The Bottom Line
If you watched any TV in the '70s and early '80s, you no doubt saw a ton of TV ads for a portable workbench that made everything easier in the shop. I'd like to think of the Rockwell Jawhorse Workbench as a more versatile, far more heavy-duty reincarnation of that famous tool.
The Rockwell Jawhorse is a bit heavy, weighing in at about 43 pounds. However that heft really comes in handy, as the Jawhorse is built to withstand the heavy-duty work of a job site. It requires no assembly and is very easy to set up and use. Building contractors and carpenters will really enjoy working with the Jawhorse.
The Rockwell Jawhorse is a bit heavy, weighing in at about 43 pounds. However that heft really comes in handy, as the Jawhorse is built to withstand the heavy-duty work of a job site. It requires no assembly and is very easy to set up and use. Building contractors and carpenters will really enjoy working with the Jawhorse.
Pros
- The locking mechanism is operated by pressing on a foot pedal, freeing up the hands
- Legs fold easily, making the Jawhorse compact and easy-to-carry
- Numerous accessories available
- No assembly required - ready to use in seconds out of the box
Cons
- Three-legged design is strong, but can be a bit wobbly when employing lateral force
- Has roller for transporting the unit, but no handle for pulling - a bit inconvenient for tall users
Description
- Simple locking mechanism: flip a switch from "unlock" to "lock", insert the piece to be clamped and step on the foot pedal
- Among the available accessories are an extra long jaw for holding a 4x8 sheet of plywood and a miter saw station
- While the three-legged design of the Jawhorse is convenient, it can wobble a bit when the user applies lateral force
Guide Review - Rockwell Jawhorse Workbench Review
The Jawhorse arrived at my shop for the review just in time: I had a project that required hand sawing some cuts through the end of some 2x8 boards at an angle. After opening the box and taking a quick perusal of the manual, I pulled the Jawhorse out of the box. Following the step-by-step pictures for setup in the fold-out section of the manual, I was clamping my first board in a couple of minutes.
When clamping, the Jawhorse performed flawlessly. I actually had to resist the urge to step too hard on the foot pedal, thus "over-clamping" the stock. I found that a moderate amount of pressing on the foot pedal was enough to hold the board easily and securely in any position, and yet make the jaws easy to release when I was ready to remove the board from the clamp.
In addition to testing the stock Jawhorse, I also tried out the Plywood Jaw accessory. Remarkably, with this accessory, the Jawhorse held onto a full 4x8 sheet of plywood (across the 4-foot width) securely enough that I could have used the the plywood as a medium-duty table. The rubber pads on each half of the jaw ensured that the plywood wasn't damaged, and having the foot pedal to lock the mechanism frees up the hands to hold the stock.
While I can't help but wonder just how much sturdier a four-legged version of the Jawhorse would be, I was very pleased with the versatility and ease of use of the Rockwell Jawhorse.
When clamping, the Jawhorse performed flawlessly. I actually had to resist the urge to step too hard on the foot pedal, thus "over-clamping" the stock. I found that a moderate amount of pressing on the foot pedal was enough to hold the board easily and securely in any position, and yet make the jaws easy to release when I was ready to remove the board from the clamp.
In addition to testing the stock Jawhorse, I also tried out the Plywood Jaw accessory. Remarkably, with this accessory, the Jawhorse held onto a full 4x8 sheet of plywood (across the 4-foot width) securely enough that I could have used the the plywood as a medium-duty table. The rubber pads on each half of the jaw ensured that the plywood wasn't damaged, and having the foot pedal to lock the mechanism frees up the hands to hold the stock.
While I can't help but wonder just how much sturdier a four-legged version of the Jawhorse would be, I was very pleased with the versatility and ease of use of the Rockwell Jawhorse.
