Kreg has come out with a new work support solution to compliment their Mobile Project Center, the Track Horse. Two of these souped-up steel and aluminum sawhorses can support up to 2200 lbs.
The folding adjustable legs can be set to six different positions:
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- 24.65″
- 31.65″ (Mobile Project Center height)
- 32.65″
- 33.65″
- 34.65″
- 35.65″
Why do all the heights end in 0.65″? I’m guessing that with a 3/8″ (nominal 0.34″) sheet of plywood on top, that brings the height to an even number of inches.
When the legs are folded under the Track Horse for storage, it can also be rested on the floor to give you support at 6.63″ high.
The track on top of the sawhorse accepts Kreg Bench Clamps or bushings. The included bushings allow you to attach a sacrificial surface to protect the aluminum track from damage while sawing. Keyhole slots for Bench Clamps on the end of horses allow for vertical clamping.
Also on the side of the horses are slots for the same 2×4 supports as the Mobile Project center. These supports allow two Track Horses or a Track Horse with a Mobile Project Center to be spanned with 2x4s to make a stable work surface.
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There’s a lip on the side of the track extrusion that works in conjunction with the 2×4 brackets to hold a 3/4″ sheet of plywood flush with the top of the track. The flush plywood top gives the Bench Clamp an expanded clamping surface.
The Kreg Track Horse will come with a single 3″ bench clamp, 2 support brackets, and 2 track bushings with screws. US pricing will be $120. Kreg was also nice enough to list pricing for our Canadian friends at C$160.
The only place I’ve seen it listed so far is Peachtree Woodworking Supply where they are taking pre-orders and offer free shipping. They say it’ll ship the second week of August 2018.
Available: August 2018
Price: $120
Pre-Order (via Peachtree)
See Also(Kreg Mobile Project Center via Amazon)
Here’s the Promotional Video from Kreg:
First Thoughts
When I first spotted the Track Horse, I was wondering if Kreg was coming out with a miter saw stand. It certainly looks similar, or maybe miter saw stands are starting to look a lot more like sawhorses. The only real appreciable differences are the extendable work supports and the removable miter saw clamps.
In several photos they show it being used with the Mobile Project Center, but at a $120 it’s only a $30 difference. At that point why not get another Mobile Project Center, other than maybe space considerations? I suppose the adjustable height might be handy in some situations.
I haven’t purchased or received a sample of the Mobile Project Center mainly due to space constraints, but I’ve spent a bit of time playing with one at a store and I was impressed at the both the build quality and how stable it was for a portable table. In my experience most of Kreg’s products are well thought out and built well — I expect no less from the Track Horse.
Philip Proctor
These will be at least 20lbs each. The project center is 40lbs. I still want them.
Willy
Tough to justify buying two of them when other products offer most of the same features for less than half the price. However, you bring up a good point about portability. Hauling one mobile project center in and out of a truck is one thing, but two would be a pain. This makes more sense as a compliment to the mobile project center.
On that note, if anyone has a Menards near them they are closing out the mobile project center for $30 off, so $130 plus tax. I’ve used mine a half a dozen times and am very impressed with its versatility and overall quality. The plastic lower shelf/brace could be more robust for holding items, but with T track and stable work surface make up for the shelf and weight. The clamp alone sells for $35, when bundled with the table at the discounted $130 price I couldn’t pass it up. Thinking about a second one.
CaveSAR
Having the T track on top is nice. But Lowes has a pair of adjustable leg sawhorses for $60 – https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-2-Pack-42-in-Steel-Adjustable-Saw-Horse-800-lb/1000306129
Home Depot has the single Toughbuilt for $30 or $50 if you need an adjustable width – https://www.homedepot.com/s/sawhorse?NCNI-5
Then you could add T track i.e. Rockler.com
Tim D.
Exactly. The Kreg brings a little more feature wise, but not 4 x the price.
In addition to that, am I the only one that thinks Kreg’s build quality is a little on the suspect side? I like the jigs and they’re very handy, but I rarely pick up a Kreg product and think to myself: “this is built well and will last forever”. I have no reason to believe these will be any better.
Drake
>am I the only one that thinks Kreg’s build quality is a little on the suspect side
I’m with you on that one. They build products with DIYers in mind. They can get away with molded plastic and people like it just enough to justify the price and they sell volume.
I just used Kreg’s cabinet knob/pull jig for the first time last week. It’s all plastic with steel sleeves for the actual drill bit guide. Very useful once all set up but I had to set with a combo square to ensure it was square each time I changed the measure. The plastic bolts holding the sleeves had a bit of play, which was manageable but I anticipate they won’t stay like that long, as the plastic will bend over continued use.
For $25 it was worth it even if I bought a new one for every set of cabinets I installed. I would be happy to pay ~$50 for one out of aluminum and an extra $25 for a “long” shoe accessory (current product has a max hole from edge of ~3.5″, okay for small drawers but not large). Though knowing Kreg’s pricing an aluminum version would be $100 and $50 for extension, add on a Kreg face clamp for $25-45 and your jig is $200; okay for a cabinet installer but not for a DIYer.
Stuart
I have a test sample of the mobile workcenter, and it’s a well-built contraption.
I don’t recall hearing any reports of Kreg quality being shoddy, or anything of the sort, but it could depend on the type of product.
Drake
I’m sure the workstation and horses are fine. Even the basic Kreg jigs are but the price seems to be more for name than value. Dewalt has a similar workstation to Kreg and it is half the price.
I have had bad experiences with anything from Kreg that is adjustable that makes a significant use of plastic, which introduces flex and only gets worse with continued use . Rip-guide, cabinet jig and multi-mark layout square.
The pocket hole jigs work, but aren’t superior to similar steel sleeved plastic jigs that are 1/3 the price.
Not knocking Kreg for making the most of their target market as many people are willing to pay their prices, but as a carpenter who uses tools daily I find many of their products mediocre with a premium price. I think DIYers who don’t know other options and don’t care to search them out are the main customer Kreg is shooting for. The person who uses their tools occasionally for home projects.
Their t-track, miter track and accessories are very nice, but all components are aluminum or steel, not plastic. That is the build quality I would like to see.
Hepdog
I have the accu-cut circular saw guide….great for ripping 4×8 sheets down to manageable size. After 5 or so uses the plastc clamp for the saw’s foot broke rendering the tool useless.
I emailed Kreg about it and they sent a whole new accucut to me …had it in about a week. That’s a 10 from me for customer service!
I think if you approach Kreg as homeowner grade quality and NOT something you would take on site every day you will never be disappointed.
Perhaps this sawhorse is an attempt by Kreg to capture the ‘high end hobbiest’ market?
-Hep
Justin
+1 for those Kobalt adjustable horses. They are a bit of a pain to setup and tear down, but they are super sturdy and don’t move around at all. I also like how they break down into such a small package for easy storing. Easily the best sawhorses I’ve had.
You won’t just grab it one handed and deploy it like you can the cheap plastic ones but I never worry about leaning on the surface and having it fall over either.
Chris
Looks great. But that price. Oh my.
CaveSAR
Also this sawhorse stores quite compactly, can be assembled in various configurations – https://sawhorsepro.com/
Pete
Those adjustable legs look pretty useful. I’d bet you could get some additional heights if you only lifted one side of the sawhorse up if you just need it as a outfeed table or something.
I would be inclined to consider it if it wasn’t $120 EACH!
ktash
Great review, great product, but terribly overpriced. $240 for a pair. I made myself some adjustable sawhorses using construction grade lumber and some scraps. Here’s a plan with a similar design. These have an “analog” vs a “digital” adjustment. They work great when I want to get something the exact height that I need. These look even better than the ones I have because of the extra tools storage.
http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/082/extras/tool-tote-sawhorses/
Compared to the jawhorse (sometimes on sale and clobse in price to these) they don’t have the vise, which is more useful than the clamps, I think. But still, for the right person, these might serve well.
Nathan
so part of the feature set there is why I bought the Kobalt Sawhorse set. Someone else linked it above. It’s a cheaper version of the toughbuilt sawhorse with adjustable legs. While not exactly well built as you can see where they cut corners they are stable, solid, and the features work as advertised. I love the thing. I span mine with 1/2 in ply – running 2 6ft 2×4’s on the sides give me plenty of space in my current setup. If I was to use a full 8ft span I’d probably be inclined to use 3/4 too.
Anywho – neat but overpriced for what it is. OH and I have a dewalt product they sell as a sawhorse/stand and it came with mitre saw brackets. It doesn’t have the extensions of the more expensive nicer mitre saw stands but it’s that middle section – you can put a 2×4 on the top and screw it in from underneath. It sits around 34 inches high – which is the other reason I got the kobalt set as the adjustable legs are able to even up with it.
Cr8on
I’ve had nothing but positive experience with Kreg stuff….. Pricey yes, but major time savers….. I can honestly say though these horses probably will never be on a job site I work.
satch
A bit off topic but if you want a super nice pocket hole jig, look at the model from Porter-Cable. One of the nicer tools under that marquee. As to these adjustable sawhorses and work stations it is vety topical to me. I have space in a two car garage along one wall and will have to make smart use of the space.
Blair
Totally agree with you, I sold my Kreg pocket hole jig after buying the Porter Cable Quickjig and I love it.
Kent
$120 sawhorse?
I drink the blue Kool-Aid, but not enough of it to spend $250 on a pair of sawhorses.
Framer joe
Nothing is better then Ridgid saw horses.
Removable 2×4 top, adjustable legs,holds 2k plus wieght ..tray underneath….
We build 2×6 horses for framing but for everything else these are amazing,horses.
The key is the removable wood top for endless width,and quick replacement..
Ryan
I wonder how tricky it would be to make a set of horses out of 80/20
TonyT
Probably not too hard, but probably not too cheap.
But I was wondering about using 80/20 or equivalent extruded framing (Parker, Bosch, OpenBuilds, etc) for the track on a DIY or modified non-Kreg saw horse…would need to check on compatible accessories and such
Redcastle
By the time these arrive in the UK (If they do the distribution of Kreg products over here is very random) they will be a multiple of the price in the USA and there are a number of competitors that are much less expensive. There is less competition in the pocket hole market over here and for a long time Kreg had it to themselves however it became harder to obtain their product and this has allowed the specialist tool retailers to introduce house brand versions none of which use a Thompson screw head, Torx being the most popular alternative.. With regard to the shelving jig for other than the most occasional use I would recommend biting the bullet and going for Veritas.
fred
If you have ever watched the Scott Phillips PBS – “The American Woodshop” TV show – you will get lots of exposure to Kreg Tools. I guess that they are one of his sponsors – and he probably like their products. I find his use of pocket screw joinery a bit overdone – but for many starting woodworkers it and Kreg jigs may be the difference between getting a project done or not.
In general – I think that Kreg tries to innovate – but also tends to use a bit more plastic in places where a more durable material would be better. There are folks who make stronger or better alternatives to some Kreg jigs and some who make cheaper – less durable ones. I would rate Kreg well above folks like Milescraft in build quality and durability – but would not compare (in quality or price) their cabinet hardware jig to one from a company like True Position Tools.
https://www.amazon.com/True-Position-Tools-TP-1934-Professional/dp/B003E46SVO
When I was looking for a new router table – theirs was on my short list – although I chose Jessem.
ktash
My favorite Kreg items are their clamps for pockethole joinery. The right angle clamps that hold the sides of a box at right angles using the empty holes so you can join them are great. They hold them solidly. I made a bunch of shop furniture using these and will likely make more. Also, their face clamps are very useful, not just when using pocketholes. The auto-adjusting ones kind of spoiled me. I do like the pockethole jig, with great dust collection.
I agree with Fred about the plastic and some of their other jigs, not very impressive. I think they try to mimic other ideas, like some Festool stuff. If a beginner uses it, they’ll likely have poor results and perhaps get turned off. Using a Festool saw, rather than Kreg track gives much different results. Buying a real track saw (today, I’d say probably Makita) makes sense for someone just starting out. They will be able to get good results and a good investment.
I do like their miter saw track with stops, etc. That’s more professional and worth the money.
fred
For years my track saw was that Rockwell Porter Cable 9314 worm gear 4.5 inch saw that I’ve posted about before. I made my own tracks/cutting guides of different lengths out of two overlapping pieces of glued together Masonite. The top piece was used as the straight edge to run the base of saw against. The bottom piece was initially cut oversized and then the saw was used to cut it – so you had a bottom straight edge to lay on your cutline. I made some – with the top and bottom pieces cut on 2 sides so I could run either side of the saw’s base along the top guide. It worked – not as slip-free (you had to clamp it down) or splinter-free (no sacrificial edge guard) as my Festool – but I used it for years.
ktash
Sounds like a cool jig, made for very little money.
JT
I have been looking at the Kreg trackhorse and reading through these comments has been helpful. One thing that does strike me is if you take two of the cheaper ones, add the clamp track and clamps, you come out to about the same price as just buying the Kreg but without the hassle of putting it all together. Am I missing something here?
Ren
You’re not missing anything. What most fail to consider is that you get a $40 bench clamp with each one in addition to the horse. It’s actually a pretty decent price for the functionality you get.