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I've eyed a Jawhorse for a while now since I got suckered by their infomercial...I'm still a bit leery as I don't trust infomercials but I've seen them on display a few times at Sears and elsewhere and they seem pretty solid and useful. Any folks out there have one and have a report?

I'm also curious on the difference between the standard model RK9000 that sells at Amazon for $145:
Rockwell-RK9000-Jawhorse

And the model RK9002 Jawhorse Sheetmaster that sells for $199:
Rockwell-RK9002-JawHorse-Sheetmaster

Anyone familiar with both who knows the difference between the two and if the Sheetmaster is worth the extra $65?

dgale wrote:I've eyed a Jawhorse for a while now since I got suckered by their infomercial...I'm still a bit leery as I don't trust infomercials but I've seen them on display a few times at Sears and elsewhere and they seem pretty solid and useful. Any folks out there have one and have a report?

I'm also curious on the difference between the standard model RK9000 that sells at Amazon for $145:
Rockwell-RK9000-Jawhorse

And the model RK9002 Jawhorse Sheetmaster that sells for $199:
Rockwell-RK9002-JawHorse-Sheetmaster

Anyone familiar with both who knows the difference between the two and if the Sheetmaster is worth the extra $65?

I have a Triton Superjaws which is very similar and like it very much.

RK9000 - clamps 37 in, 43 lb
RK9002 - clamps 49 in, 53 lb

I have the Jawhorse and love it. I've used it to hold 4x4 posts that I used to make a fence around by garden by simply clamping a crossmember in the Jawhorse and clamping that to the post to make sure it was level and let it sit in the cement for a day.
I've used it recently to hold some round logs I'm debarking and sanding down to make some "decorative" firewood for my wife. I used my Festool orbital sander on it and really reefed....no movement at all.
There are so many uses for it I could go on and on. Once you clamp it in the vise there is absolutely no movement and it's easy to use because you depress the clamp lever with your foot so you have two hands to position your workpiece in any direction you want.
Storage is simple and fast and once folded up takes no room at all and can easily be rolled around or carried with one of the secured legs. Really well engineered and not a piece of junk. I'm going to get another Festool MFT top and make a setup to be able to clamp the top in the Jawhorse for additional portable worksurface.

I sent an e-mail to Rockwell inquiring about the specific differences between the two models and here is their reply:

The RK9000 is the original Jawhorse and the RK9002 is the Jawhorse Sheetmaster. The RK9000 has a clamping range of 0"-37". The footprint (amount of space that it takes up) is 39" x 39" x 34". it weighs 43 pounds. It has three legs. The front two legs have stirrups on them. The back leg has no stirrup. Also, it is mainly gray and yellow.

The RK9002 has a clamping range of 0"-49". That is 12" more than the RK9000. The footprint is 44" x 38" x 35". It weighs 53 ponds. It is bigger and takes up a little more space and is a little heavier. It has three legs. All three legs have stirrups. This can provide a little more stability. it is mainly black and yellow.

So looks like the RK9002 can readily hold a sheet of plywood, whereas the RK9000 would require the plywood jaw accessory in order to be able to hold something that wide. The RK9002 is heavier but also allegedly has more stability, although I've seen nothing (including the review above) that would indicate there are stability concerns with the original jawhorse. So I guess it comes down to what it will be used for - if holding full 4'x8' sheets or other similarly wide items is likely then the Sheetmaster is the way to go, as it costs ~the same as the original jawhorse+ the plywood accessory. If not then the samller size and weight is perhaps more appealing. For me, I'm always a sucker for the bigger "deluxe" model, so that's likely the direction I'll head. Definitely looks like a useful gizmo - they had me in the infomercial with the door that's clamped in there on edge.

I have the original and use it often. When installing a door this one armed man couldn't do it with the assistance of the Jawhorse. I remember a fellow I hired to help with some work watching me use it for differing tasks. He just shook his head in amazement and asked if he could borrow it for a few years. It's a great third hand for welding, handles sheet goods with ease. You will be thrilled to own one. Jim

Forgot to mention that I'm going to be using mine with the plywood accessory to clamp a "Torsion Box" like the one in the AskWoodman.com series on building his version of the "Texas Roubou". For me, since I am sharing my garage and need portability and function of this version of the Roubou it will be really helpful. Just another use for a fantastic product.