Work bench height

[pflaming]

My work benches  are at 30"'s. I'm seriously thinking of raising them. What height are yours? I 

[JBNeal]

My folding table and folding sawhorses are at 30, my workbenches and work tables are at 36, same as my countertops...tho I built a work table for Dad that is 42 so he could do close up work without stooping over.

btw one of the lean projects I did at a previous job was to get all workbenches, tables and carts the same height...we were adjusting heights on tables and benches to our purchased carts so that we could minimize lifting required...some thought it was silly at first, but eventually everyone liked that we could slide heavy objects on and off carts onto tables and workbenches without lifting

[Dodgeb4ya]

38"... just right for me.

[Plymouthy Adams]

rule of thumb for work counter height is based on individuals own height....the standard for custom measuring this is to stand upright (in shoes style you normally work in) and measure to the inside of your wrist as your arm naturally is resting along wide your body...this will be the counter height...

 

personally I find that 34 inches is ideal....tha tis about two inches higher than the above 'rule of thumb' based on my measured floor to wrist....are you related to a raptor and have shorter arms...you may need yet a higher height as a standard...

Edited June 30, 2018 by Plymouthy Adams

[Don Coatney]

I have seen the quality of your work and I really don't think the hight of any work bench will result in an improvement.⚒️

[pflaming]

Don,  we are all not so fortunate as you to be or perceive ourselves as the judges of workmanship. I am an admitted novice, to make something or better yet to actually make it WORK is a significant accomplishment for me. I've been at this for about six years with no previous training or experience. I think I'm doing JUST FINE, thank you very much! 

[Plymouthy Adams]

as an added to my above...I  have various benches and table inside and out in my shop and other work areas.  Some I have built, others being factory unit of professional grade.  These units vary in working height from area to area...BUT over all I find if the units are about 34 inches to a height that is just less than the height of you elbows with your hands to your side so to prevent dragging your arms when placing or removing an object is very adequate...you wish not to have to bend your back during work and if you have a chair...you have to consider working height for this, adjustable chairs are always best......often a desk is lower than a counter as a counter is mainly an item you stand close to while working....toe space is another factory if you have feet that are large and added depth in the shop is not a bad feature.....on the odd note of sounding sexist...kitchen counter toe spaces are designed around the lady of the house smaller foot so they can stand closer to the sink while washing dishes....

Edited June 30, 2018 by Plymouthy Adams

[austinsailor]

I find that whatever height they are, if I add casters so I can easily move things around, they are then about right. Being about 6'2", I find that most things are too low for me as they come. Casters solve 2 problems.

 

[plymouthcranbrook]

5 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

rule of thumb for work counter height is based on individuals own height....the standard for custom measuring this is to stand upright (in shoes style you normally work in) and measure to the inside of your wrist as your arm naturally is resting along wide your body...this will be the counter height...

 

personally I find that 34 inches is ideal....tha tis about two inches higher than the above 'rule of thumb' based on my measured floor to wrist....are you related to a raptor and have shorter arms...you may need yet a higher height as a standard...

Guess I got lucky not knowing the rule as mine is just about waist height

[Brent B3B]

i have a couple, my "general" work bench is at 45", my welding bench is at 42"..... i recently discovered and my "portable" bench being at 36" was a good height to work over a transmission

 

 

Edited July 1, 2018 by Brent B3B

[BigDaddyO]

Mine is 41''. At about 6'2' I like it right where I built it. Funny how that worked out.

[Flatie46]

My favorite is a 4000 lb hydraulic table that doubles as a motorcycle lift. It was an industrial lift table of some kind from my former employer. I added a hinged 6" wide piece channel that can be removed if I wanted.  I love how I can adjust the height from something I can work with using an old chair or hit the foot pedal and raise it if I want to stand and work. 

[Dan Hiebert]

I build 'em so that the height is comfortable for me to lift things onto it standing flat footed, but more so to work on things without having to stand bent over.  Works out to be 36" for me, I'm  5'10".  Cool thing about making your own is that you can customize it to where you're comfortable working on it.   

[Jerry Roberts]

I like my work bench higher than normal so that I don't have to stoop over . I often work on the open tail gate of my truck with a pad on the surface to protect the paint and I can sit on a chair . 

[Eneto-55]

I'm the odd guy out who likes to work on the floor.  Always have, and my grandpa often did as well.  (My current FaceBook picture is of my brother & I with him, all of us squatting on the ground eating watermelon in the back yard. Grandpa would have been in his upper 60's by then.)  That way I can use my feet to hold stuff down, etc.  When I was working as a carpenter years ago, and needed an additional hand to hold the board I was cutting, I squatted up on top of the saw horses, holding the board with my foot.  The boss thought it was really funny.  Then later we lived with Indians in the Amazon, and everyone worked on the ground.  I still tend to do this even now, at 62, but I admit that it is becoming more difficult to get up again afterwards.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Eneto-55
spelling correction

[plyroadking]

I built mine to be 44 inches, I’m also 5’17” and it was the most comfortable height for me. I stacked blocks of wood on the kitchen counter till I found the right height for my garage bench. The only downfall is it’s a long way to lift heavy stuff up on it and also a long fall for stuff rolling off. 

[Mike36]

On 6/30/2018 at 11:07 AM, Dodgeb4ya said:

38"... just right for me.

That’s not a real work bench,it’s too clean!?

[bamfordsgarage]

Years ago I was told by an old carpenter friend that one's workbench was the proper height if he could unzip and lay it out horizontal on the bench (apparently this fellow didn't believe in women carpenters.)

 

For me that would be 33", although I prefer 36-38" for mechanical work. 

[JBNeal]

That kind of tool is not allowed on my workbench...

[BigDaddyO]

On 7/4/2018 at 9:00 AM, plyroadking said:

I built mine to be 44 inches, I’m also 5’17” and it was the most comfortable height for me. I stacked blocks of wood on the kitchen counter till I found the right height for my garage bench. The only downfall is it’s a long way to lift heavy stuff up on it and also a long fall for stuff rolling off. 

I bought one of these. Very happy with it.