How to set up folding sawhorses
Updated: 2026-10-21
You have a new pair on the floor and the legs are only half locked. This is how to set up folding sawhorses so the brace is flat, the feet are down and the catch has done its job before any weight goes on. It is the procedure. Which pair to buy sits on the [folding trestle comparison](/hub/workshop/folding-trestle). Sawhorse manuals and the review notes for these amazon.co.uk listings, not a lab, were checked on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a new pair on the floor and the legs are only half locked. This is how to set up folding sawhorses so the brace is flat, the feet are down and the catch has done its job before any weight goes on.
You have a new pair on the floor and the legs are only half locked. This is how to set up folding sawhorses so the brace is flat, the feet are down and the catch has done its job before any weight goes on. It is the procedure. Which pair to buy sits on the folding trestle comparison. Sawhorse manuals and the review notes for these amazon.co.uk listings, not a lab, were checked on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | First use | Lock | Assembly | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  BORA BORA Workhorse X pair | Single release | Legs until they stop | Marked required | 8.7 | about £76.74 | View offer |
| Alternative |  BORA BORA Workhorse XT pair | Learn the catch | Catch swings free | Not required | 7.8 | about £90 | View offer |
| Alternative |  HOMCOM HOMCOM builders trestle pair | After the spanners | Bolts, then height | Required | 7.4 | about £32.99 | View offer |
On this page
Put it on ground that can hold it
Open the pair where all four feet can meet the floor. A typical trade sawhorse manual says a flat, dry, level surface, legs fully open, and the cross brace locked down. A slope that leaves one foot in the air turns the horse into a rocker. Height is for the ground and for your wrists, not for making a step. Only the BORA Workhorse XT states a minimum of 30 inches. The HOMCOM bullet says 80–130 cm after the frame is built. An Evolution review says that pair does not adjust. Do not pack one leg with a loose offcut. A door can sit across one pair. A full sheet cannot.
Open the legs until the brace is flat
Separate the legs, push the cross brace until it is flat, and drop each leg set until it stops. You are listening for a positive stop, not a click count these listings do not publish. The outcome is feet down and a brace that will not fold back when you press the top. On the BORA Workhorse XT the catch swings free and the legs fold in a set order, even though assembly is marked as not required. Turn the horse to reach the catch. Do not lever on the rail. One end bent when that end was used as a fulcrum. The Workhorse X listing marks assembly as required and also describes a single release. If the brace is only halfway, the horse will scissor when the door goes on.
Only then add the work
A uniformly distributed load, in the quick-release manual’s wording, is weight along the top rail. It is not a person, and it is not a reason to stack one horse on another. Put a door across both horses, near the ends, and put a sacrificial strip on top if you will saw. The blade may nick that strip. It should not cut the horse. A mitre saw belongs on a temporary top. The XT end slots take about 45 mm timber, including 38 x 89 mm. The Workhorse X bullets name 2x4 slots. When the page disagrees with itself, use the label on the horse.
The flat-pack trestle is a different first use
The HOMCOM pair arrives flat-packed. Reviews say the instructions are poor, that you want spanners in 8, 10, 13 and 14 mm and a Pozi No. 2 driver, and that the build can take more than an hour. Until the bolts are tight, the 80–130 cm range is not available. Set both trestles to the same height. The cautious load line is 100 kg per trestle, not the 200 kg details field. Once built, reviewers use them under internal doors. That is a support, not a scaffold.
Folding it away
Reverse the opening. Take the work off, release the brace, and fold in the order the catch allows. On the XT, do not stand the horse on end and stamp the legs shut. Stanley and Amazon Basics are the light folds into a shed. HOMCOM, once built, folds to about 11 cm thick. Three bans travel with every pair: do not stand on the horse, do not stack it, and do not exceed the label.
Common questions
What has to click before I put a door on it?
The brace has to be flat and the feet have to be down, so the legs cannot scissor when you press the top with an empty hand. Manuals describe that outcome. They do not give one click count for every brand here. On the BORA XT the catch swings free once open, and the fold has a set order. If the brace is only halfway, the door waits.
Why does the BORA catch swing?
XT reviewers say the catch swings free after the horse is open, and that the legs fold in a set order. Turning the horse on end or upside down makes the hinge easier to reach. One end bent when that end was used as a fulcrum to lever the legs. Reach the catch. Do not lever on the rail. The listing still says assembly is not required.
Can I set the legs on a slope?
Only if every foot meets the ground. The XT is the pair in this set with a stated minimum of 30 inches, and reviewers used the legs on uneven ground. A horse that cannot adjust, which is what an Evolution review says of that pair, needs a flatter patch. A loose block under one leg is not a height setting.
Where does the timber go if I want a top?
In the slots the listing actually provides, and only if your timber fits. XT reviewers use about 45 mm, including 38 x 89 mm, so a mitre saw can stand off the horse. The Workhorse X bullets name 2x4 slots. Kastforce’s arms are the ones a review says do not hold a 2x4. If the batten will not seat, do not force it.
When should I stop and not use it?
Stop if a foot is off the ground, the brace will not lock, the frame is bent, or you were about to stand on it. Also stop if the only way to open the XT is to lever the end that has already bent once.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- PUWER 1998 regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE work at height FAQs (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE scaffolds (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HBF trestles and hop-ups, June 2018 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE INDG318 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk Saw Horses best sellers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BORA Tool UK, Workhorse XT (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Tooled-Up trestles note (retrieved 19 October 2026)