The utility of a good, sturdy pair of sawhorses transcends shop life. Need a basic scaffold, for painting or siding work? Span your team of horses with a sturdy plank or two (some call this set-up a "mule"). Need a quick, sturdy table? Throw on an old door. Ping-pong table? Full sheet of MDO plywood and clamp on the net.

MDO is an engineered plywood product, where both faces are protected by overlays of resin-treated fiber.

A few other common sawhorse uses:

• Step stool (many of the photos on this site were taken from one)
• Bar-height bench seating
• Light-duty sawbuck (for cutting up entire trees)
• Barriers for vehicle or crowd control
• Child's hobby horse or balance beam

Okay, maybe we're getting carried away here. But you get the idea. Sawhorses are useful. If you don't have a pair, get some. If you want some that, barring chainsaw slips, could hold up for several lifetimes, get these. You'll be hard-pressed to find nicer.