Replies

1. 
   sailalex | Dec 31, 2005 01:32am | #1

   I was about to get the Leigh a month ago but went to a Woodcraft demo of an Akeda. When I asked about the Leigh, the guy doing the demo (who was very familiar with them both) pulled out a Leigh and demoed both for us. He said he started out years ago with the Leigh but now is indifferent between the two. The fact is the features are different and by that I don't mean one is "better" than the other rather that there are just differences. For example, the Akeda has a "bed" that the router rides on that keeps it from "tipping" from 90 degrees while the Leigh has the router balnced on the fingers which could allow some tipping . Another example is the Akeda only allows 1/8" adjustments to the layout while the Leigh can be infinite. I ended up getting the Akeda because I believe it is more suited to the inexperienced hobbiest, like me, that will not be using it for a lot of exotic projects. The guy doing the demo was very experienced and he said he would have had trouble making a decision between the two because of the really different features of each. 

   There are a lot of threads in the archives on this subject you may want to check out. I definetly would recommend you look at the Akeda for comparison and , if possible, go to a dealer for both, like Woodcraft, and ask for someone who is experienced with both to walk you through the differences. Hope this helps.

2. 
   dwyer | Dec 31, 2005 02:07am | #2

   I have the Akeda and like it a lot. I have not used the Leigh. Check out this web site, they have a very good review of both jigs.

   http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/reviews.htm

1. 
   tyford1 | Jan 01, 2006 07:57pm | #4

   I checked out the site,very informative!Thanks for your input.-Tyford.

3. 
   snoopy | Dec 31, 2005 07:13am | #3

   I have the Liegh D4 and have found it to be excellent.  Their user manual is very good.  Suppose it boils down to what you decide after comparison.

4. 
   nikkiwood | Jan 01, 2006 09:02pm | #5

   I've had the Leigh for years; as everyone will tell you, the learning curve is steep, but their manual is just about the best I have ever seen, and that helps a lot. Once mastered, the Leigh is a terrific set-up, especially for thru dovetails.

   A friend was getting rid of his PC Omnijig, and I bought it for a song, and I now prefer that for half-blind dovetails, given its simplicity.

   However, I saw a demo of the Akeda some time ago, and if I were doing it again, and I thought it was really slick.

   For versatility, I don't think you could wrong with either the Akeda or the Leigh. Maybe the best way to decide is to get hold of the manual for each, and see which one makes the most sense to you.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

5. 
   Hempstalk | Jan 01, 2006 10:54pm | #6

   tyford1

   I've been using different versions of the Leigh jig for around 18 years or so. The jig itself is much different today then it was then especially the brand new D4R. I have to admit I am Canadian and Leigh Industries is very close to me so customer support is good. I would put their customer service on par or better then LeeValley. If you have had any dealings with this company you know they are superb. They also sell many attachment for the jig to allow for different types of dovetail like joints and through tenons. The instruction manual is the very best I've seen and you can also get a video if you like. I have used probably 3 other dovetail jigs and I feel the Leigh is the most flexible for my needs.

   I bought a D4 around 6 years ago and about a month ago I was having problems with the fingers being perfectly square to the body of the jig. I really don't use the jig all the much but I keep it for projects that require a lot of dovetailing and I can't justify cutting them by hand. I had a project that required extremely accurate joinery and I just couldn't get the jig to work perfectly. I talk to Leigh and they told me to package the jig up and send it back to them and they would make it right. In the end they replace the end caps, end arms, and all the fingers free of charge including the shipping back to me. They then followed up with a phone call to make sure the jig was working when I received it and to let them know if I have any other problems.

   Any company willing to replace half the jig parts well after the warranty has passed and phone to make sure I was happy is a company I want to deal with. Someone would have to come out with something a lot better before I would even consider looking at it. In my opinion you will not find a better jig or company then Leigh Industries.