Customer Reviews

Triton SJA200 Superjaws Workbench

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm very happy with the design and quality of this versatile tool. It is expensive, but if you have the money, it will be a tool that will last and you can pass down.

It has a good heft and stability, easily moved (and folded if needed) not too heavy, not too light, no sharp edges - well thought out and constructed.

It is especially good for welding, because of its mostly metal construction, hands-free clamping action, and strength for holding odd shaped things in unusual positions -- but you will probably need to pay even more for the metal engineer jaws. Changeover of the jaws is quick and simple. I welded a piece of square tubing onto the bottom of a 1/4" x 2' x 2' steel plate and it makes a great little welding table clamped into the stand.

The soft jaw inserts that come with it allow you to clamp wood without marring. The movable jaw can be reversed to make a huge (30" IIRC) clamping range. The foot pedal has enough "feel" so that you can clamp lightly or with tremendous force. I also bought the side-tray - can be handy, but I'm not sure worth the price. I have not used it with the log jaws.

The height is not adjustable. The plastic slider on the front to switch between clamp and release is inset and DOES need to be done by hand. It takes some time to learn to remember to do it before you have your hands full. I don't think these are flaws though, just design decisions that allow it to be sturdy and simple.

I really like this tool, I make rustic furniture and the vise portion of this tool has great ability to hold large and small pieces. I like the foot operated control for the vise as it lets me use my hands while I secure a piece. I am amazed at how much pressure this vise produces for actual hold down, it is also very easy to reposition a piece. Very solid in construction and it is heavy duty. My only compliant is the three legged tripod needs a better way to keep the legs on the deck.IE; when I have a log in the vise and I am using a draw knife for cleaning bark then it wants to tilt one leg off the floor, I used sand bags to hold legs in place

I was looking to buy a vise for my workbench but when I saw this tool I thought it would be a little bit more versatile than a regular vise. Was I wrong, it is a lot more versatile than a regular vise! Since buying the standard bench I have bought the two extra jaws and the tool tray. This tool is well built works very smoothly and is easily folded up and taken anywhere. I have used the log holding jaws the hard rubber jaws and the engineers jaws and am very pleased with all. This tool will cost you more than a regular vise but it can be used for far more applications.The vise jaws have a lot of holding power so be careful when clamping anything that is fragile.

The Triton SuperJaws looked like it would be a handy replacement for workstations and would have more capacity and wider application. The one I got probably would, if it worked right
The instructions say to push the bar with the foot pedal forward until it "clicks" That clicking is the latch key locking onto the lever that opens and closes the vice. Out of the box, I could not the foot pedal arm extended foward far enough to click. The latch key is to click inside the square channel that connects to the vise lever arm. Unless the foot pedal clicks, there is no communication between the pedal and the vice mechanism, so the vise does not work.
The latch pin was about a 16th of an inch shy of engaging the inner wall of the square steel channel. I lubricated the latch pin mechanism and tried to extend the foot pedal far enough forward for the latch pin to click inside the square steel channel. Lubrication didn't help, so I tried a few gentle whacks from a plastic-faced hammer. That didn't work either. I didn't want to grind down the latch pin, or relieve the area on which the latch pin is supposed to bear, as that would weaken the latch mechanism
Further inspection showed that the pedal arm fouled on the adjoining square steel ends, which would not let the pedal arm unfold enough for the latch pin to fit inside the appropriate steel square section.
I took an angle grinder and ground away the faces of the square steel assembly that were fouling the foot pedal as it unfolded. After sufficient grinding on the interfering face of the square sections, the the foot pedal are unfolds enough to allow the latching (clicking) required.
A manufacturing error like that should not have gotten through company quality control. This Triton Jawhorse could not work as shipped. Doesn't somebody check to see if the foot pedal will unfold until it clicks, seeing as how engaging the latch pin is the only way for the vise to work? Apparently not on this unit. Having to fix a manufacturer's error with a grinder pretty well sours me on Triton. Further grinding may be needed to make the unit work a bit more smoothly.
I would not have bought this unit if I had know it would require repair before it could be used. Fixing it was better than trying to return such a heavy unit.

I've had the Triton for about 8 months. I use it for wood sculpture and all sorts of other work that would be awkward any other way. It's a gem! I keep it outside under a tarp, usually, but it's been rained on, with lots of dust exposure, and hasn't skipped a beat. Would a mechanic give up his Vice Grips? No way! Likewise, I wouldn't give this thing up for anything, except maybe the new Rockwell version that's a little heavier. Maybe.

I have the Log Jaws too, and they are very effective. I'll probably get the Engineering Jaws sooner or later. If you work with awkward shapes and need to release and reposition frequently with two hands free, you won't regret this thing, and with the free shipping it's really a bargain.

Having both this stand and the Jaw Horse, I think this stand is comparable to the Jaw Horse. Flip the clamping device around and you can clamp a 37" wide piece of material. Easy to set up and take down also. The back leg works as a handle once it is folded up and ready for transport. Very stable....actually quite difficult to knock over. I would definitely recommend.

I received my first one of these and had to send it back to amazon because the clamp would not open. The second one had paint falling off and the foot pedal would not open far enough to clip into the release device. I emailed the company and haven't heard any response. I am going to try the one made by Rockwell.

This is a great product. The ability to hold an object of significant size and weight firmly and securely is its value. The base is very stable and the clamp is strong and easy to operate. Tool setup is quick and straight forward. Caution should be taken when retracting the moving jaw after releasing the clamp. A quick push on the jaw was enough to propel the jaw back of its trace and onto the ground. The jaw is a hefty chunk of metal, weighing in at, I'm guessing 8-9 pounds. The potential for injury would have certainly been high if there been someone in front of it. It would have damage the floor had it not been concrete.

great product,should have invented 50 years ago,keeps you from working on the floor, and holds large pieces of just about any shape.very stable,and portable. i am 68 years old, and it is a great back saver

Does not work as easy as advertized. Does not lock and unlock very easy. Foot pedal finally broke after just a short time using it. Could not find a US rep to return it to, so had to return it to Amazon. Had to pay shipping and did not get full refund. Would NOT recommend.