Porter-Cable Safety Recall

[ray hampton]

The base without the "insulated" handles has been around for years. I can't imagine it poses that much of a shock hazard.

one reason that some people are sensible to electric are because they are sweating or standing in water, both will give you a standing salute

[Jamie Buxton]

The recall covers routers built from 1990 on. I'll bet Porter-cable designed the router under whatever regulations were in effect twenty-five years ago, and the regs have changed.

I'll check mine when I go to the shop tomorrow, but I'll bet the aluminum exterior of the router is connected to the ground wire. That has been common practice for decades. If that's true, I can't understand what the CSPC is concerned about.

Well, my guess was wrong. My Speedmatic has a two-prong plug, and most of the exterior is aluminum. It is not just the handles that are metal, but also the rest of the base, and the motor housing too.

This isn't good design. Ever since houses started having three-hole outlets, the usual approach is that devices with metal exteriors have to connect that exterior to the ground in the outlet. Devices with just two prongs have non-conductive exteriors. The idea is that it will take two simultaneous failures to electrocute you. In the metal-exterior approach, if electricity gets loose inside the device (that's one failure), it will hit the grounded exterior before it gets to the operator. Only if the ground fails too (second failure) does the operator die. In the double-insulated approach (that is, a non-conductive exterior), the electricity has to escape the wires inside the device (failure number one), and then somehow also get through the non-conductive exterior (failure number two) to electrocute the operator. With the Speedmatic's design, it only takes one failure to be lethal, so I can see why the CPSC is concerned.

What would be the fix? My guess is that Porter-Cable upgrades the power cable to a three-conductor one, and uses the additional wire to connect the router's housing to ground at the outlet.

How long will the upgrade take? Your guess is as good as mine. But my guess is nigh-unto-never. Porter Cable is barely staying afloat these days, and there's no profit in upgrading tools they've already sold. If I send the router back to PC, I'd immediately buy another router from some other manufacturer, because I can't afford to be without that capability for very long. I'm inclined to take mine apart to see if I can upgrade it myself.

[Curt Harms]

I'm pretty sure they're upgrading the base, not the motor so no 3rd prong. For anyone that has the knowledge/ability, I like your idea of grounding the motor better, the addition of insulated handles would be icing on the cake, so to speak. I'm surprised to learn that 2 prong metal cased tools have been sold in the past decade or more.

[Michael Kellough]

Well, my guess was wrong. My Speedmatic has a two-prong plug, and most of the exterior is aluminum. It is not just the handles that are metal, but also the rest of the base, and the motor housing too.

This isn't good design. Ever since houses started having three-hole outlets, the usual approach is that devices with metal exteriors have to connect that exterior to the ground in the outlet. Devices with just two prongs have non-conductive exteriors. The idea is that it will take two simultaneous failures to electrocute you. In the metal-exterior approach, if electricity gets loose inside the device (that's one failure), it will hit the grounded exterior before it gets to the operator. Only if the ground fails too (second failure) does the operator die. In the double-insulated approach (that is, a non-conductive exterior), the electricity has to escape the wires inside the device (failure number one), and then somehow also get through the non-conductive exterior (failure number two) to electrocute the operator. With the Speedmatic's design, it only takes one failure to be lethal, so I can see why the CPSC is concerned.

What would be the fix? My guess is that Porter-Cable upgrades the power cable to a three-conductor one, and uses the additional wire to connect the router's housing to ground at the outlet.

How long will the upgrade take? Your guess is as good as mine. But my guess is nigh-unto-never. Porter Cable is barely staying afloat these days, and there's no profit in upgrading tools they've already sold. If I send the router back to PC, I'd immediately buy another router from some other manufacturer, because I can't afford to be without that capability for very long. I'm inclined to take mine apart to see if I can upgrade it myself.

It shouldn't be too difficult to find a place to anchor a grounding wire. I'm very surprised yours is only 2-wire.
The recall notice doesn't say anything about returning the tool. It just says to call the # and get on the list for a replacement base with non-conductive handles.

Seems like you can have douvle insulation in an aluminum housing without a grounded cord...
From a Hitachi description,
"Internal Double Insulation (IDI) technology enables the aluminum housing to be intertwined with an injection molded inner nylon core to combine the durability of an all metal body tool with the double insulation advantages of a tool with plastic housing"

If the router motor is sufficiently insulated from the the motor housing that protection should carry through to the base so I'm not sure what improvement was added after date 2014 14.

[Tom M King]

Do you get to keep the old base? I have five of them used in my router "tops".

[Jon Nuckles]

I was told that I would receive the new base and a card to fill out and return. Definitely no mention of returning the old base.

[eugene thomas]

well the new base showed up today. now i feel safe using,,,,

[Jon Nuckles]

My new base also arrived today. The card that you are asked to fill out and send back contains an acknowledgement that you understand the old base could present a shock hazard and an agreement not to use it.

[Tony Haukap]

Old and new handles...

It appears that they just dipped the handles into some sort of anti-slip coating. When I called I also asked about the plunge router version (model # PC7539) and they said no, just the fixed based was part of the recall. As you can see the plunge base already has plastic handles, except for a small extension on the bottom of the handle.

_

Color difference...

Don't know how well the difference appears in the photo, the new base is painted a raw aluminum color and the old PC routers are a medium gray color. I've had my 'BIG' routers for quite a while and it seems that Porter-Cable has at some point changed their color scheme and their logo too!

[ray hampton]

the new handles do not look any better than the old style EXCEPT they will not be as cold to grip with your hand, a roll of electric tape wipe around the old handle WOULD have serve the same purpose

[Ole Anderson]

I agree, this recall makes no sense to me. If there is an electrical shock issue, then the whole exterior of the router and base has the potential to become live. Who never touches something other than the handles at some point when it is running? I can see adding a grounded cord to those that only have a two wire plug, but that rationale would extend to millions of electrical tools without grounded casings or not double insulated. I could understand the recall if the power switch were in the handles as it is on many other routers.

[Jeff Heil]

Glad I choose to read SMK tonight. Another example of the great value of this site. Fortunately, my 7518 is mounted in my router table, but I still touch it to turn it on and off at the switch. Ordering my new base tomorrow.

[Tony Haukap]

A little more information...http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wo...266595161.html

A couple of interesting tidbits...

According to CPSC, the U.S. recall involves about 100,000... The recall also involves about 7,800 routers sold in Canada.They sold nationwide and in Canada for between $85 and $690.

Why so few sold in Canada? And who was selling these for $85?!

[ray hampton]

A little more information...http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wo...266595161.html

A couple of interesting tidbits...Why so few sold in Canada? And who was selling these for $85?!

the more important question is , who would pay 8 times the bottom price

[Gary Muto]

Chuck,

Thanks for posting. I called in for my replacement yesterday. I don't use the base much but it's nice to see the customer support.

Regarding the other comments about usefulness, I generally agree but the new handles should help improve the grip too.