Freud Reviews

Almost since the moment this thing came out of the box, I wished I had spent the extra money to get the Porter Cable 557. As other reviewers have pointed out in their colorful fashion, the 2 main failure points of this tool in my opinion are: 1. The fence very poorly designed. While trying to buscuit boards for a table top, the fence (which I thought I had tightened to the point of near over tightening) gradually slipped across 7 buiscuits, each cutting at it's own special height. Very dissapointing! So I re-aligned it and tried again on scrap. This time really reefing the fence lock down. Slipped again. Thrird time I used some channel locks for leverage to tighten the fence. Worked fine with no slippage. #2 problem: The dust port (as mentioned in other reviews also) is awful. Cutting red oak, ash, and cherry with the bag *OFF* allowing material to free flow (since it was plugging up with the bag on) the unit would only get through 1-2 cuts without jamming up. The problem was a baffle in the middle of the dust port. While it is probably there for strength, it catches the shavings and proceeds to completely block the chute every time! I solved this one with a rotary tool and cut the baffle out and it works fine now. The other more minor complaints like the noise and ergonomics are minor compared to these major problems. There is no easy solution I can see for the fence problem. Save your coins a little longer and buy the Porter Cable. Just don't buy the PC biscuits for either machine as they have over a 40% failure in the batch of 1000 I just bought!!

The noise is aweful. There's something to be said by doing things silently with fine handtools. Then there's doing things with good power tools and smooth running motors. Then there's my sons push mower that ejects plastic balls within plastic that clicks and clatters. This motor is maybe more annoying than a plastic mower.
It does the basic job, it's cheap. If you're not doing many joints or are sticking to the basics it's fine maybe give it another star for limited use. Or get a 557 for twice as much, do more, and not be annoyed by that aweful motor.

I purchased this as a first plate jointer to get some experience with how they can be used in my projects. I haven't experienced the issues with noise that several reviewers have noticed. Considering many of these jointers can go for double the money, and that my projects are relatively basic, this seemed to be a good match. I think this is a great unit for beginners or as a backup unit.

While sawing a 2x4 stud a knot in wood came out and lodged shearing and twisting motor shaft into. This saw may be ok for small work such as picture frames etc. but would not recommend for heavier work.

I am a woodworker by hobby, and a part time weekend warrior light contractor. I bought this saw actually used at auction, but it had apparently very little use. As I do with all of my tools, I immediately gave the saw a good inspection with a square and by making test cuts. It was out of square, but the simple adjustments for the fence made correcting that issue easy. With the original blade, the saw makes nice cuts in hardwood without issue. I like the combination of smaller blade and sliding function, and I feel that is more accurate than the wobble i've seen from larger blades.

I think this is a good saw for the money. Downers are the non-standard trigger lock that makes you think consciously about turning the saw on, but once you've had it a while, its a non issue. One other thing is the miter adjustments are cumbersome at first to get used to as well.. The combo wing-nut and flipper are, however effective and easy to use once you get the hang of it.

A good saw.

I bought the saw because of the price of all the "Big Saws" out there. I have to say for the money I have not been disappointed.
I did take off the lower blade guard right away so as to make the blade visable for fine cutting. I have no trouble operating the saw left or right handed, it has plenty of power to cut 2x material, and the crosscut will cut a 1x12 no problem. I have operated many saws in 20 yrs of construction, and I believe this to be good value for the money. While it is not a 5-600$ saw, it sure gives them a run for the money. I have used it to install crown and trim, and cut shelving, all with no problems, although I would suggest a better Freud blade for this kind of work as the stock one is more of a cross cutter not for fine trim. It beats the slop on the blade that you can get on the bigger saws by keeping the blade to 8.5 inches, the only one better that I know of in this class in a 7.5 inch makita that has a 6,000 rpm motor that cuts like a razor, but then you are back up there in price again, so the choice is yours. I do like the lightweight but very stable base to the saw also, it makes it real nice on jobsites. I do not take lightly buying tools, they are an investment and if taken care of will make you money many times more than their price, and I believe this saw will do the same.

Lets start with the case; IT IS ABSOLUTE JUNK!!! I had read the reviews but figured everyone else was super sinical. Those socket sets that cost $2.99 come in a better case, PERIOD. But, i would not keep the case even if it were steel and here's why. In order to fit everything in the case you have to attach the trimmer to the plunge base. For those of you who use the plunge base primarily this probably be a huge problem.

I also own the porter cable trimmer and as far as I am concerned the to compare equally when attached to the basic trimmer base. This trimmer will do anything my porter cable trimmer will do. would I buy it again, yes.

I read the other reviews praising or kicking this product. I just got it today and have not used it yet. The instruction
manual is a joke!!! If I did not have a mechanical mind, I would
have returned it. There are no instructions to do anything on
this router. I was able to figure out what was needed to change bases etc. It looks like it will do the job I wanted if for, the
price was ok. The edge guide adjust plate did not fit but I think I can fix that. The overall package was not what I expected
from Freud. I wish it had come with a "Porter/Cable" guide adpter.

I ordered this tool because I needed a smaller router to do trim and decorative work on box's and tables. The price and listed attachments were the big selling point, also the Freud name. I exclusively use their saw blades and router bits, and have never been dissapointed in their performance. The package arrived fairly quickly and the shipping box was in good shape, however when I opened the box, removed the bubble packing and lifted the plastic case out of the box (by the handle), the hinged side of the case failed and dumped all the contents on the floor. Luckily it landed on the carpet and I don't think anything was damaged, but it still was not a good beginning. I have to agree with the other folks reviewing this product, the manual is the pits. There is no parts list that I can find, so I'm not sure I recieved everything or not. I downloaded the picture from this web site and will compare it to what I recieved. The fit and finish of the tool and attachments seems adequate and does have more "metal" than most of the competition. The controls are fairly easy to reach and the handles on the plunge base are comfortable. It does take a little muscle power to "plunge" the router down, but I like the return tension. I have only "played" a little with the router (just recieved it yesterday), but I think it will do what I want it to. I like the soft start and the variable speed and the spindle lock. It will probably take some time and thought to figure out exactly how to use the attachments as once again the "manual" is dismal. The machine is a little larger than I imagined, but I do like the large base. All in all I am not dissapointed but I was hoping to be impressed and I am not. I'll keep this tool and I'm sure it will do the work that I want, but I did expect more from Freud. I rated it a 3 because of the "manual" and the case.
PS....It's now the end of November and I have had a chance to do some "serious" work with this router. I upgraded my rating to 4 stars because of the way this little router performs. I just finished doing some "raised panel" work on a walnut bookcase. Wasn't able to do it on the router table as the original design was changed (after assembly)by the "client" (granddaughter), so using a homemade jig and crossing my fingers I was able to do the panel work with this little router. It performed admirably and I was very pleased with the results. I was able to maintain control and it had no problem with the medium size panel bit.
Am starting to be impressed.
Update...April 2005...I've had this router a couple years now and it has done everything that I ever asked it to do. I keep meaning to buy another "out of the table" router to handle on the bench routing, but haven't found any jobs this little guy can't handle. For flush trimming it is the cat's meow, of course you would expect that, it is a trim router after all but it does the job so well and effortlessly that it puts a grin on your face. Cutting profiles, small dadoes, t-joints, plunge cuts for shelve hangers, are just some of the duties that this router has performed flawlessly over the last couple of years. I use it for freehand carving, initials mostly, on large chests and boxes, and with the speed dialed down it is extremely easy to control. Have become very impressed with this little router and highly recommend it.

I purchased this router because I go tired of swaping my DW 621 on and off the drop in plate in the router table. In many ways the 1700 is what is was promised to be. It does adjust from the table top and is also locked from above. Bits can be changed from the tabletop. Its so easy to use that I didn't use my existing drop in router plate but just mounted the 1700 directly to a new 1/2 inch thick router table which is located on the extension of my Jet Supersaw.

At first I was disappointed as the above table adjustment mechanism didn't work without backlash. I called Customer Service and they suggested adjusting the lock mechanism and stretching the lift mechanism spring. This worked fine and eliminated the backlash and made the lift work better. Customer Service also offered to have the router sent back for spring issue but it took about 5 minutes of my time instead.

Because I decided to mount the router in a 1/2 inch thick table top I had to modify the adjusting wrench. You can also use a metric allen wrench.

Bottom line the router does what was promised and doesn't require an expensive lift or drop in router plate. It needed a few adjustments but it is rock solid now.

The above table features on the router are terrific...I can't believe all table mountable routers don't incorporate these features...especially the bit changes. Sure beats kneeling down and praying to the router table gods while I change bits! The auto collet lock is extremely clever and allows one handed bit changes.

This is a nice router with great features. It's well made, powerful enough, and priced competively. It's also pretty quiet, and comes with two collets...1/4" and 1/2". No complaints so far.

Finally someone put some useful features on a router for table use. Above table bit changes are a Godsend, and the above table height changes make it really easy to dial in the height. The auto-collet lock is pretty slick too.

Nicely made router. Extremely quiet, is well balanced for hand use, and seems to have plenty of power. The extra collet will be handy. Wish they'd included a plunge base and dust chute. Nice deal all the way around. It does all the things I expect, and does some things no others do in this price range.

This blade looks good on paper. The plate flatness is nearly perfect with unmeasureable runout. This may be part of the problem, because on my saw, it burns hardwoods (oak, mahogany, etc.) You can't push the piece through the saw fast enough to get a edge without a burn mark, an that is on both sides of the blade. Cut quality is very good, but plan on planing away the burn marks.

This blade looks good on paper. The plate flatness is nearly perfect with unmeasureable runout. This may be part of the problem, because on my saw, it burns hardwoods (oak, mahogany, etc.) You can't push the piece through the saw fast enough to get a edge without a burn mark, an that is on both sides of the blade. Cut quality is very good, but plan on planing away the burn marks.

I don't know what the guy is talking about with the burn marks, but I don't think it's the blade that's causing them. Everything I've cut so far has been smooth and clean ~ the cut so smooth it's almost shiney like it's been buffed.

I guy who has a woodworking/industrial tools store sold me the blade, told me I'd be just as happy with it as the Forrest WWII and he sells WWII blades also (for a little less than twice the price). He knew I wanted a good value, but I would have gone ahead and bought the WWII if this one wasn't really good. He must be counting on my repeat business, otherwise he'd go out of business being that honest and not trying to push more expensive goods on customers.

I have no idea why the price has gone up to a hundred bucks on Amazon? What's up with that? I got my for less than seventy WITH a free 5" stiffener.

I'd love to review this tool when I receive it. Still waiting for delivery.

The particle board(melmolene?)guides had too much flex so I replaced them with 2" X 3/8" X16" aluminum guides milling the same slots and recess as on the wooden ones. Now I have a perfict piece of equipment worth 5***** .Maby some one will make this available.

worth every penny, great for a weekend woodworker not a pro

Thinking it would have the 1/2" shaft I bought this bit for use in a router with 1/2" chuck. When it arrived I was surprised to see it comes with a 3/8" shaft. Something is wrong here. The bit is probably good, but can't use it now.

The other review is therefor misleading.

A 35mm carbide forstner bit is just what you need to install the European style hinges. Those are best for kitchen cabinets because of their 4 way adjustability, and design for frequent use. This creates the hole in the door the hinge sits in. You can substitute a close equivalent in the English standard size bits, but that is a loose fit.
This version of Freuds 35mm comes with a 3/8" shank. It is less money than their 1/2" shaft model, which is the one to get if you are sporting a 1/2" chuck drill or press.
This is the proper tool for the proper job, and with Freuds industrial grade carbide, it is sure to last a long long time. With the outside extended scoring blade, you are sure to have clean edges, no tearing out. Well thought out. Definitely a 5 star deal.

A 35mm carbide forstner bit is just what you need to install the European style hinges. Those are best for kitchen cabinets becasue of their 4 way adjustability, and design for frequent use. This creates the hole the door side of the hinge sits in. You can substitute a close equivalent in the English standard size bits, but that is a loose fit.
This version of Freuds 35mm comes with a 1/2" shank. It is more money than their 3/8" shaft model, which is the one to get if you are sporting a 3/8" chuck drill.
This is the proper tool for the proper job, and with Freuds industrial grade carbide, it is sure to last a long long time. With the outside extended scoring blade, you are sure to have clean edges, no tearing out. Well thought out. Definitely a 5 star deal.

I received my jointer blades today and noticed the edges are defective on two of the three and even a bit rough on the third. There are small nicks along the edges (slight but noticeable). I am replacing the original Jet knives for this very reason. I have two Jet knives that are quite new, and one badly nicked one, so I took the best Freud knife and simply replaced the Jet with it. It's acceptable I suppose. For the cost, I didn't want to go through the hassle of returning. The difference between the Jet and Freud knives are 5 grams or 1/4 oz. so no biggy as far as balance goes. I wouldn't recommend their purchase!!

Installed these knives on my Jet J-60S jointer & am amazed at how much better they cut compared to the Jet knives even when they were new. Half the price and twice as good--in my opinion. Longevity remains to be seen. Great so far!

I have owned a 6" open stand Jet jointer for a few years now and I finally reached that point where a new set of jointer knives was unavoidable. After calling Jet customer service and learning that it would cost me alot (one might even say a ridiculous amount) to order the knives from them, I turned to Amazon. I soon discovered these Freud knives for about a third as much as Jet wanted for their knives (and half as much as Amazon wanted for Jet brand knives). I ordered, received, and installed them, and so far I have been happy with the purchase. I have jointed a fair amount of nicely figured, quarter sawn white oak and have no complaints so far. I am a big fan of Freud cutting tools and these seem to affirm my feelings.

I recommend these to all who want good quality knives at a reasonable price!

I build cabinets as a hobby and use about 500 feet of edgebanding a year. I was getting sick of using a razor knife, router and sandpaper to flush the edges. So I decided to spend some money on "the right tool". But after trying the Freud EB-090, I would not recommend it.

On the positive side, it is faster and safer (than the way I usually do it).

But clearly outweighing those advatages are the following...

- you need a good, sharp blade and these are not blades you can sharpen yourself. Replacement blades cost half-again the price of the trimmer.
- I just can't get good results. Hand pressure and other factors affect the quality of the trim.

I could improve results with more practice, but my decision is to return the gadget and spend the money on a good trimming knife and bandaids.

When I purchased this tool it worked fabulous! Now since I've had to replace the blades I cannot get the same results. There are no instructions on blade replacement setup at all, even on their website. Now it sits in the drawer and I'm back to sand paper and exacto knives.

Easy to use. Does a perfect job. Works smoothly and doesn't require a lot of strength

Received in a perfectly clean, brand new package. Three shims had rust spots the size of dimes. Both .020 shims were cupped as if they just came off a roller. This is Freud quality?

The Freud shim set is precise, and is anodized with a dark material to prevent corrosion. There are four .004, two .008 two .012 and two .020 shims in the package. They seem flat and true. The only problem I have with this set is that they all look the same. Can you tell the difference between .008 and .012? I can.... with a micrometer. If you don't have one, you will have trouble telling the shims apart. There are some other sets that use color coding. These might be easier for some people to use. I like the fact that there are extra shims of each thickness (particularly the .004), since they could be damaged easily.

The shims are exactly what you would expect. I used a metal marking permanent marker (Sharpie Metal) to write each shim's thickness right onto the shim. Once that's done you are good to go and never have to measure again.