About WEN
WEN was founded in 1951 by Nick Anton and is still headquartered in West Dundee, Illinois. The company's research and development team helped pioneer everyday power tools including the electric jigsaw, the electric soldering gun, and the random orbital technology now standard in polishers and buffers — by 2001, fifty years after founding, WEN had sold more than 50 million consumer units. Today the catalog spans generators, drill presses, tool chests, bench grinders, miter saws, air compressors, and lawn and garden equipment, almost all of it priced and built for DIYers and homeowners rather than contractors.
Consumer Reports independently tests multiple WEN generator models in its Generators program, including the DF680IX, DF8000X, GN875iX, and GN5602X — third-party scrutiny that's uncommon for a value-tier outdoor power brand. In our own hands-on testing of the DF451i and the WB6020 workbench, what stands out is how much capability WEN packs beneath the price: a dual fuel inverter generator with output clean enough for laptops and CPAP machines, and a hardwood workbench that ships with a real front vise where competitors expect you to buy one separately.
Brand website: wenproducts.com
What WEN makes
WEN's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Portable & inverter generators
gas, dual fuel, and pure sine wave inverter lines — featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
Workbenches
hardwood and steel-frame benches with onboard storage — featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
Drill presses
benchtop and floor-standing models
Tool chests & storage
rolling and stationary tool storage
Air compressors
pancake and hot dog style compressors
Bench grinders & sharpening tools
shop sharpening and grinding equipment
Why we recognized WEN
The DIYRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. WEN earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, put to work on real jobs, and judged on merit.
WEN products we rated highly
WEN DF451i 4500W Dual Fuel Inverter Generator
A true dual fuel inverter that runs on gasoline or propane straight out of the box, with output clean enough for laptops and CPAP machines. Auto Fuel Selection switches itself from propane to gasoline when a tank runs dry mid-outage instead of shutting down, the built-in TT-30R outlet lets RV owners plug in without hunting for an adapter, and a keyless electric start with recoil backup replaces the pull cord. At 58 dBA on quarter load it stays quiet enough for a campsite, and the three-year warranty is longer than most generators in our roundup carry.
Read the 7 Best Portable Generators of 2026 guide →
WEN WB6020 60-Inch Hardwood Workbench with Four Drawers and Onboard Vise
The only bench in its price tier that ships with a real 7.5-inch front vise and bench-dog holes built in, rather than expecting an aftermarket vise install. The 2.5-inch rubberwood top is thick enough for chisel work and flat enough to double as a layout reference surface, and four drawers plus a lower shelf put hand tools directly under the work instead of scattered on top.
Read the 7 Best Workbenches of 2026 guide →What earned WEN the recognition
- Seventy-five years of continuous operation out of West Dundee, Illinois, with R&D credited for helping develop tools like the electric jigsaw and the random orbital mechanism used across the polishing and buffing category today.
- Independently tested, not just reviewed: Consumer Reports runs multiple current WEN generator models — the DF680IX, DF8000X, GN875iX, and GN5602X — through its Generators test program.
- Real engineering value at a value price: the DF451i does what most inverters will not, running on gasoline or propane out of the box, keeping output clean enough for sensitive electronics, and starting with a key instead of a pull cord.
- The WB6020 is the rare workbench under its price tier that includes a genuine front vise and bench-dog holes out of the box instead of treating vise capability as a separate purchase.
- A product line broad enough to outfit an entire home workshop — generators for backup power, a real hardwood bench to work on, plus drill presses, tool chests, and air compressors under one brand.