Although living in a big city may have a seemingly endless list of perks for many, living in a cultural epicenter with millions of other people is not without its drawbacks, too. Aside from high real estate costs and a lack of greenery, many who work on creative projects are oftentimes left with having to truck it on the subway or a taxi for up to an hour to get to the equivalent of a “garage workshop” that many in other cities can simply get to just by walking through a side door off of the kitchen – and we’re not even including the amount of additional storage space needed to house multiple tools.
Whether or not you live in a tiny apartment or simply want to take a workshop with you on a road trip, Hammacher Schlemmer’s Eight In One Portable Workshop is far and away one of the best – if not the only – options for those with very limited space.
The portable workshop, which weighs a total of 36 lbs. and can fit neatly into a space of 21″ W x 15″ D x 10″ H, includes nearly every tool one could need aside from a lathe and a CNC. In total, the set includes a cordless table saw, a circular saw, a scroll saw, a jigsaw, a power drill, an LED light and an 18-volt battery for powering the entire thing without cable clutter. For “power users”, an included AC plug-in adapter is able to keep the power juiced for all-day projects.
While fitting all of the tools into a portable workstation is impressive in itself, the designers took things a step forward to expand the functionalities of the on-board work surface. Among other features include the ability to convert the hammer drill into a drill press, the circular saw can adjust on the bevel for up to 50° for mitre cuts, adjustable torque settings for the hammer drill for more dense materials and an adjustable base for angled cuts on the jigsaw.
The work station also includes a spirit level/saw fence combination, storage for multiple saw blades, a metal protractor, a 22-piece drill bit set and two paddle bits.
The entire workstation comes with an impressive lifetime guarantee and is just $599.95:
“The Eight In One Portable Workshop comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee at no additional charge. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.”
Considering that the rent alone for a commercial workshop space in a large city is at least double the cost of this portable workshop per month with a one-year lease commitment, this kit may be the answer for many who simply want to do some small prototyping projects at home (although we recommend using a Shop-Vac and/or basement if available).
For the record, if you haven’t seen video maker Casey Neistat’s Wildly Functional Manhattan Studio tour (which is basically the total opposite of this portable workshop), it’s certainly worth a watch:
Read Make Your Prototypes on the Go with This 8-in-1 Portable Workshop at SolidSmack.