Replies

1. 
   AitchKay | May 13, 2009 04:24pm | #1

   Do an advanced search on the topic -- there's been a lot posted about all of the different types.

   FWIW, I've used a Rockwell for over 30 years. But of course I've OWNED a Rockwell for over 30 years, so naturally, that's the one I'd use.

   AitchKay

2. 
   frammer52 | May 13, 2009 04:51pm | #2

   Got a porter cable for sale!

3. 
   Frankie | May 13, 2009 07:37pm | #3

   I have two of the Bosch and love them. Great for when you have a lot of doors. I custom make the sticks between the templates. It's just easier for me that way - especially when I have to alternate between door sizes. Each set of sticks is for one height of door.

   Anyway, they work great. Beats chiseling for hinges. Super fast. Be sure to get the square/ corner chisel to finish the corners.

   Frankie

   Flay your Suffolk bought-this-morning sole with organic hand-cracked pepper and blasted salt.

   Thrill each side for four minutes at torchmark haut. Interrogate a lemon.

   Embarrass any tough roots from the samphire. Then bamboozle till it's al dente with that certain je ne sais quoi.

   Arabella Weir as Minty Marchmont - Posh Nosh

4. 
   doorboy | May 13, 2009 07:45pm | #4

   Don't forget to check out http://www.templaco.com --or the Norfield catalog.
5. 
   chairmon | May 14, 2009 07:17am | #5

   Hi I have and use the Bosch.

   Both are good systems, and both have their fans. Each can do a great job. That all being said the bosch box is allot smaller and easyer to store in the van or trailer.

   Craig

   i am planning on making a u tube tutorial for the 83038 soon.

1. 
   edwin | May 14, 2009 02:52pm | #7

   I would like to see it when you do.
   It seems that I will get the Bosch, the feedback I have gotten points in that direction.

1. 
   flash28 | May 22, 2009 07:40pm | #9

   Howdy--I deliberated and deliberated over this issue a couple years ago and ended up buying the Porter Cable setup. I had read all the reviews of both Bosch and PC on amazon.com, and at that time, there were numerous complaints about some misalignment or something with the Bosch units and other hassles. The PC unit works well for me, but its major drawback is that if you need to fine tune your hinge placement slightly off standard, say for a retrofit, the knurled knobs have such little texture that it's hard to snug them up securely (some reviewers complained of stripping them by tightening with pliers). I ended up with the PC mainly because of the price difference and the fact that my old mentor has had the same one since dinosaurs walked the earth. As an unexpected bonus, the set I got from amazon included a fourth template and arm for hinging 8' doors and the corner chisel. I think I paid 199 bucks for the whole shebang. Yes, the case is big, but it has room for the fourth set-up. You may be dragging that along with the Bosch set. Anyway, I was on here to ask about something else but saw this and thought I should contribute. Hope it helps.

1. 
   edwin | May 22, 2009 08:41pm | #10

   It sort of helps. In an ideal world I would buy both the PC and Bosch jigs and throw the one I didn't like away. I think the decision would be easier if I could just see and handle them but the world is not close to even that level of perfection. Thanks for the input.

1. 
   flash28 | May 23, 2009 06:21am | #12

   I'd read reviews of the two on amazon. If it seems like a toss-up there, then go for the Bosch based on the feedback you've gotten here.

6. 
   IMERC | May 14, 2009 02:13pm | #6

   I'm partial to the Bosch...

    

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

   WOW!!! What a Ride!

   
   Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

    

   "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

7. 
   gordsco | May 22, 2009 06:20pm | #8

   I have the Bosch jig and it's great for production door hanging. However, I did run into a situation recently where the customer wanted a new sets of french doors mounted into existing frames.

   Of course we wanted the same hinges and hinge locations of the other doors near by.

   The hinge radius was too large for my existing Bosch setup so I made some plywood jigs.

   View Image

    

    

1. 
   AitchKay | May 22, 2009 09:53pm | #11

   Every once in a while that comes up. My jig came with a collar for 1/4" radius hinges, and I right away bought the corner chisel for square-cornered hinges. I'm not wild about that chisel, but it does speed things up.It was years before I had to install 5/8"r hinges. But all that meant was buying a 1 1/4"dia. bit, and the appropriate template collar.Unless I was way out in the sticks, and caught by surprise by the job, I wouldn't expend the labor to make a separate jig. And now that I own the bit and collar, it's as easy as hanging any other door.I don't currently leave a router dedicated for door-hanging, although I did when I hung more doors. What I do now is dedicate two sub-bases, one with the collar for 1/4"r, and one for the 5/8"r. Both are clearly marked with a white paint pen, so I know which one to grab.Bosch sells a collar for 5/8"r hinges, too.AitchKay

8. 
   popawheelie | May 23, 2009 07:14am | #13

   I had the Bosch and made custom settings for doors. I was hanging slab doors in steel jambs. So the settings ( distance between the leaves) had to be set for the steel jambs. No big deal. Just had to be double sure the holes were right the first time.

   So you can do custom settings. I had a few of these doors to do so it was worth the time.

   If you are doing the jamb and the door it works great. The problem is when you are setting a door into an existing jamb.

   I do it all by hand and with a one leaf template now. No sticks between the mortises. I just measure twice, or three time before cutting. ;^)

   "There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."
   Will Rogers