Harbor Freight Pocket Hole Jig: What To Know Before You Buy
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Whether you're a beginner woodworker or a professional, there are some tools that should definitely be in your arsenal. For example, we've mentioned before that there are plenty of reasons why every woodworker can benefit from a pocket hole jig, especially if you value precision, stability, and want the option to hide ugly holes. Thankfully, if you're looking for an affordable option, Harbor Freight offers a Portable Pocket Hole Jig Kit from Drill Master. Designed to be portable, it has an anodized aluminum body, which weighs just under 4.6 lbs or about the heaviness of a standard drill. In addition, it measures 5 inches x 9.4 inches x 3.5 inches, which means its longest side is only about the length of a 10th-generation iPad. Designed to work on different thickness levels, you can also adjust the positions with its Zinc-plated steel clamp. Lastly, it uses steel drill guides, which it claims help improve hole-making precision.
In its product manual, Drill Master says that it comes with a pair of Hex Wrenches (2.5 mm and 3mm), a ⅜-inch wood drill bit, a depth collar, four countersink mounting screws, and two adjusting cap screws. Additionally, it has a hundred wood screws in different sizes (⅝-inch, 1-inch, 1.25-inch, and 1.5-inch). Given that Drill Master also manufactures the highly-rated 10 Amp 7-1/4 Inch Circular Saw, another beloved, great value Harbor Freight find, you may be wondering if its pocket hole jig is worth investing in.
Do users think the Drill Master Pocket Hole Jig is worth buying?
As of writing, over 1,200 Harbor Freight users have given the Drill Master Pocket Hole Jig a stellar average rating of 4.7 stars on their website. Priced at $52.99, a large majority of buyers (95%) also think it's worth at least four stars. Apart from this, 97% of people think it's worth a recommendation, so you know that you'll be more or less satisfied with its performance. In particular, people loved its all-metal construction, value for money, and easy adjustability. At the other end of the spectrum, people did mention that out of the box, there were issues with the drill and a bent jig. However, there have been a few reviewers who cited concerns with wood tearing and not being so clean-cut.
That said, while some users mentioned that it's great for the "common woodworker", one reviewer did mention that not only did it hold up well in a professional setting, but it did so without issues for a decade. According to Harbor Freight, it is covered under its 90-day guarantee for issues related to workmanship, but if you want other options, a lot of users tend to compare the Drill Master model to the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig. Aside from some models, like the $45 Kreg Durable Pocket-Hole Jig being a little bit cheaper, they're also compatible with Makita tools. Plus, it boasts a similar rating of 4.7 stars from more than 2,000 Amazon customers.