KREGK4 Pocket Hole Jig - Adjustable, Versatile Jig for Strong Joints - Create Perfect, Rock-Solid Joints - Easily Adjustable Drill Guides - For Materials 1/2" to 1 1/2" Thick

This tool is made of plastic but is very sturdy. Markings are accurate and easy to read. Setup and use while reading instructions was easy. I’d recommend getting one of these is you’re drilling pocket holes!!

After dealing with a poorly designed jig that kept shifting during use, I picked up the Kreg K4 and it immediately made a difference. This jig uses a static pin system that locks your settings in place and keeps them there. No drifting, no surprises, just clean and consistent pocket holes every time.The build quality is solid, and setup is easy. Everything stays aligned throughout the project, which gives you confidence that your joints will come out right.It does cost a bit more than some of the budget options, but the performance and reliability are absolutely worth it. If you're doing any serious woodworking, this is the tool to get.

I just began building the Kreg workbench. I figured I'd start with a basic project like this to familiarize myself with the Kreg jig and how it operates. If I make a mistake on this, the wood is just inexpensive 2x4s that I can easily replace.I really like the fact that it comes with the DVD, which gives all the basic details and is broken down into sections so you can easily go and just rewatch one section again.One bit of advice I'd give from what I've experienced with the jig so far is that instead of drilling the pocket hole in one motion, I found it works better to drill down maybe a 1/4 to 1/3 of the way, then back the drill bit out to clean out the hole, then continue on in this fashion until you reach the drill stop. The holes are cleaner-cut this way and it's easier on your tools. This technique has worked well for deep holes for the 2x material. I also had one piece of wood that I neglected to sort out when I selected my wood that was heavier than all the others, so it's wetter than the others. I did have to make sure and clean the holes in the jig out after this, as they did gum up a bit from the moist sawdust produced from this one piece of wood.I do wish the jig came with a few more screws right out of the box. You get an assortment of different sizes, but only 10 or so of each. This allowed me to basically get one little section of the workbench put together. I then had to go searching for screws. The problem was, neither Home Depot, nor Lowes carries the 2.5-inch screws. Luckily, there is a Rockler store in Denver. But when I got there, they only had one box of the 2.5-inch screws in a 50-pack, and they were the blue "weather resistant" ones. I didn't care because the screws are all hidden. I think the box was $1 more than the normal screws would've been.Now this jig and these screws are all brand new to me. But, at this point, I did have a problem yesterday when using the blue screws. I don't know if it's the coating on them or what, but they drove down into the hole and then proceeded to strip out the threads they'd just drilled! I hadn't changed the torque setting on my drill at all from using it the day before with the regular Kreg pocket hole screws that came with the jig. So, I backed off the torque a bit and tried another screw in another hole. Same thing! I then turned the torque almost all the way down on the drill. That worked. Then I tightened that one by hand. After that, I tried driving another one by hand. I can certainly work around this, but I'm definitely apprehensive about using the blue screws again on anything else that might call for them, such as a potting bench, or outdoor chairs, etc. Kreg does make stainless steel pocket hole screws, but a box of 50 was about $25, compared to $6 for the blue screws. They do package larger quantities together as well. There was a box of 250 of the regular 2.5-inch screws that I needed, but I don't need anywhere near that many of that size screw at this point in time. However, if you were going to make, say several outdoor chairs, or multiples of anything for that matter, it is more cost effective to buy the larger boxes of screws.I know this is supposed to be a review just for the jig, but these items all go together, so I figured I'd mention my issue with the blue screws. Before that, I did not have one problem with the regular screws. They worked flawlessly.I am definitely looking forward to many more projects using the Kreg jig system. I don't have a lot of shop tools and no woodworking tools, other than a few basic chisels, etc. So, this gives me the opportunity to try my hand at woodworking a bit before investing a lot of money and space for things like a nice table saw, drill press, planer/jointer, tons of clamps, etc.Is a matter of fact, I actually bought this jig to build two built-in bookcases and an adjoining mantel. I will be using the Kreg jig to build the boxes for the bookcases, as well as the faceframe and doors. No need to worry about mortise and tenons for the doors, or gluing and clamping biscuits into place and then waiting for the glue to dry. Once I get the workbench done, I'll then have a nice work surface to begin the bookcases on. If I get a chance, I'll come back and add more info once I've used the jig a bit more on plywood and hardwood for the bookcases.So far, I'm quite impressed with the Kreg jig (other than the above-mentioned blue screws). I'm sure I'll find a ton of uses for it in the future. I've already started thinking about building a couple of nightstands and a blanket chest, something I probably wouldn't have thought of doing before buying this jig.

I got the K4 system because it seemed like it would work and I already had a similar hold-down clamp. Saved $40 for what I needed. I ended up screwing the unit to a wooden work bench, rather than using the clamp anyway and that is a good way to do it, probably the best.The dust collection was hooked up to my Fein vac that turns on when the drill is on. Not even a scrap of dust. Totally clean. See my Fein vac review.Set-up is very easy per the nice simple little instruction pamphlet and the very professional DVD that is included.You obviously have to use this tool correctly to get the great results. This means getting the right screws for the job. There are all sorts of different screw options from Kreg. I got the course ones for soft wood and suffered no splits or other problems. The screws seem to be of the highest quality, good for other projects as well.I was kind of worried that I would have to come up with some kind of a jig to hold my wood at a right angle. I found this is not necessary. What you have to do is make sure the ends are exactly 90 degrees because that end will be drawn very tight to the other board. If it is off a degree, the screws will set it one degree off, if they are perfect, then it will be perfectly perpendicular. So, just take the time to make sure your crosscuts are perfectly accurate. This joinery system is very hard to fudge, it is very unforgiving of errors.The bit has that hard feel to it, sharp and probably not meant to take much in the way of sharp impacts. I drilled down at a modest rate so as to not break anything and nothing did break. There is a collar that you adjust for the depth of wood. Unlike a set of collars I bought for general use, the Kreg one sets securely and doesn't slide on you. Again, I took care not to bear down on the drill too hard because if the collar slips, you would have problems.You do have to hold down the two pieces of wood, right at the joint with a clamp. This always keeps the pieces flush with each other. Don't skip this step, even if you have to buy that long clamp, expensive but useful for a lot of projects. Push the pieces close together before you set the screws. The wood pulls tightly together, but don't get too lazy. It creates a little misalignment if you get too sloppy.Frankly, the screws seem so tight that glue seems unnecessary. Doesn't hurt, but I wouldn't bother except perhaps on a table top.The Kreg K4 is touted as the universal joining method and it can work that way. As somewhat of a traditionalist, I would still glue up a table top and I will still use mortise and tenons on many tables projects simply because that kind of work is expected. One of the recommend uses is to screw down a table top to its frame. I do not like that idea and recommend sliding blocks and such to let the top expand and contract independently from the frame.Even so, there are still thousands of interesting projects that the Kreg system does just perfectly and you will be able to use it forever, really. I see nothing about this that might be obsoleted, but if I was using it commercially where time was money I would buy a spare bit just in case. Note that after hundreds of holes my bit seems perfect and the hard metal inserts in the jig are as good as new. If I was alternating drilling and screwing with one drill, I would get that quick-change bit system Kreg offers. In my case I practiced on one piece and was so secure with the process that I went into mass production mode and didn't switch back and forth.I made some utility cabinet drawer frames that were essentially knock-downs. Just marked the parts, unscrewed things and was able to carry it all in my truck. Sometimes this is a very handy way to do things. You don't lose any strength, can carry the flat knocked-down sections up into building by yourself...all sorts of advantages.Kreg doesn't give anything away! It is all quite Euro-spendy, but I cannot fault the design or materials at all. This is a tool system you will use for a very long time and it will save you a lot of time and provide superior results on many projects and repairs. A high quality product, well-designed and thought out. Happy to hand out five full stars.

Very easy to use and directions are simple and easy to follow for your first setup. I like that it comes with a few different sizes of screws, driver and drill bit. Pocket holes come out perfect every time.Good product and good price.