GRR ripper.

Feb 24, 2012 7 Replies

I finally sprang for one these gizmos and it's a cleverly engineered little device. I had been eyeing the thing for awhile and just as a number of others here I was dubious about the value. I'm still dubious. I doubt that it would be terribly complicated or time consuming to construct a similar jig that would accomplish the same thing. But having received a bit more of a tax refund than expected, I splurged. My first disappointment was when I opened the box and discovered that the GRR ripper required assembling. It would probably have cost the company another 10 cents per unit to have a Chinese laborer assemble the gadget but for the asking price........... Maybe a patent search was expensive. Maybe the engineer was very well paid. Maybe they don't sell enough of the thingies to appreciate volume pricing. Whatever, I expect to use it in good health. ;-)



Max


OTOH, there are adjustments that need to be made while using, so knowing how the thing is put together can't hurt.

Well, they did include a nice DVD explaining how everything works so they get a plus for that. Maybe I'm spoiled from being accustomed to ready-to-use tools. ;-) It's the price vs the immediate usefulness of the thing that perturbed me.

Max

I've had a pair for almost ten years. They're used on every project that goes out the door.

It takes a while, but once you use them on a couple of tasks that are made safer and easier because you have them, like when doing non-through cuts, ripping thin strips for edge banding, controlling parts easier on the router table, and face jointing on the jointer, you will grow to appreciate them more.

I would not hesitate to get two more were these to go missing. If they do nothing else, they give you better control when passing stock over bits and blades while allowing you to keep your hands out of the danger zone for those one of kind accidents that weren't supposed to happen, but do ... and those are the accident's that bite the worst.

AAMOF, both of mine have blade marks on them that would have been on my fingers instead.

Spray a little TopCote/dry lube on the middle sliding section. It will slide back and forth much easier.

You only bought one? You shoulda bought two. There *will* be a time when a GRRripper in each hand is what the job calls for.

Dis be whut I got:

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(still has two hands)

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