I needed a replacement bench for my old Black and Decker workmate which was beyond its best. I know Wolf tools very well both in the fields of engineering and the garden. Wolfcraft are not usually associated with poor quality. I was surprised when the bench arrived to find that it required a reasonable amount of assembly. Not a single M6 nut was supplied as a Nylock item and I immediately purchased a bag of Nylock nuts, which for the price of this item should have been included as standard.
The instructions were clear enough but I managed to assemble one part wrongly, despite being a mechanical engineer... which is a testament to the rather poor instructions and very small illustrations.
The low quality of the three thin metal bracing struts impressed with the Wolfcraft name was also underlined by their surprisingly sharp and unfinished edges. Attempting to get the height adjustment working smoothly (or at all) was an extremely frustrating experience and after an hour trying I gave up. This section of the instructions for assembly gave no guidance on how to position the struts in the cantilever leg section.
The square section metal tube did not slide into the leg section without a struggle and it could not be persuaded to move up or down. The fit and finish was a sad reflection of what happens to a company that had a great name and then outsources their products to be made by people who do not understand the functions or the purpose of the product and have no quality assurance inspections in place. This barely functional item should never have left the factory.
The tilting top should have been a great idea. Sadly, it was a disappointing let down to realise that when the top is tilted, the adjustment handles for the top are now underneath the top and low to the ground. Really! The handles should remain uppermost if they are to be adjusted when the top is tilted.
Pre-assembly of the top handles rotating handle assemble should be considered by the company making this item. It is extraordinarily difficult to insert a self-tapping screw and washer into the rear of a rotating handle you cannot reach or see.
The item is heavier than practical because of its unwieldy folding and tall stance when folded. Not an easy item to use or carry. Folding the legs to flatten the item for storage is not easy because one set is much shorter than the other and this makes for difficulties folding the item flat.
Suggestions for improvements.
1. The item should be fully assembled when purchased.
2. Appropriate quality fixings should be used (i.e. Nylock nuts throughout) possibly drop cross head screws in favour of slotted cheese head screws. Once cross head screws are subject to more stress than their design will take, they get chewed heads and become unusable.
3. The item fit and finish should be improved to include 16 or 14 swg thickness of metal instead of thin sheet metal for the bracing struts that could be bent by hand.
4. All sharp edges must be deburred before shipment.
5. Components which are supposed to slide inside one another must slide (no ifs, buts or maybe).
6. Tilting top should be provided with a means to adjust the workpiece from an upright standing position.
7. German QA techniques would not have let this item leave the factory.
8. The designer needs to try to use this bench in its intended manner.
I was quite depressed to think that this item represented what was once the very best in German design and engineering. Whoever made this product, they have done a huge disservice to the Wolfcraft name. It is a fact that I will never buy any more Wolfcraft products. This item is so poor, I would not consider donating it to any one person or organisation in need of a workbench. This is an inexplicably poor showing from the once highly regarded and excellent Wolfcraft company.
| Fabrikant | Wolfcraft |
|---|---|
| Onderdeelnummer | 6182000 |
| Productafmetingen | 53 x 95.5 x 65 cm; 4.54 gram |
| Modelnummer item | 6182000 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | Nee |
| Kleur | Grijs |
| Stijl | Master 600 |
| Materiaal | Metaal |
| Patroon | Single |
| Vorm | Rechthoekig |
| Aantal items in pakket | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Measurement System | Metric |
| Meegeleverde componenten | 4 kunststof bekken voor plat spannen; 2 extra bekken voor rondspannen; 1 inlegplank; 1 span- en werktafel Master 600 |
| Batterijen inbegrepen? | Nee |
| Batterijen vereist? | Nee |
| Gewicht | 0.01 Pond |
| Fabrikant | Wolfcraft |
| ASIN | B0001GRVKA |
| Gegarandeerde software-updates tot | unknown |
