Bosch/Craftsman/HF Router Table

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Went to Harbor Freight today for 60" Aluminum Clamps ($7.99 on website).
They gave me a flyer and I just noted on page two of the flyer a router table. The fence caught my eye. Hey that is the same fence that we have been buying up at Sears, you know the one that comes on the Bosch Router tables. Hmmmm, wait a minute there is something else . . .the whole entire table, fence, stand, etc is a replica of the Bosch Router table that used to sell at Lowes for $250 (Stand $100) extra. This was also sold under a Craftsman name. The fence is great and the table was supposed to be nice on the Bosch, except some folks were getting flex in the plastic plate.
The HF model is Lot No 91130 Central Machinery Adjustable Full Size Router Table with 1 HP router. Comes with miter gauge, feather board, guide frame, 3 collets and dust port on fence. Regular $249.99 Sale $149.99 - 20% = $119.99.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91130

Sale price online is higher . . . . in store is $149.99

[MBG]

Jeff - Do you have the sale catalog #.

Thanks,

mike

[Jduke]

HF sale catalog

Jeff - Do you have the sale catalog #.

Thanks,

mike

Mike,

check out the www.harborfreightusa.com web address, thats the one for the store, as opposed to www.harborfreight.com which is the one for the catalog folks.

in the upper right corner of that page is an icon for "Current Ad".
click that Icon then click on flyer #1051. the table is on page 2 of that flyer.

If your already aware of the location of the online sale flyers, I don't mean to insult, just wanted to be clear so anybody could follow the link.

Duke

[Never2old2start]

Has anyone here bought this unit yet? I'm curious to see if it's worth the time and money to go and buy it. The 1 HP motor has me thinking since I don't have a router now and thought that 1 1/2 HP or bigger was the way to go. You thoughts and comments are always welcomed.

~ Paul ~

[maxparot]

Most full sized hand held routers are 2 - 2.5 hp these days. and the popular routers for table operations are 3hp or more variable speed units.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Has anyone here bought this unit yet? I'm curious to see if it's worth the time and money to go and buy it. The 1 HP motor has me thinking since I don't have a router now and thought that 1 1/2 HP or bigger was the way to go. You thoughts and comments are always welcomed.

~ Paul ~

Donate the router to a local Habitat Chapter. No way is a 1 HP router powerful enough for RT. Seriously doubt it would develop 1 HP to begin with. The table, fence etc seems to what is good deal here. I have never saw it in a store. Anyone else? I wonder what the plate specs are?

[jziegler]

Take a look at the manual

I'd recommend that anyone interested in this table take a look at the manual. I did a little while ago, and it was very revealing. The included router is not a regular router than can be used as a handheld, it is only for use with the table. The table does not appear to be designed to accept a different router. The controls for the router mount on the front of the table, including the speed control (nice touch). But, from the looks of it, to get any real use out of it would require throwing out the included router and modifying the mounting plate to accept a real router.

As a note, the current that the included router uses is about the same as the laminate trimmers that I just saw when I went to HD at lunch.

-Jim

[LYU370]

Was going to stop off at HF on the way home tonight anyhow to pick up some of the pipe clamps. Think I'll take a closer look at this thing. Anyone want me to look at anything in particular on this puppy?

[Jduke]

I took a look...

I stopped in yesterday afternoon and took a look at this router, and table.

Yes, the motor is built into the plate, and it used a height adjustment mechanism that works from above the table. You turn the insert around the router bit and it moves the bit up and down, there is a little slot head locking pin on the insert as well.

The motor does appear to be an in table only thing. also looks like a fairly narrow opening if you stay with the original motor and plate.

There does appear to be enough depth on the plate that you could take the original out and use a 3/8 thick piece of something (preferabley fairly ridgid since its a big plate) and put whatever router you want in it.

The one I looked at had a 1/2" collet, but I doubt that this motor would swing a very big bit.

the Fence is definitely an exact copy of the craftsman fence that is on closeout all over.

The switch is on the front of the table, and it does have the speed control there as well.

I am not going to jump on it, but if I needed a router table, I would definitely consider it, and think immediately about making an alternate plate for the table.

The plate thats in it is sheet metal, and as I mentioned, its specific for the router although I would imagine it could be modified fairly easily. (maybe order a replacement or two, and set a couple different routers up to drop in the table.)

Good luck.
Duke

[jessrice]

I compared the one in the sears catalog last nite, and they do look strikinly similiar, right down to how the legs bolt on. They also had some accessories listed for the table, which included an additional mounting plate for non craftsman routers.

It may be possible that one of these plates would fit into the HF router table and then you could install any router you wanted. The plates were 24.00.

They also sold a leg enclousure kit to close up the bottom of the table as well as some pop in side panels that allowed router bit storage.

I saw one of these panels on clearance the other day for like a dollar or so. Maybe i will go pick it up and see if it snaps into the HF display. Not that i would store my bits open like that, but it would be conclusive that they are the same table!

For a router table, even if you have to dump the router and plate, 120.00 after sale and coupon isnt bad, espicailly if you figure the fence alone was once sold for that at sears, plus this already has a preformed top with slots, and the included featerboards.

Sears sold/sells the legs alone for 79.99. I bet if you figure the cost of a sheet of MDF, a fence, featherboards, on off switch, mounting plate, t tracks, miter slots and ect, you couldnt build a table for much less.

I'm gonna go take a closer look, see if i can report anything else!

Jesse

[vaking]

I do not know anything about HF table and have no HF stores around, so I cannot take a look. But the one thought that crosses my mind - measurements of power for routers are very poorly defined. Hitachi M12V for example is rated for 3-1/4HP yet it has a standard plug designed for regular 15A circuit. There is no way under the sun you can get 3HP out of 15A circuit. BT3100 is supposed to use 15A and I believe it is considered 1.5HP saw. European designers prefer specifying router size in amps rather than HPs. Extrapolating numbers given above - 3HP router (advertized) compares to 1.5HP saw as equivalent power. I would not be surpised if HF router specified as 1HP (but comes with 1/2" collet) performs comparably to 2HP router by, say Craftsman or PC. Many people here use those routers in a table and find them adequate. Presuming that HF put a laminate trimmer in a table with 1/2" collet would be equivalent to calling them idiots - and I suspect they are not. In short, I would not assume that HF router needs to be thrown away without giving it a good test first.

[Jduke]

hp issue

Vaking,

I am aware that the Rated HP is not an accurate number with many things.

I also would not throw the motor out without trying it out if I were to get one of these, and certainly wouldn't suggest that anyone else do that either.

I am trying to download the manual for this from HF and see what they suggest is the amp draw, but in the meantime, on the item description on the web, it says it pulls 720 watts, which would make it pretty close to a true 1HP if it worked without any resistance or losses. ( we all know thats not possible).

I certainly appreciate that HF has labeled this a 1HP router with it pulling that many watts, rather than insult my intelligence in the way that many other folks have and call an 11amp router 2+hp (PC 693 is the one that comes to mind)

When I looked at the motor on the one in the store yesterday, It was fairly skinny. certainly closer to the diameter of a trim router than to the size of any of the commonly available routers.

I may just have to drop back over there, and pick one up to make it my right extension wing of my table saw.

Even though I already have a bunch of routing setups.

Duke

[jj]

I saw this table in HF the other day. It is just like the GMC I got at Lowes 2 years ago for about $65. The built in router is a piece of junk. Bogged down trying to cove pine. The raising mechanism is also not going to be easy to use either. Its OK as a "table mounted trim router" but you won't be making any raised panel doors with it.

The plate is stamped steel and the inserts are part of the rounter so you will not be able to mount your own rounter on this plate (and anything you would want to mount would be too heavy) Unfortunately the plate is larger than any other rounter plate available anywhere (including Rockler's "jumbo heavy duty one"). I bought a piece of 1/4 inch plate aluminum (about $30) that was sligtly larger and "machined" it using my router to fit. After all this I now have a very nice table. Would I do it again? Maybe.