Rockwell RK9000 Jawhorse
by Rockwell
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List Price: Our Price: $169.99 You Save: $60.00 (26%) Availability: Usually ships in 3-4 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Rockwell RK9000 Jawhorse
Customer Review: Great piece of equipment
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a quality item and well worth the price. It has already allowed me to do certain jobs that would otherwise not have been possible for me, or not terribly safe. I find it very stable and easy to use. It sets up and folds down efficiently. It's a bit heavy, but needs to be for stability.
I found myself cutting wood, boards or posts by holding the things down with one foot or some other position that wasn't all that safe and decided if I was going to be undertaking such projects I needed to be more careful. This item looked ideal--and it has proved itself repeatedly. I recently had to drill holes in a heavy metal plate, something I'd never tried before. Without this unit to hold the plate securely, I wouldn't have been successful. I got the holes drilled exactly where I wanted them and the two pieces bolted together just right thanks to this extra set of extremely strong hands.
I can see many opportunities for use that will allow me to do things myself that I've had to pay for in the past, or simply not done. It will be nice to have sharp tools again, for example. My son is remodeling his house and is so taken with it, he's buying one too. I'm very satisfied with this purchase.
Update 1/3/09:
I continue to use and value this piece of equipment. I've added the LogJaw which I use at least weekly to turn fallen sticks from my trees into tight kindling bundles for the fireplace (squeeze them together in the vice and tie with twine) and cut up branches. I've used the JawHorse to hold up the other end of a 16' fence board for fence repair, something I was unable to do alone before getting this thing. I've noted that the little transport wheel works great on pavement, but is too small to roll well in loose gravel so I transport it in my wagon as it's a bit heavy for me to carry. I've been using it so often, I leave it set up most of the time, just covered with a tarp.
Customer Review: Best tool I ever purchased
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Jaw Horse a couple of years ago. When I need it, it is always a life saver. I could not have done the projects I have had to do in such a short period of time without the Jaw Horse. It really has vise grip strength, it is very versatile and very stable. Using a 2 x 4 stud with a T top, I have used it as a pair of second hands to brace the other end of a gutter, I have used it to hold a 44 inch wide grass catcher while I assembled it (which sure beats bending over trying to work on the ground). I have used it to hold a full sheet of plywood I had to cut. It also makes a great temporary table while using the plywood. I use it to hold and saw long pieces of fire wood when the logs are too long. There is a separate log holder you can purchase but for medium sized pieces, the standard vice works just fine. It was invaluable when I was building my deck when I used it to hold up the supporting beam on one end while I attached the other end. I don't even have one complaint to make.
If you are a homeowner and you mostly work alone, this is a tool that you will be grateful you purchased for years to come. With a little imagination, there are almost no limits to it's use.
I know I sound a little too excited about it but honestly, it is one of the few tools (and I have a lot of tools) that is well worth the money. I also adamantly recommend getting the plywood holding unit. Rockwell Jawhorse RK9109 Plywood Jaw Accessory Attachment
It is a separate sliding top that holds the full sheet of plywood and it is one of the main reasons I love the Jaw Horse. I think the total cost with the plywood holding accessory was about $220.00 total. Again, it is well worth the money.
Customer Review: Im always skeptical of "great" products on info-mercials...
Summary: 5 Stars
but omg this is what you would hope it would be if you have seen the tv ad.
its not cheaply made. its solid and well thought-out. it is admittedly a bit heavy but thats a bit of a con and pro as well. its a little bit of a pain to carry around (folds up nice though!) but the weight does make it a bit more sturdy when set up.
did I say "well thought-out"? if you have an idea of what its supposed to do, or have seen the TV ad and wondered about the little details (like me) i can safely say they outdid themselves with this. like the stirrup-style feet. you can see from the pics that it has feet that you can easily put your foot in to help hold it when moving crap around on it, but its got little holes on the feet where you can screw it down as well. it also has rubber pads on the bottom of all the feet.
the pressure/torque/power available to hold something is quite impressive as well. i cant confirm the manufacturers claims but i believe them.
the wheel isnt that great in my opinion but it doesnt get in the way and overall this thing isnt too heavy for me to carry around so making it low-profile and out of the way is good for me.
be aware that the 'third leg' needs to be pushed up as far as it will go into the chassis to be stable. if you have the knob where it swivels tightened up a little bit you may feel like its in place, and will stand fine on its own, but it could slide out and collapse the thing. if the leg is pushed all the way in as designed it wont pivot.
if youve seen the commercial or tv spot and thought 'that thing would be great if its as good as they make it look and not a cheap piece of crap' then dont worry. its well built and clamps like a champ.
Customer Review: Great idea, but lacking in execution...
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been using this for a few weeks to assist me in remodeling a few rooms in my house. I have a small garage, so I don't have room for a dedicated work bench and vice. Consumers should be aware that this is not an ideal replacement for a work bench, but it does a great job for its intended purpose. And - it's intended to be a 'jack of all trades' type tool, and it performs very well in that regard.
As an engineer, there are a few things that bug the bejeezus out of me, though. This has been mentioned before, but I'll mention it again... There are some BRITTLE plastic parts on this device that should not have been made from metal. It's worth mentioning that the plastic used is brittle, so if the jawhorse is dropped or abused, breaking these key plastic parts could render the entire tool useless.
The lock/unlock switch is brittle plastic - if that breaks it's game over unless Rockwell sends you a new one. The knobs to secure the rear leg are plastic w/ threaded inserts. If these knobs break, they could probably be easily replaced by visiting your local hardware store or perusing the Fastenal catalog. The inserts that center the rear leg and allow it to swivel are plastic and it isn't even solid...that really really bugs me. If these break, you're most likely SOL unless Rockwell will send you new ones, you jerry-rig the connection to keep the leg centered, or you have a machinist make you new ones out of solid steel or aluminum.
I think the bottom line is that Rockwell makes a decent product based on a fantastic idea, but the end result is lacking execution due to skimping on materials. This could've been an amazing tool, but "value engineering" ruined a few key components.
Customer Review: Great tool
Summary: 5 Stars
I have now used this product for several projects and can say it does everything the pictures show and more. If you have a project where you need an extra hand and this happens to you quite often, it will be a great investment and fix to those frustrating situations. I have used it for cutting logs (without the log attachment), hold lumber (for cutting or a 2 x 4 for an extra hand when installing crown molding), sharpen tools, etc. Anything a vice can do this can do and much more.
Keep in mind that it is quite heavy and this may be a deterent at times when you don't want to lug it around, but usually when I try doing without I end up using it anyway. The fact is, if you want it to be able to hold heavy things then it too has to be heavy. For those of you who own a Little Giant ladder system you know that it can be heavy to move around, but when you're standing on it you feel like your standing on something solid. This clamp/sawhorse is equivalent to that same feeling of comfort and security. The clamping power and stablilty is pretty amazing.
One other thing I might add is that it can be a little clumsy folding it up, mainly due to the weight, but once you figure out a method that is easy for you it won't be a problem. I tend to tip it over on the two legged end and fold the legs in and up. The majority of the weight is the horizontal portion. Do not try and be slick and fold the legs first or else you might just be dropping it on your foot like me. I say all this because the instructions are weak at best, but if your a guy you don't need instructions anyway right?