My Thoughts On The DB210 Kreg Foreman Pocket Hole Machine

Disclaimer: I am not getting paid to write this. A few weeks ago Kreg contacted me and asked if they could send me one of their new DB210 Foreman machines. Of course I didn’t say no. I’m not a fan of doing tool reviews or suggesting tools for others to purchase. However, the majority of the questions I get asked are specifically about tools. So…here’s my thoughts on the machine.

In the box is the Foreman itself, drill depth setup block, a square drive bit, dust collection hose, an allen wrench, and the manual. Although the dust collection hose is included you do not need to use it if you do not want to. I never hooked it up to a shop vac so I didn’t use the hose. With no dust collection the chips pile up under the machine which is not an issue. I did get some dust and chips on the top of the machine but no where near like using a K4 model without dust collection.

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On the back side of the unit is a port for attaching a shop vac for dust collection. Next to that is a latch to hold the arm in the down position. Press down on the handle slightly and and slide the latch to the other side to release the handle. To lock the handle down after use you will have to release the drill bit depth stop and slide the fence back to get the handle low enough to use the latch again.

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The table tilts up in front to allow access to the inside of the machine. It is held in place by two metal clips. These are a little tight so some pressure is needed to lift the top.

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A swing up stand is used to hold the top in the open position.

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Inside the body of the machine on the left side is a storage tray for any extra/different size bits, the square drive bit, the setup block, allen wrench, and whatever else you want.

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The motor slides on two steel shafts and is moved by a metal linkage arm. The arm is attached to the motor via a quick disconnect pin. Removing this pin allows the motor to slide out giving you access to change the bit as needed.

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Bit changes are done via a quick connect hex drive bit. This Foreman is capable of using the smaller Kreg Mini bit and the larger Kreg HD bit. Neither of which I have so I can’t say anything about using them in this machine.

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The entire unit is pretty light (20 lbs.). Here’s a shot of the bottom of the unit. The motor’s power wire is coiled so it wont drag on anything and still allows movement with the motor. With no dust collection hooked up the chips just fall directly down out of the chip ejection chute (that’s what I’m calling it anyway) and form a neat pile under the machine.

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And if you choose to hook up a shop vac for dust collection the included hose connects the back port to the chip ejection chute.

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The back of the table is attached with two solid guides. You can remove the table from the body by first tilting the front up, disconnecting the motor linkage, and then pulling the table to the front.

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The fence is easily adjusted with two cam locks. Each cam is activated by 1/4 of a turn.

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Common workpiece thickness marks are laid out for fence placement. Match both sides with the material thickness and lock both sides of the fence down.

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Just above the drill bit is an adjustable clamp to hold the work piece while drilling. The larger knob on top adjusts the depth of the clamp and the nut below the knob is to lock the depth after adjusting.

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On the back side of the clamp arm is the drill bit depth screw. Advancing this screw down reduces the drilling depth of the machine. Just like the clamp screw, once the desired depth is reached tighten the locking nut to maintain that depth.

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The setup block is used to determine the depth of cut for the drill bit. It has various holes labeled for the material thickness you are using. Also in this picture is one of the two spring-loaded stops. Each of these stops is located under the fence on either side of the drill bit. They can be set to an appropriate distance from the drill bit to allow repeatable drilling on items such as rails and styles. When they are not needed you can lock them out of the way by pushing them in and sliding toward the outside of the machine.

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So what do I think?

I think this is a great machine. I haven’t found any flaws with it after using it for about a month. Between just messing around with the machine and actually using it for a couple projects at work I’ve probably drilled 3-4 hundred pocket holes with no problem. It has more power than the corded drill I’ve been using and way more power than my 12v drill. It’s light and easy to move in the shop, much faster than using my K4, and the spring stops are convenient for repeatable holes on the ends of your material. But the thing I am most excited about when it comes to using this machine over my K4 jig is better ergonomics. I’ve had two rotator cuff injuries to my right shoulder so lifting my right elbow over my shoulder isn’t the most pleasant feeling and is the thing I dread the most about a long run of pocket holes for a project. With this machine I am able to drill pocket holes with very little effort while keeping my elbow in front of my body instead of to the side and always lower than my shoulder. That, to me, is something to get excited about. I was leaning heavily on purchasing this after Kreg introduced it and knowing what I know now I would have purchased it.

Should YOU buy it?

It’s no secret that I’m a pocket hole fan. The first four projects I ever put on YouTube had pocket holes in them, I have a pocket hole playlist on YouTube, and a pocket hole category on this website. That being said, as with any other tools, I’m not going to tell you that you should or shouldn’t buy anything. That’s not my decision to make. I honestly don’t care and have nothing to gain or lose if you do or do not buy it. It’s an investment that you need to research, evaluate, and determine on your own. Good luck!


 

3 COMMENTS

  1. Jay have you tried your Foreman on pressure treated wood? I’m finding because the PT wood is slightly damp the chips are jamming up in the bit then compacting. Just wondering if you’ve had a similar issue or maybe I’m doing something wrong. Thanks

    • Hey Jamie. Sorry, just now seeing this. I have tried pressure treated 1x material with no problems but it was a few months old so the moisture content was a little lower than fresh pressure treated wood. My K4 didn’t like cutting pressure treated lumber at times as well.

  2. In the UK I have been told that it will not be coming over here as Kreg are having lost of bad feed back and problems is this just the UK distributors just trying to sell all the old stock or is there problems?

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