Craftsman  Drill Guide

This drill guide is the perfect solution for those times that you want to drill straight holes without worrying about it. For example I needed to drill straight holes in the studs in my home for lag screws, and this guide allowed me to do it easily. This tool does not replace the hole precission you can get with a drill press; however, you cannot use a drill press to drill holes on a wall or out in the field. This tool is perfect for what it was designed to do!!

This came with one part missing (Thumbscrew). Tried to find one at Ace but they had none with metric threads. After an hour on phone with Sears I finally have one coming. There are 2 ridges on base where handle fits but the hole in base was off center so I had to taper handle to fit. Like "woodworker Lee" I had problems with carriage binding on slides. The slides have a depth stop on one side thereby compressing springs at different rate. Remedy = I cut a piece of 1/2" PVC 3/8" long for opposite side, or, just remove depth stop. Quality? Not so good but whadda expect from China! I really hate buying something new and then have to modify it to make it work!

After a little more than one year of use the upper sleeve bushing totally disintegrated into dust and the bottom bushing slipped out of place, allowing the shaft to wobble. I tried to find parts on Sears.com but the site would not recognize either the model number on the box or on the instruction manual and it did not recognize the bushing part number either. The Sears chat function did not find anything. A live person at least found the drill guide but could not find anything on a parts search. Finally I checked another drill guide available on the Sears website, went to their website (Wolfcraft) and found their manual, which is identical to the Sears manual. I have contacted Wolfcraft for parts info and am waiting for a reply. I am disappointed in Sears but the drill guide worked fine.

First, the product was missing two of the parts - the chuck key and the handle.  Still haven't been able to get them.  When using the guide I found the action to be rough; it was difficult to get the slides to compress smoothly.  It is OK on a flat, horizontal surface, but it moves around when used in other orientations.  It could benefit from a chuck that does not need a chuck key.  I would recommend looking for another brand.

Love this drill guide! Price is great, especially compared to the price of a drill press. Very versitale. Love the ability to drill round stock and edges. Only gave 4 stars because the slide sticks a little bit. Had to lube the slides and the drill.

Searching for a drill guide I did not find a host of them available. I chose the Craftsman because of my years of experience with Craftsman tools (great products). I have not been disappointed. There are times when a drill press is just too cumbersome and non-portable. And doing angles is often impossible with a press. Any tool has its limitations, and this guide is no exception, but if you use it for what it is designed to do, and do not push its limitations, I think anyone would be satisfied with it.

Doesn't spin smooth at all, and it's difficult enough to use, that I gave up.  You can't use it near edges because of the rubber feet... and if the drill bit isn't long, good luck getting it to penetrate anything.

Not something you'll use everyday. But you'll be happy you have it when you need it. Best feature is the groove for round or odd shape stock. Great for drilling at angles. You just can't always use your big drill press to drill that 45 degree angle.

The first Craftsman Drill Guide I purchased was missing a part and had to be returned. The second one had a defective part and also was returned. Shame on Craftsman for putting out such a poorly designed and cheaply made product. I'll look elsewhere for a more substantial product!

The quality looks to be about what I expected for the price - not bad and it functions as advertised. I agree wiith one other reviewer, loose the springs as they are too stiff.

The reson for 2 stars was the sticky lubricant or protective coating on the unit - it is a real mess. I've totally taken it apart and applied several passes with Krud Kutter and the guide still is sticky - not to mention my hands. You guys at Sears should take one of these thing home to see what I'm talking about.