T-Jak TJ-104 Your Hard Working Helper

The T-Jak was one of the three best tools that I utilized for my kitchen remodel. My wife and I installed 18 cabinets ourselves. The T-Jak made the top cabinets a breeze (I installed wall cabinets before bases.) A great feature is the way the locking / adjustment nut is designed. The top portion can be simply lifted, then shake it a bit, or flick it with your finger, and the nut will fall down to the bottom fixed pipe portion. Then just let go and it will stay in position. The nut can then be turned (has four big fingers to easily adjust) to move the cabinet up or down. I put up ledgers to hold and align the back of most of the cabinets and utilized the T-Jak to stabilze and adjust. I used two T-Jaks which were particularly useful with the large cabinets, and ones without ledgers. I couldn't believe how helpful this tool was. My criticisms are that you have to be careful when you tilt the adjustment nut to rapidly lower the T-jack. Easy to get pinched by the threads if you let the top fall. The bottom and top plates are plastic, which is good in that they don't scratch the work piece. I would've preferred to have a metal base for even better stability however. Lastly, the packaging was insufficient for the size and weight. Initially, the shipping box of one was ripped open on both sides, and components were missing. A replacement was immediately sent with substantially improved packaging.

I've borrowed this one before and finally bought my own. Sure there are more swanky and expensive units out that you can buy. If I had the time I could easily make a knock-off. But at the end of the day it is simple, it works and really is not priced that bad. I've set about 15 kitchens with this model, I still prefer to use a pencil, level[s], soft mallet, carpenters clamps, screws, drill bits and butchers wax. That's the way the old-times taught me and frankly it plain works, NO tool is a substitute for a good eye and patience. A good cabinet install is the cap-stone to a quality remodel job. Cut corners here and the whole project looks like junk. There are a lot of new-fangled clamps and accessories that are supposed to make cabinet installs a "breeze" but the way I do it works. This is one of the "new" tools that when I was a young learner we did not have. We either ran a cleat under the cabinet line which required some drywall repairs [holes] OR we set framing nails at the top of cabinet line as a height guide. This is much easier and more accurate if you ask me and saves needless drywall repair and paint t/u time.

I bought this T-jak with the intention of mounting my kitchen wall cabinets without having to get help from someone else. However, after seeing how the T-Jak worked after I received it I ended up returning it to Amazon.The orange quick-release knob that one sees in the diagram works in one of two ways. It can be used to raise or lower something on the pedestal by turning it on the treaded rod – one screw thread per turn. If you tilt the knob the screw grooves disengage and you can slide the knob (and the platform) freely up or down the threaded rod. At the desired height you tilt the knob and reengage the screw grooves and fine-tune the height by turning the knob. (Although this knob is rather ingenious in design, tilting the knob takes some practice. If you are not mechanically inclined, working this knob could be a problem.)Although there is no doubt that the T-jak can be used to put up light cabinets (and it can support up to 400 lbs.), I don’t see how one person can lift a 50 lb cabinet onto the T-jak pedestal and then raise it to the necessary height without help from another person. After getting the cabinet to the proper height you (or someone else) still have to hold the cabinet against the wall (or clamp it to an adjacent cabinet).The first T-jak I ordered arrived without the screw rod included. The second T-jak arrived with an extra screw rod included. Both packages were coming apart at the seams when they were delivered.Although I am a proficient do-it-yourselfer, I decided the cost of my wall cabinets justified hiring 2 professionals to put them up. One person pushed and held the cabinet up against the wall while the other person screwed them into the wall and screwed the face frames together.

I am a contractor and can tell you to rest assured that you will not regret this purchase. I ordered this along with the shorter mini brute version and will be leaving the same review for both. Working alone installing cabinets or even the above range top microwaves becomes an accurate "snap" with this product. As you are doing now, I read all the reviews and must admit that some made me wonder why the opinions could vary so much. Some had even mentioned how they could build these themselves with parts from Home Depot. Don't waste your time wondering. You'd be wasting your time running around trying to duplicate it. The "slip" nut is really innovative and ingenious. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK INTO THE "DRYWALL" VERSION OF THIS PRODUCT because at the time of my purchase, it included a two foot extension at the same cost of this non "drywall" version. The only thing missing with this tool is a good carrying case of some sort. The other thing I will mention to you about these T-Jak tools is to be careful when dismantling them, sliding the threaded part back into the pipe. The threaded piece can pinch your hand if not careful. I highly recommend both T-Jak products.

I liked the the jack and thought it was a valuable tool to sit my cabinets on and lift into place. It was easy to adjust with the nut either up or down. If you are hanging by yourself it is useful, otherwise you are left trying to jimmy using a ladder or some other method. I did use a cleat screwed to the wall and then leveraged the jack to hold the cabinet against the cleat.