X bench

[tallgrass]

ok this is most likely crap but check this out......mft???.........if made well, it would be the bees knees
here is the linkhttp://www.skilxbench.com/

 

[vteknical]

I certainly think it's a step in the right direction.  Looks pretty well thought out.

With the adjustable height legs it will make lining up to you MFT a breeze. 

i would buy this before forking over some scoots for the MFT extension.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

With the adjustable height legs it will make lining up to you MFT a breeze. 

Only adjusts to 34".  MFT/3 is 35-1/2" (approximate metric conversion from 90cm).

 

[pteubel]

It has some neat features that would be great if they were incorporated into an MFT (i.e. adjustable height legs).

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Very interesting!!

I'm skeptical about quality, though.  Skil is Bosch's cheaper brand, sorta like Black and Decker is to DeWalt.

Lots of clever ideas in it though.  I'm thinking MFT jigs!!

If anyone gets this, please do a review!

 

[Brad Evans]

Looks pretty neat.  And the portability is nice.

Doesn't need to be perfect for $200...

 

[tallgrass]

here is a sore point. how can the crud get insert plates for their tools and festool can't get it done in years!!!//!!

 

[Programmergeek]

Looks like a nice thought out bench.  They do say it is for home use and a steel frame = heavey.  But they do have usefull features in it.

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Good Afternoon,
Somehow, I missed the whole introduction of this bench. 

I found some mentions here and there, but nothing too informative either way:
Handy Magazine (December 2007)
Amazon (with customer reviews)
Canadian Woodworking (June 2007)

Matthew

 

[dltflt]

I saw it advertised on TV this weekend and thought it looked pretty slick.  Then I figured it was probably made cheaply.  I agree it does have many good features.

 

[steverunner]

Yep ! Great @ 200$ it has serious features that make it worth considering vs 450 $ MFT

does not need 1200$ for a router table !! either

I think it s a no brainer

 

[steverunner]

OUps wrong 137 $ on Amazon,

if you had accessories clamps,... 163$

First few reviews, are saying that this is very sturdy

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I agree that its probably worth $137, but an MFT its not.  No fence, guide rail, etc.  Clamps are pretty primitive.  It would take a lot of work to turn it into something that cuts square.....

I think its more of a competitor to the Work Mate.

 

[mastercabman]

i just wish that festool comes up with accessories like a tool resting shelf,and trays that you can mount on the side rails of the mft.

 

[steverunner]

I agree that its probably worth $137, but an MFT its not.  No fence, guide rail, etc.  Clamps are pretty primitive.  It would take a lot of work to turn it into something that cuts square.....

I think its more of a competitor to the Work Mate.

well if you consider that you can you bench dog as suggested for the mft to line your wood square, it should be pretty straight forward

 

[hissatsu]

Since I was looking a replacement for my bench (looks suspiciously like a a very beat up drafting table, but I swear it's a bench), I ordered an X bench from Amazon. I'm very short on space, so the fact that it folds in half was a real attraction, and the cut channel was nice. My old "bench" looks like a crossword puzzle from so many shallow cuts all over it. Anyhow I got the X bench today, played around with it for a while, and here are my impressions.

• The folding legs are quite sturdy and look more expensive than they should for the low price. They are adjustable from in 2" increments from I think 24" to 34" table height. One of the legs has a leveler for uneven floors, which is a nice touch.
• The table is quite heavy since it's apparently all steel, aside from the top, but it's quite manageable.  It's pretty easy to fold/unfold.
• The included dogs are somewhere between useless and worthless. I chucked them in the trash within 5 minutes. I suppose they could serve as doorstops. I would definitely not bother with the clamping kit, looks to be more of the same.
• The table top appears to be mdf; the half with the insert plate appears to be covered in melamine, the other movable half has some sort of semi-gloss on it that looks like it will at least keep glue away. This half of the table also has a ruler in imperial/metric near one edge. Unfortunately the top itself is only 1/2" thick, with an extra 3/4" added around the 3" closest to the edges. There are some cross supports, but both halves are somewhat cupped, which is probably to be expected for a top that thin. The two halves really don't make a very flat surface overall, with the ends about 1/8" lower than the middle (this is over the ~53" length).
• There is a miter channel on the half of the table with an insert plate, but I think using it as a router table or drill press would probably be ill advised.

Overall, despite the issues with it, it works well enough. I paid about $150 with tax and shipping, so I wasn't expecting fine swiss craftsmanship. I'll probably get some usable bench dogs, and the festool clamps I already have work fine with it to hold things down. For now I can live with this while I continue hoping someone will distribute that nifty Walko bench in the US. I'm afraid I don't think I'll ever get an MFT, I have no faith in cutting without a line I've either cut/drawn myself. What's a fence?  ;D

Pedro

 

[tallgrass]

can you post some picks?

 

[hissatsu]

can you post some picks?

Are there any parts in particular you want to see? I'm afraid my job leaves me with little free time during the week, but if you're a little more specific I can probably manage.

Pedro

 

[Michael Kellough]

This feature alone could be worth the price of admission for some people.

 

[hissatsu]

This feature alone could be worth the price of admission for some people.

Michael,

I'd agree, except that the table itself isn't very flat.  The photo makes it look quite hefty, because there's an extra 3/4" worth of mdf around the outer edges. The rest of the top is only 1/2" thick, which just isn't enough. I sure wouldn't want to use my router table if it had a cupped top like this table does. If the entire top was 1-1/4" thick like the edges, it would probably be a much better table. Quite a bit heavier as well. I sincerely doubt I'll get any of the add-ons, except for maybe the vise grip. One more strike against the insert plate: apparently the jigsaw, router, and drill press plates are meant only for the specific Skil jigsaw and router models they go with. I know nothing of the drill press mechanism, but doubt it will be much to write home about. I don't feel much urge to buy a Skil router or jigsaw either. This is a table with good ideas but some poor/short sighted implementation. But yes, for the price I'm satisfied.

The photo does show one thing I forget to mention, the power outlet switch. That should be useful. While my Festools have nice generously long cords, my Milwaukee drill which I otherwise like, has a ridiculously short cord that always has me searching for an extension cord. Plugging it directly into the table should solve that problem.

Pedro