Thought I was getting a deal when I purchased the 1-1/2 hp P-C plunge router set with table. You get what you pay for. No problem with router but the table is VERY sub-standard. The fence adjustment is LOUSY. One wing nut holds each sliding fence and is almost impossible to get it square to the working surface due to the slop in the design. Too much wasted time is spent both aligning the fences to the table and to each other. The lightweight construction (cheap) allows the table to move around quite a bit when running material thru...be sure to clamp/bolt it down before use. The miter slot is rough and the slide is sticky. The only minor positive is the dust chute works adequately when connected to the shop vac. In hindsight, I should have bought the router alone and looked elsewhere for a quality built piece of equipment. Now I'm forced to use it until I can build one that is suitable. Porter-Cable 698 Bench Top Router Table
I am usually a big fan of Porter-Cable products, but this one is a dud. The fence is clumsy and hard to adjust, the miter gauge slot has substantial slop in it, and ridges in the table are rough and sometimes mark work. I bought it as part of a 3 piece kit - the "Ultimate Router Workshop." The cost was less than as a stand alone piece, so I'll probably keep it. If I had purchased it as a stand-alone item, it would be returnsville! If you're serious about owning the PC 1 1/2 hp routers with both bases, purchase them separately and pony up the extra cash for a more refined table. You'll thank yourself later.
This unit is made of light weight materials with inexpensive mechanicals that make it difficult to setup. The fence is hard to use, as it uses a simple L-bracket from the fence to the table with a twist-screw to tighten down - often changing the position as the screw is tightened. Forget using it without seriously clamping the unit down to some solid surface, as there isn't enough mass to hold it in place. This said, once set up, the unit works fine and is very portable.
This router table -- at just over $100 on Amazon -- is an excellent deal for what it is. It is not meant to be an industrial-strength, micrometer-precise piece of equipment; rather, it is for the home workshop and it provides reliable, quality results. All Porter-Cable Routers fit without drilling or adjustments, and my table was assembled and in use in less than 30 minutes.
To address some of the criticism from other reviewers, I can report:
1) The fence adjustment works very well if you line up the infeed and outfeed fences with a straightedge or piece of stock according to the instructions, based on the type of cut you are making. It is a manual process but it's quick and the result and reliability are excellent.
2) The squareness of the fence to the table normally is critical only when running a piece of stock through the table "on edge" -- not flat. My fence is very close to square (<1 degree off), and if I really need the precision, I can compensate by adjusting the fence or temporarily applying a new fence surface, followed by doing some test cuts (which I do anyway). 95% of the time I run work through "flat," so this is not an issue.
3) Yes, the instruction manual directs the user to firmly secure the router table assembly to a workbench or other surface because if you don't, the whole table may move dangerously from vibration or when feeding work into it. This is not a valid complaint because the instruction manual addresses it, and all router tables and stationary power tools should be firmly secured to the surface/stand/base on which they rest.
4) The insert rings should not be able to vibrate out if the fences and guard assembly are correctly positioned. At all times that I have used the machine, the fences and/or the cutter guard are covering parts of the insert, preventing it from popping up. When the guard is raised over the workpiece, the workpiece itself covers the insert ring, further preventing its movement. It is a fair criticism only if the fences and guard assembly have been totally removed from the table, which is risky in itself and rarely should be required (shaping inside curves with a piloted bit is one example I can think of).
5) My table was a little rough and the grooves had some sharp edges. I ran some 320 grit sandpaper over the surface of the table and spent 5 minutes hitting the edges of all the grooves, and now it's all good.
If you're hesitant about this router table, you should probably plan to spend at least twice as much to get a table that will offer noticeably more heft and precision. However, this is an excellent product for what it is, and as far as I can tell, it will provide many years of versatile use with my favorite power tool.
As a hobby woodcrafter, I find this table quite adequate for my needs. I've seen the high priced/high quality tables and I'm clear this is not in that league, but for what it is designed for, it does very well.I only have a couple of complaints, but most of them have been worked out so that they aren't an issue.1st, the table casting was rough, so I filed the burrs smooth.2nd, the table top doesn't appear to be totally rectangular, though the infeed and outfeed sides are parallel and that's all I care about.3rd, you only get two insert rings. It would be nice to have at least three.4th, the insert rings don't sit flush to the table, they are a tad short. This only causes a problem with very short work pieces and larger bits.That's about it for complaints. At first I thought the dual fences were a bit fiddly, but I got used to it quickly and can set it up fairly fast.I haven't had a problem getting the fences to lock square to the table. I find using a large rafter triangle really helps speed this process up.I really like the switch located on the outside of the leg as well, that's way nicer than having to reach under every time!My miter gauge and slot seem to work just fine and are square to the fences.Overall a great little hobby table, but probably not to useful for any real production work. - Router - Router Table - Porter-cable - Routers'
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