Craftsman 2.5 HP Router.....anyone?

[Justin Jump]

Anyone use or have any experience with the 2.5 HP Craftsman router?

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-14-am...1&blockType=G1

It has soft start and variable speed, and I am looking to do raised panels with it.

I don't mind going to 3HP, but I just bought a Rockler router table plate, and this fits it.

Hate to spend $300 on a router and another $60 on another plate.

THX

JJ in Pittsburgh

[Bill White]

May be just me, but I've lost all confidence in any corded C'man tools.
Bill

[Troy Turner]

Justin -

I don't have that professional series, but I did pick up a combo a few years ago and it does everything I ask it to do. I've used the fixed/plunge bases as needed and they work flawlessly. I like the grips and the soft start, plus it has v/s. I'm slowly getting away from 1/4" shanks where I can and this doesn't hesitate any when I put a larger 1/2" shanked bit in it.

I'm a hobbyist and use mostly soft to medium woods. I have used it on a few oak pieces and it cut the same as on a piece of alder. Mine has the micro adjust on it, and it's pretty handy dialing in the right depth.

[Matt Radtke]

I have the slightly older version of that router, when the option was 1) Fixed Base 2) Fixed + Plunge + D-handle bases. I have just the fixed base. It's perfectly reasonable and I would consider buying the newer kit to get the plunge base.

I have read a review, perhaps it's on the Sears site, that the plunge bass has a little too much play because one of the plunge arms doesn't have a bushing. It's something I'm going to look at very close before I make up my mind.

[Darius Ferlas]

I bought this router last September. Except for some cosmetic differences it is the same machine as a Canadian one branded as Mastercraft. Because of my very good experience with the Mastercraft as my sole router for over 4 years, I bought the Craftsman and I have no regrets.

I used it table mounted for rail and stile and to raise some panels, among others. The first test I run was a 3 1/2" panel raising bit thrown against 2 foot long piece of hard maple. A single pass showed no problems or bogging down. After that I put a couple hundred linear feet of ash through various bits installed in it, including the panel raising bit. Overall, for the price, I am very happy with the router. I paid $130.

[Tom Esh]

I've got two of the smaller C'Man in my router collection. Exceptional value, worklight, reasonable dust collection, and standard (for PC bushings) baseplates. However the fixed base on at least one of their higher priced models had an issue with the height adjuster design where the fine adjust had limited travel, and could inconveniently require re-setting the quick / coarse adjust. That was a non-starter for me.

[John McClanahan]

With a 14 amp motor rating, Sears is closer to the true horse power rating. The 3 1/4 HP Porter Cable router is 15 amps.

John

[Huck Schwee]

I bought the slightly smaller version when my other router died on me. It was a good deal at the time for $100 and they didn't have the large one in stock. It's worked great for me. It had a lot of the feature of the much more expensive models. There LED lights on the bottom of mine flicker a little (could be a loose connection) but other than that, I don't have any complaints. It has a lot of stuff I didn't expect either, including 1/4" and 1/2" collets, a height adjustment wrench for table mounting and an edge guide. For the money, I can't complain.

[Jim Andrew]

I think most of us have given up on C'man tools. Once, years ago I bought a lot of C'man tools, then a little later bought some that had no quality at all. I wore out an old 3 x 21 belt sander, lasted for years, bought a new one that lasted about a month. Their skilsaws were awful too. I still have 2 of the old 1 hp routers with the switch on the handle, they both run, but the bearings are dried out.

[Dan Masshardt]

I have this router. It is excellent. Solid machine excellent reviews. Good amount of power. Both bases with edge guide included.

My one and only complaint is that the sub-base opening will only accommodate smaller bits. I bought the extra set of sub-bases for the plunger.

For the $130 I paid for it on a super sale, I don't think there is a better router value to be found.

I have not used it for raised panels though so I can't comment either way on that aspect.

[Denny Rice]

When the 3 base combo first came out I caught it on sale at Sears. I loved the D handle and plunge router that came with the set, what I didn't like was removing the motor every time I wanted to use a different base. Then about 2 years later Sears came out with a new Professional series router and the motor would fit the combo kit that I purchased in 2008. I made it my mission to find the motors I needed and now I have 3 motors (one for each base) and I just leave them in the router. I know Craftsman catches a lot of flack on this website and most of it is properly deserved., but every once in awhile Sears and Craftsman get it right, and in my opinion they got it right with the professional router series. Now that I say this it does have its limitations, this is a hand held router great for profile work or plunging dados into stock, ect, ect. If I read Justin's post correctly he is looking for something to spin a pretty good size router bit to make raised panels. I'm just not sure if that router has got the umph to move that much material that quickly with that large of a bit. If you do do it in small steps don't try to take large cuts all at once. If you have a table saw it's quite easy to build a jig for your saw to cut raised panels is another option. I also

own the large VS Porter Cable 7518 Speedmatic router in my router table and it will make raised panels with no problem.router.jpg

[Darius Ferlas]

I'm just not sure if that router has got the umph to move that much material that quickly with that large of a bit.

It does. Tested with a 3 1/2" panel raising bit with an undercutter against hard maple in a single pass and at a very decent pace. This was just a test since single pass is not recommended for this type of a bit anywat. Subsequently I pushed a couple hundred linear feet of ash through this router using the same panel raising bit.

For 4 years prior I used an 11 amp version of a similar motor for raising panel.

The router uses 14 amps and is rated 2.5HP.
15 amp routers are rated 3.25HP and this time I think Craftsman is closer to the truth than all the other big names.

[Dave Aronson]

What is the motor diameter on it?

[Justin Jump]

Yes - I do want to make raised panels with it, for as I posted originally, I just recently purchased the Rockler router table insert, and I didnt want to drop another $60 on another plate if I went with a different 3HP router. I already had a 1.5HP Craftsman that I built a table saw extension wing router table for using the Rockler plate, I wanted the highest HP rated craftsman router, and this is what I found.

Longer story shorter, I picked up the router Friday, and though the wife wasnt extremely happy, I ran out to Harbor Freight this morning before the family got here to get thier 1/2" raised panel bit to practice with, using thier 25% coupon, that of course, was only good for Easter Sunday.

I will let you all know how it goes. I got some walnut and ash for free that I will build a couple practice doors with.

[Phil Thien]

With a 14 amp motor rating, Sears is closer to the true horse power rating. The 3 1/4 HP Porter Cable router is 15 amps.

John

But I've seen pics of the 3-1/4 HP PC router and I think it would dwarf the CMAN.

There has to be something besides amps in that determines power out. Maybe the PC uses heavier (thicker) windings, that are longer?