement using 4'X 2' finished wood but it was only 1" think so built a subframe from 4x4 at one end and mounted mine there.

Looks nice on top and no one would know whats underneath unless they looked

We got one of the HF benches RC posted. We use it for cutting up meat, the shelf under is pointlessly flimsy. The bench is ok, but I'd probably go a different route.

If you do get it get some wood glue and smear all the connecting surfaces while assembling.

A cheap, sturdy starter bench is the 6' Workmaster work bench kit. They have them at Menards around here.

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...workmaster-workbench/p-1444448750471.htm

I started out with one in my apartment and later filled it in with cabinet doors and shelving.

I built one about like this pretty cheap and easy for my presses 2'x4'. I put a 2x8 under the front where the presses mount to spread the load. One thing to watch is to measure the press mounting holes so the front frame piece doesn't interfere with the press mounting holes.



I bought a HF workbench for $99 that sits next to it for more workspace.

This is what mine used to look like. Now it has two dillons and a Rcbs mounted on it.
http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/image/spin_prod_889509812?hei=1000&wid=1000&op_sharpen=1


It has tons of storage, electric access, a big light and is as sturdy as you could ever want.

Sams Club

I have the 72" without the peg board for a reloading bench from that maker. Nice bench for the money, heavy.

I'm using a Cosco workbench. Metal frame/legs and butcher block top. I think it's 8 feet long.

This one here at Sams Club, and guess the price went up about $20 bucks.

Link

[img]http://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image...1500&hei=1500&fmt=jpg&qlt=80[/img]


Phil

Have two of the HF tables side by side. Great tables for the price...even better price with the 20%-25% discount coupons. Sturdy and lots of storage for dies, etc. Also look nice.



http://s98.photobucket.com/user/SS30ANV/media/ReloadingRoom%20001_zpszoeijj5z.jpg.html]

I've got a complete reloading setup in the basement consisting of a Homak (IIRC) workbench I bought probably 25 years ago for $20 heavily discounted. I've got one of those old double school desks with a bunch of my components on it and an old shelf for more stuff. A few years back I decided to make some changes, so I bought that exact HF workbench and also a LocknLoad press. Just like yours. Trouble is, I'm still loading on the Homak with my two Lee Turret presses mounted and the LocknLoad is still boxed up behind me right now. The workbench laid around in its package for a couple of years and then I put it together because I've never had a real workbench in my garage. It's a good bench. I don't know how it would be for reloading, but it's a good workbench.

Thanks everyone. Gonna go see what SAMs club has and compare.

That is the one I bought. It is an excellent bench for the money.

I built mine years ago from scratch. I first built two kitchen-like lower cabinets with drawers, then a top I made of 4x8 pine boards, which I drilled and bolted together with threaded rods. The top was so heavy I didn't have to attach it to the cabinets. The space between the cabinets is wide enough for an office chair.

Bill Quimby

Thats exactly what I've got. Got some awesome base cabinets out of a hospital along with the solid core doors from the same hospital and cut to fit. It is rock solid and made of nice wood.

Me too. Just not sturdy as I'd want. Possibly one might use it as a base and add more wood to the legs, but if you have proper tools, why not build from scratch? Height and other dimensions then can be modified to suit your needs.

I agree, though, that in a pinch it is better than nothing.

bowhunter

My rifle set-up is simply my old office desk and chair. It's a BIG particle board/formica laminated tank. Check some used office furniture places or rummage sales. Don't need to spend a lot on a reloading bench. The dog didn't come with it.

Just bought this bench from HF this weeken. When you assemble it yourself it is MUCH more sturdy and is pretty much perfect for the occasional reloader(I reload 3 calibers). I don't know how others reload but this thing is pretty heavy and can take whatever punishment I will give it while loading, plus I like the shelves and built the mount for my press that fits into the clamp on the end of the table. One complaint is that the instructions are not easy to follow and it took me a while to assemble( I see why the display in the store is put together so poorly). For the money I'm giving it two thumbs up.

MM

If you are talking the woodworking bench then I agree. It is sturdy and can be adapted to do a lot of things. My only wish is that it was taller. I like a bench I can stand and work or sit on a shop stool and work. I use c-clamps to hold my press and various reloading tools to the bench. That way I can move them around to fit my needs. I can also clear the bench of all reloading tools and work on other projects.