# Heard of GRRR-ripper & Dubby?? JUNK!!!!! Read this..



## ToddTurner (Apr 20, 2009)

I went to th woodworking show in DC yesterday and had a great time. Every tool you have ever read about was there bieng shown and sold. I was dissapointed that the big names werent there-Powermatic, Grizzly, etc. Kreg stuff was there and so was Woodpeckers. Distributors Im sure. 
I bought (I am embarassed to say i bought these things, but I am amongst friends, right?) a Dubby, which is a cutoff board or a crosscut sled. And, i bought the GRRR-ripper. Both looked great at the show and i have read about them. I dont do the impulse purchase thing. (Again, I would be less embarassed to be caught in my boxer briefs at the Home Depot than to admit i purchased these). 
These things are both pure junk. The gripper has a tail thingy that can act as a push stick and grab the end of the material. It cant be a grripper AND a push stick. So, use it as a gripper only-then the dust wont let it grab and it slips and allows the board to be in blade too long. The push stick and feather board cant be beat-period. Should be named GARRRRRRRRRR-bage.
And the dubby-the American translation is junk. Its made of very cheap MDF. THe instructions leave out how to put 4 of the pieces on, which are made of soft pine. Come on guys-at least give us hardwood. One of the parts that didnt have install instructions was the degree gauge. What a cheap piece of crap. DON'T DO IT! 
I hope i save you guys the anguish and grief. I am usually very choosy and know my tools. I read some good stuff about these and I am still disappointed. I guess you live and learn huh.

Todd


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

I have the GRRRR-ripper and rely on it all the time. I keep it clean and it works…. don't know about the other.


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## 747DRVR (Mar 18, 2009)

I have the grripper and I think it was one of the best purchases I ever made.


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## Ingjr (Feb 21, 2010)

Interesting. I've read a lot on both these items and have read mixed reviews on both of them. Thanks for the mini-review.


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

Todd, did you get a DVD when you bought the grripper?


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## Riowood1000 (Jul 29, 2009)

I have the Dubby and it's not Junk. I would suggest you talk to the maker of the dubby on monday!


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## Sean (Jul 2, 2008)

dont know about the dubby, but i use the gripper all the time…i'd check the instructions, make sure you got all the parts and that you're using it right.


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## JerrySats (Jul 7, 2008)

Give the GRRR-Ripper another chance , its a great shop aid . I use it with most of my machines . If you have more questions on how make better use of it search Youtube for videos of it in action .


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## jsheaney (Jun 25, 2007)

I love my Grripper. It even saved my hand once. Tore a piece of it apart, but I only needed to repurchase that one part. Actually, two parts. Anyway, my only complaint: there's a clear plastic part that screws onto it and kind of acts like a blade guard. It's optional; you don't really need it. The problem is that it screws onto a couple of embedded nuts in little nubs of plastic that stick out. Eventually, they just snap off and then that part is useless. I wish they could have made that a bit more robust.

I made a couple of wooden copies of the push stick backer thingy, as they suggest (because it's sacrificial). I hardly ever use them, though. I find the rubber surface grips well enough.

Another note. There's a deluxe kit that includes some extra parts. It was a long time ago, so I forget which parts are extra, but I remember they were important. There's a plastic part that goes on the side and runs on the table top when your workpiece is too narrow for both sides of the Grripper. That might not come with the basic model, but it is important in certain circumstances.


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

Wax on Wax off. You have much to learn Grasshopper.


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## Chiefk (Jan 28, 2008)

I have had a Dubby for about 8 years. Since I bought the Dubby, I don't think I have built anything that I didn't use my Dubby. It something happened to my Dubby, I would not hesitate to buy another one. I suspect you could list the Dubby and the gripper in the Woodworking Trade and Swap on this forum and have no problem selling your junk. pkennedy


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I havent bought either, but often thought about getting the Grrr-Ripper. I have read a lot of great reviews on it.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

A link to these products, or mfr's websites would be helpful. Been doing wood stuff for 40+ years, never heard of either product.
*Edit:* Never Mind…I googled them. Aaack!
Just get a stock feeder, already!


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## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

I bought 2 decked-out Grrippers at the woodworking show last year. A friend had a pair for a year or two and liked them a lot but it didn't make sense to me that they were any different than expensive push blocks. But the guy demonstrating them at the show did a couple of things that got my attention, and my friend was saying, "see, see". It took a bit of time to get used to using them, but now I use them a lot. They are great (albeit rather expensive) pushblocks when that is all you need, but the accessories make it easy to configure them for cuts that I would not ever do without them.


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

http://www.google.ca/search?q=GRRR+gripper&rlz=1I7ADSA_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&redir_esc=&ei=ShzDS5awGY_Dnges2aWfCg

http://www.in-lineindustries.com/single_dubby.html


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks, Bob#2, I just went there. I'll put them on my Christmas wish list… right under the Slap-Chop and Graty which I also must have, if I'm going to do anything in the kitchen!


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

Absolutely! In that order too.


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## Ronsayshi (Apr 26, 2009)

I have the funny and use it all the time. It's not fancy but just works. Got mine at the woodworking show last year and it came with a setup DVD and printed instructions. Give it another chance.


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## Domer (Mar 8, 2009)

I have both the RipperGripper and the Dubby.

The RipperGripper is a great tool to make relatively narrow rips especially on shorter pieces of wood. It holds the wood securely while keeping your hand away from the blade and out of the line of fire.

The Dubby helps cut wider cross cuts and is wonderful on making a bunch of parts exactly the same length quickly and safely. Go to their web site to see how it works.

I think both are great.

Domer


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

I'm happy with both of these devices, and I find both to be useful.


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## 559dustdesigns (Sep 23, 2009)

I can't see spending that kind of money for these tools or safety gear. I do like what they do and I understand why so many woodworkers like them. I am on a budget, every tool purchase I have to ask my self (what can I do with this and will it allow me to do something new I need) will it improve my woodworking. A really well designed push block doesn't help me do better work.


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## Uncle_Salty (Dec 26, 2009)

Don't know about the "dubby," but I have a gripper and I use it fairly frequently. Especially on cuts where I have to remove my spitter/guard system. Dadoes, rabbets and the like.

I also have found it to very effective on the router table, as it gives excellent control on small parts and moldings.

And hey… the "Slappy" is a pretty good little tool, also. I bought one about 5 years ago (before they were being advertised on TV, and before they were paired up with the "Graty": You know, I can't do this all day!), and it is a darned handy kitchen utensil!


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## rlrjr (Aug 17, 2010)

On Thursday, 21 July 2011, at 9:00am, USING A PUSH STICK AND FEATHER BOARD, I sliced off 5/8" off the end of my right thumb while trimming a skosh off the side of a small door for a jewelry box that I was making. I have since ordered the Gripper and had I had that tool with me that morning I would not have had to make that trip to the ER.

If you are working with small pieces you are STUPID if you don't have a Gripper. I just got through cutting 1/8" strips of bloodwood on my saw and the Gripper did it without my fingers getting closer than 2" to the blade.

I get the stitches out on Friday. Experience is a wonderful teacher.


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## TheKingInYellow (Sep 25, 2008)

Sorry but I love my Grrripper, and plan to buy another soon!


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## EvilNuff (Mar 17, 2011)

I cannot disagree strongly enough about the grripper. It really is fantastic and I think everyone who uses a table saw or router table should buy at least one.

Lol holy thread necromancy…472 days old!


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## gillyd (Feb 26, 2011)

I have 2 grippers, one of the best purchases I have made.


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## coloradoclimber (Apr 7, 2007)

I don't have the dubby, cant comment on it.

I do have a couple Grippers. At the table saw I pretty much only use the Gripper and I'm pretty happy with it. I use standard flat bottom foam covered push blocks at the jointer. At the router I usually use my hands unless it is a special cut and then the Gripper.

So yeah, I guess the Gripper is pretty pricey for a push block but I think it is pretty handy. It is comfortable, easy to use, and it keeps my fingers well away from the blade. The Gripper can really help when you have some tricky cuts, small stuff or weird aspect ratio. It can hold odd sized pieces safely with your fingers well back. I'd recommend it, and I'd certainly be less embarrassed to have one or two in my shop than be caught in Home Depot in my boxers.


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## LONGHAIR (Dec 16, 2007)

I love my gripper too. It gets used quite a bit on the router table too. 
I have no use for a Dubby though as I have access to a Holz-Her sliding saw.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

I would say the only knock on the Dubby is that you should be able to build one yourself and do it for a lot more money. I have a Gripper and think it is a worthwhile investment.


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## StephenO (Jun 7, 2011)

The Grr-ripper is one of the best investments I have made. Even on larger stock, it gives me much better control than any push stick ever has.


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## TechRedneck (Jul 30, 2010)

I usually use push sticks on larger rips, however I do have a Gripper and use it when I get that "stop and think about this cut" feeling on smaller rips (less than 2') and trims. It's is worth the minute or two to setup and use,and is always close to the table saw. Good to use on the router as well.

If you don't have one then put it on your list, you won't regret it. I like my fingers intact.


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## rlrjr (Aug 17, 2010)

To Algale…....

The problem with push sticks and feather boards is that when working with small pieces of wood once the wood passes the center point of the spinning blade they are likely to move sideways.

The piece I was trimming was a lap-joint frame for a door to a jewelry box. The sides were 1" in width and the top and bottom was 1 1/2" in width with the frame being approx. 4" x 9" overall. I had a push block (push pad) next to me but with no material inside the frame (open for the placement of glass window) there was no material for it to push down on except for the part against the fence and also the push block was too short so I used the push stick until the material passed the center of the blade and then I used my right hand, pressing down on the material and against the fence to complete the cut.

Everything happened so fast that the only thing that I can figure that I did wrong is that once the wood was pushed through and the cut was complete I pulled the wood backwards slightly and I think that the saw blade caught the side of the wood and started to lift it off of the table and my reaction was to press down quickly to stop that and that is when my thumb went down onto the spinning blade.

I later looked at the wood that I had cut and I could not see a gouge in the side as one would expect if the blade caught the material and flipped it upwards.

There are probably a dozen different ways that I could have made this cut that would have been safer…I am always extremely aware of the dangers….

I hope that my mistake will make others think before making cuts on small pieces of wood and avoid this type of situation. And I can no longer give a "two-thumbs up" any more, only 1 and 3/4!.

The stitches came out yesterday and the doctor said that it was healing very well. They showed me how to wrap it now for "stump shaping" and when it's all over only my manicurist will know the difference.


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## Dreek (Oct 31, 2014)

Late post, I realize, but just found this while researching the Dubby that came with my newly-bought used table saw. Mine is a comment in principle, based on good common sense (and use of competing items, namely home-built jigs.) I have never used a GRRRipper, nor have I yet used my Dubby. Both look like good devices - though each could be said to be made from kind of cheesy materials, and I am quite sure they work as advertised. (It is my assumption that they do.) BUT….

These are brain-dead simple items whose functional equivalent can be built for a fraction of the cost. IMO (stress: MY opinion, I am not stating this as irrefutable fact) buying either of these items at their current (crazy high) prices rather than making the equivalent item is the act of a toy collector, not a woodworker. Just my two cents' worth. Case in point: I had a butt-load of wood to rip on my table saw, had just seen videos of the GRRRipper in action, and wanted a pair (hand-over-hand is the way to go IMO, just like when feeding through a jointer), but found that the pair would cost $120 (OUCH!) I built the equivalent (well, not quite, I don't have ability to rip down to 1/8" like a GRRRipper - boo hoo  and it cost me about 8 dollars, including the cost of a couple of metal door handles and a mouse pad to sacrifice for use as the grippy undersides. They work great - I prefer them greatly over push-stick and featherboard, and they didn't cost me a small fortune.

The Dubby, I must admit, is a bit more involved, but I have to say that given its price, it is still in my opinion worth building your own similar sled - it is still a simple device.

To repeat - the devices are good ideas, and according to most work well - but are just too expensive for me.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I love my Grrrrrripper…..


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## Putttn (Feb 29, 2012)

Add me to the Grripper list … I love mine.


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## alittleoff (Nov 27, 2014)

I bought two of the grippers with all the bells and whistles. I put one together and used it a couple of tmes, the other is still in the box. Might put it on Craigs list and sell it for a thousand dollars. List it as a new invention .
Gerald


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## Dreek (Oct 31, 2014)

Please make no mistake about my meaning: I think both products are very cool. But even though I think my car is also very cool (at a price of ~$40k) if the price had been, say $150, I'd have just walked away chuckling and shaking my head in disbelief. Same reaction when I see a cross-cut sled with a pivoting fence for $180 or a push-thingy that looks and feels like a Fisher-Price toy for $60+. Price them at maybe $60 and $20, respectively, and you might just have me as a customer.

I don't question their utility, only the value for the money.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

> I bought two of the grippers with all the bells and whistles. I put one together and used it a couple of tmes, the other is still in the box. Might put it on Craigs list and sell it for a thousand dollars. List it as a new invention .
> Gerald
> 
> - alittleoff


Same here - I ahve 2 - - one is NIB still 6 years later, both gathering dust

I use an MDF shoe for the tablesaw, and never looked back…except to regret my purchase.

i do love my MJ splitters from Microjig.


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## CB_Cohick (Dec 22, 2014)

I have 2 Grr-rippers, best money I have ever spent. They are indispensable.


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## bonesbr549 (Jan 1, 2010)

I've got two of the gripprs and love em. Great for ripping small stock and no issues.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Wow…what a post from someone who has never used the Gripppeerr…....I am called a toy maker and not a woodworkers. Actually, my grandkids are very happy with the toys.

Criticizing a tool before you have even tried it and saying that if you use it you are not a woodworkers is just a bit wrong.


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## Dreek (Oct 31, 2014)

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN ACTUALLY READ…(and those of you who have a hard time, and need things repeated)...ONE LAST TIME:

I am not saying these are bad products. I have acknowledged that they are likely good products. The value that they represent for the money is the issue raised by my comment, not their UTILITY. Maybe instead of buying plastic jigs some of you should invest in a dictionary first. Who knows, you might actually be able to read the instructions for some of your tools and save a finger or two THAT way!

@Redoak49 - I wrote toy collector, not toy maker. Thank you for proving my point, no one one this site can f'ing read. Also, you don't always have to try something to know instinctively it is not a good value. Tell me, Red', would you insist that I try a wooden toothpick you had made and were charging $100 for before I could deem it "not a good value?" (No need to answer genius, this is called a rhetorical question.)

Yes, this is a flame. I am tired of dealing with morons. I come here with all good intentions, express myself in clear, unambiguous English, and go away feeling the sting of retorts that address things that I didn't even imply, let alone say explicitly.


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## nerdbot (Sep 3, 2014)

I bought the two-pack of GRR-Rippers with all the bells and whistles over a year ago. For numerous reasons, I thought the GRR-Rippers would help me make more consistent cuts on my jobsite saw. I found that the GRR-Rippers were not simple replacements for push sticks. The first few cuts I made with the GRR-Rippers were less consistent and straight than my old school method of push sticks and using my fingers as "featherboards". I got a little better with practice on smaller pieces, but hadn't mastered the hand over hand 2-GRR-Ripper method. Being a jobsite saw, I don't have a lot of table in front of the blade, so I found it very awkward to start long cuts with the GRR-Rippers.

As with any tool, it took some practice and experience until I started getting decent cuts. Unfortunately, with the way the stock riving knife on my saw is designed, it sits too high for the GRR-Ripper to pass over the blade, so I was using the GRR-Ripper without a riving knife.

I decided no GRR-Ripper (considering my inexperience using them) was safer than no riving knife. So I shelved the GRR-Ripper pair not long after buying them. I finally got around to buying some custom made riving knives that solve the problem of the stock riving knife, and I wholeheartedly plan on trying the GRR-Rippers again. I feel like they'll be much more useful this time around.


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## RichardHillius (Oct 19, 2013)

I have had a pair of the Grrippers for years now. The ones I have don't have the drop down tail but my understanding is it lifts up if you sit it flat on a board so it doesn't get in the way when you use them as push blocks. They are not perfect by any means but I have not used a push block yet that is and they work a lot better than those cheap orange things you see everywhere. Where the ripper's excel is with small pieces less than a 1/2" or so. Places where push sticks don't work well and where you can apply forward pressure on both sides of the cut. Using the Gripper's I can cut 1/4" strips off a board without having to readjust the fence or other fixture between cuts which is something that is really hard to do safely using other means.

They are not perfect but are far far from junk. They are also not a one sized fit all push stick but I use them on the tablesaw a lot more than any other solution I have tired. For me at least they where not a bad purchase.

Jeff, Frankly for a hobby woodworker everything we buy could be called a luxury or toy. Are table saws a luxury toy that we buy because we are all to lazy to use handsaws? Maybe a person could get 80% or so of the functionality of a Gripper using homemade devices but does that mean people who desire that other 20% of functionality or just want a well built product they can buy so they can spend more time making furniture rather than jigs are wrong to? Some people like making jigs and tools some people don't.


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

Master Po: Close your eyes. What do you hear?
Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.
Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat?
Caine: No.
Po: Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?
Caine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things?
Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?
Po: Young man, how is it you do not value your *Gripper *as much as you do your *fingers*


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

OK I am a toy collector not a woodworkers… my grandkids still like the toys. And yes I really am a woodworker.

If you call people morons and rant about something you have not tried you really are helping to make a point but not the one that you want.

I have arthritis in my hands and the grippers are an incredible help. It is a great thing about all the tools for woodworking…. some like a tool and other don't. You have to try them to really find out.

The fact is that the Gripppers have been a success for MicroJig


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

For me, the Grrripper is great and gets a lot of use. I watched the Dubby demo at the WWS a few years back and was pretty well turned off by the high pressure presentation of the guy that said he was the inventor. He insisted that the best way to go was to buy 2, one set up for left and right application. Of course he had a lame "deal" if you bought 2. It looked like it might have been an OK item, but the presenter/presentation left me cold and I walked away. I have purchased thousands of dollars of equipment and supplies at the WWS since the late 90's, and this was the only guy other than the Apollo sprayer guy that has pissed me off. Most of the vendors are great folks and very professional. You just have to decide if their product is a "need" or "want" item, and whether to buy into their sales pitch or not. The small companies are the best, with a lot of the major tool manufacturers' people acting like they are bored ********************less. IMHO, Woodpeckers, Alex Snodgrass with Carter and Barry Gross have been some of the best that I have dealt with over the years. A lot of the Peachtree people are really great, but not all. But let's face it, they are there trying to make a living so I try to remember that and allow for it.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

I have two grrippers and I agree that their gripping surface gets dusty and slipprey easily. I'm considering buying a roll of gripping material from Lee Valley and sticking it on there instead… then they would stick like bench dogs to everything.


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## rhford (Aug 28, 2013)

Here's another vote in favor of the Grrrripper products. I have used them for several years now and find that they work very well and absolutely keep your hands and fingers away from destruction. Take some time to give it a chance and I think you will find it to be a very good accessory.

As far as the Dubby product, I had one on an old table saw years ago and found it to work very well. I would have bought another one to replace it on my new 3 hp Grizzly but there was none to fit it. I instead bought an Incra and am very pleased with it. I do segmented woodturning and it can really dial in on dead-accurate cuts that those projects require.

Ron


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

After reading through this thread I looked closer at the Grr-Ripper and decided to buy it … actually I bought 2 in a double pack off Amazon. They are rather expensive, but even though made of plastic they are well made and sturdy. I tried them out and I'm quite pleased with how they perform. I've done some very thin cuts using a push stick and have had my fingers come very close to the blade so I have been lucky not cutting a finger. I will say the Grr-Ripper makes cutting thin cuts a lot less nerve racking. I wish I'd purchased these a long time ago.

P.S. I want to add that the plastic the Grr-Ripper is made from is not some cheap styrene plastic. It appears to be high impact nylon plastic. Which I don't believe Fisher-Price uses to make toys.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Old thread bumped by a noob


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## lwaynes (May 7, 2015)

I bought the complete Dubby Set (left & right) at the Dallas Woodworking show in 2006 and have been using them constantly since. Could not ask for a better set up. They are dead on accurate and have performed flawlessly. Also have owned a gripper ever since they first came out and the same accolades apply to it also. To quote a previous posting "Wax on Wax off. You have much to learn Grasshopper."

A little qualification note - I am 75 years old and woodworking has been a hobby of mine for 60 years of that time and I do not buy cheap equipment.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

When the plastic wore out I made a piece out of plywood and

we're back in the saddle.


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## NavyDoc (Feb 22, 2016)

Dubby Cut off sled Buyer Beware

I recently purchased the Dubby cut off jig at the wood show. When I went to set it up I followed the instructions and watched the video supplied with the sled. I noticed when assembling the sled that the stop block had the Allen screw put in the wrong way ( according to the supplemental instructions, the book instructions and the Video).

I removed the Allen screw put it back in the correct way, but then when I tried to square the Jig I could not get it square. I finally realized that the Allen screw used to make the fence square was not holding in the wood stop block. Since it was made from wood the threads did not hold so removing it and putting it in correctly was not an option. Since I had bought both the right and left sled I examined the other sled and noticed it was also put in backwards.

I called In Line Industries i.e Jerry Cole and left several messages over the next week as well as sent several emails trying to let him know his jigs were being manufactured incorrectly. I NEVER had any response from Jerry Cole.

After a week with no response I called Peachtree woodworking supply since they were the people I paid at the show figuring they could help me. After several Phone calls to them and finally after another week I got the 2 replacement stop blocks…. However, these were also put in incorrectly. I called Peachtree again and Bob said the stop blocks were made correctly, but the instructions were wrong. I told him that the instruction book, the supplemental page I was given and the Video on how to assembled the sled must also be wrong since they all showed the Allen screw put in from the rear so that the sled could be adjusted easily. He told me If I was unhappy with the item I could send it back to them, but I would not be reimbursed the shipping!. I told him the Item was defective and why should I have to pay shipping for a defective item?

Bob at Peachtree was not helpful and refused to believe that the stop blocks were being manufactured incorrectly. He then told me to send all 4 stop blocks that I had back to them and they would make sure I received 2 stop blocks with the Allen screws put in correctly.

After waiting another week I called Peachtree and was told it would still be at least another week before I had my problem corrected since "Bob" was at another show and was not available. At that point I decided to cut my looses and I returned Both Dubby Jigs back to Peachtree before my 30 day money back guarantee was voided since it was now 3 ½ weeks and I still had a Non functioning jig. It cost me $50 dollars to return the Jig, but I guess I learned Not to buy anything made by in line industries and also to avoid Peachtree woodworking Supply. IF you do decide to get this or any item made by Inline industries or sold by Peachtree hopefully you will not need to contact customer support because it is Non existent at both places. Buyer Beware !!!


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

NavyDoc,

Here is more than you probably want to read about Peachtree and their return policy:
http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/4385


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

I've purchased a couple of things from Peachtree before and have been lucky not having to return anything. I can't say I thought much about their return policy and assumed if a product was defective that Peachtree would pay the return shipping. Now knowing what the policy is I will most likely not purchase from them anymore.


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## Woodchuck2010 (Jan 19, 2016)

I also have the loaded GRR-ripper. It's awesome! After using it for a while, I bought a second one so I could do longer stock. As long as you wipe it off occasionally, and your table is waxed, it will work very well! There are way more things it can do that I haven't even tried yet.


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## gunghowoodworks (Jan 18, 2016)

I don't own a Grrr-ripper, it does seem like an overpriced piece of plastic. I'm sure, just like with everything else, it takes time to set up and get used to using. It seems like it has a genuine purpose of safety when used properly on the Table saw. I'd give it a chance and would like to do a review on it, if only I could buy two for the price of one.


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## NavyDoc (Feb 22, 2016)

Chuck V, I see you had the same problem with Peachtree. My guess is that they manufactured the stop block incorrectly and rather than going back and /or recalling all the ones they made they would rather ignore the defective sleds. MY experience is they DO NOT care about customer service and maybe if enough woodworkers start boycotting them they will get the message.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

> Chuck V, I see you had the same problem with Peachtree. My guess is that they manufactured the stop block incorrectly and rather than going back and /or recalling all the ones they made they would rather ignore the defective sleds. MY experience is they DO NOT care about customer service and maybe if enough woodworkers start boycotting them they will get the message.
> 
> - NavyDoc


I was not involved in this. I was just pointing out another thread that I recall having to do with Peachtree.


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## NavyDoc (Feb 22, 2016)

Chuck V Thanks, I have found multiple other post detailing the Poor customer service from Peach Tree


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Just another vote for the GRR-ripper. Yes they are plastic. But it's heavy duty and not flimsy.

Yes, you could make something pretty easy that would do 80% of what it is used for. Getting that last 20% would be a more tedious. But sure, if you want to put in the time, you can build your own. You might even enjoy building something like it.

But I don't think it is a fare criticism to dismiss it, just because you could build one yourself.

You can paint you own house, fix your own car, build your own computer. Some of us do some of these things ourselves, some of us pay others, most DIY on some things, pay for others to do other things. Choose your battles.

I would even agree that it seems more like something you'd expect to pay half the price for. But it is a specialty item. And it is what the market will bear. As they say, if you don't lose some sales because your price is too high, then your price is too low.

I liked my first one so much, that I got a second. Just used it yesterday to rip some narrow boards using the walking technique. Great control. You can't use it on narrow cuts with a blade guard. But the control it gives is so good, that I'm sure I'm safer using the GRR-ripper without a blade guard, than I am using a push stick with a blase guard. And the quality of the cut is outstanding.

Only time it has let me down is ripping pre-finished plywood. That stuff is super slick. It will grip it as long as the wood doesn't have dust on it. But with longer rips, it isn't long before dust gets kicked up during the first part of the cut. But I can't fault the GRRR-ripper for this. It still grips better than just about anything else, including my hands.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I get that the Gripper is prettier, but I cannot see how it's any improvement over the shoes I've been using for decades. Mine push and the back, while holding down at least ten inches down the board. I have zero qualms about running the through the blade, and they get my hand higher up (away from the blade).

I have a couple shoes that are wider for specialty cuts, as well as ones for angle work and so on.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

even though this is a 6 year old thread….. I love my grippers. Clin, they came out with some little plastic piece that hangs off the back of the gripper that would probably solve the slippery problem you're having, I don't have one on mine but looks like it would work.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

> Clin, they came out with some little plastic piece that hangs off the back of the gripper that would probably solve the slippery problem you re having, I don t have one on mine but looks like it would work.
> 
> - Gixxerjoe04


I'm talking about using it on longer rips where you need to use them in the middle of the board and therefore cannot can hook the end of the board. For example ripping something 3 ft long or longer.

My biggest problem was when I was ripping 8 ft long pre-finished plywood. Doesn't matter how clean the GRRR-rippers and wood is when you start the cut, after a few feet, the cut itself creates enough dust that the plywood has some on it and eventually the GRR-rippers start slipping.

It's just a tough situation. The pre-finished plywood is VERY slick. And with a bit of fine dust, it is almost friction-less.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

If doing much eight feet long, or facsimile thereof, it may be time to consider some hold downs.

I've ran a lot of 1/8" paneling through big Olivers and such that were not equipped with hold downs and there wasn't a push stick to be seen anywhere. It was always a matter of holding the end up high, so the part of the plywood at the blade was forced down to the table. As you moved the panel in, you lowered it.

I still do this, but have push shoes for the last foot or two. Sometimes, I press the shoe down on the wood, letting the wood slide under it, like a hold down, while my left hand pushes the stock to within a foot of the blade. Then the shoe (cut for that thickness of material) grabs the end and pushes it through, while holding the panel near the other end of the shoe, ten or so inches up.

Again, I don't feel bad if the blade nicks a shoe, but I sure would if it nicked my Gripper.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Kelly,

Have you worked with a GRRR-ripper? And I'm not saying that to score cheap points in an argument that I don't think we're having anyway. Just saying that they are not push sticks, and if you haven't used one, you might find they are more useful than you think.

Of course, people have been using table saws for decades without GRR-rippers. Heck plenty of people don't use push sticks. It's just another tool, that I, and apparently many others, find very useful and to be more than just a push stick.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Other than on a band saw, I haven't used a push stick in forty years. To say they scare me is an understatement. Saws scare me, making it a little ironic that I have a shop full of things capable of throwing wood through doors, or worse.

Pushing just on the end of the board struck me as foolhardy from the get go. A push stick couldn't stop jack __ and is only good in perfect situations. In my opinion, there are no such situations in woodwork, since I could not, reliably, predict what would cause material to grab the back of the blade (i.e., start a kick back). For that reason, I invented a push stick years before they were common (just like a thousand other guys).

Using my push shoes, or blocks, I cut 1/8" inch square material out of 3/4" stock anytime I need to. My shoes push it on through, just like the Gripper.

That said, no, I haven't used a Gripper. I have seen videos of them used. They do the same thing my shoes do. I admit, the Grippers do it more elegantly. They even grab more surface when they do.

On the matter of pushing on both the cut off and the "waste," that wouldn't coax me into considering one. For example, pushing sheets of plywood through my saw, as I did tonight, I prefer leaving the 44" piece where it landed, after the cut, and pushing the 4" piece on through.

If I wanted, I could add width to my shoes and put some of the non-stick shelf material I have rolls of in the shop, but the heel of my push shoes make that unnecessary.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine. In fact, aside my note above, I think it's every bit as good as any shoes I have. Just like the SawStop. If I had money to burn, I'd probably buy one.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

What the hell is going on with this site? Every time I try to post a picture, it goes mental. It's been happening for a couple days now. Without pics, I abandoned several posts, as a waste of time.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Okay…..... just saw the post of the known photo bug.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

> Clin, they came out with some little plastic piece that hangs off the back of the gripper that would probably solve the slippery problem you re having, I don t have one on mine but looks like it would work.
> 
> - Gixxerjoe04
> 
> ...


Ah, i usually just use the gripper for the end of cuts when my hands would end up near the blade. I won one of their push blocks for my jointer, it's nice but I've had the problem of it slipping which is annoying.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Regarding the mention of the jointer, that seems an application where the Gripper would shine over my push blocks, since it's a different world, compared to handling wood on the saw.

I have a few of the foam pad type push pads. Never liked them. They are too small, to begin with, and I just don't like any push device that places my hands low to a blade.


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## ohtimberwolf (Dec 17, 2011)

It does seem crazy that any company that spends tens of thousands of dollars on advertising to get a new customer, when they finally succeed, would throw them this way over such a legitimate issue. If they don't change their attitude toward their customer base they may not have a base after a while.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I'll be back, in a week, when photos are working…..........


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

My "Grippers," in a rack above the table saw.


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## Ian57 (Oct 1, 2013)

> I have the Dubby and it s not Junk. I would suggest you talk to the maker of the dubby on monday!
> 
> - Andrew Betschman


I bought the Dubby several years ago. about a week after recieving it and before I could unbox it. I needed bi-pass surgery. When I was fit and able enough to return to my shop, I opened the Dubby and found several things wrong with it. Like you said I got in touch with Jerry and, despite several reassurances from Jerry. 
to this day I have received no replacements.


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm surprised by your experience. I have had both the Dubby and the Gripper, the Dubby for 20 years and the Gripper for 4-5years. I use them extensively and think they are both exceptional tools. Perhaps their quality standards are slipping?


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## pontic (Sep 25, 2016)

I have push shoes and the Grripper. the Grripper works much safer and better for smaller pieces of wood.


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

DITTO I got one a couple of weeks ago and love it. The only issue is I can see anyway to replace parts I have run a blade through.

Only accessory I have gotten that lets me run small parts through and I feel safe doing it..

I used it today to cut a 45 bevel in a small piece! Set it up just right so I had pressure down on both side of the stock! Never would of felt safe doing it any other way!/

I might also add that you are a LOT safer using this with a RIVING KNIFE! I am a little scared until i see the piece go pass the Riving knife



> I have the GRRRR-ripper and rely on it all the time. I keep it clean and it works…. don t know about the other.
> 
> - juniorjock


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

I would also like to say I think a lot of thinking went into the GRRRIPPER!. I have never seen those so called tiny black "O" rings on some of the bolts and when I put it together I was like WTF! THEN when using the thing when you take parts off like the part that is suppose to ride on the top of the table the stews will not fall off/out because of the little rubber O rings! BRILLIANT!


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Guy I have those exact same Roller skate wheel things the YELLOW BOARD BUDDIES. I love them for very limited gigs because they work great BUT you can not get a push stick on your stock with them in the way!



> My "Grippers," in a rack above the table saw.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I found they work well enough I just have to run a more narrow board behind them to push them through, since they both hold the work down and against the fence.


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