On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:48:10 -0800, DonkeyHody wrote:

Never Enough Money wrote:

1. Are router lifts a dying breed? If so we should see prices drop
soon. ;-)
2. What's the new "best under the table router?" 3. It used to be
conventional wisdom that a fixed base router under the table was best,
but Fine Woodworking (FWW) just selected the Triton 3.25 HP plunge
router as the best of the "new breed" of above the table adjustment
routers. What are the reactions from the rec? 4. I wonder what's in the
works from Porter-Cable, Milwaukee, Festool, etc.?
5. For us old guys that bought routers before all the above the table
adjustment ideas materialized, would it be better to buy one of the new
breed or buy that long lusted for router lift? I hear router lifts
still have superior precsion.....


Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. When I had a plunge
router mounted in my table, I longed for a router lift. That little
bitty adjustment knob needed lots of turns to get the collet in position
to change bits. And it was hard to turn.

Then I bought a PC 7518 and put it in my table. A quick spin of the
motor gets the collet in whatever position I want. The adjustment is
plenty precise for woodworking. It's quick, simple, precise. Life is
good, what more could you want? Oh, to do it all above the table.
Unless the collet itself will rise above the table, you still have to
get down there to tighten it.

I have no trouble tightening the collet from above the table using the
Porter-Cable wrenches. Any decent lift can raise the collet above the
table.

I keep a mechanics roll-around stool under my router table. When I pull
it out and sit on it, my eyes are right at the table top to check bit
height. And I can tighten the collet and adjust the height without
stooping to look under the table. Life is good.

I've heard that the electronic speed control on the 7518 is obsolete and
allows the speed to fluctuate too much at low speeds. Since 95% of my
routing is at top speed anyway, it hasn't been a troublesome issue. Life
is good. I'll give up my 7518 when they pry my cold dead fingers from
around it.

DonkeyHody
"Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate."

--
--John
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(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)