I just ruined a 12' long piece of oak because the depth adjustment on my
Craftsman router slipped while beading the edge of the oak. Not sure what
happened, but I am nervous about using it now. Never had a problem on pine,
but it seems like oak stresses the machine too much.

In looking at some posts on router recommendations, it seems like Porter
Cable are well thought of. Is that still the case?


Cheap routers are not only expensive, they'll rob you of the enjoyment
of your hobby. That little slip up sort of ruined your whole day,
didn't it?

We tend to argue a lot about which brand is "best", but I think you can
rest assured that any router from Porter Cable, Bosch, Dewalt, Hitachi,
Milwaukee, Triton, Freud and maybe Rigid but NOT Ryobi or Black &
Decker will be much more satisfying to use than your Craftsman. PC has
been beaten up lately around here, but I think we hold those
manufacturers to a higher standard.

I have two PC routers plus an old Craftsman and a Ryobi that never get
used anymore. My big 3 HP PC 7518 has a collet that gets warmer than I
thought it should. I called Porter Cable and they said it was normal
because of the tight clearances in the bottom bearing. But they sent
me a new router anyway, which gets just as hot. I never measured the
temperature, but it's too hot to hold comfortably when changing bits
after 15 minutes or more of use. It's slightly annoying sometimes, but
it doesn't ruin my day. I have at least 5 Porter Cable tools, and I've
never had one yet that really disappointed me.

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably buy the Porter Cable 690 kit with
plunge and fixed bases. I've never heard anybody call the 690 junk.
Getting the proper size router for your application is more important
than which brand among the best. I love my PC 7518 in the router
table, but if I only had one router, I wouldn't want that one to be it.
It's just too big for most of my hand-held applications. Good luck on
your upgrade.

DonkeyHody
"He who lieth down with dogs waketh up with fleas."