Convenience Concepts Deluxe Potting Bench, Light Oak

If you are looking for a potting bench that will only see light or moderate use, and will be sheltered from direct exposure to the elements, then this bench will probably be fine for you. However, this is the reason I didn’t give the kit five stars, and I will be looking for a cover to place over it as mine will be exposed to the elements. Assembly was relatively easy and the instructions were very clear and simple to follow. I am experienced, so it only took me about an hour to put this together, but I think just about anyone could manage it in no more than two hours or so. All parts were clearly labeled/numbered, and hardware was separated by type and size to avoid any confusion.

I do like the design of the bench, and the kit is made for an easy assembly process. However – and these are my opinions: 1) The materials used are relatively thin, and as such will only stand up to a moderate amount of weight and/or impact. 2) These thin materials are not likely to stand up to weathering from rain and sun for more than three or four years – unless sheltered from exposure. 3) I was disappointed to see that the plastic tub (sink) is fairly light, and had no provision for keeping it in place. You may see in my pictures that I installed a couple of small twist tabs (these are made for holding window screens in place) to hold down the lips of the tub. These were an easy fix, but very necessary where I live as we get 30-50 mph winds regularly, and the tub would have been long gone in short order.

Overall, this is a nice little potting bench, and if sheltered from weather and used with care, would likely last a long time. I just wish the manufacturer used materials that were a bit heavier, which of course would add to the cost, but I think it would make a better value.

I was excited to buy this for my wife, and surprise her with it already built. It was fairly easy to assemble, however, I started by putting the legs in the wrong positions (1 I did this wrong twice!)
If a part is not lining up, it’s because you put something in the wrong spot. The legs go outside of the little shoulders, or the drawer and other shelf will not fit right. I tried to force things, and finally figured out what I had done. If I would have paid attention, I would have seen that it wasn’t right, but I just ‘knew’ I was right and the kit must be wrong! 🙂
Had I not had to take it apart twice, I would have had this built in 30 – 45 minutes.
Overall, it looks nice and is pretty sturdy. I may add another cross piece on the back. The wood is very soft, so be careful using a power drill to screw in screws, as you could go way to deep!
She gets home in a couple of days, and I can’t wait for her to see it!

Exactly what I wanted for our deck garden. Easy enough to assemble and light enough to move. I plan on moving it from the deck to our porch to protect it during the winter months.

I just finished assembling this bench. Everything fit together perfectly and it should work just fine for fairly light duty use. The bench looks nice and the instructions are quite good. The assembler needs to pay very close attention to the direction many parts are installed, but if you think about it, most of it is logical. It took me roughly 1.5 hours from unpacking to a finished bench. The shelves and top are pre-assembled and pinned together with what look like brass tacks. The wood is quite soft and light and I’m not very happy with the fact that many screws are being installed in end-grain, but that’s how it has to be. I increased strength in several areas by adding wood glue. Although the wood is stained, I personally will not be exposing this bench to weather and especially not rain. It will be an inside bench, as I don’t think it will stand up to much weather. Overall, you can’t make this bench from scratch for the price you’re paying. It’s worth the price and with care it will last a light-duty user a number of years.