Plastic parts in key places - beware
I have been using the Jawhorse for several projects. Since the Rockwell web site has no customer service email I would like to make some detailed comments about this product that perhaps you can pass on to your co-workers managers friends etc. This product has several pros and cons and here they are straight from an avid woodworker. The Pros: very versatile very stable excellent design most of it is very solidly built and it is portable and very useful for a wide range of projects. And it is worth the money as long as you can put up with a few shortcomings.
Here are the cons. There are 4 key parts in the design that are made of plastic. Three of these 4 parts are also "moving" parts so the claims on the infomercial and other adds for this product that say "no moving plastic parts to replace" and "all steel construction" are simply not true.
First lets start with the roller which is used for rolling the product across a surface as one of the transport methods (while using the rear leg as a handle). This part is made of hollow plastic. Instead it should be made of solid hardened rubber (the same kind of material used to make industrial swiveling coaster wheels) to increase durability.
The second part is the yellow latch in front. It is made of plastic and it sticks out enough to where it could be easily hit and broken (especially by contractors and when being transported while folded up).
The third one is the end cap which is fastened at the end of the rear leg and makes contact with the ground during use. Instead of plastic this should be made of hard rubber just like the rubber pads at the end of the front legs.
The fourth part and most important is the swiveling brace assembly and tightening nut that holds the rear leg in position. This is definitely the weak link in this product. Either this part or the latch in front will be the first parts to be broken on this unit. If this part were made of metal it probably would be rated at a higher weight capacity.
Other cons of the Jawhorse when it is folded and to be lifted up to carry it there is not enough clearance around the rear leg (the space between rear leg and the foot pedal while folded) to get your hand all the way around it for a good grip - you can only get your hand in past the first nuckle - so if you have big nuckles like I do it might not be comfortable to carry while folded. Also the foot pedal is not made with as thick a gage steel as the rest of the unit's frame so you have to be careful that you are pressing the pedal evenly straight down with a flat foot and not off to one side or it might bend easily or get twisted.
Lastly the owners manual is not very good and it is missing some very key components. It does not say anything as to whether replacement parts (such as the plastic ones mentioned above) are available through Rockwell. Also there is not a detailed schematic drawing with parts numbers. Both of these problems may make some potential buyers wary that this product might be a throw-away if something gets broken. I did not yet ask Rockwell if parts can be replaced so this might not be a problem but if this is the case they ought to tell customers up front. The design is not complicated and since many folks who buy this are probably mechanically inclined people want to have the option of ordering parts and fixing it themselves instead of shipping it in for repairs (which many times is way cheaper). This is very important for many buyers.
Lastly I do not understand the mentality of making such a sturdy well-designed and versatile product with tough heavy-gage steel and then skimping on a few key parts and making them plastic. How much money does the company really save by doing this? I bet that if the company did a survey a vast majority of buyers would be willing to pay $20 $30 or even $50 more for this product if these plastic parts were eliminated from the design and replaced with more durable materials. And I doubt that it would add much more weight than maybe 2 or 3 pounds to the unit. This product is a great investment and great piece of equipment but for it to be built to "last a lifetime" as Rockwell claims then get rid of the plastic please !
By the way on the sticker that is underneath the moveable jaw it specifically says "Manufactured to Rockwell specifications in China" in case you were wondering. However I think Positec is poised to be one of the better worldwide manufacturers of quality tools (they have corporate offices in several countries including the US). To summarize don't necessarily use my review as justification for not buying one - I am still recommending that all of you should really get one of these. I am glad I did and so far I can live with the cons I mentioned above because of how versatile and sturdy it is overall and the fact that it has done everything that it has claimed it could do so far.
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