Jobsmart from Tractor Supply - Jawhorse knockoff

Jobsmart from Tractor Supply - with pictures

I've said several times here that I use a Jawhorse frequently and my only complaint about it is the price, which seems high at $179. I've had it for about two years now, and I've put that thing through the wringer and it has done everything I asked. Great tool.

Well, yesterday I was in Tractor Supply and they had this jobsmart clamping stand, which is an obvious knock off of the Jawhorse. And it was on sale for $99 - so I bought one. Funny that a Chinese made product can be knocked off in China for roughly half the price - it probably means they were making a pretty good profit on them.

I haven't used it yet, so I can't comment on the actual utility of it, but it seemed to be proportioned and even looks pretty much exactly like a Jawhorse. I actually wonder if they aren't made in the same factory.

The differences I noted in the store: The jaws and clamping mechanism seem pretty much identical - however the rubber on the Jawhorse jaws seems to be a plastic material on the Jobsmart - not sure if it will hold up as well. There is not a roller on the Jobsmart for moving it while folded up like there is on Jawhorse - which isn't really a big compromise, I usually just carry it. Instead, they added a plastic handle to the back end of the rail, which I think will be a good addition. The leg locks work differently - which is fine by me as long as they hold the legs securely. The lock and unlock switch is smaller, but still big enough to move easily. The foot pedal assembly looks identical. .

http://www.tractorsupply.com/jobsmart-reg-clamping-stand-1036671

I'll pull it out of the box today and compare it side-by-side with my Jawhorse and report back today. If anybody want's to get one, they had them on sale for $99 in the store and it looks like the same price online.

OK, I was going to trash the Tractor Supply product for being a knockoff, but does it weigh much less than the regular one? And aren't there two models of the Rockwell, one being closer to the regular price of the Tractor Supply version? The cheaper Rockwell is on Amazon for $133. Which one do you have?

krivasgarage said:

OK, I was going to trash the Tractor Supply product for being a knockoff, but does it weigh much less than the regular one? And aren't there two models of the Rockwell, one being closer to the regular price of the Tractor Supply version? The cheaper Rockwell is on Amazon for $133. Which one do you have?

Click to expand...

I think the two models of Jawhorse are the original - which I think they might have lowered the price to $133 (likely because of the competition) and one with a longer jaw which will hold a 48 inch piece of plywood - which might be nice if you work with 4x8 sheets of 3/4 plywood often.

I've had mine for 2 or 3 years, so they only had one model when I bought it.

I also noticed on Amazon that Ridgid has something similar and there is a Titan and a Portamate that both look identical to the Ridgid. I've seen that one in the store and I didn't like it as well as the Jawhorse for one reason - the size of the "anvil" on the fixed Jaw. These units don't seem to have the work surface on top that the Jawhorse and now Jobsmart has and it's a nice feature. I've used that surface to hammer out dents in bodywork.

I took the Jobsmart out and did some comparison, which I'll put in the next post.

Ok, so I took the Jobsmart out of the box and compared it side by side with my Jawhorse.

Attached are some pictures. The box was almost identical to the Jawhorse box - pretty heavy. It's well packaged, and comes fully assembled with the exception of the handle on the back, which took longer to get out of the box than it did to install.

Having the Jawhorse, I didn't need to look at the instructions. It unfolds easily and sets up in 30 seconds or so. The different locks on the legs seem to work fine, so I have no problem with that.

The dimensions are identical to the Jawhorse. There are a couple cautions on the Jobsmart saying it is limited to 330 lbs - I know I've had more than that on the jawhorse - I once set the end of a 2000 lb trailer on it.

I then noticed the first negative difference between the Jobsmart and the Jawhorse. The jawhorse has "footholds" on the ends of the front legs, which they left off of the Jobsmart - obviously for cost savings. The footholds are nice - especially when you have something - like a small engine, clamped in the vise and you are turning bolts - I think that's something I will miss.

The Jobsmart seems to have the same beefy "anvil" surface on the fixed jaw that I described above - this is one of my favorite features of the Jawhorse.

The clamping mechanism looks and feels identical between the two. I said above I thought the Jobsmart had plastic vs rubber jaw faces - and I'm going to retract that - they are very close, and the major difference seems to be my Jawhorse faces are pretty well used, and maybe softer from use.

I took the moveable Jaw off both of them and they are identical in dimension - they even can be interchanged between the two and either worked fine on the other, however the Jobsmart seems to be made of one gauge lighter steel than the Jawhorse - still feels strong - I don't know if that will make a difference or not. For some reason the Jobsmart has a tapped threaded hole in the back end of the jaw that the Jawhorse does not. I think it's there to hold some kind of accessory - and that's a really good idea. I think my welding clamp accessory I bought for the Jawhorse would work fine on the Jobsmart.

As mentioned above, the Jobsmart doesn't have a roller for rolling it when it's folded. This is a feature that is all over the Jawhorse advertising, but I've found it not very useful. The Jobsmart has a nice handle on the rear and a handgrip on the front - which I think I will prefer over the roller. The handles made it easier to move the Jobsmart around while it is set up, which you end up doing frequently. Actually I may add handles to the Jawhorse.

I clamped a 4 foot piece of 2x6 in both of them and leaned on it to see if the Jobsmart could clamp as hard as the Jawhorse. I couldn't tell any difference in clamping power.

Interestingly, I found myself going easy on the Jobsmart footpedal just like I did when I first got the Jawhorse, so I had to force myself to use the same clamp pressure. They sure look like they would be flimsy clamp mechanisms, but believe me the Jawhorse is not.

Verdict: The Jobsmart looks like it will be a winner. It does have a couple compromises over the Jawhorse - no foot "stirrups" on the legs and slightly lighter gauge construction on the moveable jaw (I didn't notice any lighter metal elsewhere, but it might be. Overall weight is slightly less on Jobsmart). However the Jawhorse is built like a tank, and even with thinner metal it probably will still work great. A couple of features on Jobsmart are clearly better - the handles are better than the roller and I can see uses for the tapped hole on the moveable jaw.

At $99 vs. $179 I paid for the Jawhorse, I was willing to take a chance on some compromises on the Jobsmart. The Jawhorse is a known quantity to me. I know it works and is tough. I was trying to think what I would pay more for that known quantity and I figured probably $20-30. Since I found out the Jawhorse can be had for $133 - that's probably about right. Still - I think I'll get a lot of use out of the Jobsmart.

Interesting write up ... thanks.

I bought my Jawhorse at about the same time you did and it's been great! I've used it mostly for welding and woodwork projects and it's really performed well. These things are as strong as a horse. I think any of the similar products would be helpful to anyone. I agree with you on the details though. The footholds for example probably put the Jawhorse a bit ahead of some of the others.

There is a green one "Worx Pro Jawhorse WU060". Thought Triton from Austraila is the original? Also one of them has a bunch of accessaries thay can be added, think it's Port-A-Mate? It is on my list to get 2 of one type to hold things I can't anymore. I think the Ausi original is rated higher?

This is the Engineers Jaws for Triton as well.

The tool tray I posted above is for the Ttiton. Here is the Log and ot Pole holder for it as well.

I think I read before the Triton was the original and the Jawhorse was a knock off of it. So now the Jobsmart is the knockoff of the Jawhorse.

Looks like the Ridgid is identical to the Triton. I looked at the Ridgid in the HD store and didn't like it as well as Jawhorse for two reasons: First the lack of large pounding surface I mentioned earlier and second it seemed like the jaw surfaces were smaller.

I'm sure any of them will do a fine job, and if you don't have one you should seriously take a look at buying one.

I can only attest that the Jawhorse works way better than I though it would, and it is built really tough and withstands a lot of abuse.

And this Jobsmart I bought looks almost as tough as the Jawhorse.

I noticed the JS doesen't have the big roller on the front, I find that is very handy for moving it around. I de-merit for the JS

regguy1 said:

I noticed the JS doesen't have the big roller on the front, I find that is very handy for moving it around. I de-merit for the JS

Click to expand...

Yes the Jawhorse has the roller and the Jobsmart has handles that the Jawhorse doesn't.

The roller has proven near useless to me because it rocks back and forth uncontrollably if you are on anything but smooth concrete. I've found it easier just to carry the thing, so handles are more useful to me.

I'm glad you've found it useful and I assume some other folks will.

I got to use the Jobsmart last night for the first time. Not real tough duty - I was working on a pressure washer pump and held it down while I disassembled.

It worked great - exactly like the Jawhorse does. So now that I know I'm going to keep it, I'm taking one of them over to my workshop and keeping one at home.

So here's the bottom line:

At $179 (normal price) for the Jawhorse vs. $99 for the Jobsmart - it's no contest - go for the Jobsmart.

At $133 for the Jawhorse (price on Amazon the other day) vs. $99 for the Jobsmart - it's almost a toss up, I'd probably spring the extra and get the Jawhorse, but I wouldn't feel bad getting the cheaper one and getting another useful tool with the extra $$. I notice today the Jawhorse is $144 at Amazon - that's less of a toss up.

At $144 for the Jawhorse vs. $129 for the Jobsmart (regular price) - go for the Jawhorse.

I believe at some point I will probably weld some Foot ears to the ends of the Jobsmart front legs - that's the only real deficiency I see on it.

I really like the Jobsmart handles for moving it around - they are especially helpful for moving it while it's set up - which I tend to do all the time. Unlike a workbench, which you move the work to - with this thing I tend to move it to the work. I might add something similar to the Jawhorse, because it's a little hard to grab hold of.

If you don't have one of these, I suggest you take a look at one. I use it about 90% of the time as a replacement for a bench vise - it's much more versatile and seems more useful than a bench vise to me.

My tractor supply in Amherst Ohio has these for $79.

I've already bought three of the ridgid ones at HD for $35 each though!

$79 is a great deal.

$35 is a giveaway price. How did you get that?

Weight limit is also different:

Rockwell Jawhorse = 600 lbs
Craftsman Job Vise = 220 lbs
JobSmart Clamping Stand = 330 lbs

That low price on the TSC JobSmart is tempting.

Sears had the Rockwell version marked down $27 a couple days ago, and I used a $20 off $100 code to get down to $132.99.

TreePointer said:

Weight limit is also different:

Rockwell Jawhorse = 600 lbs
Craftsman Job Vise = 220 lbs
JobSmart Clamping Stand = 330 lbs

Click to expand...

I don't see a reason that the Jawhorse would hold twice as much. The structural parts are all very close to one another.. I bet the weight limit is governed more by reducing liability vs. strength.

Here is pic of Triton Superjaws SJA200.

Superjaws SJA200
£115.40
Item:
Price:
Quantity: 1
Triton Superjaws SJA200 and Accessories
The Triton SJA200 Superjaws is the workstation you take rightto the job; indoors, outdoors, construction sites or the factory floor. It provides fast and easy hands free clamping action of material up to 956mm (371/2”) and features a massive clamping force up to 1000kg (1 tonne), for all clamping or pressing applications. It holds anything ... car parts, bicycles, timber and tubing. HOME Triton Router Table RTA300
Urethane Jaw Facings
Provide a protective slip-resistant grip.
Reversible Sliding Jaws for extra wide 956mm clamping width capacity
Robust, All Steel Construction with Powdercoat Finish for long lasting operation
Powerful 1 tonne Clamping Force allows the ability to apply as much or as little clamping pressure as you require
Tripod Base for all terrain stability
Foot Operated Clamping
Frees up your hands for full control of the job.
Lock/Release Switch
Allows fast, trouble free release of the jaws.
Log Jaws SJA460
Powerful clamping of logs and poles for chainsawing etc.
Engineers Jaws SJA470
Tough cast iron jaws for heavy duty metal work.
Extension Tray SJA420
Work support and convenient holding of tools.
Technical Specifications
Clamping Range 0 - 956mm
Clamping Force Up to 1000kg
Clamping Method Foot operated
Standard Jaws Urethane
Max. Load 100kg
Folding Time 20 seconds approx.
Folded Size 275x775x295mm
Standing Size 980x1000x860mm
Weight 16kg
Tool Tray/Work Support
£24.95
Price:
Quantity: 1
Engineers Jaws
£28.95
Price:
Quantity: 1
Log/Pole Jaws
£21.95
Price:
Quantity: 1
Link to Video
Link to Manual
Link to Spares Diagram and Price List
HOME Triton Router Table RTA300

Look at this Triton tilt, catching my interest.

The thing I noticed about each that was significant (and the first thing I looked for on the JS) is the feet. I think the feet on the Ridgid/Cman (exactly identical) are a poor design, I've seen them slide around under a load. I don't have enough firsthand experience with the Rockwell to know if it will, but I have never seen it mentioned anywhere.

I've seen the Ridgid at clearance/giveaway prices a few times, not as low as $35 but low enough I thought about it seriously. I have seen the Cman at 'Sears giveaway' prices, nowhere near as good, they're just too proud of it. I have been holding out to see if the 'sheetmaster' version of the Rockwell will come down low enough, or if the original & wider jaw accessory together will be low enough to make me buy one. They are great, I just haven't had a project that needed one recently.

If you do weld better feet on the JS, please do a writeup or at least a few photos because that's the only thing I would say is a problem for me considering it.

I'm sure the triton is fine, I just don't care for the smaller jaws and the lack of hammering surface compared to the Jawhorse.

One of the reasons the Jawhorse is more useful than a plain bench vise is the large jaw surface it has.

cheechi said:

The thing I noticed about each that was significant (and the first thing I looked for on the JS) is the feet. I think the feet on the Ridgid/Cman (exactly identical) are a poor design, I've seen them slide around under a load. I don't have enough firsthand experience with the Rockwell to know if it will, but I have never seen it mentioned anywhere.

I've seen the Ridgid at clearance/giveaway prices a few times, not as low as $35 but low enough I thought about it seriously. I have seen the Cman at 'Sears giveaway' prices, nowhere near as good, they're just too proud of it. I have been holding out to see if the 'sheetmaster' version of the Rockwell will come down low enough, or if the original & wider jaw accessory together will be low enough to make me buy one. They are great, I just haven't had a project that needed one recently.

If you do weld better feet on the JS, please do a writeup or at least a few photos because that's the only thing I would say is a problem for me considering it.

Click to expand...

I'm sure the feet will be an issue occasionally, but it's only occasionally that you are pushing on something hard enough that you need to hold it down with your feet. Actually the Jawhorse has holes in the feet so you could conceivably bolt it or screw it to the floor.

However, I use the Jawhorse frequently - maybe not daily but very often and I've only used the foot stirrups about 5 times - so I wouldn't call it a deal breaker.

If I ever saw these for $35 I'd buy a couple more.

I wonder if Ridgid/Craftsman had permission to copy the Triton from Ausi land. We know there are lawsuits against them now and some in the past that C'man had to pay millions.

JASTECH said:

I wonder if Ridgid/Craftsman had permission to copy the Triton from Ausi land. We know there are lawsuits against them now and some in the past that C'man had to pay millions.

Click to expand...

I haven't seen the Craftsman version closely, but the Ridgid looks identical to Triton, all the way down to the color, so I'm betting it's a rebadge vs a copy.