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But DeWalt really blew it with the mandrel--they supply only one, which fits the threads in the 2-1/8 inch hole saw. Although the alignment device itself is plastic, it worked surprisingly well to hold the cutters in place and centered. The only instructions provided were printed on the box and were about useless; if you don't already know how to install a lockset, you won't learn much by reading the information on the box. I was very surprised; DeWalt doesn't usually sell incomplete tools; I guess the pressure to make a profit for the parent Black and Decker company has overcome their historic dedication to quality. I've used this tool set to install a couple of locksets, including a deadbolt, with great results. The 1 inch saw takes a different size mandrel, which is not supplied. DeWalt doesn't mention the mandrel issue, but plan on spending another $8 to $20 for the smaller mandrel to finish the job. I was lucky; a friend who was helping me install the doors already had a mandrel of the proper diameter, otherwise I'd have had to stop what I was doing and make a trip to the hardware store to get the missing part.
It does what you expect it to, although like one of the other reviewers I found the large hole saw near impossible to remove after using it. Also the standard drill in the tool tends to walk a little bit. I ended up getting some large pipe wrenches and that worked, but that is an issue. I used this today to put a lock in an exterior metal door of standard size and it worked well. *&#%. Its not HD and if you were contractor would not be the ticket but for a small handyman or homeowner it fills the need and is simple as heck to use. that was on there.
After this you can slide a thin screwdriver completely through the diameter of the slotted hole saw, grip the mandrel with channel locks and separate the two pieces. The instructions are lacking. Solid jig and overall good installation kit. To remove the mandrel from the large hole saw you need to locate and remove the headless machine screw. It is confusing as there is no explanation but I have repeatedly read others labeling this junk and not knowing how to separate the mandrel from the 2-1/8" hole saw.Other than this burden, it is an excellent jig and the hole saws both cut very well. Then remove the guide bit from the mandrel.
In retrospect, all it did was make the easiest part of door lock installation no easier than it already was. Who would've thought. That's fine if your locks call for a 1" hole, but mine were all very popular Schlages that called for a 7/8" hole.The edge guide assumes your doors are either 2 3/4" or 1 3/8", as almost every door ever built is. One of the doors I used this on is a gorgeous custom made panel door that turns out to be a scant 1 1/4". I'm a homeowner who has installed a LOT of door locks.
It didn't. I used it for the first 2 locks, then put it in the yard sale box.The fit of the hole saws is sloppy, and the tool hides the hole saw so you can't see where you are or where you're headed. So of course the edge bored hole isn't in the middle of the door. Now, if I hadn't been using this gizmo I would have found the center of the door edge, marked and drilled it, and had it properly centered.If you have a lot of door locks to install, consider buying router templates for routing recesses for the strike plates. When faced with a project to install 7, I thought this tool would at least take away a little of the pain.
It's just as easy and even more accurate to mark the two drilling points and drill the holes without any "guide" to hold your drill straight for you.The hole saw provided for edge boring is 1". Also, buy your locks first to see what diameter hole saws you'll need. Guess what.
But since the hole was already existing, it would have been hard if not impossible to center the bit perfectly to enlarge the existing bore.By using this jig, I was able to line it up perfectly. When I removed the old lock from the solid wood door, it was smaller in diameter than the standard locks of today. Clearly this tool has limited use - it only does one thing. All I had to do was drill.All the parts are solid and well made, and the bit cut through the door like butter. I recently purchased a 1930's home, and the first thing we wanted to do was change the locks. First, I aligned the small hole on the side of the door (which was the right size) and put the smaller bit in there to align it, clamped it down, and boom. But the one thing it does, it does very, very well. The larger hole was perfectly aligned.
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