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Kreg Universal Bench Review

By Todd Fratzel on Benches

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Universal Work Bench Frames by Kreg

Work benches have been a staple in garages, workshops, woodshops, and basements for as long as man has been fixing and building things….forever! The number of designs is endless and everyone has their “way to do it”. That being said there’s always room for improvement and alternatives and Kreg now offers their Universal Bench system to help you create a custom work bench of your own.

The system includes steel legs, rails and leveling feet along with the necessary hardware to assemble the bench. You decide what type of bench top and lower shelf you want to use and supply that yourself. Read on to see what I think of this new product offering by Kreg.

Strong, Durable, Flexible Work Benches

When the folks at Kreg asked me to review their new Universal Benches I expected a handy, easy to assemble work bench, however, what I ended up with far exceeded my expectations in many ways. The Universal Benches from Kreg are built from very strong steel (12 gauge legs and 14 gauge rails) with a durable powder coat finish. The universal design allows you to choose from 15 possible sizes, adjustable leg levelers or optional rollers, and two different leg heights. The end result is a very strong, very durable work bench that can be built in many different sizes and heights.

For my work bench I chose to build a 20″x64″ bench with rollers for my garage. I used the 29″ legs and a set of the optional rollers so I can move the bench around the garage when the cars are outside. For the lower shelf and bench top I decided to use some 3/4″ plywood with 3/4″ MDO on top for a total thickness of 1-1/2″. I trimmed the edges of the plywood with clear pine to give it a finished look.

Fast and Easy To Assemble

The Kreg Tools Universal Bench system is really easy and fast to assemble.  The bench I assembled only took about 30 minutes! I spent another 2 hours building and finishing the tops. So in under 3 hours I was able to build a high quality work bench with basic tools. All of the connections are made using pre-drilled holes and matching carriage bolts.

One of the features that I really like are the adjustable lower leg brackets. The brackets have long slots in them which allows the legs to be adjusted to any height (unlike benches that might have adjustments made from pre-drilled holes). This allows you to precisely set the bench height very precisely if you’re building something like an outfeed table.

Optional Bench Features

Along with the standard leg and rail components, Kreg also offers several useful accessories including; 3″ dual-locking caster set, bench dogs, Bench Klamp system, and Klamp Vise. The 3″ dual-locking casters are very good quality and make the bench extremely mobile. I also added the Klamp Vise which is very handy in the garage.

Video Preview – Kreg Universal Bench

I created a short video highlighting the features of the bench along with more information on how I built it.

Overall Impression | Kreg Universal Bench

The Kreg Tools Universal Bench system exceeded my expectations and I can easily say it’s a high quality work bench frame that’s a great value. The steel frame components are heavy gauge with a very durable powder coat finish. You can literally build dozens of different configurations and customize the bench with the top of your choice. This bench has impressed me so much that I’ll be building a couple more in my woodshop! If you’re in need of a work bench I highly recommend you check this system out. You won’t be disappointed!

You can buy the components shown in my bench at the following links:

• Kreg KBS1000 29-Inch Universal Bench Legs
• Kreg KBS1025 64-Inch Universal Bench Rails
• Kreg KBS1010 20-Inch Universal Bench Rails
• Kreg PRS3090 3″ Dual Locking Caster-Set
• Kreg Tool Company KKS1060 Kreg Klamp Vise