The Bora Speedhorse is easy to set up and holds up to 1500 lbs
Portamate's Bora Speedhorse looked like a great option out of the box, but our pro had a few questions before signing on. There are plenty of cheap plastic options out there as well as build your own options, we'll see if the PM-4500 is worth a look.
advantage
- Easy to set up and take down
- Each Speedhorse has a capacity of 1500 lbs
- Pre-drilled holes on top allow for sacrificial boards
- Fold the supporting wood off the ground
shortcoming
- more expensive than some sawhorses
- wiggle a little bit
Capacity and Design
Each Bora Speedhorse can hold up to 1500 lbs or a pair of 3000 lbs. We don't need anything close to that weight, but we do use a sheet of plywood or subfloor to make a surface for equipment and tools that can add up to hundreds of pounds.
Sandpaper sheets are glued to the left and right sides of each sawhorse to help the material stay in place. It's a nice touch, but it does wear out over time.
Put the first sheet of paper on it and the problem with the metal structure comes up?
A look at the top reveals several pre-drilled holes. These are 2×4's screwed into the surface to be used as a sacrificial surface.
Smarter design comes into play here. When you drop a pair of 2x4s into the slot (they mount vertically), you create a flush surface with sacrificial 2x4s and a perfect table frame. If you've ever tried to put a lot of weight on a plywood table that sits directly on two sawhorses, it will sag very quickly. Creating this fast frame allows you to take advantage of the high load capacity.
The 45" wide base is much wider than most cheap plastic sawhorses you can buy, and it's even a few inches wider than DeWalt's design. This helps build a stable plywood table, right up to the edges.
One thing we noticed was that when setting up the legs, the legs would wiggle from side to side. This isn't extreme by any means, but it can cause additional wear and tear on these parts over time.
On the plus side, the flip-up gives you a place to get your material off the ground.
deploy
The Bora Speedhorse is named for its quick installation and removal. Once you get to where you want to work, it's really simple to set up and tear down. Lift the Speedhorse and press the release under the handle – the first set of legs will flip down and lock into place. Press the release button on the other leg and you're ready to go.
When you're ready to retrieve them, unlock the legs by pulling the lever on either outer edge. Once you lift the legs, they lock into place. It doesn't matter which leg you unfold or fold first.
The carrying slots on the sides give you a handle, but they don't stack and lock like DeWalt's metal folding sawhorses. When you're holding one in each hand, it's not too bad because you're balanced. At 17.9 lbs each, the weight is obvious.
price
You want to pay more for metal sawhorses than plastic or wood. Each Bora Speedhorse is $79.99, or a two-pack is $159.98.
There is also an all-terrain version – PM-4550. For another $10, it's adjustable in length to handle uneven ground.
the bottom line
The team responsible for Bora Speedhorse clearly put some real thought into the design, and there's a lot to like. This is one of the easiest folding leg sawhorses we've ever used, and it's much better constructed than the cheap plastic sawhorses that run around.
Bora Speedhorse Specifications
- Model: Polaris Tools PM-4500
- Weight: 17.9 lbs
- Top Length: 45"
- Working Height: 31.5 inches
- Top Width: 3.25"
- Capacity: 1500 lbs each
- Price: $79.99 each, $159.98 for a 2-pack
- Warranty: 1 year