Low Price Kreg K3MS K3 Master Pocket Hole Jig System
Good tool to have, but it will often split wood without predrilling.
Let me first say that I find this tool very handy and I’m glad I have it. I just built a TV stand and this was very helpful with most of the butt joints. But…
When I first saw this jig I immediately thought about wood splitting when making a joint near the end of a piece. But the very positive reviews almost never mentioned this issue and I thought the Kreg screws must have some magical powers. As it tuned out for me, they do not.
I saw about a 50% split rate when joining Red Oak pieces for a face frame. I was getting about a 1 in 3 split occurrence in poplar. I am truly surprised that this issue isn’t more frequently mentioned. I followed the instructions for drilling the proper pocket hole and used the Kreg clamps and screws. The wood simply splits (as I expected) when driving screws near the end grain. I started drilling pilot holes in the receiving piece and that, not surprisingly, stopped the splitting. But, you must be careful to stay close to the path of the pocket hole or you may not get a smooth joint – there may be a slight step on the face.
Looking at the Kreg screws I see a common design for self-tapping wood screws. They simply slash cut the tip. This type of wood screw is actually nothing new or special. Personally, I’ve had better experience with Spax brand self-tapping wood screws. They have a unique tip that seems to work more effectively at drilling into the solid wood versus simply piercing. I’m going to try those screws in the future to see if they are less prone to splitting. The Spax screws worked very well in a few test pieces but I had to add a small washer to the flat head to get a positive seating in the pocket hole. I don’t know if they make a round head (flat bottom) wood screw.
Overall this is a handy and useful tool for many types of joints and it’s good to have. I think the full kit is still a little pricey for what you get, but it’s all very well made in the USA. No regrets. However, in my experience, there are shortcomings that keep this from being a faultless alternative to other joining methods.
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Lowest Price Kreg K3MS K3 Master Pocket Hole Jig System
I’m a believer…
This thing is fun. Fun fun fun. It really makes woodworking enjoyable. I’m not an advanced woodworker, but even my wife is noticing an increased quality in my projects.
Pros:
Everything seems well made. The face clamp, the step drill bit, the square bits, the jig. Everything works just as advertised.
Drilling the pocket holes is easy. I use a corded drill to drill the pocketholes, and then I use a 12V battery powered drill to drive the screws. Having two different drills keeps me from always having to switch out bits.
The joints are strong. The first thing I did when I got my jig was to join two scrap peices of 2×4 with a couple of pocket holes. No wobble. No flex. I couldn’t pull them apart. It was fantastic. I ran into the house to show my wife. She just rolled her eyes.
Things I would improve on:
There is no place to store the allen wrench. Since this is used every time you change the height of collar on the step bit, it is pretty important. I wish there were a place to stick the wrench so I didn’t run the risk of losing it.
The kit only comes with a few screws to get you started. This makes sense because every person is going to need different sized screws depending on the project they are doing, but just a word of warning that you are going to need to purchase additional screws almost immediately.
This thing generates lots of chips and dust. I’m not using the dust collector attachement with a shop vac, so after dilling any more than a few holes, I have a nice little mess to clean up. Also, don’t think you can get them all with a chip brush, as it is hard to get down into some of the grooves on the jig. If you have a shop vac nearby this shouldn’t be a problem, just be prepared to use it.
Not included in the kit is the Kreg KHC-RAC Right Angle Clamp. You are probably going to need it. You might as well buy it from the beginning, rather than getting stuck mid way through a project and then having to wait for it to be delivered.
Final word of warning: Even at the lowest torque setting on my 12V drill, the Kreg screws have the ability to strip out of soft wood when joining the smaller thicknesses of wood (3/4″ or less). Just be careful when driving the screws. You don’t need a ton of torque on the screws in order to achieve maximum strength for the joint.
Bottom Line: Non of the “cons” I have listed are enough to detract from the quality and fun that I get from this Kreg system. It is one of those items, that once you have it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.
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