Newbie: which router table and lift?

[Brian Sommers]

I have the Dewalt DW618PK router.

I want to get a router table and a router lift for it.

I found the bosch RA1181
but I'm leaning toward the Kreg PRS2100 with the PRS3000 lift. My question is, how easy is it to take the router in and out of the table and lift? In case I want to use it with the plunger above board? Will this get old? Is this a pain in the rear?

Then I thought, maybe of keeping my dewalt router as my above the board router and getting the Bosch RA1181 with the 1617EVS router and RA1165 and then keeping this as my permanent router table setup.
It would be used for relative light work, round overs and for making frames. The only thing I don't like about this, is I miss my precision router lift.

But, I'm not sure how much I really need precision lift? I want to make small decorative boxes and signs and small bedside and chair side tables. Maybe the Kreg setup is over kill.

Any advice/guidance?

[John Grace]

Bosch is alright for rougher work, look at an incra fence and jessem lift if you're going to do a lot and want precision

[Marty Tippin]

It's more trouble than it's worth to take the router out of the lift - you'll quickly find you want a dedicated motor for the lift and a separate router for handheld use. For the Kreg lift, it's a matter of loosening a couple of set screws, but the spacer blocks that adapt to the router motor will slide out also, and putting them back in with the motor is difficult unless you take the lift out and turn it over.

[Mike Cutler]

I want to get a router table and a router lift for it.

My question is, how easy is it to take the router in and out of the table and lift? In case I want to use it with the plunger above board? Will this get old? Is this a pain in the rear?

It will get old very quickly, and you'll end up buying a dedicated router for installation.

It would be used for relative light work, round overs and for making frames. The only thing I don't like about this, is I miss my precision router lift.

You might start out with relatively light work, but once you realize how much functionality you have, you're scope in work will increase. Guaranteed.

But, I'm not sure how much I really need precision lift? I want to make small decorative boxes and signs and small bedside and chair side tables. Maybe the Kreg setup is over kill.

Build this one time and possibly consider the Bench Dog CI top. Additionally, I would buy 3HP Porter Cable motor for it.
I don't personally believe it is possible to have to much precision in a router lift setup. You want ease of repetition, and the precision to return to a setting as accurately as possible. The more control you have, the finer the quality of work you will do. I could easily see spending upward of $600-700.00 on this setup.( Lift, Motor, table top.)

[Jim Becker]

It's more trouble than it's worth to take the router out of the lift - you'll quickly find you want a dedicated motor for the lift and a separate router for handheld use.

I honestly have to agree with this. Having a dedicated router motor for the table is really the best long-term solution. And do remember that the DW618 is not going to be the best for swinging "large" bits...you'll want a beefier 15 amp, variable/multi speed router for that if you intend to do panel raising, etc. You can sometimes buy them "motor only" without bases to save some money. I use a PC 7518 for this and it lives in the router table. I use the BenchDog cast iron top and their lift.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

After using a cheap aluminum tabletop router table for years, I built Norm's version 2 router table. I have a PC router I was removing and reinstalling as need required. I bought a Woodpecker PRL-V2 router lift and installed a PC 7518 motor in it. That motor lives in the table. I change bits above the table. I kept my original PC router for use outside the table.

[glenn bradley]

It is not just taking the motor out and putting it back. You want the bit perpendicular to the table and centered in the opening. I did not find this something I could achieve without a decent effort even when I knew it was semi-permanent. I also don't favor spending as much as one might to get a decent table and lift and then fall short on the motor. I would save your pennies for a bit longer and get a large dedicated motor and a lift that will hold it. that being said, it is always easier spending someone else's money. However, this is the advice I received years ago and after ignoring a few other suggestions and paying the price; I listened. Milwaukee 5625 and a Woodpecker PRL-v1 . . . Never been sorry ;-)

[Chris Hachet]

Bosch is alright for rougher work, look at an incra fence and jessem lift if you're going to do a lot and want precision

Incra works much better. I Swing a porter cable Router in mine and have zero issues with frequent use. You will not be sorry...

I would build my own router table actually.

[Cyrus Brewster 7]

Incra works much better. I Swing a porter cable Router in mine and have zero issues with frequent use. You will not be sorry...

I would build my own router table actually.

Just to ease the confusion, Incra does not make a lift. Incra modifies the Woodpeckers PRLv2 and the Jessem Mast-R-Lift II with their own insert plate and magnetic reducer rings. The lifts, or"guts" under the table, are the same respectively. Also, the Kreg lift is just a re-badged Woodpeckers PRLv2.

The main advantage of the Jessem (Incra/Jessem) is that the lift is designed to take various different sized router motors right out of the box. Your Bosch is one of them. Then when you upgrade (and you will) you will not need to by different sized pads. The Woodpeckers and Bench Dog may require pads/bushings to fit a smaller router - but these are both super solid.

Whatever lift you get you will be happy.

And as Glenn stated: definitely worth saving for a dedicated motor. Either Milwaukee 5625 or Porter Cable 7518.

[Marty Tippin]

I'd also suggest checking Craigslist for used PC 7518 routers - I found mine there in like-new condition for about $100 less than retail.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Much to say, very little time to say it.... I may have to leave qiuckly

1. I love my jessem lift, but, the inserts are more expensive than the Woodpeckers.
2. I love my Bosch 1617, but, I recently wished that I had a more powerful router to do raised panel doors. My current setup was expensive, but, if i want to upgrade to something more powerful, then I need to completely start over; new lift and a new router. Consider that.
3. yes, annoying to have to swap out the motor.

[Ole Anderson]

Plenty of recommendations for the router, lift and top, but next comes the bottom that it all sits on, and dust collection will be your next goal. Commercially, not too much out there with dust collection and bit storage in mind. Norm's seems to be the most popular, lots of folks design their own version of Norm's table or something from scratch. They do make a nice shop project. I did mine from a Wood magazine cover feature now available as an on-line plan: http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodwork...er-table-plan/ with some modifications of course. Excellent dust collection.

[Mike Henderson]

I put my router into one wing of my table saw because when I did it, I had a very small shop and didn't have room for a dedicated router table. I also use a 2 1/4 HP router. The problem with a router in your table saw wing is that when you need to cut another piece of wood, you have to tear down your router setup - then maybe go through the setup again to route that piece of wood you just cut.

One day I'm going to build a dedicated router table and put a big router into it.

But to answer one of your questions - you will get sick, very quickly, of taking the router out of the table and putting it back in. Get a dedicated router motor for your table.

If you start with a smaller router - say a 2 1/4 HP router - and then decide to go bigger, you can sell the lift and get a decent amount of your money back. You'll almost certainly keep the router that you used to have in the table. You'll put a commonly used bit in it and leave it dedicated to that function.

Mike

[Ben Rivel]

IMO the best and most stable router table setup is the Benchdog cast iron ProMaxRT with either a Benchdog cast iron topped ProLift router lift or the Incra Mast-R-Lift II from Rockler (which will fit the Bechdog table). Load it up with the every popular Porter Cable 7518 3.25HP router, add a good fence like the Benchdog ProFence and set it all on a steel frame like the Benchdog ProStand and youre rock solid.

[Daniel O'Neill]

I put my router into one wing of my table saw because when I did it, I had a very small shop and didn't have room for a dedicated router table. I also use a 2 1/4 HP router. The problem with a router in your table saw wing is that when you need to cut another piece of wood, you have to tear down your router setup - then maybe go through the setup again to route that piece of wood you just cut.

One day I'm going to build a dedicated router table and put a big router into it.

But to answer one of your questions - you will get sick, very quickly, of taking the router out of the table and putting it back in. Get a dedicated router motor for your table.

If you start with a smaller router - say a 2 1/4 HP router - and then decide to go bigger, you can sell the lift and get a decent amount of your money back. You'll almost certainly keep the router that you used to have in the table. You'll put a commonly used bit in it and leave it dedicated to that function.

Mike

Mike,
I was thinking of doing this. Is it too challenging to take the bit out? I'm in a 1 car garage and adding things is beginning to be a huge challenge so I was hoping to save space with the tablesaw router table combo.
Thanks for the input
Daniel