Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

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Job and Knock
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Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by Job and Knock »

Before anyone say it, yes, I know that as a working chippy I should be able to make my own.... The fact is that on pretty much all the bigger jobs I go onto I do just that - I make a pair of trestles from timber, and I set them to match my/the site's mitre saw - but on smaller jobs it isn't going to happen, so having a pair of folding ones which don't weigh too much and can easily be carried in a small van work just fine for me.
Stanley 1-92-855.jpg
Stanley 1-92-855.jpg (30.24 KiB) Viewed 11205 times
I've probably been using folding trestles for 14 or 15 years, now. I started out with a pair of ZAGs, a model long since gone because Stanley eventually took them over, but the current Stanley model 1-92-855 Saw Horses isn't that much different from my originals. These trestles are a tad large for many car boots, but on the plus side they are rated at 455kg/pair. In the past I've laid some stud scants (3 x 2s) across a pair and unloaded the contents of a van, some 20 plus sheets of Formica-clad 18mm MDF onto them (or a bit more than the rated loading) and they haven't failed. The trestles depend on a 2-part folding shelf to tie the two legs together. The top rail has rubber anti-slip inserts (near useless) and fold-up "ears" at the outer ends to stop your work going by-byes

Good points: They are reasonably sturdy (see below). They fold up small enough to go into a small van or estate dar but you may struggle getting them into the boot of a smaller car. Strong enough to carry a man's weight. The included X-form plastic work holders can be a help if dealing with round pipes, logs, etc. Relatively inexpensive (£30 and upwards a pair if you hunt around)
Bad points: The plastic hinges at the tops of he legs and in the folding shelf/stay aren't all that robust and will eventually break - they are none-repairable. Inability to adjust for uneven ground
ToolStation 40906.jpg
ToolStation 40906.jpg (18.63 KiB) Viewed 11200 times
Having gone through 2 or 3 sets of the heavier trestles I replaced my completely shot pair last year with a pair of folding metal trestles from Tool Station (ref. 40906). These are Silverline products and initially they seemed pretty good. They folded up very tightly and tool up a lot less space in the van. They weren't rated as heavily, only 200kg/pair, but that didn't matter because I always carry a hop-up. Problem is that they didn't stay good for very long. The steel stays were very soft (in fact all the steel used is thin and a bit soft) and started to bend around week 2. They were also a lot slower to erect than my old ZAGs. Worse still there is no stay between the A-frame legs and the top rail which means that if you bump into the trestles when they are loaded they can collapse and drop the work piece or whatever they are carrying on the floor. After a couple of those they went into the garage never (?) to be retreived. In order to cure this I npotice that Axminster are selling their own version with extra stays

Good points: They fold-up to a tiny space (relative to other trestles). Low cost.
Bad points: Pot metal construction and lack of stays renders them likely to collapse. Metal cross piece means that you need to attach a timber baulk to each to safeguard youtr saw blades. Narrow tops. Inability to adjust for uneven ground
Stanley 1-92-038.jpg
Stanley 1-92-038.jpg (55.26 KiB) Viewed 11205 times
The Silverline trestles were retired in haste following another collapse and a pair of Stanley 1-92-038 Junior Saw Horses. Boy, was that ever a mistake! These are much narrower than the 1-92-855s and much lighter. Than means that they can and will fall over if you push them sideways with any force. Stanley rates these at 170kg loading each, but not so long ago I destroyed one by loading a kitchen worktop (circa 95kg) onto them a mite too roughly. The weak point is the folding stays which keep the legs from opening out. Looking around almost everyone I've worked with who's bought these (or the B&D or Faithfull knock-offs) has had one or more of these stays fail. I've currently go all four kaput at one time! As in their larger cousins these have fold-up "ears" at the outer ends to stop your work going by-byes, but overall at about 570mm wide I just find them too small

Good points: Relatively low cost (although no appreciably cheaper than the heavier model).
Bad points: Too light - can easily be overturned when you are trying to load stuff on them. Dreadfully weak plastic hinges which are, frankly, a joke. Narrow tops. Inability to adjust for uneven ground

I'm currently looking round once more, for the second time in 18 months, which is really depressing. I'd be happy to pay more, but having looked at Stanley's latest offering, the 1-92-980 adjustable leg heavy duty aluminium saw horse, at £70/pair or thereabouts (street price), I'm unconvinced. They are, after all, still composed of a lot of plastic. Is there something I'm missing here, or are most of the products on the market a pile of cheap pooh?
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by big-all »

thanks for taking the time to give as always a full report
we are all ------------------still learning
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by darrenba »

I wonder if these suffer from the same issue as the Silverline ones? They look a bit more sturdy.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-fold- ... pair/83366
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by Job and Knock »

darrenba wrote:I wonder if these suffer from the same issue as the Silverline ones? They look a bit more sturdy.
Those are Stanley 1-97-475 and come as a clip-together pair:
Stanley 1-97-475.jpg
Stanley 1-97-475.jpg (29.47 KiB) Viewed 11131 times
Stanley 1-97-475 3.jpg
Stanley 1-97-475 3.jpg (29.24 KiB) Viewed 11131 times
As far as I can see they are a completely different design from anyrhing else that's on the market, i.e. they're a Stanley design as opposed to a bought-in Chinese "design". Hopefully that means they'll be somewhat better then the earlier designs. But then at that price (circa £55 to 60) so they should be! Stanley's web site states that they have aluminium legs. Has anyone here had the chance to try them out?
Last edited by Job and Knock on Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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"The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell from The Triumph of Stupidity", 1933
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by ayjay »

I've got a pair that look the same as the first pic, (as well as several pairs of wooden stools), I don't know how old they are, they were left behind by an agency chippie on a site I was on and after three weeks the site agent said they were going in the skip if no-one took them. They do have their weak points but these have been repaired and they do seem to be fairly indestructible, I've had them for over five years now and regularly put most of a cut roof on them.

I've been through various permutations of timber stools over the years, one pair with a 9 X 2 top which were a dream to work on but seemed unnaturally heavy; racing stools - 2 X 1.5 for the legs and a bit of door liner for the top - really light but a bit weedy, and the classic stool with 2x2 legs and 4x2 top, one refinement I make to mine is the ply gusset on the legs, I put this on the inside and if the stool should start to wear and get at all wobbly a stretcher can be fixed between the two gussets.
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by Pooneil »

I have four of the Stanley 1-92-038 ones. They are a bit flimsy, but also cheap, light and compact, and easy to sling in the back of the car.

I've attached some batten to the tops (simply drilled a couple of 10mm holes for a snug fit over the pop up lugs) to make them a little wider and so I can cut right through stuff with damaging them. I've also made some longer lengths that span two horses side by side, with two at the other end it makes quite a sturdy base.

My dad used to have some metal legs (insert tasteless joke about diabetes here) with a box section at the top that took a length of 3x2, held in place with a thumb screw... must ask him if he still has them. :roll:
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by ayjay »

ayjay wrote:I've got a pair that look the same as the first pic,................................................................ They do have their weak points but these have been repaired and they do seem to be fairly indestructible, I've had them for over five years now and regularly put most of a cut roof on them.
I took a look at mine today and they are ZAGs, I'll try and take more care of them in future. :bs: :mrgreen:
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by speed »

i have a set of the first pic and a set of junior ones, the junior ones are not stanley they have a shelf and much sturdier than the bigger stanley, i have a 6x2 mdf slab framed with 2x1 as a bench top does me very well,

i have a few full sized stanley ones brake, probs 2 sets in tha last few years

if i had a masive van id have some of these
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strong enough to use as builders trestles if you throw a few battons on and fold up
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by fin »

they look canny like speed... had various plastic ones. but i beleive they all currently reside in a skip somewhere. currently we have a stock of wooden ones of various ages
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by guitardedleon »

Always interested to read such complete and honest reviews.
:thumbright:

I bought the stanley junior saw horses a few months back.


Useless

Predictably the cheap plastic stay snapped...
From the weight of 1 sheet of caberfloor.

In the skip for those.
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by Job and Knock »

ayjay wrote:I took a look at mine today and they are ZAGs, I'll try and take more care of them in future.
Good grief, they're ANTIQUES! Actually my original ZAG ones lasted quite a bit longer than the Stanleys which replaced them even though they were nominally the same design. Change in plastic? Either way the newer ones seem a lot more brittle than the originals
speed wrote:if i had a masive van id have some of these:
Draper 68852.jpg
Draper 68852.jpg (124.64 KiB) Viewed 11045 times
speed wrote:strong enough to use as builders trestles if you throw a few battons on and fold up
Thanks for that. At around £55 a pair they look like another one to seek out, although like you I don't run a big van, so they may be out of the question for that reason ::b

For when I really need it I have a 5ft Emir school workbench fitted with two vices, one each side. It's actually been very handy on a couple of long term (refurb) jobs but it does require the entire back of the van to be emptied out so that it can be delivered to site - and the same in reverse at the end of the job. For that reason it rarely sees action on site
"The person who never made a mistake, never made anything" - Albert Einstein

"I too will something make, And joy in the making" - Robert Bridges, 1844~1930

"The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell from The Triumph of Stupidity", 1933
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by speed »

Job and Knock wrote:
ayjay wrote:I took a look at mine today and they are ZAGs, I'll try and take more care of them in future.
Good grief, they're ANTIQUES! Actually my original ZAG ones lasted quite a bit longer than the Stanleys which replaced them even though they were nominally the same design. Change in plastic? Either way the newer ones seem a lot more brittle than the originals
speed wrote:if i had a masive van id have some of these:
Draper 68852.jpg
speed wrote:strong enough to use as builders trestles if you throw a few battons on and fold up
Thanks for that. At around £55 a pair they look like another one to seek out, although like you I don't run a big van, so they may be out of the question for that reason ::b

For when I really need it I have a 5ft Emir school workbench fitted with two vices, one each side. It's actually been very handy on a couple of long term (refurb) jobs but it does require the entire back of the van to be emptied out so that it can be delivered to site - and the same in reverse at the end of the job. For that reason it rarely sees action on site
they are alittle cheaper on amazon about 46£ they do fold up so really they shouldent take up mork space than the plastic jobbies.
see how long these newish plastic ones last i have, next set has to be metal
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Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by chippymike »

Job and knock, I am in the same boat got the stanley ones you posted first, had them years mine are falling to bits and im going to try out the STA197475, cheapest ive found a pair is from my local place. Costly but look well made for what they are.

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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by speed »

had to nip to a house to trim a door down for someone so took a pic of my trestle

Image

dont know who its made by but its alot stronger than my stanleys
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Re: Stanley 1-92-855, 1-92-038 & Silverline Trestles

Post by ayjay »

ayjay wrote:
I took a look at mine today and they are ZAGs, I'll try and take more care of them in future. :bs: :mrgreen:
Well that worked well: for a while.

They now adorn some unknown part of the Christchurch by-pass, having left them on top of the van when I drove off. :oops:

Easy come easy go! :roll:
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