Routers Reviews

If you use your router under a table a lot, it would be great to be able to adjust the router with a suitable knob unless you enjoy fumbling around for a small round knob with little knurling to get a good grip. For this reason, I bought this height adjustment knob and it serves the purpose.
My disappointment started after removing the smaller plastic knob's set screw. I wasn't sure how to remove the knob. Was it threaded or a friction fit? I had no idea (no instructions come with it) So I took a chance and stood the router upside down and began to gently tap with a small tack hammer just under the knob and fortunately it fell off.
Disappointment No. 2: After installing the New knob, I replaced the set screw which threads into the center shaft but does not seat. The holes in both the shaft and the knob go through both sides!! Maybe a roll pin would have been more appropriate here. Furthermore, there is so much play between the shaft and the knob collar that it rocks back and forth slightly when the router is plunged and locked. You would not expect this from a German quality product!!
This router is too good to let this happen. C'mon guys!

This is a pretty good starter router table. but the router that comes with it is a plunge router with no micro adjust knob.
so it's very hard to adjust the bits height (you have to hold the table down while pushing the router up). i like the router table itself but i reccommend mounting a fixed base router in it and using the plunge for something else. the router itself is not the best router in the world but i find myself reaching for it the most. the plunge lock lever isn't nearly as easy to use as the one on the porter-cable 8529 but it works fine. one improvement that this router needs is a better chip shield, the one it has just will not stay on it keeps popping off!
bottom line: this router/table combo is great for the "weekend woodworker" but i wouldn't reccomend it to professionals.

Although it claims to fit "All Sears" Routers, there are no hole sets for the Sears Professional Series Routers, which have a four screw configuration, as opposed to three for the smaller Craftsman routers.

Otherwise, it's an OK product. The bushings are steel, and the baseplate is plastic.

I bought this jig to make some kitchen drawers. I have never made dove tails before. I found the machine easy to assemble and the directions to be clear. It is a hit and miss process to get the right dovetail length. Too long and the wood won't go together. Too short and the joint is loose. Make pratice cuts before trying your finished project. The jig alignment is dead on accurate. My only complaint is that the bar used to clamp the wood tends to put two horizontal dents into it. The use of a pad will remedy that problem. Its a good, light duty jig.

To say the retail price is 317.55 is misleading at best. The normal price is 199 and always has been. It is sold at 189 at woodworking shows. Amazon should insist on prices reflecting the actual advertised price. When displayed this way they would appear to be some special markdown.

I have no quarrel with the quality of Woodline bits, however the pricing listed here is misleading. The NORMAL price in the Woodline catlog has been for as long as I've had a catlog and still is in their current catalog 199. You could of course buy it here for 219 but I have no idea why. The retail price that is listed is bogus.

As a timber framer, I bought it to fill in between my Dewalt 8 1/4" and Makita 16". The thing that came in my shiny red box is all but useless as a tool. Some part of me hopes to read that Milwaukee never made a 10 1/4" saw and that what I bought was a backstreet knock-off. As others have said, the saw cannot be used for accurate deep cuts. If accuracy is not important, and your just looking for greater depth of cut, save some money and buy a cheap chainsaw. You will be happier with the results. I wish I had ponied up the money (about $465) for the Makita 10 1/4 the first time around, but here I go now. If after reading this you are still interested in this saw, I've got one for sale!

No offense to Taiwainese folks, I'm just big on domestic tools. Hey Amazon! Your Technical Data link says USA for Coutry of Manufacture. (I've noted in several instances of tools I know to be imported that the listing says they were made here.) The box, maybe but the saw was made in Taiwan. Maybe that was just the couple of these I've seen and used and the rest are made here (doubt it). Gave it two stars because even though it's junk, it's a Milwaukee and it's powerful. Not accurate like everyone else has said. Buy a Big Foot!

Complaints are overblown. I've used this for framing, fencing and decking without significant problems -- just a bit of fettling prior to each use.

Depth adjustment is by a WEIRD post-mount system -- never saw such a BIZARRE thing before. It's imperfect, but I can't suggest a better way to rigidly fix the position of blade-to-saw and get every bit of blade exposed for the deepest cuts.

Gauge of the base plate is a trade-off on weight (& balance) vs. durability. If I felt I couldn't rely on it, I'd have a steel plate base fabricated and fitted, but so far it works great.

Careful setup and periodic realignment are VITAL for accuracy on this beast (esp. as to pitch of cut -- that post-mount can shift), but take no real time once you learn the saw. [Hint: Take five minutes and fabricate a calibration slot block to keep the blade perpendicular to the base while tightening that crazy post-mount. Make extra calibration blocks for all angles you routinely use. Add a wide stand slot beside the blade calibration slot to provide a base to set the saw on between cuts, rather than dropping it on the ground to warp the plate, gall the plate and knock the saw out of alignment. Stop being a lazy, whinny dummy.]

I also use the Makita 5402NA 16-15/16" saw and the Skil HD5860 wormdrive 8-1/5" (as well as other great Bosch, Makita and Porter-Cable saws). Each one, like this, is a 5-star NICHE tool but only a 4-star GENERAL tool. Savvy?

PORTER CABLE REALLY BLEW IT ON THIS ONE. THE SWITCH WENT OUT IN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES. A YEAR AND A HALF LATER IT IS DEAD, WAITING FOR ITS FOURTH SWITCH. IN ADDITION TO THE SWITCH FAILURES, THE SWITCH LOCKING MECHANISM IS VERY AWKWARD AND IS PRONE TO FAIURE.
THE ROUTER IS ALSO UNDERPOWERED. THIS ROUTER STALLS OUT ON PROJECTS THAT MY 1-1/2 HP CRAFTSMAN BREEZES THROUGH. THE PLUNGE MECH CONSTANTLY STICKS AND THE MICROADJUST NEVER WORKED.
THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT ANY BETTER. THEY HAVE YET TO RETURN MY PHONE CALLS OR E-MAILS. MY NEXT ROUTER WILL DEFINATELY NOT BE A PORTER CABLE.

I was very disappointed with Porter Cable. The plunge mechanism sticks, the on button is hard to lock on for router table use, the depth gauge is extremely hard to use, and it is not compatible with most after-market accessories. Mine is sitting on a shelf. In its place is a DeWalt 621 plunge router. It is lighter, has a much better depth gauge and is just better all around. I love my DeWalt 621. I wish I had bought it first.

I have to agree with many of the other reviewers who like this router for its smoothness, power,and low noise level. The grips are great, it plunges nicely, and the quality of materials seems top rate. However, my experience with this router has revealed two flaws that greatly detract from what would otherwise be a truly fine machine. While these flaws are not necessarily deal-breakers, those of you who are considering buying this tool may want to be aware of them.

First, as another reviewer has pointed out, it is impossible to accurately center template guides within the base plate. The user must screw the template guide holder into the baseplate, and since the holder does not precisely register into the baseplate, it is thus extremely difficult to accurately center the guides. If you use template guides and require even a moderate degree of accuracy, this flaw is a deal-breaker. Do not buy this router. On the other hand, if you never use template guides or plan on parking this baby in a router table, you'll have no problems. This would be a fine router for those purposes.

The other problem is another quality/design issue that can be remedied but is a moderate annoyance. On my machine, the release/locking lever for the plunge mechanism came loose on several occassions, making it impossible to plunge and lock the router at a desired depth. There is a small set screw in the lever mechanism that works loose and has to be constantly tightened and adjusted. This problem is not an isolated incident as it also has occured with two other cabinetmakers and their identical routers in my shop. In the end, having tired of constantly fiddling with our machines, the three of us adjusted the mechanisms as best we could, applied Lock-Tite to the set screws, and hoped we did it right because there would be no way to disassemble the levers once the Lock-Tite cured. Fortunately, the fix worked fine, and all three of us are happily using our machines without any problems. Again, not a deal-breaker and the problem was fixed, but this seems unnecessary for a $200 router.

The other router to consider in this price range is the DeWalt DW625 3 HP plunge router. Though it has more power than the PC 8529, it is the same size and weight. It's also variable speed and would be great in a router table. I've never been a huge DeWalt fan (many of their products seem overrated and overpriced), this seems to be an excellent machine. Several of the guys in my shop own them and use them for the dual purposes of plunge operations as well as major hogging through lots of material (the extra hp makes a big difference). Add it to your list of possibilities.

I too wish I had read the reviews about this machine before I bought. Like most all of the reviews I have now read,I agree with them all. Lousy fence,height adjustment and sharp ribbed top. I guess you get what you pay for ; but don't buy this one. I expected more from Delta.

I purchased this without looking at the reviews, boy I wish I had. This is not up to Delta's rebutation. The fence is terrible and I consider it unsafe. The grooves on the top have too many sharp edges. Larger bits do not work with the size of the opening.

The only thing I like is the thought put into the two wrenches to change the bits.(...)

I rated this tool at 4, and I'll tell you why. It is very easy to operate. The knobs are all easy to read and to get to. It has a nice little adjustable fence, It takes both 1/4" and 1/2" router bits. It also has a depth gauge with it. Very nice work can be turned out on this machine. However, (this is why I gave it a '4' rating). It only has one speed. This means "tear outs" on harder woods. on hard woods such as oak, it requires multiple passes at smaller bites.-I mean 'real small' bites. Also, in order to use any shaper blades, you have to spend additional money to purchase the shaper spindle. It is not included with this machine. I think Delta could have charged a little more, and included the spindle. But overall, it's a good machine, well worth the money.

I read all the review in Amazon.com about this bit and hesitated to order it. I've had good luck with all the Freud blades in the past so I gave it a try despite all the bad reviews. I put the bit to test as soon as it arrived. Everything fit perfectly. Cut was very good and it is all made in Italy. There is nothing written on the bearing as one reader mentioned that it was made in China. I think may be because of the bad reviews Freud might have made improvement. One thing I still don't know it how long it will last. But looking at fit and finish it looks like a good product.

I have used this bit plus bearings many times now. It peforms quite well for its intended purpose.

I found this in a local store and was able to check it before ordering. The bearings are now all sized to fit the bit without the reducers and associated parts mentioned by earlier reviewers so it is definitely improved. The package has locations to hold each bearing when not in use and the cut is excellent. I have now made hundreds of cuts at various depths and it still cuts beautifully.