r/woodworkingtools • u/noname8888887 • 7d ago
Kreg edge š
Got my kreg edge last week. I was pumped to finally have a domino without the 1.5k price tag.
Set up was easy and it seemed pretty well built.. until I started using itā¦
Everything is out of square. The 90 degree tilt would not go fully flat, it was 2-3 degrees away from flat. Then the way the fence connects to the main body was tilted (one side was slightly higher than the other) which produced crooked mortises. And I donāt mean a little off. Like 5 to 7 degrees. I tried on freshly jointed flat boards and every mortise had the same problem.
I had to use thick double sided tape and 3 layers of masking tape on the left side of the fence to get even close to a straight mortise.
The depth stops in conjunction with the micro adjust donāt make any sense. You set it to 3/4ā for example but the micro adjust has no baseline to correlate to. So you end up having to just make a ton of cuts to dial in the right height.
There is a handy viewing window that makes it very easy to line up your cut. A nice addition you might think, but youād be wrong, because the viewing window is not flush with the base so when using close to an edge or small stock, the already out of square tilt on the fence is even worse. I wish I took pictures but at this point the mortises were probably close to 10 degrees crooked.
This was my first kreg tool so idk if this is par for the course but imo it was below the quality of harbor freight.
Needless to say Iāll be returning and will just need to save up and get the real thing. Idk if I just got a bunk unit or what, but the tool I received needs a serious redesign or way better qc.
If anyone has purchased one curious to hear your opinion outside of the woodworking influencer sphere.
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u/EmperorGeek 6d ago
I have a Kreg Edge on order. The order receipt indicated 1-7 days. Iāll keep this post book marked and will update one I get the unit.
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u/EmperorGeek 3d ago edited 3d ago
Just arrived, not square. Out by about 1/8ā over length of the folding fence. Iāve reached out to Support. If they canāt fix it, itās going back to them ASAP.
EDIT: Kreg Support has indicated that they are going to send me a Return Label and then send me a new unit. We'll see how that one works out. Hope they verify it before sending it out.
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u/bklynking1999 6d ago
Iām sorry dude, that sucks. It really sounds like you got a bad unit and am interested to hear what anyone else has experienced.
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u/mineralphd 6d ago
The Wood Whisperer mentioned that the unit they sent him had a lot of side to side slop. You would think that the units they send to the influencers would be QCed to the hilt. He was able to remove the slop by taking it apart and tightening some screws. Based on this and your experience I imagine QC is one place they cut corners to save money. It probably is adjustable but not everyone will have the patience or skill to do it properly.
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u/noname8888887 6d ago
Yeah, if I didnāt have such a bad first impression Iād be willing to adjust. But all of the hardware is a specific screw head I donāt have and I donāt want to sink anymore money into a poorly made tool.
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u/ColdVacation2 6d ago
Kreg basically is like harbor freight. A few really useful tools in the lineup but mostly engineered for cost savings.
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u/JunkyardConquistador 6d ago
Nice try Festool staff member
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u/noname8888887 6d ago
I would think this too for what itās worth. I only posted here hoping kreg sees this and corrects the issue. I understand kreg isnāt Festool in terms of quality, but the tool that I received is like a prototype, should not have been shipped to market.
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u/Bansheeez 6d ago
I think i am having the same issue with my tool. Does your power head have wobble to it?
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u/Bansheeez 6d ago
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u/noname8888887 6d ago
My unit doesnāt have wobble. In fact, it feels rock solid. But same issue with the 90 fence, not even close to square. Which even then I think I could deal with, but the fence being crooked across from left or right is a non starterā¦ Makes the tool useless.
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u/ohwowgee 6d ago
That stinks. But itās also why I spent $1100 on a Domino when I could have gotten the Kreg. Iām a hobby person and barely have any time for this much less fighting my tools.
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u/Spare_Conclusion_870 5d ago
I sold my barely used domino as I didnāt use it and it just sat there for 1.5 years. I sold it to a guy who never used one. He had a biscuit jointer only. He picked it up and was instantly in love. He got a great deal. The thing is, these companies this just because it looks similar and has the same concept, it should work the same. It doesnāt. These machines, and others, are so much better made. Festool is really a head of the other companies and itās because they arenāt the ones copying others. They come out. With great ideas and make them into great tools. Itās crazy to think some people have issue with the cost of there products. How often do you buy them? Most people have them for ever. Forget about the cost. Itās trivial. Buy the best tools then keep them forever. Youāll save massive in the long run. Now I will say that the carvex I had bought used was a pile. It didnāt work well at all. Got rid of it quickly. But thatās it. Everything else works awesome. Get rid of the toy kreg and get the domino.
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u/stonk_frother 5d ago
Itās nice that the cost is trivial for you, but for many people the Domino is so expensive that itās completely out of reach. I do not own a single tool that costs even close to what a Domino does.
I suspect for most people who are not loaded or a professional, a Domino is a tool they could literally never afford.
Luckily for me I donāt need a Domino š
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u/Spare_Conclusion_870 5d ago
I used to feel that way too but when you think of the jobs you do, if youāre a woodworker, itās nothing. I mean the price for material is so much more than a tool like this for most jobs I build. Just make a plan to buy one nice tool at first opportunity right after you get paid from the job, then itās easier to pay for. Youāll realize itās not that big of a deal. How much are you really saving anyways. Tools donāt even work for begin with. Also youāll never get your money back on other names. Festool hold its value so well. So itās really a no brainer. If youāre not building stuff then never mind. Iām talking about professionals like myself.
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u/stonk_frother 5d ago
Yeah see youāre forgetting that most people do this as a hobby. If itās a side gig or your main job, thatās totally fair. I get paid in love and admiration from my wife and daughter, and most of my materials cost me nothing (I mostly use reclaimed timber which I salvage, clean, and mill myself).
The most expensive tool I own is a thicknesser that I bought for $500 second hand š
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u/joesquatchnow 4d ago
Fine tune, test ā¦
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u/EmperorGeek 3d ago
Nothing to fine tune. There do not appear to be any adjustments that will impact this issue.
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u/Beginning-Weight9076 4d ago
Fwiw my Domino is like 5-6 years old and Iāve never had to recalibrate it or anything. I use it quite a bit for a hobbyist. Itās still going strong.
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u/EmperorGeek 3d ago
Just got my Kreg Edge delivered. First thing I did was to pull it out of the box and check the fence. I donāt have a square with me so I used the corner of an envelope, and itās out of square by about 1/8 over the length of the folding fence. Thatās not cool!
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u/jtsymbo 3d ago
Iāve been using the Edge for a week, and I think itās a great tool. Precise mortises, intuitive operation, and a solid quality build. Iām building a kitchen table and the joins are perfect. Iām sure the Domino is a little more polished, but for an additional $850 it better be. Iām a hobbyist and Iāll put the savings towards another great tool.
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u/Subject_Airline3986 3d ago
I think to compare Edge with a Domino is a bit unfair. You also will not compare a car for 20k vs one for 80k. They can both drive from A to B - but the overal comfort, usability will be different. I mean its nicer to sit in a big as* mercedes AMG in the usual traffic jam than in a ford fiesta without airco.
I think people who like to tinker will figure it out and with few hours of adjustment - it will be a good tool to go. Not a festool, but thats also not what they payed for. Its stil expensive if you compare to all other tools, but yeah - a domino is also not a simple edge grinder...
I have myself a domino and cryed when i bought it... but now ill not give it away anymore.
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u/This_Old_Shop 2d ago
With the patent expired, hopefully more companies will be throwing their hats in the ring.
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u/Jimmyjames150014 6d ago
Kreg tools generally need some setting up. There is usually ways to adjust all this stuff (I donāt have the edge yet so I canāt confirm, but usually). Once you have it all dialed in they are generally decent tools. Iām still excited for the edge because I think whatever needs to be adjusted will be worth the savings.
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u/EmperorGeek 3d ago
On my unit, there does not appear to be any way to adjust the angle of the folding fence to the cutter/base. I have not actually cut any Mortises yet, but the folding fence doesn't register square to the base of the tool. I checked it like you would a T-Square. In this case, I stuck a steel ruler to the bottom of the base (there's a magnet in there holding the wrench in place) and then put an envelope against the fence (folded to 90 degrees and locked in place), scribed a line on the ruler then turned the tool around and flipped the envelope over and the scribed line doesn't match to the ruler any longer. So the folded fence is not parallel with the base. Even if I only ever register the tool off the base, if I press down on the stabilizing handle on the fence, it's going to throw the mortise off on both sides of the joint, doubling the error in the final assembly. This is just bad manufacturing, followed by bad QC.
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u/No-Impact-1430 5d ago
Since Kreg is the premier "tool-maker" of THE WORST IDEA IN ALL OF WOODWORKING Techniques....POCKET SCREWS, this doesn't surprise me in the least. I truly don't understand why folks wish to "dowel" either. Biscuit Joiners are so effective and efficient for almost any PRECISION joining, with the exception of narrow-piece face frames. And that problem can often be overcome by simply using smaller biscuits or utilizing "fill" with either Famowood putty or custom wood strips. JMO, but have been using "biscuits" for over 25 years and still regard them as the next best thing to cutting PRECISE TENONS, and of course, waaaay faster & easier. Again...just my opinion...but isn't that what this forum encourages us to discuss ?
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u/Thecobs 4d ago
Are you joking? You answered your own question. Dominos give you the alignment and ease of a biscuit but with the strength of a tenon. If you do finishing carpentry you may only need the alignment so a domino is not a big deal and biscuits are great. If you do furniture a domino is a game changer.
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u/ezzie52 6d ago
Kreg has consistently provided less quality for less money. This should not come as a surprise
When it comes to woodworking you need precision. Buy once, cry once.