Dropped $140 on a fancy dovetail jig in 2019 and it sat in the box for two years
I bought it thinking it would save me time on drawer boxes, but the setup for each cut took longer than just hand cutting them with a backsaw and a good marking gauge. I ended up selling it at a swap meet in Springfield for $60, so I ate about $80 on the whole thing. Has anyone here found a jig that actually earns its bench space for small runs, or do you all just cut by hand once you get fast enough?
The real issue is that jigs are built for repeat runs of the same size, and most of us are cutting a few drawers at a time. A jig only pays off when you batch out like ten boxes at once. For small runs the setup time will always eat you alive, so hand cutting stays faster.