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pocket jigs other than Kreg - any opinions?

Submitted by MatthewZD on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 21:07

My wife and I are planning on building a few things we've seen on here, and the one tool we still need to get is a pocket jig. The Kreg brand ones seem to be the ones most talked about, but I've seen other brands listed. Homedepot.com has one from General Tools and Sears also has a Craftsman set.

Has anyone had any experience with pocket hole jigs other than Kreg? If so, how were they compared to the Kreg ones?

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Drills and Screws

Tsu Dho Nimh

Thu, 05/12/2011 - 05:54

The lever-action board clamp is what makes the Kreg faster to use for multiple holes. The other jigs have a thumbscrew clamp and that takes more time to tighten and loosen when you go to the next hole.

It sounds like a tiny detail, but that tiny detail adds a lot of time to the project.

Matthew Davis (not verified)

Fri, 06/03/2011 - 06:09

Thanks for the reply.

Just wondering if anyone else has any experience or any comments on other jigs. Is the quality of the Kreg that much better that it's worth the price? I've read some reviews that the non-Kreg jigs work fine but they look like they're from people that use it once, maybe twice.

Jake

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 18:57

I have the Kreg Jr and it is perfect for the small number of projects I construct. Great tool and its support is amazing. I suspect the others you named are good also. The main advantage to a jig is the correct line up of the drill at the correct angle. Otherwise just use a drill or bit. If you are concerned about price and you don't do a lot of work get the Kreg Jr and the clamp. Perfect combo.

claydowling

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 19:53

The level clamp from the Kreg jig is nice, but a decent F-clamp can clamp things down very quickly too. The blue and yellow pistol grip clamps work very quickly, and I used that for a year before I bought the Kreg clamp.

You can also make your own jig from scrap, especially if you can get a scrap piece of hardwood. I did with a scrap 2x4 when I needed to make corner braces for some desks. If you are a little creative you can design something that works like the Kreg jig.

claydowling

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 10:10

I also so something bigger for a more commercial operation today, a setup from Porter Cable. Didn't see the price, but I'm assuming it wasn't cheap. Nothing from Porter Cable is.