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: I'm hooked!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm always a bit skeptical of infomercials and typically believe gimmicky tools are much more trouble than they are worth. But, thinking about all the times I've risked cutting boards that were unstable and chasing odd shaped items across my bench with my surface grinder, I kept thinking this thing might just be worth a try. After reading all the positive reviews here, I decided to order one.
Even with the free shipping my Jawhorse arrived within 2 days. Packaging was excellent and the unit set up in less than a minute. In the closed position the unit stores easily and takes up little floor space. Its clever folding design sets up and breaks down in a matter of seconds.
Its first job was disassembly of a small electric motor to change bearings. The jaws worked great to snugly hold the stator of the motor while I removed the through bolts and end bells. It then firmly but gently held the armature in the vertical position while I pulled the bearings. It is amazing how much control you have over the amount of pressure you apply. I also used it to hold a circular saw I was repairing(talk about an odd shape) and then to hold some boards I was drilling pocket holes in. In all instances it worked flawlessly and much easier, quicker and safer than the way I would normally do those jobs.
Bottom line is I can see I will be using this tool for pretty much every project I have going. A little expensive but it will quickly pay for itself in time saved and improved safety. If you do a lot of work alone like I do, you will find the Jawhorse is an incredible helper.
Customer Review: Heavy & Poorly Executed
Summary: 2 Stars
My father wanted this for his anniversary because he saw it on tv. (First hint) So we went ahead and got it for him. First of all it is not cheap. You can just buy a regular set of saw horses that do the same thing for alot cheaper!
We set it all up and quickly realized how heavy it is. We also ordered the extention piece for plywood which is also very heavy. The extention piece was not well thought out either. A little more thought and they could have just made the extention and the regular one one piece. We fixed that with a little fabrication and welding.
Then we went to use it.... It is not nearly as stable as they lead you to believe. Ever ridden a 3wheeler and took a turn to sharp? Same principle. Couldnt get it to stay up sometimes. Yes I read all the instructions and specs. To top it all off I had a project on it in the garage, and i went to go get something in the garage, I bumped one of the legs, it collapsed and landed on my foot! Its pretty heavy as i mentioned before so that felt all but awsome!
Finally we also got the mitre saw attachment for it. Also a Joke. The same thing could be accomplished with a piece of plywood and a few 2x4's. It dosent come with any real way to attach any mitre saw iv ever seen to it other than just taking a couple of deck screws to it.
In conclusion it was a good idea poorly executed. Way to heavy for any pratical application and definitly NOT for the construction site. I work in construction and if I ever brought this to a job site I would probably be fired.
Customer Review: The Handy Helper
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for some form of sawhorse type of holder for use in the Spring and Fall when I usually cut up branches that have come down over the Winter and Summer. I saw the infomercial on TV with the RK9000 Jawhorse. It really caught my eye, so I bought it in December 2008 as a Christmas present to myself. I also bought the log holder accessory feature. Worked like a charm. In the past working with a chain saw was a pain since everytime you needed to move the log you had to turn the chainsaw off, set it down so you could use both hands. Now, I've put up to a 12ft, 6" log balanced between the jaws, step down to tighten and cut away down to the last piece. It's fantastic as a time saver and a second set of hands. I liked it so much that this past Christmas I bought one for my son who is remodeling his old Victorian home room by room. He's been using it to hold doors up while he fits them into the door frame.
It is a solidly built tool, built for construction and endurance. And along with that comes the moderately heavy weight. For a person of small stature or elderly, to move it they would probably need a wheelbarrow or hand truck for any distance if it needed to be moved across uneven terrain......even I use a hand truck to take it from my garage to my shed. But like I said, it is built for heavy duty use, so I expected it to be on the heavy side. Simple to set up and simple to use. Everything I expected from it......a keeper!
Customer Review: I like it but..
Summary: 2 Stars
The first one I bought I didn't read the directions. Who reads directions on how to use a vise/sawhorse?
I accidentally tried clamping something while it was not in lock mode. I ruined it. If you do what I did, which is actually very easy to do even once you know not to do it, you can ruin it.
Basically there are 4 little teeth that grab the sliding yellow thing. If you clamp something in the unlock position it can slip out and strip the holes in the steel . They get a rounded edge and the little teeth will slip most of the time when it's in that position. I only did this to one set of holes but I could easily see this happening to many of them. Rockwell does sell a extended clamp thing so if the piece does get ruined you can fix it.
Despite this design flaw the jawhorse is awesome. The jawhorse is like no other tool so until someone else makes something similar it is a must have. I also got the welding attachment which is fantastic. I use mine all the time as work station. Its much better than a bench. I also never really move mine around or use it as a sawhorse. Its a super-powered vise. It also works as a bike stand. I ditched my bike stand after I got the jawhorse.
I gave one to my dad for xmas and he told me today that his was slipping occasionally. I told him to be careful not to clamp it in the unlock mode but he obviously made the same mistake I did.
Customer Review: Pretty Darn Cool
Summary: 5 Stars
The Rockwell Jawhorse is everything it claims to be. It is both an easy to use vice and sawhorse that has expandable vice jaws, is collapsable for storage, and is sturdy enough for most projects. I bought this product because I was in need of a strong vice mechanism and a collapsable and portable workstation. The vice mechanism is easy to use (as long as you know when to flip the lock switch, which is easy to learn if you look at the directions or watch the included product video) and the vice mechanism allows the user to provide as little or as much pressure as needed. As a 200+ lb guy, I was able to put a piece of wood between the jaws and stand on it without it slipping.
I was also in need of a portable workstation that folds up. After reading the reviews on the worktop and other accessories, I opted not to buy those and simply create my own tabletop that fits in the expanded jaws. Works like a charm. I can put the tabletop on its side when I need to store it and the jawhorse can rest upright folded up without taking up too much space.
Sure, some of the plastic parts relating to the 3rd leg and the lock mechanism could break, but as long as you know how to use it and don't abuse it, it holds up great. Overall, I love the product and will eventually purchase the extended vice arm, but will create the other needed accessories on my own.