Rating: - Not close to the quality of the original
The WM425 has lots of ingenious features but they are made so cheaply-- with plastic and thin metal-- that those features are more of a marketing ploy than part of a quality Workmate. My original Workmate, which is probably 20 years old, is working like new. My WM425 is already broken-- one of the handles broke off. The WM425 takes me at least twice the effort to perform tasks that the original Workmate can do because the screw length of the WM425 is so short you often have to remove and shift the back two bamboo platforms in order to clamp wood between them-- going from 1 1/2" to 6". Also you often have to find a place to put the center/rear platform that has to be removed at times. The platforms use plastic parts that slide into notches in the top metal rails. The fit of the platforms to the rails are cleaver but I do not believe they will last long-- especially if you need to clamp down hard or move/change them. Which, brings up the point the WM425 Workmate does not clamp down as well as the original Workmate. And, the one handed tightening feature is poorly made and does not work well. The original Workmate sits well on its side when folded up. The WM425 falls over in the slightest breeze.
I called Black and Decker just after my WM425 arrived because one of the plastic pegs arrived broken. The customer service at Black and Decker is excellent and she sent a replacement peg to me on the spot. I told her that the WM425 seemed cheaply manufactured but I would keep it because sometimes things that look cheaply made actually work fine anyway. I also mentioned to her that I would pay much more for an original workmate if they were to manufacture them again-- since I know they last a long time. Also, although the box looked fine, the Workmate arrived twisted so the pull bar did not function. (By the way, I twisted it back-- the metal is so thin it twists easily.)
Well I've had the WM425 for about 6 months and hardly use it. I am using my original Workmate about 100 times a month and I still could use need another quality workmate. But, the WM425 is such a disappointment that I'm using a sawhorse instead. If you own one of the original Workmates you are most likey going to hate these new ones.
I do not often write reviews, but these are so bad in comparison that I hope to prevent others from making my mistake. At the very least, try one before you buy it.