# A true Pocket Hole Master !!!!!



## mantwi

I have a tight deadline on a kitchen cabinet build and thought I'd give this HF jig a look. Seeing is believing, it is a well made solid device, the price was great and it's sitting in my truck now. Like you I try to avoid using metal fasteners but since this is a production type project I swallowed my pride. The jig really is well built and finished. I just can't pay $100.00 plus for a piece of plastic like the kreg jig and I feel like I bought a real tool with the HF jig.


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## toeachhisown (Eddie)

was getting ready to get one , now i think it will be this one ,seem to be a lot better built thanks for the review


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## steliart

nice one


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## dustyal

Never saw this at HB… so I bought Kreg to do outdoor pieces and a couple of heavy duty cabinets… and I thought I had shopped everywhere. But thanks for review… I have a couple of drill master items… worked for what I needed.


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## AgentTwitch

I do not know what just happened…I was reading your review, and then all of a sudden I was on Harbor Freight's website ordering one of these. Didnt even know I needed one…


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## lynng

I have been using this HF jig to build casework for a couple of years. I have not seen one this well built. I use Kreg bits and screws with no problems. I highly recommend it.


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## patcollins

Are the holes that the bit is guided by steel or aluminum?


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## Routerisstillmyname

Don't forget to use the 25% coupon. google it and you'll find it.

yes the jig is compatable and uses the sae size drill bit as k-jig if you ever need replacment.I prefer the square drive my self but at least HF gives you 100 screwes total and different sizes.when I use those, I'll go with Sqaure drive type.

Steel. magnet test confirms.


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## rfusca

I have this too and it really is top notch (except the screws that come with it). The fit and finish are very, very nice.


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## Wolffarmer

Might be time to start screwing with HF. I also seldom use metal fasteners but when building shop things why not go screw?


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## Tennessee

Jeez, never been a big Kreg fan, but some of that was due to the cost of the jig. This might change some of my thinking. Heading there in the next couple of days…


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## wormil

Any pics of the holes it makes?


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## MitchMan

I've had this for two years and used it on probably twenty projects, it works great, I definitely recommend it. (I'm still curious why people call it a "Kreg Jig", Kreg doesn't own the pocket hole!)


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## Routerisstillmyname

Jackob poketso jigatto invented pocket hole jig in 1821 but he didn't know what to call it 
he just referred to it as the thing that you hand drill angle hole with and does not fit in the pocket.


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## rfusca

According to wikipedia, pocket holes show up as far back as ancient Egypt..


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## Routerisstillmyname

they didnt have pockets back then. jut some kind of bag to carry change in.


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## mjohnsonco

There's a coupon code good for 25% off, but it's only good on the 4th of July. I'm going to order this tomorrow. Use coupon code# 23544911


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## wormil

Several reviewers complained it makes ragged looking pockets, how are they looking?


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## oldnovice

*Rick*, wouldn't any "ragged" holes be a function of the bit versus the jig?


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## rfusca

I pulled mine out of the box, dropped the bit, and it broke in two. We replaced it with the Kreg bit - so I can't comment on the quality of the included bit for mine.


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## Routerisstillmyname

These types of Jigs have nothing to do with "ragged" holes. The type of wood you are drilling and how sharp our drill bit is will effect the results. with a sharp bit, The harder the wood, the cleaner the holes will be. the softer the wood with loose grains, the more ragged the hole as in cheap lousy pine wood.

you dont need this jig to test this. just use regular drill bits and different type of wood and then look at the edges. A dull bit will effect the results even more negatively.

$$$ 150+ plastic jig will not do magic with soft wood. if anything, the drill holes will get worse on a plastic jig with usage.

Either way all this doesn't mean anything since the whole idea of using these jigs is to hide the holes behind face frame of whatever you are making and no one will see the holes.


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## wormil

Rick, wouldn't any "ragged" holes be a function of the bit versus the jig?

@oldnovice, based on HF reviewers, the bit sleeve is short allowing the bit to wallow, leaving a ragged hole. I wasn't sure if that was true for all of them or maybe a QC issue.

@Routerisstillmyname, I've owned a Kreg for a long time (90's) and have used it in many types of wood, provided I clamp tightly it always cuts clean. I wasn't trying to knock the product, just asking because I want to upgrade to the Master System and was considering this as an alternative.


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## oldnovice

Rick, understood!


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## Routerisstillmyname

I'm not quite sure how much cleaner K-Jig edges are or if that justifies spending extra 100 or so for holes that will be hidden but based on tests I have done using few different types of soft pine scrap, as you can see this would be acceptable to 95%+ of users as evident on HF review page. The holes would be cleaner with poplar or walnut or oak I'm sure.
If anyone needs cleaner holes for exposed design then they can get the K-Jig.
'nuff said.


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## wormil

Thanks for adding the drilled hole picture. Next time I'm in the store I'll see if they have one to look at.


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## patcollins

routerisstillmyname- the plastic pocket hole jigs have steel inserts to guide the drill bits.

The drill bit is what makes the hole ragged, I forget who it is but someone makes a pocket hole kit that uses a router and they brag about how their device has much cleaner holes, in the video they looked perfect. Speed of the drillbit also has something to do with it, faster before you touch the wood seems to make less tearout.


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## wormil

Pat, you could have the sharpest bit in the world but if it's allowed any leeway, the hole will be ragged.


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## patcollins

Rick, was just pointing out the jig itself has little to do with whether or not the hole will be ragged, the way the bit comes in at an angle to the wood will tear wood by the nature of the way it is cutting into and out of the wood.


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## wormil

That was my point, the jig does have a lot to do with it. If the bit liner is short or has sloppy tolerances, it could allow the bit to wobble, making a more ragged hole than necessary and cause premature wearing of the jig and bit. If the bit moves around and starts vibrating the jig, the board could work loose. This might not matter to some people since the holes are usually hidden but it may matter to others. Since there were a couple reviews saying it happened I don't think it's a matter if it could happen but whether it happens to all of them just some some.


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## patcollins

I have actually had most of those things happen with the Kreg Jig and found they generally were a function of drill bit speed. The one thing that I have never been able to get rid of is the fringes on the side of the hole where the bit cuts outward, always seem to have to trim them off with a knife. I think some of the reviews were just people not familiar with pocket hole joinery and it was more a review on it than the jig itself.


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## wormil

Hmm, interesting idea. No way to know without trying it myself. Unfortunately the local store doesn't carry them so I'd have to order off the website, might do that and give it a try.


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## shawnmasterson

its kind of like the reciprocating saw. everyone calls it a sawzall.


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## Wolffarmer

I have never used one of these. Seems lot of people are complaining about the fuzzy cut of the bit. Could a bit of painters tape help with that? Or would that put alignment off? Perhaps file down the jig a bit to make up for the tape? Just ideas

Randy


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## wormil

Really, like Router said, it isn't a big deal because pocket screws are usually not seen. I mean if the holes were really ragged I would be concerned because that means the tool isn't working right but the holes in the pics he posted are completely acceptable to me. They do make plugs and if you were doing that then a clean hole would be more important. With my Kreg, the only time I get rough holes is when I don't clamp the jig.


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## patcollins

There is a review of this in this months wood magazine. The bit that comes with the Harbor Freight unit is said to dull fast and the steel holes that the bit rides in are said to wear fairly quickly. Not my own words, but what was in wood magazine.


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## SebringDon

I've found that if I have a fresh battery in my drill and have the bit turning at speed before I hit the wood, I have very little or no tearout. If the battery is weak or I press the bit down to the wood before starting the drill I have a mess to clean up. I happen to have a Kreg but I'm not sure if that would make a difference.

Just a couple of suggestions for those who have dirty pocket holes.

I'm gonna have to give Randy's suggestion of painter's tape. It would go on the face of the wood, so it won't bother the alignment. Pocket holes can be relatively imprecise anyway, since the screws don't have a pilot hole drilled in the piece being joined.


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## mellowde

I've built 2 sets of kitchen cabinets with this jig. Lickity split done. I do use the square drive screws rather than phillips as they don't slip on the bit. I used to own Kreg but found their quality went downhill while their cost went through the roof. I get replacement step bits for $2 on ebay and the screws in bulk on ebay too. Making the face frames, cabinet boxes etc are easy and precise with just a good saw straight edge tool and accurate measurement. I use a good high quality saw blade to avoid tear out on end cuts. I can easily build several cabinets by myself in 8 hours. Just a week to do the entire set using this jig. Some don't like metal fasteners, but if you plan your moves you can make all invisible merely by putting the pocket holes on the back or underside of joints. I've built cabinets from 12 in wide all the way up to 8 ft wide. Smaller is easier to install though. Many will go to the big box store and pay big bucks for cheap particle board cabinets that use staples and fall apart if picked up too hard. Why? You'll spend more time (and money) dealing with those things over time.


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