i just purchased a 5hp shaper with a power feeder. takes 1 1/4"
cutters. i **love** it, and will never look back.

the speed and quality of cut is well worth the money ... at least for
me. if time is not of the essence, it might be overkill.

the cutters are not cheap. i just got a rail/stile set for it, $500.
obviously smaller cutters are less expensive.

good luck!

---- dz


Toller wrote:
My router table is a POS, and I have been planning a new one for some time
now. While I love my Bosch 1617, I was going to buy a new 15a router for
the new table.

I just saw an ad for an old 1hp shaper. I haven't seen it yet, but they
claim it is in good shape, takes all router bits, has a 1hp motor, and
weighs 160 pounds.
I am thinking it might make a good substitute for the new router/router
table. It will certainly be cheaper. But I have never even used a shaper,
so I would appreciate some advice.

Do they take router bits and work well with them?
The 1hp motor sounds weaker than my 2hp 1617, but I suspect they can't be
compared like that. How will a 1hp shaper perform compared to a router?
Can you just compare amps, or do they not compare since the motor types are
different?