True to form Skil has once again lived up to its image as a mid to lower end product producer. However, first a note on Amazon. I ordered this bench brand new from Amazon about 5 business days prior to receiving it at my home. That was fair and accurate. The problem began when I unpacked the item. The box appeared to have been previously opened and in poor condition. Some of its tape was hanging off the box. Once the lid was opened it did, in fact, have all its proper packing in place and the edges appeared new. After taking the item out and unfolding it inspection of the tabletop revealed minor cracks in the MDF type laminated top. In addition, where the table folds there was a large chip in the table. Now, before you say that's small, this is not a low priced item in my opinion. When you're buying new the item should, in fact, appear new. I called Amazon who where great. Their representative told me he'd ship out a new item next day service and include a return ticket for the older one. Next day another unit does appear on my doorstep. I opened the package and item has a similar problem. I finally came to the conclusion that it has more to do with the packaging itself than the item. You see Skil only uses 4 pieces of styrofoam molded to the edges inside the cardboard box. I suspect since it weighs 57 lbs the delivery people bang the package around pretty well. I did call Amazon who gave me a partia credit towards the item which I thought was very fair. I did actually call Skil themselves who weren't very helpful at all. Basically, we'll replace it but you'll have to wait 2 weeks for UPS gound AFTER we receive the old one back. I decided the options where accept the Amazon deal or end up waiting for what would likely be another damaged unit. Moral of the story is that the packaging isn't very good on this item. Next, the item itself.........As I said Skil isn't really known for their high quality in their tools. They are great for the ocassional hobbyist or apartment dweller. I'm neither and have a pretty extensive woodworking background. I felt the size and compact nature of the bench would be a good addition to my workshop especially if I needed to take some work outside during warmer weather. Its size is nice and I must admit I really like the adjustable legs. The top itself leaves alot to be desired. It is not heavy duty and looks as if it would chip quickly. If you had to say it apears almost sacrificial to me. Don't expect it to stay in good shape very long if you're going to do any sort of woodworking on it. However, truth be told that's what a bench is really for anyways. I purchased the vise attachment for the end of the table. My advise to you is......don't. This thing was $40 and is really low quality. I can't see it being very useful for anything except a very small object. I also purchased the router attachment. This, I think, was a useful addition. The bench has the ability to have power in it by use of an extension cord. You can easily mount a router and use it quite easily. I use a Porter Cable Wireless router that was manufactered back in the 2002 year or around there. If you ever get a chance to get one of these GRAB IT. It truly is one of the best items I've ever purchased. It was discontinued by Porter Cable because professionals found it to heavy and without enough juice to do larger jobs. However, for the weekend warrior and hobbyist its amazing to work without a cord. So so much easier. Buy a second battery and you'll be all set. Trying to find one is the difficult part. Those who have them don't want to part with them and when you do find one expect to pay about $400. However, as I said, in my opinion its well well worth it. Anyway, as far as the bench is concerned I was disappointed with its overall quality but for small jobs and ocassional use it will work. Don't consider it if you plan on anything more than cutting afew pieces of wood to do some minor fixes around the house.
(22 customers reviews)
Customers Rating=4.5 / 5.0
More Detail For Skil 3100 12 Skil X Bench Workstation
- Innovative cut channel in center of table to cut materials quick and easy
- 53-inch x 23-inch table top constructed from tough MDF material
- Steel legs independently adjust from 24-inch - 34-inch
- Universal Insert Plate system turns portable tools into benchtop tools
- Power outlet with a bump-off power switch for added convenience
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