Horses that make it easy to fold up shop - folding sawhorses - includes related article

Sunset, June, 1995 by Peter O. Whiteley

Here's a roundup of the new space-savers

There's nothing handier than a pair of sturdy sawhorses when you're working on a weekend project. When you're done working, though, that same pair of splayed-leg sawhorses just seems to get in the way.

Fortunately, a new breed of sawhorses has evolved. These share the load-bearing characteristics of traditional fixed-leg models but are equipped with folding legs that allow them to be stored in places too tight to accommodate their bulkier predecessors.

Folding-leg systems vary from pairs of sturdy metal legs that clamp around a center spine of wood to recycled-plastic units that can be fitted with a variety of special accessories.

Most of these sawhorses need to be topped with a piece of wood (usually a 2-by-4 or 2-by-6) if you plan on sawing across them. Some hold the extra wood piece on edge, but most secure it flat to the frame with nails, screws, or bolts.

Just as people vary in size, so do these sawhorses, which run from 25 to 40 inches tall. Some manufacturers offer models with a choice of different leg lengths.

In spite of their compact size, these sawhorses can support considerable weight; capacities range from 1,000 to more than 2,000 pounds. You'll find many of them at home centers or building supply stores, though some may have to be ordered from the manufacturers (see listings above).

RELATED ARTICLE: Five folding sawhorses

Porta/Horse (about $70 per pair) comes with a 28-or 33-inch-tall tubular steel frame with powder-coated finish and a 2-by-6 wood top. RMC Manufacturing, (800) 722-5123.

StorAway Sawhorse (about $13 each) has legs that fold inside its frame of galvanized steel. EBCO, (800) 466-3608.

Storehorse ($20 to $30 each) is made of lightweight but sturdy polypropylene. It comes in two models - rated to support. 1,000 or 1,500 pounds per pair - and has a line of accessories that includes a six-outlet plug and slip-on sawbuck for holding logs. Storehorse, (210) 492-8405.

Tote-A-Horse (about $50 per pair) has legs that adjust in height and fold into a 2-inch-thick, painted steel shell with side-mounted handle. Fulton Corporation, (800) 252-0002.

Trojan Sawhorse (about $35 per set) uses a 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 center spine (not included) clamped between 27- or 35-inch angle-iron legs. Trojan Manufacturing, (800) 745-2120.