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48 of 49 found the following review helpful:
 A Little Cumbersome, But Worth Every PennyFeb 16, 2005
By D. R. Genau
"Rookie Woodworker"
I bought this kit to build frames for a raised panel heirloom chest. I considered buying the Rocket jig, but since this one was so much cheaper and would get the job done, I opted for the less expensive variety.
A couple of test pieces went well, so I went ahead and plunged into my assembling my frames. When you're only cutting a few holes, you don't miss the extras that come with the Rocket, but after a while I began thinking how much easier my life would be had I bought the more expensive kit. That being said, my pocket holes look great and work really well. These things are solid! I love the fact that you don't have to wait for glue to dry. I haven't tested the joints to failure, but I've put significant force on them, with no ill results.
Insofar as choosing the less expensive option, I was reminded of what my Dad always says...buy the cheaper one, and you'll regret it every time you use it. Buy the more expensive one, and you only regret it when you have to pay for it. But I've already thrown so much money at this heirloom chest project that I needed to start paring back somewhere!
A little advice for those who do purchase this kit: I found that I could use my Quick-Grip clamps for clamping down the jig to the workpiece and drilling the holes. When it comes to screwing in the pocket screws, however, I got much better results from clamping the whole thing together pretty firmly with a C-clamp and then screwing in the screws with a cordless drill. Good luck!
33 of 33 found the following review helpful:
High Quality ProductMay 15, 2006
By Joseph C. Mooney
I used to make my own pocket hole jigs. Drill a hole into a square hardwood block, cut an appropriate angle off the block, and you've got your jig. This approach gives you maximum flexibility with the angle, hole diameter and stock size. Sometimes, it's the best way to go. However, the downsides to this approach are numerous: you have to think alot (it takes some time to figure out the angle and offset), the wood jig gets sloppy after extended use and must be replaced, you need to drill twice for each hole (one countersink, and one for the screw).
Enter the Kreg jig.
Pros:
o no thinking required (well, not about how to build the jig anyway).
o easy to use.
o high quality product. This is a very well made jig, built to tight tolerances. I expect it to last for a very long time.
o the drill bit is also top quality - if you've only used cheap disount bits you will be very pleasantly surprised to see how this fine Kreg bit performs.
o instructions are clear, short, easy to follow.
o works as well as advertised. Better than I expected, actually.
o great support and product information at the kreg website.
Cons:
o you are limited to a single angle (about 15 degrees, I seem to recall).
o you are limited to a single hole width (3/8")
Overall I am very pleased with this jig. It works well and is surprisingly pleasant to use.
I've been using the Kreg screws with this jig and am very pleased with them - they are the same high quality as the jig. You can use other screws but make sure they are self-drilling.
I use any one of a number of my shop clamps to hold things in place - they work well. I suspect the kreg clamps would work better but have not tried them, and am not inclined to do so at this time.
You will need long reach robertson (square drive) screwdriver (or bit for your power driver). A 3" square drive bit with an extension will do, but a 6" bit is best. (These are available here on amazon.com, and possibly at your local hardware store.)
One last thing. Used appropriately pocket holes can be quite strong and durable, whether done with a home-made jig or the kreg.
27 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Excellent hole system on a budgetDec 14, 2005
By S. Verden
"Virginia woodworking enthusiast"
This tool is for you if:
1) You need to drill holes in low volume
If you do a piece of furniture or a couple cabinets per year and need to be budget conscious this is for you. If time is more important get the Kreg Jig 2000 Kit. Both are excellent though.
2) You need portability
This will fit most anywhere, and it's use is limited only by where you can use a drill. I used this to tighten subfloor onto some liquid and reduce floor squeaking without going through the floor surface.
3) You prefer quality.
This tool is very well made, and the drill bit stays sharp
4) You need an extra drill bit
Costs only about $5.00 more than just the bit and you get extra parts too.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Believe the InfomercialNov 27, 2009
By John N. Vani
I'm a sucker for most infomercials, and I've been disappointed after purchasing infomercial crap before. I saw the Kreg stuff on an infomercial initially so I was leary despite being intrigued.
I had already repaired my wooden dining room chairs with wooden dowels in the spindles, some wood lag screws, and Gorilla Glue, all to no avail. My three monkeys, er sons, broke my initial round of repairs and several chair arms and legs got all wobbly or had completely broken off. The company that made the chairs went out of business, so no matching chairs were available for our set of 10 chairs.
I broke down and bought this Kreg Mini Jig Kit, along with a box of assorted screws, the set of two drivers, and the oblong oak plugs. I bought some face clamps at Lowe's, and you will definitely need some good clamps to make the system work. I'm an addict now to this Kreg Jig idea. The Mini Kreg Jig worked great. It's designed for flat stock, but with some finagling I was able to clamp onto the unusual shapes of the chair spindles, etc. and the repairs seem rock solid. They have held up longer than my initial glue/dowel/screw repair, despite having to drill through my previous glue and dowel work. My three testers haven't been able to break anything loose yet.
Since then, the kids trundle bed frame came apart, and the repair of 3/4" to 3/4" stock at a 90 degree angle was very simple, fast and satisfying. The repair is more solid than the initial bedframe construction. I'm a Kreg addict now, looking around the house for other wood repairs. The repairs are amazingly fast and strong. I glue some of them, but it's optional. Believe the infomercial--this is a great system, and it works like they show in the video.
You must be very careful with your measurements, and set the drill stop at exactly 4-1/4" or whatever the directions tell you for the thickness of stock you're using. I bought this Mini Kreg Jig, and it works fine but if I ever need to replace it, I will get the "Kreg R3 Jr. Pocket Hole Jig System" which has some jigs to help set the measurements quickly and correctly. I would probably get the Kreg clamps too--mine from Lowe's are plastic and sometimes the jig slips a bit. The R3 also has two parallel pocket holes which would be stronger than the singles I've done. I'm buying the Kreg stuff as a gift for my parents who do household repairs/woodworking and I will get them the R3 Jr. Kit, a box of assorted screws, the oblong wood plugs, and a face clamp. The R3 kit has the driver or I would get that too. This is a great product. If you're wavering, just do it. You won't be disappointed.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
I use the mini more than the full-size jigOct 23, 2008
By New England Yankee
The mini will cover 80-90% of your casual-use pocket hole needs. Mine came as part of one of Kreg's master kits, and the Mini gets the most use by far. Small and easy to grab, with no setup other than to clamp it in place. It yields exactly the same result as any of the other Kreg jigs, right up to their hydraulic system. It's just slower.
In addition to purely being handy, it does a couple of things the larger jigs can't do or is inconvenient, including taking the jig to the work, and drilling pocket holes on large items like full sheets.
Good jig. Excellent drill.
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