GRR Ripper anyone tried one of these?

[Dok Yager]

I got to see a live demonstration of one and I was very impressed with how they are designed and work. I think it looks like a great product. Any thoughts? http://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper/

[scott spencer]

I use mine a lot....mostly just the basic pad. It takes a bit to get used to, but its' a great safety device imo.

[Wade Lippman]

I rarely use mine. It is incompatible with overhead guards. Occasionally it is useful, but I can't recommend it.

OTOH, their splitters are great, if you don't have a riving knife.

[Larry Browning]

Dok,
This product is a much discussed item here at SMC. A search for "GRR Ripper" will produce several hours of reading material.

OH, and BTW, Welcome to the Creek! It looks like you joined up on Monday.
There is a mountain range full of information here, and the search works pretty well.

[George Bokros]

I agree they take some getting used to but I used them and really like them. Great safety item.

George

[Phil Thien]

I rarely use mine. It is incompatible with overhead guards. Occasionally it is useful, but I can't recommend it.


I agree w/ Wade. Not really useful enough to recommend it.

[JoAnn Duggan]

I agree w/ Wade. Not really useful enough to recommend it.
I use mine all the time and love them . I have two of them and I would highly recommend them.

JoAnn

[Dave Richards]

I think you'll get a wide variety of opinions on these things just like anything else in woodworking. I have a pair of them and use them all the time. I like them very much, not only at the tablesaw but on the jointer and those rare occasions when I use my router table with the router in it.

I did find that I rarely have any need to monkey around with a bunch of the add on parts. About the only reconfiguring I ever have to do is moving the center section and sometimes the handle. The extra parts are in a box somewhere.

[Kevin Womer]

Bought one and loved it so much I got another to use for long ripping. Does a great job ripping small pieces if you get the 1/8 inch attachment. Do not use the pair as often as I thought I might, but use it quite a bit a single push block.

[David Kumm]

Great for those cuts where the guard is off, narrow rips etc. I find I use their jointer grippers even more. Really like those and the splitter to. Dave

[Bill Huber]

There are 2 schools on this one, the ones that love it and the ones that don't, no in between.

I got one had it for about a week or 2 and sold it, just to many parts to mess with, its like a model kit every time you go to change it.

[Stan Mitchell]

I thought that I would use it on the table saw (and I do) - but found that it is most useful on the router table for me - especially for smaller pieces. Gives me lots of control.

They're a bit pricy, but it does grip a piece of wood better than a standard push block. A bit more versatile too in my opinion.

[Keith Hankins]

I got to see a live demonstration of one and I was very impressed with how they are designed and work. I think it looks like a great product. Any thoughts? http://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper/

I've got two of them and they are fantastic! I use them to walk boards through while ripping. you keep downward pressure on both sides of the blade. Great when needing to rip this strips. Since you have downward pressure at all times, you eliminate the kickback. I use them on the jointer, routertable anything where I want to keep my hands away from the blade. I'd never rip the super thin strips without them.

[Clay Fails]

Bought one and loved it so much I got another to use for long ripping. Does a great job ripping small pieces if you get the 1/8 inch attachment. Do not use the pair as often as I thought I might, but use it quite a bit a single push block.

I agree completely. I bought the second one, and use them at the table saw and router all the time. One of the most important safety devices in my shop.

[glenn bradley]

Welcome. I'm in the "love it" camp. I have two and they are integrated into how I do certain cuts and processes at the tablesaw and the router table. Like many accessories, some like them, some don't. If they walked off, I would order two more immediately. YMMV.

[Raymond Fries]

I am also in the agree it is a good safety tool. I use mine all the time and will get another. They work great with a splitter.

[Michael Mahan]

I like them as well on the jointer , TS , router table
a short learning curve to get the right control feel but a item that will keep my fingers attached I learned to like them quite quickly
as in some people that are just to lazy to to pick them up I could see that to those people it's just a bother to use them .

[Rich Riddle]

I am in the love it camp. Being too cheap to buy a SawStop, this gets used anywhere near a blade.

[Alan Lightstone]

Use mine all the time. On the table saw, router table, and jointer. Love them.

[Lori Kleinberg]

Love it. Like some of the other posters I started with one and then got a 2nd one. One of my grrippers needs a replacement part, but thats okay. Easier to replace one of the parts then a couple of fingers, Great safety device.

[Robert Delhommer Sr]

Guess I'm in the "love it" camp, I have 2 and got them to use on the table saw, but also use them on the router table and jointer. :)

[Mike Heidrick]

Love mine. Own 2. have used on TS (SS :) ), router table, jointer, and shaper. I added the thin side leg to one.

[Loren DeShon]

I'm in the "Jury's Still Out" camp.

After reading all the glowing reviews and watching videos I ordered a pair. I've had them for maybe two weeks and I'm increasingly reaching for my good old shop made push sticks and leaving the Grr Rippers unused.

I think part of it is that I like my feather boards to put a pretty fair amount of pressure on the board going through the table saw and the Grr Ripper, although it does have a very tacky base, just doesn't have enough grip to push it through.

The second is that I'm used to my hands being a certain distance away from the blade from decades of using push sticks, and the Grr Ripper puts my hand about 1/3 of that distance away. Yes, the Grr Ripper is totally protecting me from the blade, but I'm innately uneasy about passing my hand that close, plus I have to lean over the saw further because the push block is so much shorter than a push stick.

That said, I haven't yet given up on them as I have yet to use them on the router table or jointer.

YMMV.

[johnny means]

I'm in the third group. Those who think they're a good idea that greatly improve safety, but would never buy one because we were making similar jigs from scraps long before someone decided to make them from plastic. Personally, I like my pushy thingies disposable.

[Larry Frank]

I just got one and am very happy with it. It does take a little longer than just picking up a push stick but feel it is safer and a better grip on the piece you are cutting.

Also, as I get older and the hands do not work as well due to arthritis, it is much easier to use than a stick. Getting old really is the pits.

[Lee Reep]

I use mine all the time and love them . I have two of them and I would highly recommend them.

JoAnn

Me too -- they are great. Frankly, I do not understand the comments about them being a waste. Of course, I had a table saw accident last year after 40+ years of woodworking with a perfect safety record. That accident was a major wake up call to take another look at safety equipment. I went looking for the safest "push stick / push block"accessory I could find.

I worked in a small shop for a few months last summer that had no guards on their saw, so I brought my own GRR-Ripper. One clever feature is an included replaceable sacrificial push strip that you can add on to the back side to give you more "push". They are easy to replace, and also easy to duplicate. For most cuts, the grippy rubber cushion on the bottom is enough, but the small push strip is helpful for some uses. I used a laser cutter to make about 25 or so of the sacrificial push strips, but you could make them from any thin strip of wood, crosscut to length, and just drill a mounting hole in each one. The instructions provide drawings with dimensions.

GRR-Ripper also makes a really nice push block that I use for my jointer. Has the same grippy rubber on the bottom, but the push plate drops down by gravity, so you can use it flat on the wood, or at the end of the board to help push the wood through the jointer. I use a regualr push block in the front, and the GRR-Ripper one at the end of the wood. At soem point I'll probBLY GET A second one, since the gripping surface works very well. It also cleans up with denatured alcohol if it gets a little dusty.

[Earl Rumans]

I'm also in the Love It camp. I have 2 in them and use them on my saw, router and jointer. I think they are a big safty feature. If I am making larger cuts on my saw then I use the blade guard and don't go over the blade with them. When I am making smaller cuts, I just use the riving knife and the Gripper blocks, they keep my hands away from the blade.

[John Huds0n]

I recently purchased one and am very happy with it. Anything that helps keep your hands away from the blade is money well spent in my book...

I bought the $79 version from Amazon, but I probably could have gotten by with the $59 version - not sure if I will ever use the extra attachments

[Tom Blank]

Bought one on sale and really liked it. Gave up waiting for another sale and bought the second one full price. I use them on both TS and router table. I do not mess with some of the attachment parts. Most adjustments are simply sliding the center leg back and forth or adjusting the vertical offset leg.

ALWAYS look through the tunnel to verify blade clearance or you WILL make green sawdust.

[Jason White]

I have two of them and never use them. For me, it was a total waste of money.

For the table saw, I use splitters, feather boards and push sticks.


I got to see a live demonstration of one and I was very impressed with how they are designed and work. I think it looks like a great product. Any thoughts? http://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper/

[Charles Coolidge]

I gave it a serious look after watching some videos a few months back, I even carried one around the store for 10 minutes but returned it to the shelf. Why? I choked on the price, for what you get maybe $40 but $80 I can't see that.

[Tom Ewell]

Usefulness depends mostly on the type of projects I'm getting into, pretty much the only time I use mine is for smallish parts, occasional blind cuts and any other operation where my other devices for control and safety just can't be used.

I'm also not fond of the fact that my body parts go directly over and fairly close to the blade on a table saw but when the need arises, the Gripper works well.

[Rich Riddle]

$80 I can't see that.
If you ever get to a woodworking show of any kind there are usually significant savings. I purchased two of them in a pair along with a "bridge" plate that can connect them for $80 at a show last year.

[Brian Tymchak]

I'm in the Love It camp too. When I put the Incra TSLS rails on my TS I had to remove the stock blade guard/splitter/pawl assembly because I didn't want to cut the rear rail. Not finding any solutions to putting a blade guard back on, other than the overarm solutions, I installed the Micro-Jig splitter and got a pair of Grippers. At first, I was uneasy about running my hand over the blade but got used to it. The advantage of the Gripper is that I can put down and side pressure into the fence and completely control the piece. Can't really do that with a home-made push stick. I put a small piece of 1/4" ply on the back of it and it gives me the heel to push stock through like my old home made push stick.

[Rod Sheridan]

I find that they offer no improvement to conventional homemade push pads, and can't be used with overhead guards very well.

Part of the issue of course is Bies style fences, add a jig to convert to a short or low Euro style fence and your need for a pad that starddles the blade is gone, and you have increased kickback protection to boot.

Regards, Rod.

[John Huds0n]

Well, I read that the inventor of the GRR-Ripper was trying to introduce legislation that all table saw manufacturers have to include at least one GRR-Gripper in the purchase of a new table saw. Of course, this will raise the price of the saw, and you might not necessarily like to use the GRR-Gripper, but safety comes first...


JUST KIDDING :) (but does it remind you of something?)

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'm in the love it group. They saved my fingers from a kick back when routing raised panels. A great value. The router routed the Grrippers pretty good. Could have been my fingers. Acidents happen in a flash. I use them with the saw and jointer too.

I can see the negative responses also. All they are, after all, is glorified and multi functional push blocks that you could make for a lot less money......

[Bob Wingard]

LOVE MINE ... the more you use them, the more uses you find for them ... try 'em once & put 'em on a shelf ... you'll probably never retrieve them. Just like the folks who buy a LEIGH JIG ... try it once ... don't want to fiddle with proper setup/practice ... on the shelf it goes, not to be seem again until the Estate Auction that happens after the owner dies !!!

I tried making soome out of the little orange paddles ... screwed on a block of MDF & glued on a mouse mat ... it works, but not as good as the Grrippers ... something about their rubber that makes it stickier than most anything I have access to.

[Myk Rian]

I got to see a live demonstration of one and I was very impressed with how they are designed and work. I think it looks like a great product. Any thoughts? http://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper/
I have 2 of them. Used all the time on the table saw and jointer.

[Rick Moyer]

Love mine. Recently got two of the Grrip-blocks too. They work much better than conventional push sticks in my opinion. No they don't work great with an overarm guard, but neither do most other push blocks. I use the regular Grr-ripper for small thru-cuts when the overarm guard would have to be removed anyway, straddling the blade, or when ripping with the fence close to the blade; and the Grrip-blocks for most any other feeds. The new GRR-blocks are fantastic push blocks, much better than the small ones I used to use on the jointer.

Opinions will differ, though, as you can see.

[Alan Bienlein]

I have the plans to build a set for over a year and probably never will build it. I also can't justify the price for it as I can make a push stick from the scrap lying around my shop.

Come to think of it I still use the original push stick I made back in 2005.

If it makes you happy and feel safer go for it.

[Michael Dunn]

I use mine ALL the time at the table saw, sometimes at the jointer and occasionally the router table.

[Michael Dunn]

Actually I use two of them at the table saw for boards longer than 18" or so.

[Clay Fails]

I am in the love it camp. Being too cheap to buy a SawStop, this gets used anywhere near a blade.

I use mine WITH my Sawstop... excellent product!

[Jerry Olexa]

I suppose I have much to learn on this.I bought one few years ago and sold it few months later..Wasn't impressed..Probably user error :)

[Dave Richards]

I suppose I have much to learn on this.I bought one few years ago and sold it few months later..Wasn't impressed..Probably user error :)

Evidently it depends upon whom you ask. :D

[Dok Yager]

Well after looking at all you guy`s that have one of these I got mine on Monday. This is one Very cool tool! Keeps your hands completely safe from harm on every tool I tried it on. Do you have to take a little time to configure it, Yes. But I think if you value your fingers it`s a must have tool. I have used it on the Tablesaw, Router and Bandsaw as well as my antique jointer and it works Great. Just bought the 1/8" leg for it yesterday so I can cut a bunch of incremental pieces for my cutting boards. All I can say is "I like IT!!

[Rick Moyer]

That's great Dok. Now you have to buy two Grr-rip blocks for your jointer. They're really good! :) I have one Grr-ipper, and recently got two of these push blocks. I really like the Grr-ipper for thru-cuts on small pcs. The Grr-Rip blocks are even stickier for non-thru cuts. I use them on the jointer and on the table saw.

Here's what they are for those who don't know:
http://www.microjig.com/products/grr-rip-block/index.shtml

[David Delo]

I'm in the love group. Use them on the TS and router table but I like my normal push pads better on the jointer.

[ken masoumi]

Isn't it strange that they (micro jig) advertise this product under the assumption that most of the users do not have a blade guard on their table saw,in the promotional video they also use a table saw without a guard.
I would buy a gripper if the price was around $30 not ~$100.

[Roy Turbett]

I had a chance to try one out today and quickly discovered I had to remove my Biesmeyer splitter in order to use it. My splitter sits above the blade and tilts with the blade but it doesn't move up and down with the blade. This isn't a problem with newer saws with riving knives that raise and lower with the blade. The other thing I didn't like is that its possible to have the gripper riding along the fence while the board isn't. With the splitter removed, this could invite a kickback. That said, it worked great for dados, planing and routing.

I also had a chance to try out the less expensive gripper pad from the same company and really liked the way it worked for dados planing and routing. I especially liked the retractable push pins.

I did some more searching on the internet and found this push stick that I think will work better for my situation. It has a replaceable spring loaded retractable push pin and a replaceable tread that is held in place with several dovetails.

http://tablesawpushstick.com/

[Eric Shapin]

OK - I haven't tried the GRR Ripper. But, given how I work, I don't see the benefit.

My method is to set at least one Magswitch Featherboard on the off-cut side of the piece I am ripping, and push with a push block with a dogleg, and, in this way, I can focus more on pushing the stock toward the blade and less on maintaing pressure against the fence.

For dadoes, I use a Magswitch Featherboard with built-in hold-downs before the blade, and another Magswitch Featherboard after the blade; the 2nd feather board will stop the board from wobbling away from the fence at the very end of the cut (and causing the last 1/2" or so of the glove to be irregular), while the hold-downs of the first feather board prevent chatter at the leading edge of the groove.

I won't say never to GRR Ripper, but I must first be convinced that it is superior to my system.

[Dave Richards]

I don't think anyone has said it is superior to anything else. Well, maybe the manufacturer does but no one here has said that. Use what works for you. The GRR Rippers work well for a lot of folks but clearly not everyone likes them. No biggie.

[Jason White]

I have two of them. Waste of money. Use feather boards, push sticks, and a splitter, instead.


I got to see a live demonstration of one and I was very impressed with how they are designed and work. I think it looks like a great product. Any thoughts? http://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper/

[Bruce Page]

I have two of them. They are great for ripping thin pieces safely.

[Eric Shapin]

I don't think anyone has said it is superior to anything else. Well, maybe the manufacturer does but no one here has said that. Use what works for you. The GRR Rippers work well for a lot of folks but clearly not everyone likes them. No biggie.

I did not accuse anyone of saying that GRR Ripper is superior to anything else. I said that I must first be convinced that it is (or could be) superior to my way of working before I try it.

No biggie.

[Rick Moyer]

I have two of them. Waste of money. Use feather boards, push sticks, and a splitter, instead.


I have two of them and never use them. For me, it was a total waste of money.

For the table saw, I use splitters, feather boards and push sticks.
Well obviously Jason dislikes his enough to say it twice. By my rough count it's about 70% for, 30% against; at least of those who posted favorably or negatively to this point. The OP asked for opinions and that's what he got. There is no yes or no, as people's opinions differ. Lots of different ways to an end.
Roy's 'tablesawpushstick' looks interesting, although you couldn't use it for narrow thru cuts as it looks to be at least 3/4" wide. Don't know though.

[Roy Turbett]

Roy's 'tablesawpushstick' looks interesting, although you couldn't use it for narrow thru cuts as it looks to be at least 3/4" wide. Don't know though.

I almost pulled the trigger last night to buy the tablesawpushstick but couldn't get myself to spend $25 for a stick that is likely to get chewed up at some point in time. The replaceable pads look interesting provided you don't mess up the dovetails they slide into and the retractable pin looks like a great feature. But I liked the overall look of the stick so much I decided to make my own version out of MDF. I traced the outline of an old Sears Craftsman hand saw handle and used a french curve to come up with a shape that mimics the tablesawpushstick. I made a pattern out of plywood and used it to knock out eight push sticks out of a 36" X 18" piece of 1/2" MDF. It turns out that these homemade sticks can be tuned up at the 12" disc sander in a matter of minutes and will look like brand new. I may experiment with drilling a hole in the heel for a spring loaded dowel push pin but I need to figure out how to keep the pin from falling out.

[Keith Outten]

Isn't it strange that they (micro jig) advertise this product under the assumption that most of the users do not have a blade guard on their table saw,in the promotional video they also use a table saw without a guard.
I would buy a gripper if the price was around $30 not ~$100.

You will often find old timers who haven't used a blade guard in decades and truth be told it is a large group. My current table saw (#4) is about 20 years old and it never had a blade guard installed. Thirty to forty years ago many blade guards, particularly on low quality saws, were of such low quality they made a table saw more dangerous rather then improve safety. At the same time they took forever to remove and reinstall when certain cuts had to be made without the guard.

Most of the professional woodworking shops that I have visited in the past did not have guards on table saws, or any other machines for that matter. Today that may have changed, it has been a long time since I was in a cabinet shop. So, I expect those who have been woodworking for a long time may be more inclined to purchase Micro Jigs or not use anything at all...not even a push stick. I have watched table saw operators push lumber through saws with their bare hands with barely enough space between the blade and the fence for their thumb. It was painful to see someone in a furniture factory who uses a table saw all day long operate that way.

FWIW I am a Micro Jig fan and I own two of them. There are some cuts that I still prefer to use my old wooden push sticks and some that I feel are better made with the Micro Jigs. There is another situation that involves a loss of grip through the years which causes many to adjust old techniques in order to keep their hands farther and farther away from a spinning blade.

I have also started using my Micro Jigs more often on certain band saw cuts and when using my joiner. After 45 years working with major machines I still have all my fingers and not one scar from woodworking and I would like very much to keep it that way. I've had plenty of mishaps and close calls, enough to keep my level of respect for machines and my own safety in mind before every cut. I should also share that I haven't used my table saw for six months and it is unlikely I will ever use one again. Don't get me wrong I am a table saw fan but "to everything there is a season" and mine has expired.
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[Roger Pozzi]

I have 2 of them and love them. Having been born with only one hand (left), and the apparent right-handedness of everything sold, this was one of the best purchases of mine ever.
I do nothing at the table saw or router table without the Grr-riper.

[Keith Outten]

Roger,

I'm left handed and appreciate your comment about the world being right handed. I despise picking up a hand held drill and have to fight with the speed lock engaging. In the past I have filed the speed lock buttons below the surface of the grip so they couldn't engage anymore. The handles and controls on almost every machine tool seems to be on the right side :(
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