Leigh jig?

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Anyone know the difference between a Leigh D4R and the D4 ??
Both are 24" wide. both use the same finger system.

I'm looking at a used D4 it's got no manual, no tools, no bits.

It may end up costing me bewtween $260 or $280 if I factor shipping.
Maybe I should hold out for a new PC Omni jig.

Opinions, thoughts please?

[Cecil Arnold]

Get the Leigh, you'll be happier.

[Jim Becker]

The D4R is the newer version...not a lot of difference. If you can get the D4 for a nice price...go for it. Awesome tool. Awesome manual. Awesome support.

[Jim Davenport]

The D4R has modified clamp bars, and I believe it has a one piece extrusion frame.
I have an old D-3 that I recently upgraded to a D-4 style. It's a great jig. You can down load the manual from the Leigh site. The site also has great information. It's a lot more versatile than the "Omni Jig".

[David Eisenhauer]

I have used the 24" (older model) Leigh for years and have had zero problems. I can copy and send the manual I have if you can't get one from Leigh.

[John Sherrod]

I origionally just owned a 24" omnijig, and yes, I bought the additional sliding through dovetail attachment. Recently I purchased a Leigh D4. What a world of difference! The D4 is to the omnijig what a Lexus is to a mid 70's delta 88. The manual is incredible, from what I hear, it is the industry's leader in that regards. I have always had a problem in doing through dovetails on the omnijig with one side being ever so slightly higher or lower than the other. Not so with the D4. (and, as clatrification, I bought an older model-the D4, not the D4R - that was a display model at my local woodcraft, best 375 I have ever spent)Once i learned the way simpler way to set up the heigth adjustment on my router, I had a perfectly lined up edge on the first try. I would highly reccommend the D4 over the Omnijig. It is a far superior machine. I don't know what unit of measurement you use, but be sure the gyuide is in your measurement, I.E, metric or inches. Congrats on the great find by the way.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Maybe I should hold out for a new PC Omni jig.


If your not going to do hand cut dovetails, Leigh is the only way to go in my opinion. The PC is a quality product, but it doesn't give you the spacing options, and thus the have that machined look. Not my preference.

[Matt Meiser]

I have the D4 and love it. Every time I use it I can't believe how easy it was to use. I just got an ad from Lee Valley that outlined the differences and basically they weren't significant enough to worry about. If you download the manual, get it laminated and spiral bound so you can use it in the shop. That's how the factory manual comes.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Well, I got out bid. The auction is still on but I'm not going any higher. I'd prefer to pay list get a warrantee and support than to pay nearly list and get zip. It was on e-bay.

E-bay has (I think) been destroyed by crazy people who will pay way too much.

There are 2 D4 jigs on E-bay one is at $399.00 asnd the other is at $295.00 ( both $30.00 to ship). I was interested when it was lower than $250.00 - but not now.

There is a brand new non-auction leigh D4R fo $410.00 with $30.00 to ship. That is higher than dealer list cost.
That is E-bay these days.

My daughter sells in E-bay quite a bit. she says she can sell at higher prices and sell more by charging more and ship free. Rolling the shippment cost into the reserve makes her bidders more frenzied. Go figure.


However, that said, I think I'm happy I asked the question as I was considering a new tool and I think Ill get the leigh.

I have so much preference for machined tools that the porter cable almost speaks to me on a very fundamental level as I used to be a tool and die maker.
The PC is machined.

Yet Leigh is - well - very well recieved.

I've never had a dovetail jig but, hand cut is a long tedious boor for drawers.