Saw horse buying guide
Updated: 22 October 2026
You have a door to paint, or a pile of stove logs, and the amazon.co.uk shelf calls both supports a saw horse. This saw horse buying guide is the order of checks for the twelve listings in our [saw horse comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/saw-horse), captured on 19 October 2026. It does not crown one model. Prices are the GBP shelf prices on those pages. Peter F. did not load-test a horse. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Work through the type, then how many stands the title actually sells, then every load figure that disagrees with the next line on the same page.
You have a door to paint, or a pile of stove logs, and the amazon.co.uk shelf calls both supports a saw horse.
You have a door to paint, or a pile of stove logs, and the amazon.co.uk shelf calls both supports a saw horse. This saw horse buying guide is the order of checks for the twelve listings in our saw horse comparison, captured on 19 October 2026. It does not crown one model. Prices are the GBP shelf prices on those pages. Peter F. did not load-test a horse. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Work through the type, then how many stands the title actually sells, then every load figure that disagrees with the next line on the same page.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Type | Stated load | Grip or slot | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  BORA BORA PM-4500T | Folding trestle | 1,360 / 1,633 kg | 38 x 89 mm top | 9.5 | about £139.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Stanley Stanley STST1-70713 | Folding trestle | 450 kg and 45 kg | V-grooves | 9.3 | about £39.95 | View offer |
 Oregon Oregon 584145 | Log horse | 79.83 kg | Teeth, 27 cm | 9.1 | about £39.50 | View offer |
On this page
Log horse or trestle
A log horse uses teeth or a serrated cradle so a round stem does not spin while you cross-cut it. In this capture only three listings are built that way: the Oregon 584145, the Einhell 4500067, and the Harbour Housewares iron horse. A folding trestle uses a flat top, a V-groove, a bracket, or a slot, and it is for a board, a door, or a temporary bench. Stanley, Evolution, Amazon Basics, both B2C stands, Roughneck, and the three BORA pairs are that second group. Laying a log on a smooth plastic top is how a stem rolls. Using a toothed horse as a paste table leaves you with no flat surface. If the timber is still the open question, settle log saw horse or trestle before you compare kilograms. Oregon states a 27 cm maximum. Einhell states trunks up to 300 mm. Harbour prints neither a load nor a centimetre limit.
One stand or a twin pack
A long board needs two supports. Oregon, Einhell, Harbour, the Roughneck Colt 600E, and B2C B0DT19KCBH are sold as singles. The other seven rows are twin packs. One log horse is a reasonable buy for a short stem. One trestle is a poor plan for a door, because the free end drops as soon as you pass the middle. The awkward single is the B2C stand at £18.69. The title says 1x and the unit count is 1, yet the bullets still say 350 kg per pair and 2.32 kg per stand. If you needed two stands, that page is describing a pair it does not promise to send. The B2C twin at £36.29 does say two stands, at 175 kg each and 350 kg together. Roughneck is one steel horse at £67.97, so a second one is a second order. Those prices are this snapshot of twelve listings, not a national average.
Two load figures on one listing
Read the title, then the bullet, then the technical field, and keep every number that does not match. Stanley STST1-70713 prints 450 kg in the title and in the load field, and a bullet says the design holds up to 45 kg per pair. Both lines are on the same amazon.co.uk page. Neither is a laboratory result in this file, and the larger figure is not a test you can quote. Roughneck's title says 589 kg and a bullet says 598 kg and 1,300 lb. BORA Workhorse PM-3350T's bullet says 612 kg each and 1,225 kg for the pair, while the field prints 2.5E+3 pounds. The Speedhorse bullet says 1,360 kg per pair and the field says 1,633 kg. No listing cites a British Standard test. A higher printed kilogram is not a higher tested load. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 11, goods should match the description. When the description contains two loads, ask the seller which line they will stand behind. Do not merge a different Stanley, such as a metal FatMax, into STST1-70713.
Slots, 38 mm CLS, and sawn 4x2
A headline that says 4x2 is not a measurement of the piece in your hand. UK kiln-dried CLS sold as 2x4 is finished at 38 by 89 mm. Elliotts states that finished size on a C16 CLS product page. Sawn carcassing is larger, often nearer 47 by 100 mm, and regularised stock from a merchants' yard can sit around 44 by 90 mm. The Speedhorse bullet asks for a 38 by 89 mm sacrificial board, and that board is not in the box. A UK review had to rout a 4x2 before it would enter. Stanley's bullet only says integral V-grooves. A UK review says 38 mm CLS goes in at a push and is easier if you sand it to 36 mm. The Workhorse XT listing does not print a slot width, and one UK review says a UK 4x2 will not enter the end slots. Measure your piece in millimetres and compare it with the slot the listing actually prints. If the listing prints nothing, treat 4x2 as a guess.
Weight, fold, and first assembly
Plastic pairs in this set are a light lift. Amazon Basics lists 2.21 kg. The B2C stands list 2.32 kg each. Stanley's item weight is 6.05 kg. BORA pairs are a different carry: PM-3350T is 11.7 kg, the XT is 13.7 kg, and the Speedhorse is 17.5 kg. The Speedhorse is the dearest row here at £139.99. Folded size matters when the pair has to live in a car. The B2C bullet gives 58 by 5 by 79.5 cm. Roughneck's technical block prints 1 by 1 by 1 cm and 1 kg, which is not a folded size, and reviews call that horse heavy. Assembly not required is a field, not a promise you can see in every review. Einhell's table says no assembly. UK reviews describe a bolt kit, unclear instructions, and sharp cross struts. Oregon's box includes instructions and does not include a spanner. When the tool is a chainsaw, the page after this type check is chainsaw saw horse firewood.
Common questions
Do I need one horse or a pair?
Buy one log horse for a short round stem that fits the stated width. Buy a pair of trestles for a door, a long board, or a sheet, because a single stand lets the free end drop. In this capture the singles are Oregon, Einhell, Harbour, Roughneck, and the B2C stand whose title says 1x. The B2C twin, Stanley, Evolution, Amazon Basics, and the three BORA listings are pairs. Roughneck is one steel horse, so a second one is another purchase at £67.97 in this snapshot.
Is a plastic folding trestle any use for logs?
A plastic trestle is for boards, doors, and a light temporary bench. It has no teeth to stop a round stem turning, and UK reviews of these plastic rows talk about worktops and insulation board, not firewood. Oregon, Einhell, and Harbour are the log horses in this set. If the job is stove wood and a chainsaw, leave the trestle pages. A smooth top can be a bearer for a flat board. It is a poor bearer for a log that can roll.
Which load number do I believe when the title and the bullet disagree?
Believe neither figure as a test. Quote both, and say which line is which. On Stanley STST1-70713 the title and the load field say 450 kg and a bullet says 45 kg per pair. On the Speedhorse the bullet says 1,360 kg per pair and the field says 1,633 kg. No page in this file cites a British Standard. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says the goods should match the description, which is awkward when the description prints two loads. Ask the seller which line they mean before you rely on the larger one.
Will my 4x2 drop into the slot?
Only if the slot is cut for the section you actually have. Finished UK CLS sold as 2x4 is 38 by 89 mm, which is the sacrificial board the Speedhorse bullet names. Sawn or regularised 4x2 is often fatter, nearer 44 by 90 mm or 47 by 100 mm, and a UK Workshop report found hooks that would only take about 38 mm. Stanley reviews say 38 mm CLS is tight and easier at 36 mm. Measure the piece. Do not trust the words 4x2 on their own.
How heavy is the pair to lift into a car?
The light pairs are about 2 to 6 kg: Amazon Basics at 2.21 kg, B2C at 2.32 kg each, and Stanley at 6.05 kg. The BORA pairs are 11.7 kg, 13.7 kg, and 17.5 kg, which is a two-handed lift into a boot rather than a one-hand grab. Roughneck's printed weight of 1 kg is not usable, and reviews call that single horse heavy. The B2C bullet gives 58 by 5 by 79.5 cm, which is the sort of flat pack that will slide behind a car seat if the parcel matches the bullet.
Does assembly not required mean I will not be bolting it tonight?
Not on every row. Amazon Basics says no assembly and the bullet says the pair arrives fully assembled. Einhell's field also says no assembly, but UK reviews describe bolts, unclear instructions, and sharp struts. Oregon states that assembly is required and that a spanner is not in the box. Harbour reviews describe a build that took hours. Read the field, then read the UK reviews for the same ASIN, and keep a spanner out if the two disagree.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources listed below, last checked on 22 October 2026. Prices in the rows are amazon.co.uk shelf prices captured on 19 October 2026.
- FISA 304: chainsaw cross-cutting (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- FISA 301: chainsaw practice and PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE INDG317: chainsaw training (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE: Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 11 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Product safety advice for businesses, including Northern Ireland (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Elliotts: kiln-dried C16 CLS timber (retrieved 22 October 2026)