My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:07:27 GMT, keith_nuttle
wrote:

My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

I'm sorry. You'd have been better off going to the tool department
and buying a Makita, Bosch or Porter-Cable router to replace it.

I have a Craftsman router too. It makes a nice paperweight. Self
adjusting collet and all. And the infamous fly apart fan. It's a
hunk of junk. It'll probably last 100 years at it's present rate of
use.

I just have no respect whatsoever for Craftsman hand held electric
tools. I owned quite a few and to a one, they all performed poorly
and they've all died. 'Cept that router. It's not dead, but it
performs poorly.

George Max wrote:
On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:07:27 GMT, keith_nuttle
wrote:


My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.


I'm sorry. You'd have been better off going to the tool department
and buying a Makita, Bosch or Porter-Cable router to replace it.

I have a Craftsman router too. It makes a nice paperweight. Self
adjusting collet and all. And the infamous fly apart fan. It's a
hunk of junk. It'll probably last 100 years at it's present rate of
use.

I just have no respect whatsoever for Craftsman hand held electric
tools. I owned quite a few and to a one, they all performed poorly
and they've all died. 'Cept that router. It's not dead, but it
performs poorly.
Some of the older Craftsman tools were pretty good. 38 years should put
the router in that range. Somewhere along the line, Sears decided to
change quality (make cheap junk), I assume for the same reason B&D
decided to do so. I have a 3/8 drill and a 7 1/4 saw that are about 30
years old and have had no problems (except brushes). An even older (50s
vintage) saw that I inherited needs a new power cord but worked fine the
last time I used it. OTOH, the router I bought about 25 years ago is a
piece of junk.

Jess.S

"George Max" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:07:27 GMT, keith_nuttle
wrote:

My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

I'm sorry. You'd have been better off going to the tool department
and buying a Makita, Bosch or Porter-Cable router to replace it.

Not likely. 38 years ago, Craftsman stuff was quite good. Chances are, his
router is a Rockwell.

I have a Craftsman router too. It makes a nice paperweight. Self
adjusting collet and all. And the infamous fly apart fan. It's a
hunk of junk. It'll probably last 100 years at it's present rate of
use.

When did you buy it? Think about it.

I have a little metal router and circular saw from about 1970.
Both are excellent, but the brand has slipped since.
I also have iron topped TS from the mid 70s and both are very straight, with
poor fences.
One is crosscut only and never has the fence on. The other is rip only and
I make the fence work OK by pushing it up against the rail before clamping
down. Works fine. Both have dead straight arbors and the adjustments work
OK. But I'll admit I'm getting tempted by the Sawstop. Does anyone here
have one?
Wilson
"keith_nuttle" wrote in message
. net...
My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on this
newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked fine.
Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of looking for
some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the shelf. What
would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time it was in
pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a $5 switch,
and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it will be working
when my grandson inherits it.

On Mon, 02 Oct 2006 00:39:00 GMT, "CW" wrote:


"George Max" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:07:27 GMT, keith_nuttle
wrote:

My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

I'm sorry. You'd have been better off going to the tool department
and buying a Makita, Bosch or Porter-Cable router to replace it.

Not likely. 38 years ago, Craftsman stuff was quite good. Chances are, his
router is a Rockwell.

I have a Craftsman router too. It makes a nice paperweight. Self
adjusting collet and all. And the infamous fly apart fan. It's a
hunk of junk. It'll probably last 100 years at it's present rate of
use.

When did you buy it? Think about it.



Right

My TS is pretty good (with the help of Biesemeyer fence.) So was the
jointer, but I sold it 'cause it was too short.

Flip that coin over that think about the number of people who only
know Craftsman as a junk brand. To some degree, the same can be said
of the Kenmore appliance brand for a period of time.

Time was, the wife and I always thought to go to Sears first for
*anything*. Nowadays we don't think of them at all. For anything.

Some of the older Craftsman tools were pretty good. 38 years should put
the router in that range. Somewhere along the line, Sears decided to
change quality (make cheap junk), I assume for the same reason B&D decided
to do so. Jess.S

Amen!! I have a 3x18" belt sander and a 1/4 sheet orbital sander, bought
about '74. Both going strong,

Jesse R Strawbridge wrote:

Some of the older Craftsman tools were pretty good. 38 years should put
the router in that range. Somewhere along the line, Sears decided to
change quality (make cheap junk), I assume for the same reason B&D
decided to do so. I have a 3/8 drill and a 7 1/4 saw that are about 30
years old and have had no problems (except brushes). An even older (50s
vintage) saw that I inherited needs a new power cord but worked fine the
last time I used it. OTOH, the router I bought about 25 years ago is a
piece of junk.

Jess.S

I had a Craftsman Commercial router that I bought in the early 70's.
Very good tool, performed well. When it was stolen, I replaced it with
another Craftsman, but the Craftsman Commercial product line was not
longer available in the mid 80's. This one was total crap--plastic
motor housing, self-dismantling fan, way too much vibration. And the
chuck had a way of losing its grip on bits.

I recently replaced that one with a Craftsman that was actually made by
Bosch. The kit that came with plunge and fixed bases. Excellent tool,
plenty of power, smooth, vibration-free operation. Hopefully
Sears/K-Mart has gotten the message recently that their power-tool
reputation had taken a nose-dive in recent years?

BTW, in the early 70's at least, the hand-held power tools were made by
Singer, and the stationary ones by Emerson Electric.

--Steve

Rick Samuel wrote:
Some of the older Craftsman tools were pretty good. 38 years should put
the router in that range. Somewhere along the line, Sears decided to
change quality (make cheap junk), I assume for the same reason B&D decided
to do so. Jess.S

Amen!! I have a 3x18" belt sander and a 1/4 sheet orbital sander, bought
about '74. Both going strong,

Craftsman of the 70s was good stuff. I bought one of their "Commercial"
routers in 1976 - has the ergo handles with finger trigger. It is
light, and well-balanced. Still works well after 30 years. I've got a
bigger router in a ruoter table that has both 1/4" and 1/2" collets,
but it stays in the table -- does not have the great feel of that old
Craftsman.

I also just refurbished my 30 year old Craftsman radial arm saw. Its
particle board top was sagging a bit, so I made a new top with 1" MDF,
topped with replaceable white Melamine hardboard. Edged it with oak.
Kind of overkill, but this saw has served me well over the years, so I
decided it needed a nice upgrade. When this one was built, it came with
a cast iron one-piece column, milled to accept the arm. And adjustments
to allow it to be easily trued. After 30 years, it needed little
truing. They definitely do not build them like this (at least from
Sears), these days.

Lee

A friend who worked (very briefly) for Sears Hardware told me that the
training tapes for new employees mention that Sears holds its cost on power
tools down by using all recycled metals, plastics, etc. That would appear
to explain some of the low-quality issues.

--Jim

"keith_nuttle" wrote in message
. net...
My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

I don't believe that. Did he happen to say where the Sears factory is?

"KENDALL SEYBERT" wrote in message
news:Z7%Tg.1595$We.1569@trndny08...
A friend who worked (very briefly) for Sears Hardware told me that the
training tapes for new employees mention that Sears holds its cost on
power
tools down by using all recycled metals, plastics, etc. That would appear
to explain some of the low-quality issues.

--Jim

"keith_nuttle" wrote in message
. net...
My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

A friend who worked (very briefly) for Sears Hardware told me that the
training tapes for new employees mention that Sears holds its cost on power
tools down by using all recycled metals, plastics, etc. That would appear
to explain some of the low-quality issues.

Baloney! If you want junk they will sell you junk, if you want good stuff
they will accommodate you there also. They (just like others) try to have
something for all markets. The average person who walks in want a $50
router or circular saw and most likely has never used one and probably
won't use it once a year. On the other hand if someone who wants a better
quality they will also have that. Check out their 1617-12 router kit, it's
all
Bosch right down to the part numbers. RM~

Rob Mills wrote:
On the other hand if someone who wants a better
quality they will also have that. Check out their 1617-12 router kit, it's
all Bosch right down to the part numbers. RM~


Yup, that's the one I bought 2 years ago. Excellent machine.

--Steve

I have a Craftsman radial arm saw that is 34 years old.
It looks and works like new. I don't like Craftsman power
tools but I stand by this one.
Even a blind pig finds a Truffle now and then.

Rob Mills wrote:
On the other hand if someone who wants a better
quality they will also have that. Check out their 1617-12 router kit, it's
all
Bosch right down to the part numbers. RM~

And selling for a higher price than the Bosch version, which is
discounted all over the internet. G

George Max wrote:

I just have no respect whatsoever for Craftsman hand held electric
tools. I owned quite a few and to a one, they all performed poorly
and they've all died.

My 6" disk sander - purchased around 40 years ago - is still just fine
and has been used a *LOT* both as intended and with a chuck making it
into a 1/2" drill.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

KENDALL SEYBERT wrote:
A friend who worked (very briefly) for Sears Hardware told me that
the training tapes for new employees mention that Sears holds its
cost on power tools down by using all recycled metals, plastics,
etc. That would appear to explain some of the low-quality issues.

Even if true, what difference would it make? Once melted and
impurities are removed, old iron is no different from new iron. Ditto
plastics.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

I HAD one of these...scared the crap out of me...once the motor
stopped, I removed the bit, and chucked it in the trash can and never
looked back or forward to another Crapsman power tool, that's been 20
years now and I've purchased many tools...just couldn't bring myself to
it. Man, that was scary....


I have a Craftsman router too. It makes a nice paperweight. Self
adjusting collet and all. And the infamous fly apart fan. It's a
hunk of junk. It'll probably last 100 years at it's present rate of
use.

"dadiOH" wrote in news:P_7Ug.13794$3T2.8095
@trnddc06:


Even if true, what difference would it make? Once melted and
impurities are removed, old iron is no different from new iron. Ditto
plastics.



Chemically, perhaps. Physically, no. Woodworkers are "physicalists" in
that we don't care so much about the chemical changes in our woods and
metals as the physical ones.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Puckdropper wrote:
"dadiOH" wrote in news:P_7Ug.13794$3T2.8095
@trnddc06:


Even if true, what difference would it make? Once melted and
impurities are removed, old iron is no different from new iron. Ditto
plastics.



Chemically, perhaps. Physically, no. Woodworkers are "physicalists" in
that we don't care so much about the chemical changes in our woods and
metals as the physical ones.
....

That generalization is as over-generalized as the previous one (which
also caught my eye)...

It all depends on how they're reprocessed and into what--in general
plastics can't be reprocessed (economically) back into the same or
similar plastics as the were originally as they are complex
hydrocarbons that tend to break down.

Metals, otoh, while in general much simpler to return to a similar
state, are also subject to the economic constraints of reprocessing in
which they tend to be mixed up into various combinations from the
collection process, but carbon steels can and are returned to forms
that are essentially indistinguishable for practical purposes of
functional strength, etc.

I would attribute any differences in quality of an end product not to
reprocessing per se, but to a lessening of product specifications in
response to target market niche. So, while there may be some truth in
the original claim (which I don't know, but tend to doubt as stated),
the net effect isn't so much owing directly to recycling but a
combination of decisions of which recycled materials are at best only a
part.

How's that for obfuscation?

B A R R Y wrote:
Rob Mills wrote:
On the other hand if someone who wants a better
quality they will also have that. Check out their 1617-12 router kit,
it's all
Bosch right down to the part numbers. RM~

And selling for a higher price than the Bosch version, which is
discounted all over the internet. G

When I got mine 2 years ago it was the same price either way. Don't
know about now.

--Steve

pumis wrote:
I have a Craftsman radial arm saw that is 34 years old.
It looks and works like new. I don't like Craftsman power
tools but I stand by this one.
Even a blind pig finds a Truffle now and then.


My 9" Craftsman Radial Arm Saw is 33 years old, and it's only issue is
that the motor won't start spinning once in a while. I have a sanding
drum that screws onto the opposite end of the motor shaft from the
blade, and it lives there without a sanding sleeve. So when the motor
fails to start, I just give that a spin, and she starts right up.

But I haven't used that RAS once since I got my table saw, so I'm
considering putting it on Ebay.

--Steve

"Rick Samuel" wrote in message
...
Some of the older Craftsman tools were pretty good. 38 years should put
the router in that range. Somewhere along the line, Sears decided to
change quality (make cheap junk), I assume for the same reason B&D
decided to do so. Jess.S

Amen!! I have a 3x18" belt sander and a 1/4 sheet orbital sander, bought
about '74. Both going strong,

Have to ditto that feeling - I have a 1/4 Craftsman, all aluminum housing
that I bought new in 1963. In the manual they show diagrams of the router
moving *against* the rotation of the bit ( i.e. climb cutting ). Every pix
and text description says the same thing. That's how I learned to use the
router. Took me a while to get used to moving with the rotation. Router is
still running - have had no need for replacement parts.

That was the good old days when Craftsman were top quality tools.


Vic

Not the case with plastic. Recycling causes degradation.

"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:P_7Ug.13794$3T2.8095@trnddc06...
KENDALL SEYBERT wrote:
A friend who worked (very briefly) for Sears Hardware told me that
the training tapes for new employees mention that Sears holds its
cost on power tools down by using all recycled metals, plastics,
etc. That would appear to explain some of the low-quality issues.

Even if true, what difference would it make? Once melted and
impurities are removed, old iron is no different from new iron. Ditto
plastics.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"Steve" wrote in message
...

When I got mine 2 years ago it was the same price either way. Don't
know about now.

I think sears had them for $199 the last time I looked. I caught them with
their britches down when I bought mine several years ago. They had them on
sale for, I believe $179. I got a Craftsman club 10% discount off that then
My sears retiree 10% discount off of that and walked out the door giggling.
RM~

Steve wrote:

When I got mine 2 years ago it was the same price either way.

I'm not breaking 'em off on you, but please answer a question for me.

Knowing that a particular Craftsman router is an exact, re-branded
Bosch, and both are the same price, why would you choose the Craftsman
version over the original?

This question has no right or wrong answer, I'm looking for your point
of view.

I've just had my 2nd Craftsman router fail. A year ago I had three
routers: my fathers Craftsman that must be 30+ years old, and two newer
craftsman models. Care to guess which of the three is still running?

Oh well, now I get to start shopping for a good router...

B A R R Y wrote:
Steve wrote:

When I got mine 2 years ago it was the same price either way.

I'm not breaking 'em off on you, but please answer a question for me.

Knowing that a particular Craftsman router is an exact, re-branded
Bosch, and both are the same price, why would you choose the Craftsman
version over the original?

This question has no right or wrong answer, I'm looking for your point
of view.

With the Craftsman version I was able to walk out of the store with the
router in my hands. With the Bosch, I would've had to wait a few days.
It was just a matter of instant gratification I guess.

--Steve

Steve wrote:
With the Craftsman version I was able to walk out of the store with the
router in my hands. With the Bosch, I would've had to wait a few days.
It was just a matter of instant gratification I guess.

That makes sense. Thanks! G

I forget that I'm spoiled with so many tool dealers I can easily visit
in person.

Mike wrote:
I've just had my 2nd Craftsman router fail. A year ago I had three
routers: my fathers Craftsman that must be 30+ years old, and two newer
craftsman models. Care to guess which of the three is still running?

Oh well, now I get to start shopping for a good router...


What is the failure mode? My cheapie Craftsman stopped running one day
about 4 years ago, and I was able to fix it by removing the top cover
and reattaching the wire that had come loose. That was before I
replaced it with the Craftsman/Bosch that I use now. I still have the
old one, and it still works--I just don't use it any more.

--Steve

"LRR" wrote in message
oups.com...

Rick Samuel wrote:
Some of the older Craftsman tools were pretty good. 38 years should
put
the router in that range. Somewhere along the line, Sears decided to
change quality (make cheap junk), I assume for the same reason B&D
decided
to do so. Jess.S

Amen!! I have a 3x18" belt sander and a 1/4 sheet orbital sander, bought
about '74. Both going strong,

Craftsman of the 70s was good stuff. I bought one of their "Commercial"
routers in 1976 - has the ergo handles with finger trigger. It is
light, and well-balanced. Still works well after 30 years. I've got a
bigger router in a ruoter table that has both 1/4" and 1/2" collets,
but it stays in the table -- does not have the great feel of that old
Craftsman.

I also just refurbished my 30 year old Craftsman radial arm saw. Its
particle board top was sagging a bit, so I made a new top with 1" MDF,
topped with replaceable white Melamine hardboard. Edged it with oak.
Kind of overkill, but this saw has served me well over the years, so I
decided it needed a nice upgrade. When this one was built, it came with
a cast iron one-piece column, milled to accept the arm. And adjustments
to allow it to be easily trued. After 30 years, it needed little
truing. They definitely do not build them like this (at least from
Sears), these days.

Just a comment about your saw, if are in the US and haven't already done so
you might want to take a look at http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/ . If
your saw is one of the ones affected it gets you a new guard and a new MDF
table, all at no cost to you. The new guard is a mixed bag--blade changes
aren't as easy but it has a riving knife and full blade coverage, and on
balance I think it's an improvement.

J. Clarke wrote:


Just a comment about your saw, if are in the US and haven't already done so
you might want to take a look at http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/ . If
your saw is one of the ones affected it gets you a new guard and a new MDF
table, all at no cost to you. The new guard is a mixed bag--blade changes
aren't as easy but it has a riving knife and full blade coverage, and on
balance I think it's an improvement.



I looked into the recall when I heard about it. They didn't have a
retro-fit kit for the 9" model, but they would pay me $100 if I shipped
them the motor assembly. I decided to keep the saw as is. Now I don't
use it any more anyway.

--Steve

keith_nuttle wrote:
My 38 year old Craftsman router (sometimes referred to as Crapsman on
this newsgroup) fail yesterday. When I used it last week and it worked
fine. Yesterday when I turned it on it did not work. I thought of
looking for some one to fix it, but then I say my volt/ohm meter on the
shelf. What would it hurt. One thing lead to another, and by the time
it was in pieces I found the switch was the culprit. A trip to Lowes, a
$5 switch, and now the router will last another 38 years. At least it
will be working when my grandson inherits it.

I always chuckle when I see people engaging in tool brand wars. Good
work comes from good craftsmen. I rather imagine that Isaac Stern
could have made an $80 violin sound better than I could do with a
Stradivarius - quite a bit better I learned this lesson working
on the electronics on the fishing fleet in Alaska as a kid. Parts
were hard to get and advanced diagnostic tools were almost entirely
absent or impossible to use. Try dragging a 40 lbs test rig
up the ice encrusted side of an 80 foot mast and you get real good
at doing major work with minimal tools. It was a lesson well learned.
My consistent experience in every discipline I've ever attempted has
been that, the better you get at something, the less critical the
variety and kind of tools you use becomes. There are exceptions -
never try to properly torque a bolt with a pair of pliers - but in
the main, this rule has worked for me.

Craftsman power tools are not the finest built, but sometimes it's all
you have or can afford, and I've seen some fine work done with them.
Besides, you can often "mod" them to make things work your way. I have
this Craftsman table saw ....


http://www.tundraware.com/Woodworking/TableSaw/

It isn't a Delta or Grizzly cabinet saw, but I managed to
crank out one or two things with it that made me, at least,
happy:

http://www.tundraware.com/Woodworking/ComputerTable/
http://www.tundraware.com/Woodworking/JewelryBox/
http://www.tundraware.com/Woodworking/WineRack/
http://www.tundraware.com/Woodworking/Pipes/PipeRack2/

Given the time, space, and money, I'd no doubt opt for a different
saw. But as I have these three commodities in very limited supply,
my "Crapsman" will just have to do.

Here's to another 38 years of happy WWing to you and your router...

P.S. Wanna bet that Van Gogh never had endless debates with his
peers about what brushes he was using?

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Daneliuk
PGP Key: http://www.tundraware.com/PGP/

What is the failure mode? My cheapie Craftsman stopped running one day
about 4 years ago, and I was able to fix it by removing the top cover
and reattaching the wire that had come loose.

The first one just stopped working. I took it apart and tried to
isolate a bad connection or switch but couldn't locate the problem -
then as I dug further into the router, I opened part of the case that
held all of the springs and such for the plunge mechanisim. BOING!!
Little parts everywhere. Humpty Dumpty.

The most recent one has a shaft lock slider that seems to cut the power
when depressed. Something in that electrical cutoff is bad because it
will only run if I press up on the slider - which makes it kind of
difficult to concentrate on the work at hand. I will try to fix this
one, but I'm still going to start looking for a decent quality router
setup - it is just so frustrating to have to stop working and fiddle
around with crappy equipment.

Mike

"Tim Daneliuk" wrote in message
...

I always chuckle when I see people engaging in tool brand wars.

I always scratch my head a wonder what turnip truck they fell off of.

You are also right on great craftsmen, my great, great grand dad (civil war
vet) who turned out beautiful walnut furniture complete with hand cut dove
tails would have been tickled to death if he had, had a 10" Craftsman table
saw or $99 Harbor Freight special to work with. RM~

Sun, Oct 1, 2006, 11:27pm (EDT+4)
(George*Max) doth claimeth:
snip I have a Craftsman router too. * It makes a nice paperweight.
Self adjusting collet and all. And the infamous fly apart fan. snip

Interesting, I've heard about the self adjusting collets, but never
problems with the fan.

I've got one I used for several years in my router table. No
problems. Of course I just use a flush trim bit in it, and don't adjust
the height. It quit one day, and I stuck another one in, and still no
problems with it either, after maybe 5 years or so. Found out the first
one had a weak solder connection that failed - a simple solder job will
fix that - when I get around to it.



JOAT
It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax