GRR-Ripper...?

[Brent Romero]

Thinking about buying one. Any comments are appreciated. Good, bad, or ugly.

[Larry Browning]

A bit pricy, but it works very well. I have one, but wish I had 2. They are supposed to work best as a pair.

[paul cottingham]

I have two, and I would not work wood on power tools without them.

[Jim Tobias]

I agree with Larry about price, but, they are well made and really do give you a much better feel of control when ripping pieces. I use mine all the time on table saw and have used on route table. They adjust easily enough for different widths, etc.
I would suggest to look for best price for a pair with the different widths of leg attachments. You will find yourself using them a lot more because of their adaptability to different needs. I bought one initially and then bought the 2nd one at a woodworking show as at small discount(maybe 10%).

Jim

[Robert Delhommer Sr]

I have 2 and thou pricey I love them especially when working with small pieces which I do a lot of. :)

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I completely reccommend them. I have a pair, and they saved my fingers from a pretty nasty kickback when routing a raised panel. A bargain at any price, IMO. The router bit routed the Grrripper pretty good. Not to mention I regularly use them for ripping small thin stock, which is what they really excel at.
If you can get them at a woodworking show, as mentioned, you can save quite a few bucks, or get added parts for no cost.

[Loren Woirhaye]

I have them but don't use them much. I prefer magnetic featherboards for general use. Obviously there are some cuts where the Gripper does something special. I knicked one of the sides doing a narrow cut and most of the rubber part came off. You have to replace the whole side or figure out a DIY repair if this happens.

[Jay Park]

I have two as well. My favorite push tool.

When I was new to the table saw, it felt much safer to have my hands pushing the Grriper above the blade, rather than being at blade level.

[Prashun Patel]

I own one but honestly only use it for narrow cuts. It requires the guard to be removed, so factor that in to your decision. I do think it's a worthwhile safety tool to have in yr arsenal. There are times there are few other options (ripping narrow pieces), and it's nice to have this thing when those come up.

Just keep some alcohol nearby; it relies on friction from the pads to propel the piece. Once dust builds up, the block can slide forward on the piece creating the bad incentive to push down harder on the block.

Also, it's not a brainless thing to use; you have to align the center pad properly, and adjust the guide foot to be flat. If not set up correctly, it can create forces in the wrong direction, or can cause you to cut into the block. Again, I love mine, but I can see how it's not for everyone.

For run-of-the-mill rips, I far prefer a push shoe with a trailing foot. In fact, if you're after an all around push system for bandsaws, tablesaws, and routers, I'd take a look at GRRRIpper's smart-hook push block. They're cheaper than the original, so you'll have the incentive to purchase a pair. They have that critical hook that I think is superior. They're not appropriate for narrow rips, but even WITH the original GRRRipper, I can't say it ever feels that safe; I think it'd be wiser to waste a little wider stock and rip the narrows on the cut-off side of the blade with a bump jig instead...

[Kevin McCluney]

I bought one at a wood show after watching the demo. Wish I'd bought two at the time, since they had a discount. Instead, I bought a second one later. There are some cuts I wouldn't even attempt without them.

[John McClanahan]

I bought a clone at the Woodworking Show from one of the well known woodworking supply companies. (maybe Peachtree Woodworking Supply). Not as robust, but cost less. I don't use it a lot, but I'm glad I have it.

John

[Brent Romero]

John, did not realize there was a clone...hmmm

[John McClanahan]

I bought it several years ago. I think it was around $30.

John

[Bruce Wrenn]

There is a thread here about making your own "Gripper." It's several years old. I have it book marked on my desk top, which I don't use very often.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have one and like it.
Fred

[glenn bradley]

I have two and love them. Once you've decided on one (or two), watch for sales. I have a GR-200 and added a GR-100 about a month later. Had I known I wanted two I could have saved a bit more a combo pack sale that was running but, sales run now and again if you are not in a hurry. Woodworking shows are a good place to pick up extras at a better price. I have the 1/8" side piece which is great for ripping thin stock. I also have an additional wide leg which is handy in some situations.

I didn't find that the handle bridge did much for me and so passed on that with no regrets. The wide base is a great safety item when working with smaller parts. The notches and fittings are numerous enough to allow quick add-ons of a piece of scrap as an elevator or as a sacrificial piece. I notice the price has gone up a fair amount but, I did buy mine 5 or 6 years ago.

Now and then you'll find someone who just doesn't like them. I have seen a couple sell on here. If anything happened to either of mine I'd replace them immediately. I use them for something nearly every time I am in the shop.

[Mark W Pugh]

http://www.amazon.com/GRR-Ripper-Double-Pack-Model-GR-420/dp/B003W2DGB8/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1382410475&sr=8-16&keywords=gripper

[Keith Hankins]

Thinking about buying one. Any comments are appreciated. Good, bad, or ugly.

Love it love it love it. I've got two and have used them for a long time. I use it in conjunction with the microjig splitter. I use two so i can walk it through the TS with ease keeping the hands safely away and keeping positive pressure on both sides of the blade. I use them for my jointer and router table. Matter of fact I just ordered some replacement parts due to my misjudging how close the blade was and nicked some of the green rubber bottom. I used them that way for a very long time before just buying the parts. They are not cheap but I think worth every penny!

[Lori Kleinberg]

I started with one and liked it so much I bought a second one. I found in my attempts to not destroy them I double think and double check all my cuts that are done with the grrripper. But I do need to replace a part that got cut up on a small kick back. Wouldn't work without it.

[Rod Sheridan]

The issue for me is that it requires the blade guard to be removed, so it's a non starter in my case.

If you need to rip thin strips, use the proper saw fence for it, much safer.

Regards, Rod.

[Bill Huber]

Well someone had to make a statement that they don't like them. I bought one and just did not like it, just way to many part to mess with. You set it up for one type of a cut and then if you want to use it for something different you have to redo it.

I had it about a week and sold it on the Creek.

I use a Hand Guard 90% of the time, it has a foot on the back and put down pressure on the wood.

273489

[Dave Richards]

I have two of them and I like them. They did come with a lot of parts but I don't find myself changing their configuration very often at all. Then sit in the tray on the right side of my table saw and I use them nearly every time I make any cuts on the saw. They work better on my jointer than the pads that came with it, too. I'd also use them on the router table but I only use my router table for the PC OSS anymore.

[Wade Lippman]

I own one but honestly only use it for narrow cuts. It requires the guard to be removed, so factor that in to your decision. I do think it's a worthwhile safety tool to have in yr arsenal. There are times there are few other options (ripping narrow pieces), and it's nice to have this thing when those come up.

I agree with all of this. I used it heavily until I go an overhead guard, and then it became nearly useless.

[Todd Davidson]

I own and use two grippers as well as the knock-off mentioned above (from Woodline: http://www.woodline.com/p-2259-woodline-adjustable-push-block.aspx). The Woodline is not as full featured as the gripper, but works well in many applications.

[George Bokros]

I have two of them and really like them. At first I though they were a pain but now i like them. I do not use them 100% of the time but there are some cuts I would never do without them.

George

[James White]

I own and use two grippers as well as the knock-off mentioned above (from Woodline: http://www.woodline.com/p-2259-woodline-adjustable-push-block.aspx). The Woodline is not as full featured as the gripper, but works well in many applications.

I have a set but sometimes feel they are a bit too tall(they have the bridges). Making them feel awkward on the jointer.They beet the snot out of regular push pads. But I think the Woodline offering might have an advantage on the jointer. Sadly another $60 in push blocks would seem excessive to me.

James

[David Kumm]

My jointer and saw are close so they do double duty. I use three or four and never change setups. One always works. I found that if I have to change much I tend to just avoid using it so the extra money spent is because I'm lazy. They are nice for big old saws with large blades that are set back on the table. Dave