BORA Workhorse Saw Horses Review: A British Tradesman’s Verdict
A deep-dive review of the BORA Workhorse PM-3330T sawhorses. We test their strength, portability, and value for British trades and DIYers.
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Every tradesperson and serious DIYer knows the feeling. You’re on-site, or in your garage, trying to cut a big 8×4 sheet of ply. You’ve balanced it precariously on a couple of upturned buckets and an old decorating stool that’s seen better days. It wobbles. You wobble. The whole setup feels about as sturdy as a politician’s promise. It’s frustrating, inefficient, and frankly, a bit dangerous.
The humble sawhorse, or trestle, is one of the most overlooked but essential tools in our arsenal. It’s the unsung hero of the job site, the foundation of any temporary workshop, and the key to working safely and accurately. But not all sawhorses are created equal. Some are flimsy, plastic affairs that buckle under pressure, while others are cumbersome wooden beasts that are a pain to lug around.
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Built with a robust steel frame to support 1200 lbs per sawhorse and 2400 lbs per pair.
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Features easy-fold legs for fast setup, breakdown, and portability, making it ideal for mobile work.
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Durable steel construction includes a reinforced leg latch mechanism for a safe and stable platform.
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The lightweight, space-saving design allows for easy transport and convenient storage.
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Includes a pre-drilled top to securely attach a 38x89mm sacrificial board, extending the sawhorse’s lifespan.
Today, we’re taking a close look at a serious contender that’s been making waves in workshops across the UK: the BORA Workhorse Saw Horses (model PM-3330T). Sold as a two-pack, these bright orange, all-steel trestles promise immense strength and job-site practicality. But do they live up to the hype? We’re going to dive deep, pull no punches, and find out if they’re worth your hard-earned cash.
First Look: Unboxing the BORA Workhorse PM-3330T
The BORA Workhorses arrive in a surprisingly compact box. Pulling them out, the first thing that strikes you is the weight. The pair comes in at just over 11 kilograms. This isn’t your lightweight, occasional-use trestle; this is a reassuringly hefty piece of kit. You know straight away that they’re not going to skitter across the floor the moment you look at them.
The second impression is the build quality. They are made entirely of steel, finished in a tough, bright orange powder coat that’s hard to miss on a busy site (a definite plus for not tripping over them). The legs fold away neatly into the main body, held in place by a simple but effective latching system. There are no complex bits to break or fiddle with. It’s a design that feels purposeful and robust, ready for the daily grind. For around £80, the initial feeling is that you’re getting a lot of metal for your money.
Under the Bonnet: A Deep Dive into the Features
Let’s break down what makes the BORA Workhorse tick. It’s not just about holding up a piece of wood; the design includes some genuinely clever touches that show it was designed by people who actually use these tools.
Built Like a Tank: All-Steel Construction
In a world full of plastic tools, the all-steel construction is a breath of fresh air. Plastic has its place, but when you’re supporting hundreds of kilos of material or using a trestle as a workbench base, you want the unyielding strength of steel. The legs are sturdy, the top is solid, and the pivot points feel engineered to last. This robust build means they won’t warp in the sun, crack if you drop them, or complain when you load them up.
How Much Can It Really Hold? Decoding the 1,088 kg Capacity
BORA claims each sawhorse can support 544 kg, giving the pair a whopping total capacity of 1,088 kg. It’s a number so big it’s hard to picture. So let’s put it in perspective. That’s the equivalent of:
- A small family car (like a Ford Fiesta).
- Around 50 sheets of 18mm plywood.
- A fully grown polar bear.
In short, for any normal woodworking, joinery, or building task, you will never, ever get close to their limit. This incredible strength isn’t just for showing off. It translates into rock-solid stability. Whether you’re sawing, routing, planing, or assembling, the Workhorses provide a completely stable platform that inspires confidence and lets you focus on getting a clean, accurate cut.
A Tradesman’s Friend: Portability and Storage
Despite their strength, BORA has clearly thought about life on the move. The legs fold up in a simple, intuitive sequence. Once folded, they form a surprisingly slim package, only a few inches thick. This is a massive advantage for any tradesperson whose van is already a complex game of Tetris. You can easily slide them into a narrow gap, hang them on a wall, or tuck them under a bench.
The legs are held in place for transport by a steel clip. Some online reviews have called this clip a bit basic, and it is. But it’s also simple and effective. It does its job without fuss, and because it’s so simple, there’s very little to go wrong with it—a key consideration for tools that get knocked about.
The Clever Bit: That Customisable Sacrificial Top
This is arguably the Workhorse’s best feature. The top of each sawhorse has pre-drilled holes. These aren’t just for decoration; they are there so you can screw a piece of timber directly onto the top. In the UK, a length of 3×2 inch (or 47x75mm) CLS timber fits perfectly.
Why is this so brilliant? It’s called a sacrificial top. It’s a fancy way of saying you’re adding a cheap, replaceable wooden surface.
Think about it. When you’re cutting a sheet with a circular saw, you often need to cut slightly past your material. With a normal trestle, you either cut into the metal top (bad for your saw blade) or you have to stop short. With the BORA Workhorse, you set your blade depth and cut right through your workpiece and slightly into the sacrificial wood below. You get a perfect cut, your blade is fine, and your expensive sawhorse is undamaged. When the wooden top gets too chewed up, you just unscrew it and replace it for a few quid. It’s a simple idea, but it’s a total game-changer for workflow and tool care.
From Van to Workshop: Setup and Takedown in Seconds?
One of the claims is a fast setup. Let’s test that. You unclip the leg latch, fold out the first pair of legs until they click satisfyingly into place, then do the same for the second pair. That’s it. It’s stable and ready to go. From folded flat on the floor to ready for work takes less than 10 seconds per horse.
Packing away is just as quick. You press the release buttons, fold the legs back in, and clip them shut. The process is smooth and snag-free. For anyone who has to set up and clear away their workspace every day, this speed and simplicity are a massive bonus.
Putting It Through Its Paces: The BORA Workhorse in Action
Features are one thing, but performance is what counts. We put the Workhorses to use in a few common scenarios a British tradesperson or DIYer would face.
The Daily Grind: Cutting Sheet Goods and Timber
Placing a full 8×4 foot (2440x1220mm) sheet of 18mm MDF across the pair, the stability is immense. There’s absolutely no wobble or flex. Running a circular saw across the sheet feels safe and secure. The broad, flat tops of the sawhorses (especially with a timber piece added) provide excellent support, preventing the sheet from sagging in the middle. The same goes for long, heavy lengths of timber like oak sleepers or roofing joists. They just sit there, solid as a rock.
More Than a Trestle: Building a Rock-Solid Temporary Workbench
By adding sacrificial tops and then laying a couple of scaffold boards or a solid-core door across them, you can create an excellent temporary workbench in about a minute. We tried using a power planer and a belt sander on this setup, and the whole thing remained impressively firm. The weight of the Workhorses keeps them planted, so the bench doesn’t slide around as you work. For anyone working on-site or in a space that needs to be multi-purpose, this versatility is invaluable.
Surviving the British Building Site
UK job sites are rarely flat, pristine environments. They’re often muddy, uneven, and chaotic. The BORA Workhorse’s wide leg stance gives it a stable footprint, even on slightly imperfect ground. The all-steel construction means you don’t have to be too precious with them. They can handle being knocked over, scraped, and generally abused. The powder-coated finish will inevitably get chipped and scratched, but that’s just a sign of a tool that’s earning its keep.
Who Should Buy the BORA Workhorse? (And Who Shouldn’t?)
This is a professional-grade piece of equipment, but is it right for you?
The Perfect Partner for Professionals
For builders, carpenters, joiners, and other site trades, the BORA Workhorse is a fantastic investment. The combination of extreme durability, huge weight capacity, and fast setup makes them ideal for the demands of a professional environment. They are reliable, versatile, and built to last for years, making the £80 price tag seem very reasonable.
A Worthy Upgrade for the Serious DIY Enthusiast
If you’re a keen DIYer with a garage or shed workshop, these are a brilliant upgrade from basic, flimsy trestles. They’ll give you a level of stability and safety that can transform the quality of your work. The ability to create a solid workbench that can be packed away easily is perfect for home workshops where space is often at a premium.
When Is It Overkill?
Let’s be honest, these aren’t for everyone. If you only need to saw a bit of skirting board once a year, they are complete overkill. They are also quite heavy, so if your main priority is something ultra-lightweight that you can carry for long distances, you might want to look at other options.
A Quick Word on the BORA Family: Avoiding Model Mix-ups
It’s important to note that BORA makes a few different types of sawhorses, which can cause confusion. This review is for the PM-3330T Workhorse. You might also see the BORA Portamate Speedhorse. The Speedhorse is a more expensive model with a different party trick: its legs deploy instantly when you drop it and press a lever. Some BORA models also feature individually adjustable legs for very uneven ground. The PM-3330T reviewed here has fixed-height legs and the manual folding system, but it offers the best balance of strength and value. Always double-check the model number before you buy.
How Does It Stack Up? BORA Workhorse vs. The Rivals
The heavy-duty sawhorse market in the UK has some strong competition. How does the BORA Workhorse compare?
- ToughBuilt C700: Often seen as the main rival. The ToughBuilt also has a huge capacity, adjustable legs, and material support pegs. It’s an excellent bit of kit but is often significantly more expensive than the BORA.
- Stanley FatMax Trestles: A popular choice, typically made from a mix of metal and heavy-duty plastic. They are very good but generally have a lower weight capacity than the BORA and can feel a little less robust in comparison to the all-steel design.
The BORA Workhorse carves out a fantastic spot for itself. It offers the near-indestructible build quality and capacity of the top-end models but at a much more competitive price point.
The Final Verdict: Are the BORA Workhorse Sawhorses a Must-Buy?
After putting them through their paces, the answer is a resounding yes, for the right person.
The BORA Workhorse PM-3330T is an exceptionally well-made, fantastically strong, and thoughtfully designed piece of equipment. The all-steel construction provides a feeling of permanence and reliability that plastic rivals just can’t match. The weight capacity is more than anyone will ever need, which translates to incredible stability in everyday use. The sacrificial top is a simple but genius feature that elevates them from simple trestles to a core part of a flexible work system.
Are they perfect? Not quite. They are heavy, which is a downside for portability but an upside for stability. And the leg-locking clip is functional rather than fancy. But these are minor niggles in what is otherwise a superb product.
For any professional tradesperson or serious DIYer looking for a set of sawhorses that will not let them down and will likely last a lifetime, the BORA Workhorse pack is one of the best investments you can make for your workshop. They are a true workhorse in every sense of the word.
-
Built with a robust steel frame to support 1200 lbs per sawhorse and 2400 lbs per pair.
-
Features easy-fold legs for fast setup, breakdown, and portability, making it ideal for mobile work.
-
Durable steel construction includes a reinforced leg latch mechanism for a safe and stable platform.
-
The lightweight, space-saving design allows for easy transport and convenient storage.
-
Includes a pre-drilled top to securely attach a 38x89mm sacrificial board, extending the sawhorse’s lifespan.
Top Tips for UK Owners
- Where to Buy: They are readily available online from retailers like Amazon UK, but it’s always worth checking dedicated tool suppliers who may have them on offer.
- The Right Timber: For the sacrificial top, head to any UK timber merchant or DIY store like B&Q or Wickes and ask for 47mm x 75mm CLS timber. It’s a standard size and fits perfectly.
- Maintenance: There’s not much to do. Keep the pivot points clean and maybe a quick spray with a dry lubricant like WD-40 Specialist Dry PTFE once a year to keep the action smooth. That’s it. They’re built to be neglected.
