10 Best Dowel Jigs in 2023

Photo: Milescraft

For a long time now, a dowel jig has been used to discreetly and effectively strengthen joints, where nails are unwanted. This is a product that saves you a lot of time that you would use when doweling manually. 

Therefore, it makes woodworking fun and this is why all woodworkers should own a dowel jig, both hobbyists and those doing this a profession. However, for perfect and timely results, you need to invest in the best dowel jig. 

If you are looking for a reliable dowel jig that will offer you value for your money, this ultimate buying guide and 10 dowel jig reviews will be of great help. 

10 Best Dowel Jigs – Review

IMAGE	PRODUCT	FEATURES
	1. Rockler 1000 (Best Versatile)	Versatile design as it comes to 6 drill hole sizes Lightweight design – 2.35 pounds Large clamping system holds the workpiece securely
	2. Task 07300TK (Best for Firm Grip)	Large clamping screws for firm grip Center block with multiple bushing sizes including 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 inches Accepts 2-1/4 inches wood thickness Compact design boosts convenient storage
	3. Eagle America 445-7600 (Best Self-Centering)	Self-centering action boosts high precision Easy to use clamp system Excellent versatility accepts ¼ to 6 inches wood thickness
	4. Dowl It 2500 (Best Accurate)	High accuracy and precision  6 removable bushings among them ¼, 5/16 and 3/8 inches Rugged aluminum sides offers perfect grip
	5. Milescraft 1319 (Best Budget)	Best budget dowel jig –competitively priced Compact design enhances convenient storage Accepts ½ inches to 1-1/2 inches wood thickness
	6. Wolfcraft 37511405 (Best Professional)	Professional grade dowel jig  Innovative design that saves time and effort Dowel pins of ¼, 5/16 and 3/8 inches 2 in 1 dowel jig kit
	7. Grizzly G1874 (Best for All Shapes)	Works with materials of all shapes Accepts up to 2 inches thickness  Five hole sizes including; 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2 inches Easy to use self-centering system
	8. Wolfcraft 4641404 (Best Lightweight)	Lightweight design – 0.6 pounds competitively priced to boost durability ¼, 5/16, and 3/8 inches diameter pins Hardened steel bushings and plastic fence
	9. Woodstock D4116 (Best Compact)	Compact design enhances convenient storage 6 bushings as you get two for each size 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 inches Self-centering function for enhanced precision
	10. Milescraft 1311 (Best Complete Kit)	Complete kit for beginners Pocket-friendly deal for enhancing affordability Drill up to three holes of ¼, 5/16 or 3/8 inches

1. Rockler Dowl-It 1000 – Best Versatile Dowel Jig

Photo: Rockler

• Bushing Size: 3/16, ¼, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, ½ inches 
• Bushing Material: Solid Steel
• Weight: 2.35 lbs

This dowel jig is one of the most versatile products on the market because it features 6 permanent drill hole sizes among them 3/16, ¼, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, ½ inches. The product also opens to a 2 inches wide capacity and this implies that it can accommodate vast workpiece sizes. 

The best thing you will love about this dowel jig is that it is lightweight because it weighs 2.35 pounds. Hence, it allows you to carry it from one place to another without experiencing a lot of fatigue and discomfort. 

Furthermore, this dowel jig comes with a large clamping system made of steel which plays a great role in tightening the tool. Together with the rugged aluminum sides that come with this dowel jig, the wood you are working on will always remain undamaged and securely held.

This is a high-quality product that is high performing, easy to use and versatile. However, one of its drawbacks on t is that the bushing guides aren’t removable.

Pros:

• Great versatility – 6 bushing sizes
• Maintains the wood in good condition – rugged aluminum sides
• Accurate drills due to high machine precision
• Trouble-free use with simple care

Cons:

• Non-removable bushing guides 
• Relatively expensive

2. Task 07300TK – Best Dowel Jig for Firm Grip

Photo: Task

• Bushing Sizes: 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 inches 
• Bushing Material: Aluminum 
• Weight: 2.45 lbs

This dowel jig comes with a firm grip on the workpiece to prevent slipping as you work, which is a feature facilitated by the large clamping screw the product comes with, tightening it like a vise.

The Task dowel jig comes with a traditional system, which consists of a center block that has multiple and industry-standard bushing sizes among them 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 inches for making furniture joinery. 

With this dowel jig, you can work with edges which are as large as 2-1/4 inches. The distance is easily adjustable using the clamp system it comes with. This product will work with any type of material thickness, which is mainly used to develop furniture. 

While this product is an excellent choice, it features a 2-3/8 inches width capacity. Therefore, it is only great for woodworkers who will never use extra capacity. 

Pros:

• Rust free steel-plated aluminum boosts durability
• Multiple bushings allow you to handle various doweling projects
• Small and compact for convenient storage and portability
• Accurate center drilling due to self-centering action

Cons:

• A little expensive 
• Limited width capacity

3. Eagle America 445-7600 – Best Self-Centering Dowel Jig

Photo: Eagle America

• Bushing Size: 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and ½ inches 
• Bushing Material: Anodized Aluminum
• Weight: 3.2 lbs

Eagle America 445-7600 is the best self-centering dowel jig because it features both high quality and high capacity. It comes with the capacity to work with thick material pieces, which are more than 2 inches. 

You will love the clamp system of this dowel jig because it is easy to use. The sides feature a rugged aluminum material with anti-slip features to ensure that your material remains in good condition. 

There is also excellent versatility when using this dowel jig as the product can work with pieces of material that range from ¼ inches to 6 inches. Hence, it is designed to handle both large and thin wood materials, making a formidable asset for woodworkers. 

Pros:

• Perfect for edge, miter and butt joints
• A pair of guide holes for enhanced convenience
• Can make 3 hole sizes with just a single clamping
• Can work on both large and thin materials, boosting versatility

Cons:

• A little expensive but worth the purchase
• May require adjustments before use

4. Dowl It 2500 – Best Accurate Dowel Jig

Photo: Dowl It

• Bushing Size: ¼, 5/16 and 3/8 inches 
• Bushing Material: Aluminum
• Weight: 2.65 lbs

This is one of the most accurate dowel jigs on the market because you are not required to move the product for you to drill a multiple hole combination using different hole sizes. 

The product further comes with six removable bushings, where two are of similar sizes; ¼, 5/16 and 3/8 inches. This boosts ease of use, especially when replacing the bushing. 

To ensure that the wood you are working on remains in good condition without any damage, this dowel jig comes with rugged aluminum sides. The jig center block and the bushings are precision hardened as well as plated to ensure that product will not rust. 

Since it gives you great value and performance; you should expect to pay a little more for it. Nonetheless, you can be sure that the investment is worth every coin of your hard-earned cash.

Pros:

• Excellent construction boosts durability and quality
• Replaceable or removable bushing guide holes
• High accuracy and drill speed due to self-centering system

Cons:

• Slightly expensive

5. Milescraft 1319 – Best Budget Dowel Jig

Photo: Milescraft

• Bushing Material: Metal
• Weight: 0.5 lbs

Here is the dowel jig that you should invest in case you are running on a budget because it is competitively priced and yet features top-notch performance. Therefore, the deal is pocket-friendly to boost affordability while not compromising quality and performance.

This is a hand-held product that features a compact design. Hence, with its minimalistic design, it gives you a comfortable grip and comfort when working. Moreover, its space-saving design ensures that the product can fit in limited spaces during transportation or when not in use.

Milescraft 1319 has metal bushings which boost accurate alignment when making holes for ideally positioned dowels. The product works greatly with wood that features ½ to 1-1/2 inches thickness.

However, with its minimal setup design, this product lacks a clamp system, but this does not affect how it works.

Pros:

• Competitively priced product boosts affordability
• Minimalistic design allows easy portability and storage
• Accurate and quick doweled surface joints, edges and corners
• No covered or exposed mechanical fasteners

Cons:

• Lacks a clamp system works all fine

6. Wolfcraft 3751405 – Best Professional Dowel Jig

Photo: Wolfcraft

• Bushing Size: ¼, 5/16 and 3/8 inches
• Bushing Material: Hardened Steel
• Weight: 1.9 lbs

This is a professional grade dowel jig that allows you to simply dowel, drill or clamp materials together without any marking or measuring required. The product professionally helps you develop all types of dowel points including edge-to-surface, edge-to-edge, and edge-to-corner.

With its innovative design, this product features a clamp system that allows boards/materials being joined to be drilled together, all at once. As a result, this saves you a lot of time and effort. Moreover, it has an innovative alignment design for easily and properly drilling and aligning dowel holes.

The product allows you to work on wood materials which have a thickness of between ½ and 1-1/4 inches. Moreover, it comes with dowel pins of ¼, 5/16 and 3/8 inches.

This Wolfcraft 3751405 kit features 2 different dowel jigs at a cost of one. The two dowel jigs are highly durable and feature a compact design, and they are made using high-quality aluminum material. They are more versatile when it comes to doweling and this is facilitated by their shapes.

The product has no self-centering action, but it is the best dowel jig for the money because it provides a cost-effective dowelling solution especially if do not mind marking your holes beforehand.

Pros:

• Cost-effective as it features an affordable price
• 2 dowel jigs in a single package for versatile use
• Long-lasting and precision drill – hardened steel bushing
• Satisfaction guarantee – 5-year warranty

Cons:

• Has no self-centering action but works efficiently

7. Grizzly G1874 – Best Dowel Jig for All Shapes

Photo: Grizzly

• Bushing Size: 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2 inches
• Bushing Material: Hardened Steel
• Weight: 2.5 lbs

Here is the dowel jig that automatically centers itself on materials of all shapes including square, round and even irregular shapes. This implies that you do not have to be using the best pieces all the time.

The product accepts up to 2 inches thickness and this implies that it perfectly suits frames and other thin woodworking projects.

Nonetheless, it features a high versatility because it is equipped with five hole sizes including; 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2 inches and this makes it possible to work on all joint types – edge, butt, and miter.

The product has a self-centering system which makes it easy for you to align boards together with a lot of ease. Additionally, it saves you a lot of time as you can drill two of the same hole simultaneously.

Grizzly G1874 is considered the best dowel jig on the market because of its build quality which is machine engineered for precision as well as high accuracy.

One of the major caveats of this product is the presence of a metal lip that obstructs the clear view of alignment markings on the product.

Pros:

• Excellent build construction boosts durability
• Easy to use clamp system
• Versatile design – 5 bushing sizes
• Saves you time as you can drill two holes of same size simultaneously

Cons:

• Alignment markings aren’t very clear
• You must use the same side up on every drill for seamless operation

8. Wolfcraft 4641404 – Best Lightweight Dowel Jig

Photo: Wolfcraft

• Bushing Size: 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 inches 
• Bushing Material: Hardened Steel
• Weight: 0.6 lbs

This is a dowel that features a lightweight design as it is made using high-impact plastic material, which allows you to use it easily without having to spend a lot of energy while at it. Additionally, its lightweight design also boosts portability.

This is a jig that features ¼, 5/16, and 3/8 inches diameter pins, and you can use it on wood that features 1-1/4 inch thickness. Hence, it is a product that has met all industry standards, making it a great purchase.

The product has great versatility that is mainly facilitated by the hardened steel bushings and plastic fence guide it features. These features enable you to make both edges to corner and edge to edge joints easily and quickly with the ability to adjust distance. 

This product, however, has limited edge thickness of 1.25 inches and the plastic material it is made of should be well handled to boost durability. 

Pros:

• Lightweight design costs ease of use and portability
• Great versatility with 3 bushing guides
• High accuracy and precision – self-centering system
• Great product for the price

Cons:

• Requires care when handling to boost durability
• Limited edge thickness of 1.25 inches

9. Woodstock D4116 – Best Compact Dowel Jig

Photo: Woodstock

• Bushing Size: 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8, 7/16 and ½ inches
• Bushing Material: Hardened Steel
• Weight: 2.51 lbs

Woodstock D4116 is a compact dowel jig that comes with a space-saving design that you will always love, most especially if you have limited space in your store. With the minimalistic design that it features, you can conveniently store and transport it without the need for much space.

This product offers you 6 bushings as you get two for each size including 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 inches. Therefore, it saves you a lot of time as it allows you to drill a pair of holes on a single piece simultaneously without shifting the workpiece.

The product comes with a self-centering function which is critical in ensuring that you will precisely match holes on two wood pieces. This hugely eliminates the risk of misalignment and preserves the integrity of the piece. 

Woodstock D4116 can only accept wood pieces that are up to 2 inches thick. Additionally, it gives you 5 hole widths and can work on any piece regardless of its shape. This allows you to do more with just a single device.

Pros:

• Works on pieces of all shapes
• Easy to use due to ergonomic design
• Saves you a lot of time as you can drill identical holes at the same time
• Space-saving design makes it easy to store and transport

Cons:

• Sometimes you might need lubricants in case pieces get stuck 

10. Milescraft 13110003 – Best Complete Dowel Jig Kit

Photo: Milescraft

• Bush Size: ¼, 5/16, and 3/8 inches 
• Bus Material: Metal
• Weight: 1.8 lbs

This dowel jig comes as a complete kit implying that it comes with all the tools you need when doweling. Hence, if you have not invested in any tools in your woodworking workshop, this is the product that you should order as it will save you a lot of money on doweling accessories.

Even if it allows you to start from scratch, this dowel jig features a pocket-friendly deal implying that it is highly affordable. This product is worth your hard-earned money as it comes with tools of high quality in spite of the competitive pricing it features.

To save you a lot of working time, this product allows you to clamp the boards together at the same time for precise hole alignment. Through the hardened steel bushing blocks, this dowel jig kit gives you the capacity to drill up to three holes of ¼, 5/16 or 3/8 inches.

Pros:

• Comes as a complete kit to help you start from scratch
• Fairly priced to enhance affordability 
• Generates surface, edge and corner joints
• Allow you to drill up to 6 holes 

Cons:

• Weighs 4 pounds as a complete kit and so requires care when handling 

How to Buy the Best Dowel Jig

1. Self-Centering 

This is a major point to consider when buying a dowel jig on the market today because it determines whether your dowel jig will be strong, have a good connection or get a flush.

Jigs that feature self-centering make it effortless to position the boards and also save you a lot of time when centering and drilling.

For models which do not have the self-centering action, you have to manually center the workpiece and this could be time-consuming and expensive.

2. Bushing Sizes 

You need to consider this factor before investing in any dowel jig because it is a huge determinant of which projects you can handle and which ones you cannot. Hence, bearing this in mind ensures that you buy a product that matches your needs and will fulfill your purpose.

In case your woodworking projects involve making similar connections on the same wood type, you do not need a dowel jig with vast flexibility. However, if you are uncertain about the type of projects you will handle, it is wise to invest in a product that features different bushing sizes.

Most dowel jig models come with three bushing sizes including 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 inches. These sizes are ideal for working on numerous projects. However, if your work involves tiny or large pieces, consider investing in a product that offers larger or smaller sizes than this. 

3. Bushing Material

This is a critical consideration when buying the best dowel jig. This is because it determines the product’s effectiveness and durability. On the market today, the common bushing materials that you will find are Aluminum and steel-plated. 

Aluminum

This material is very common because it features intrinsic strength and also comes with a lightweight design that boosts portability from one place to another. However, aluminum bushing materials are susceptible to rust and corrosion is untreated.

Therefore, make sure that the material is anodized or coated to prevent corrosion or rusting.

Steel-plated 

Steel makes a good bushing material because it is resistant to corrosion. Nonetheless, it is normally, highly-priced and also comes along as heavy. Steel-plated bushing materials are durable and this is why products with this plate feature high value.

4. Accuracy

For a dowel jig to offer you great service and quality, it must feature high accuracy and precision. Accuracy is mainly facilitated by the self-centering action.

Your product should drill holes that are loose enough to make it easy for you to insert your bushings. Additionally, get a product that will drill holes which are tight enough to facilitate ease of use.

5. Ease of Use

A dowel jig is a simple tool, even though at times it may look intimidating. The product is user-friendly, and it does not usually require special skills to operate. Therefore, invest in a dowel jig that is easy to use and one which will help you accomplish a lot within a short time.

The product you are about to order should have a simple clamp system, self-centering system, and feature metal-reinforced bushing. This way, you can be sure that it is straightforward and simple to use.

Conclusion

Reliable dowel jig makes woodwork easier and faster by eliminating the need for making unnecessary measurements. Additionally, it saves you a lot of time and leads to accurately drilled holes. A great thing about dowel jigs is that they feature affordable prices. 

With the above comprehensive buying guide and 10 dowel jig reviews, you can simply spot the best that will match your needs, budget, and purpose. Make your order today and experience a whole new doweling experience.