Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I see lots of detailed reviews about the product itself. I'm not going to try and do the same thing here, other than to say that the product worked great for me, and I loved the results. So, read those reviews for details. What I want to do is tell you what I LEARNED about using the product, and save you some time and effort. If you find the review helpful, please rate as such so that more people can see it. OK, so I've read some of the reviews where people complained that this system is slow. I LOVE this system, but it comes down to one thing: Do you want to get your deck done fast or do you want quality? I can tell you that I'm a quality kind of guy, and if you are too, I strongly recommend this system, even if it does go a bit slowly. If you think you won't really care about how your deck looks, and just want to get your decking on, then you may want to reconsider a faster method. I *can* tell you that the way that these screws enter the joist diagonally holds MUCH stronger, especially if, like me, you have new decking going over the top of old joists. Let me explain how I learned this: You cannot, using this system, screw diagonally into the trailing side of the decking right up next to your house. So, the first row or two (on the back side) will have traditional screws through the top of the decking just like a normal deck. I was using good quality screws, specifically made for composite decking, and had several screws done the normal way (from the top) that must have hit a crack or weak spot in the board, and stripped out before they would drive completely down into the decking. Oh great...I can't move those screws because then i'd have a hole in the top of my deck and now those just look crappy. On the entire deck, though, not ONE of the diagonal Kreg screws failed to bite completely into the older wood joists. You MUST have two drills, one to drill the holes and one to screw. Unless you are the REALLY patient sort, borrow one from a buddy if you don't have two. I used a corded drill to drill the holes and a cordless impact driver to drive the screws. I would NOT recommend under any circumstances using a corded drill to drive the screws...you'll have trouble as it doesn't drive slowly enough. I would also strongly suggest that the driver for the screws is an impact driver. This is because if you use one, you will NOT need to actually use the Kreg drill guide to drive the screws. If you've used an impact driver, you can tell by the sound and "feel" change when the screw has been snugged down. So, you simply stop at that point. Trust me it is a LOT faster to only need to use the guide for drilling and not also screwing. My 12V Makita impact driver Makita LCT209W 12V max Lithium-Ion Cordless 2-Piece Combo Kit was perfect for this, because it was not so powerful that I couldn't easily tell when to stop. Do the first couple screws with the guide to get a feel for it and see the finished depth of the screw on your decking. Then, just repeat that look and "feel" without using the guide further. You will save a TON of time if you use this method. If you read the reviews, you'll see that everyone's depth collars keep coming loose. Simple fix: cut a small flat spot on your drill bit with a dremel or file at the exact proper place, then screw down firmly. I did this and my depth collar never moved the entire job. As for the depth collar on your screwdriver...well good luck if you are using an impact driver. The good news: if you use my above mentioned method...guess what...you don't NEED a depth collar because you're not using the guide! Problem solved. I also read a couple of complaints of the rubber feet coming off the guide. Mine never moved throughout my project. Maybe I applied them more carefully than some? Scuff those spots up with a bit of sandpaper first, wipe down with alcohol, and then just be careful when you apply them. On to technique: I found that it is pretty efficient if you work two rows at a time (ie do the forward edge screws on one row at all joists, then do all the forward edge screws on a second row before coming back and drilling and screwing the trailing edge screws on both boards at once). This is efficient because you can do two sets of drilling/screwing at each joist position on the back side without moving (so you get a small speed increase this way). Also, the kit only comes with three spacers. I would also recommend that you, as you are ordering this, simply spring for extra spacers up front. A 12-pack only costs like 10 bucks, and you'll definitely save time not having to keep moving/swapping those spacers (especially if you are working two boards at a time). Decide whether you are going to do 1/4" or 5/16" and then search Amazon for "Kreg Deck Spacers". You will definitely save time...well worth the $10. The one "Con" that I have about this system is that the plastic jig/guide is a bit more flexible than I love. Hold the jig firmly against the work surface, biased towards the front as you are working. I found that when you are holding the guide, if you are not careful and are putting downward pressure on the back side, it will change the angle of the cut as you are drilling. This is not so much an issue when you're doing the leading edge of your decking, but when doing the trailing edge, can actually cut back into the last row that you completed if you don't get the angle correct. That's it...good luck!