Did I buy the Right Kreg Jig

[Don Husslein]

Hi all ... I just bought a Kreg K4 and now after reading about the K3 System etc. I'm wondering if I should have opted for the slightly more expensive K3 System. What is the difference? From what I can see, it looks like you get more "stuff" with the K3 System. But is the actual jig the same? I just don't want to be 2nd guessing myself for the next 50 years.

[Kevin]

I have the K3 master system.
The main reason I went for this system was that I personally liked the clamp handle being on the front of the jig instead of the back. That was the key reason I spent the 40 extra bucks.
I know one thing I was disappointed in....the box. The cheap, flimsy, useless little plastic gray box that wouldn't make my 6 year old a good lunchbox. No blow molded case here with a place for everything...just a flimsy cheap box that holds your stuff in a pile.
I will definitely be purchasing a tool box to hold my Kreg stuff.
I don't know how new you are to Kreg or pocket hole joinery (or if you have quite the addictive personality I have when it comes to collecting stuff), but if you're anything like me, you will be expanding your collection pretty quickly with new clamps and screws and plugs.
I don't think you went wrong. Just different.

[David Dean]

you cant go wrong with any of the kreg jigs . I have the K2 but it is all metal and it only come's with a drill bit and it cost 100.00 but with the K3 is nice it has all the goody's. and why do i now is i run a wood shop and the kreg's jig is the best $ 100.00 I ever paid for.so take a look around in here there are some of the poeple in here are good for the life of me why they cant sale some of the things you see on here.

[Don Husslein]

OK ... I think I'll be good with the K4. Along with the K4, I also purchased the Kreg Heavy Duty Bench Klamp System. I wasn't taking any chances with the alignment. I learned my lesson once when using a biscuit joiner on what I thought was a perfectly flat workbench top, then having to sand down the banding a number of spots where it didn't quite match up.

Now I'm fretting about the drill. I currently have a Milwaukee corded that produces 2800 RPMs which, from what I read, should be awesome for actually drilling the hole. However, that drill replaced 2 cordless drills because I got fed up with the batteries dying. Well, it appears I now need a drill with a clutch to actually screw the screw. Is there a power minimum for the drill that'll be used for this? I don't have a problem using separate drills for the different operations.

PS ... the Kreg Jig should arrive on 11/5. So, I'll won't be able to actually play with it till then.

[Dale Stagg]

I have the K4 and would like to move to the K3 because the clamp is in front. When using large panels or plywood, the clamp on the back side is a pain but still works great. I do notice however, that the K3 doesn't come with a side supports as in the K4 to allow longer pieses to be supported away from the jig but would guess I could take care of that in other ways anyway. It does have supports on the K4 and wonder why they chose to not include it. Mine is mounted on a plywood board that is fixed on the board and can easily move around and is always set up ready for use. Guessing the K3 does have screw holes to mount to a board?

Either way, the K4 does a good job and you will like it, but I think I would more like the K3 better.

[Larwyn]

Once you develop a feel for it, driving screws without a clutch is not that hard. I usually use an 18 volt impact driver because it's small size makes it handier to use. I have both DeWalt and Ryobi 18 volt impact drivers and this is one of those unusual cases where, at least with the examples that I own, the Ryobi impact driver is equal to the DeWalt impact driver in every respect. The impact driver and the small 18 volt circular saws are the only two cases where I feel that the Ryobi is as good as the DeWalt examples that I own. In fact the Ryobi circular saw actually seems to run smoother and quieter than the DeWalt while the cuts are as quick and easy with either one. The DeWalt batteries do hold up a little better but with price difference that is a wash. For any other battery tool I reach for my Bosh or DeWalt and reserve the Ryobi for use when theft is more likely. Sorry if I drifted a bit off subject here, just thought it might be useful information.

[Henry Parslow]

When you get used to it,,, stop when you feel the grab. I use both electric and battery "variable speed drills".

[Jesse McNew]

I recommend getting yourself a small cordless driver with a clutch. There are a lot of nice ones out there with li-ion batteries. I have the Milwaukee 12v li-ion driver. Both my brother and my father use the Bosch li-ion drivers. They all get a lot of use and we've never had a problem with them. One of the nice things is that the li-ion batteries hold their charge for months, so you're never surprised by a dead battery. These compact drivers are great for pocket hole joinery, because they fit into places that a full-size drill will not.

[gdatomic]

For what it's worth, on drills, I've been using 2 drills. I have a corded Milwaukee I use for drilling the pocket holes. By connecting it to a vac system that cycles when it turns on it's been a great way to reduce dust when drilling the pocket holes. Then, I use a Craftsman cordless but set the clutch down to 6 or 7 so that I clutch out.

Agree with the value of a smaller drill. My Craftsman isn't there yet. But I fortunately have an angle drill that I'll be trying in a week or two for attaching shelves in an 8" wide vertical tower. I've measured and it should work well with the shortie driver bit.

[Thomas O'Shaughnessy]

There is no such thing as buying the wrong Kreg Jig. I have bought 3 of them.

[Don Husslein]

OK ... the results are in. Like many of you have said ... there is no wrong Kreg jig. I've used it joining a number of practice pieces and it works awesome! Drilling the holes and then driving the screws with 2 different drills, the Milwaukee for the RPMs and a Sears Craftsman with a clutch for driving the screws, seems to be a benefit not having to change out the bits. I'm thrilled. Stay tuned for pics of finished projects.