Clamps Reviews

I have owned this saw for 5 years now, and have been pretty disappointed. I can not use this saw for any project requiring accuracy to within a degree or so. For example, if I am making a picture frame, which requires 4 pieces of wood, each with two 45 degree angle cuts (for a total of 8 angled cuts), invariably, the error of the miter will compound itself 8 times, and one of the mitered corners will have a gap, either at the inside or the outside of the joint. This is after ensuring that opposing pieces of the frame are the exact same length, and that the frame is being assembled square (by measuring diagonals). For the longest time, I though I just couldn't calibrate the saw very well. So I would re-calibrate it over and over again, by putting a carpenter square to the fence and then to each side of the blade and adjust that fence until it was perfect. Then I would cut scrap pieces of wood at 45 degrees using opposite sides of the fence, and match them up to see if they were perfect, which they would be. I would then make eight cuts again, but again, one corner would be off!! I'm not sure what the problem is. I have noticed one major flaw, but I'm not sure it is the only thing affecting the accuracy. After rotating the table to the 45 degree position where it locks into place, I always turn the knob to tighten the table in place. However, looking closely at the miter pointer (callout number 113 on the parts diagram), you can see that tightening that knob actually changes the miter angle by as much as a half of a degree. This happens because the table actually flexes when tightening the knob (which another reviewer mentioned, also). The more you tighten the knob, the greater the change of the miter angle. A half degree doesn't sound like much, but multiply that by 8, and you get 4 degrees, which is totally unacceptable. However, if I am tightening that knob when calibrating the saw, that flex should be mostly accounted for (but of course it is impossible to tighten the knob the same amount each time, and hence, flex the table the same amount). I have spoken with Bosch representatives both over the phone and in person at a wood working. The folks on the phone were knowledgeable and helpful to a degree, but could not diagnose the problem. They said to check the fence with a solid straightedge to make sure it is straight, and offered to replace it if not, but it was fine. The representatives at the show were worthless, saying they have never heard of that problem. They had a similar saw there at the show with the same knob configuration, and so I demonstrated this table flex and miter angle change on their saw, but he really didn't say anything about it or think it was a problem. At that same woodworking show, I also has the opportunity to speak with a writer from a major wood working magazine (which had rated this saw very highly), and so asked him for his advice. He suggested that the saw was defective and that I should send it back. However, if the Bosch representative's saw did the same thing, I have my doubts that a new one would be any better! So I am kind of stumped, and left with a mostly unusable saw. I would love to hear suggestion, if anyone has any!

Great product for the price. Used to install a T&G ceiling and trim. Not sure if it would hold up to a contractors use but for a home hobbyist it should last a lifetime. Dust collection collects about 50% that is generated. Adding a shop vac instead of the bag greatly improves performance. Holding toggle clamp works great. No need to repeatidly screw in and out, saves wrist fatigue and holds well.

Couldn't agree more with Amazon's review - this is a high quality saw that rivals DeWalt and other competitors. Weight is not a problem, and handles on the top and both ends of the base make this easy to move around your shop or job site. The handle is very comfortable and convenient to use right or left-handed. Dust collection is good and noise is low. The saw arrived quickly as always from Amazon and required little adjustment out of the box. Highly recommend!

These support jacks are a great help to hold boards and sheeting to the ceiling while fastening.

I ordered a two-pack and used them the day after they were delivered to replace some soffits. For someone who works alone, these tools can make a real difference. I won't leave home without them.

We absolutely could not have done the job without the 3rd hand support system. It's a must have when hanging dry-wall on the ceiling!

It had it for 5 weeks before it just quit completely. I brought to the local Dewalt repair center per Dewalts service center recommendation. After waiting 2 weeks for it to be repaired, I called them and they said they had to send it off to the factory and it would be another week. After another week they said it would be another week so I called Dewalt to ask how long it should take and they said it was between me and the service center. I asked if they would call and find out what was going on and they said no. I asked what a resonable time frame for repair was and they said 2 to 3 weeks but it was up to the service center if they would issue a new one to me. I got the number to the factory and they said another week. I notice on the box it says made in Tawian and not Canada, so I am guessing even if I don't get it for another few weeks I mightg as well wait since they will all have problems because of low production quality in Tawian. Every tool I have ever bought from them in the last two years except my router has quit working, I think I will quit buying thier products.
My problem has been resolved by Dewalt they are sending me a new unit.

I hear that this item is awesome however I have not received it yet. I placed the order on Dec 15th and it has been delayed 6 times. Today my order form says it will ship on Feb. 28th unless they delay it again. Do yourself a favor and order this item somewhere else.

This saw is a smooth operating unit solid quiet and no vibration--only problem i had was w/ the switch it got clogged w/ saw dust--so I just took it apart and blew out the dust simple as that
buy it and no other you'll be happy

The Jet JWL 1236 that I purchased was a great deal, being only around $100.00 more for a good sized lathe rather than a midi lathe, and free shipping ($486.00 all together). The performance of the product is good. I do not have it bolted to the floor, and it still holds its own. It is not noisy, and has little vibration. However, I would not suggest working on anything that is larger than 8 inches in diameter or so. The machine becomes wobbly, but again, I do not have it bolted down. I have not tried the outboard turning yet, being that I mostly do small spindle turning projects.
It takes a good hour to put the lathe together and you do need another person to place the bed on the legs (after the leg assembly is put together). And do not lose any of the bolts or nuts, because there are no extras as far as I remember.

The variable speed is smooth, and the preset "notches" that the speed selector uses are good speeds which will not need any tweaking. SPEND MONEY ON GOOD CHISELS... it makes a difference.
The JET JWL1236 is worth the money. The head and tail stocks match almost perfectly (point to point), and the mechanical parts (stocks, toolrest, motor, variable speed) work just as well as the components on a $3000.00 lathe that I operated last year.

I bought this particular lathe a few years ago...Being a novice at turning I of course blamed the machine for my initial falures. Once I took the correct path to learning what I was doing(balancing, choosing the correct speed and tools, and so on...) I realized I was an idiot ! What a dream this lathe is to use now. Since then I've used other brands and some in a higher price bracket. You can keep em...I'll take this Jet!!!

New to turning, but after much research decided on the Jet 12". Only been able to do a little on it, but so far is solid and stable. Hope to turn some larger outboard bowls soon so we will see how stable it is with more weight on it. Definitely recommend this for a mid-sized lathe, and can't beat the price on Amazon with the free delivery to your door and no tax.

I purchased about five of these for use on different tools. Initially they looked good, but in use they are annoying and end up breaking. Most other commercially available featherboards for table saws are better designed, better built and cost less! I am surprised other reviewers rate these so high, I suspect the ratings are given before much use.

1. The black plastic knobs that you use to tighten the featherboard in place capture onto a nut head. The largest problem with these featherboards is that it is easy to strip the black plastic knobs when they are tightened, allowing the plastic knob to turn freely on the captive bolt.

2. A better design would ensure a more positive capture into the miter track by having both black knobs works to lock the split aluminum bar into the miter slot, in this design only one of the knobs does this. Which BTW is the one that strips as above, since you have to tighten it enough to stop the featherboard sliding in the miter track.

3. The black plastic knobs are small and feel cheap, other commercial featherboards have larger knobs that are easier to tighten.

4. Also after using them for a while you've start to hate the non-parallel bolt slots that the featherboard slides around on. Most other commercial featherboards have parallel slots and these are easier to adjust.

Amazon has wooden featherboards and the Grip-tite model available, both are much better than these. Also Rockler makes a good $7 table saw featherboard that is a much better product.

This product is a great idea, but it not as helpful as I thought it would be. It has a very limited range. It is only useful for ripping relatively narrow boards. As a result, I found myself not using it nearly as much as I thought I would. I reverted to using my own shop-made feather board that has much great flexibility.

Works great...well made...easy to use. The orange color is easy to find in the shop. One note...some craftsman table saws have a 1" miter slide and this won't work in them. Most table saws and router tables are 3/4".

I odered it last week, but they sent an email that says estimated shipping date is 1.5 MONTH after!!
If you order it as a free super save shipping, you will get it after 2 MONTH!!

this product is very useful and easy to use, the clamps are strong and setting them is very quick.

This is a great product, and you can get it, along with any other products on Amazon up to $500 Free! Participate in this special promotion and get a free $500 Amazon Gift Card at this web site: nocoststuff.biz/amazon

After losing the cutterhead guard, I proceeded to order a new one... two months ago. Now I am told it will be another 3 months before it comes in (unless I want to pay $150 overseas air freight for the $20 part... maybe they should bring it home to the good ole USA). 5 months of downtime. Fortunately, I am a hobbyist and not making my living from this... I would be starving. I couldn't even use it in a commercial shop because the missing parts are safety related.

I'm glad others have had good customer service, but, for me, I will be looking elsewhere when purchasing a thickness planer in the near future... for someone who services after the sale.

got it, love it. check around on the price cause i found mine for 3 grand less than this price. cant go wrong here. easy setup, knife adjustments are quick and easy. sunhill even sells a spiral cutter head for 240. thats great. i was looking at the shop fox, but theres no comparison with the quality of the powermatic its so well put together and comes with a five year warrenty. so whatever you buy make sure the warrenty is in your town, cause grizzly and general have great prices, however if you need service your shop will be without for some time. good luck, but trust me you wont need it with powermatic.

I have been running the 60B Powermatic Jointer for a month now and I have put a lot of rough white oak through it. I am very satisfied with the power and smooth cuts I am getting. It didn't take very long to true up the fence and blades and start to work with it. I was stumped for a few minutes finding and unlocking the "safety ring" on the off button which I didn't find mentioned in the manual. The blades are a little unusual size and I found a company in Eugene, Or that sells them at a good price for a backup set.

Being a home remodler I own both Millwaukee and Dewalt cordless drills and saws. I have experianced the problem of removing the battery packs from my Millwaukee tools that other people have refered to, but I was able to overcome the problem with some silicone spray. My biggest problem is that I spent the money for the Milwaukee 18 volt combo pack thinking I was buying a "HEAVY DUTY" product, only to find out that the battery life of my 14.4 volt Dewalt set runs circles around BIG RED.

Bought this kit for building my own house. I'm not dissatisfied with product performance, but a bit disappointed by the lack of ovewrall quality based on other Milwaukee tools I've owned and worked with.

My guess is that Milwauke will implement some improvements in each of component over the next year or so based on customer feedback.

I strongly agree with another buyers frustration with removing the battery packs from the tools. After the first few uses, the batteries can become virtually impossible to remove without beating them against something. Really poor design.

As others have mentioned, the quality of saw cuts from the circular saw are just "ok", but can't hold a candle to my corded Skil saw.

Sawzall has been great, very powerful. Hachet design is smart idea. (I love it, with the exception of the battery removal problem).

Drill/screwgun is built well. However, while screwing down my floor deck I found too much variability in the screw torque setting. I buried some screws while others had a raised head. It got a little frustrating, but not to the point of giving up, it just required that I back off a little on the trigger while finishing each screw.

Surprisingly, the flashlight has gotten ton of use. I thought it would set in the bag, but with some long work days late in the autumn, it has been used virtually every day. It is bright and has a nice wide beam. The adjustable head and ability to stand up the unit and point it at the job is really nice. This light helps me find my way from the work site to the truck each night.

Like I said, overall, I'm satisfited, but I'd expect Milwaukee to fix the flaws in this first generation product. I'd wait for improvements if you can.

Update to my review (3/03) - Well, a few months more use and a couple more problems. My battery charger died. The LED light still came on indicating that the unit was powered, but the batteries wouldn't charge. Unfortunately I had go out a buy a replacement charger since I couldn't wait for a repair. The new charger is still working and now I have a spare.

Then the flashlight that I said I was so pleased with died! Again I really didn't want to wait for a warrenty repair so I took it apart (not much can go wrong with a flashlight, right?). I found a burned off copper trace on a printed circuit board inside the unit. I jumpered the trace with a wire and the unit is again working fine.

I've worked these tools pretty hard so I'll be generous and maintain my three star rating, but if any more goes wrong, I'll have to reconsider.

Being a remodeling contractor I usually give my tools quite a workout. As usual Milwaukee comes through again with a collection of fine tools at an affordable price. I've tried the "Big Yellow Ones" but they don't hold up like a "Milwaukee". I guess the only bad comment I can think of about the whole package is the sawzall seems to use up batteries pretty fast. I would recommend having at least 3 total if you plan to use the sawzall for extended periods. By the time one charges up the other is completely dead. The hand saw, drill and work light seem to operate forever on a battery. I would highly recommend this product if you do a lot of quick in and out jobs where you don't want to drag extension cords and tools around. The contractor bag works great keeping track of your tools and ease of transportation. I plan to buy a couple more of these packages for my crew.

Purchased in February, has not worked out of the box. Unit will not charge. Unit has been under warranty repair for the past 2 months. It was junk, right out of the box. I will not purchase another tool or accessory from the above.

This item will not fully charge and/or the charging light does not work. I contacted the company and they sent me a new battery but the unit still does not fully charge.

This is a very useful item and a value for money. Compact and well constructed. Stands firm in the trunk. Just make sure that you cover it in a plastic or something so that any rainwater or snow does not fall on it causing any possible short circuit as two clips are always active.

Only complaint I have about most of jump starters is that their tongs/clips are not very easy connect. Many times some car battery terminals so different in shape than these tongs can effectively clamp to. Only if they could change the shape and specs of battery terminals and also the tongs on jump starters to match, it will be more convenient.

Good investment. Just make sure to charge from time to time (once in 3 weeks or so). Last thing you want is to need a jump start and see that battery of your jump starter is all drained.

Have been using the Jet JWL-1236 for about 8 months now. The first thing you should do is throw the base away and build one with substance. Might be satisfactory for turning spindles but not for anything with any kind of mass unless you secure it to the floor. I do a lot of bowl turning and anything you might have to turn outboard is a joke, especially with the equipment that is furnished with the lathe. Unless you have the capability to ensure something is pretty well balanced don't try to turn it outboard. One problem is that the lathe speed is still too fast even at its lowest setting and the ON/OFF switch is in the wrong place if you have to get to it in a hurry. If you are truly interested in turning bowls of any size save your money and buy something a little more substantial in size and has a true variable speed capability.

I've owned a Jet 1236 for the past 4 years and it has given me fairly good service over that time. The two major problems I've had were a broken tool rest and a broken banjo. I was able to get a replacement banjo(tool rest support) quickly from the dealer at a reasonable cost. The major deficits the lathe has include noise level, vibration if the wood is not properly balanced, small swing over the bed(max of 12" diameter), and lack of power with heavy wood removal. Maybe I've just outgrown this machine!

I looked at all the competitors to the Jet, and they couldn't sway me away from the Jet. It's a good solid machine. I do mostly faceplate work, so the limited (34 1/2") distance between centers didn't factor into my decision. I had considered the Delta 46-700, but was told they had bearing problems, and it was a much lighter weight machine. Time will tell, regarding the Reeves drive, but it seems very smooth when changing speeds. Assembly was a snap, got the bed and motor up on the stand by simply using another table at the same elevation as a helper. The tool rest base and tailstock move smoothly, and lock down frmly with minimal effort. The only improvements in the total package I can see are replacing the 6 inch faceplate with the 3 inch version, and maybe offering the 6 inch tool rest instead of the 12 inch (why do they assume that you are gonna turn spindles??). Also, I don't really like the placement of the on-off switch...its too low for me. As with my old lathe, I will rewire this Jet to provide reversing capability, as soon as the 3 year (hope I can wait!!) is out. I don't understand why Jet, Delta, and others don't provide reversing...it's a 5 dollar modification. Spinning the other way makes for better finishes while sanding. All in all, the Jet is a great machine...highly recommend it!