I recently purchased this router table:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91130
Price was $179 - a 20% discount coupon I had. The on-line price was
lower than the in-store price, but my store matched the on-line price.
The total cost including tax was about $150 which included the router.
The store I purchased it from was in Westminster, Colorado. The table
itself is not bad for the price. What the picture does not show is
that some of the parts, namely the side pieces on the upper base are
blue plastic. It's not a huge issue because there's metal underneath.
The cut-off switch is very nice. The table itself reminds me of the
Bosch or Ryobi ones I've seen. It's light-weight, but not too bad.
The fence is actually quite nice - extruded aluminum stock. The router
seems under powered at only 1HP. I'm going to be doing some
fingerjoints with a 1/2" shank bit and I'm a bit worried. I have a 3HP
router that I was thinking about retro fitting to the table. It seems
compatible. That was also a Harbor Freight special at $49. I only use
my woodworking tools on a periodic basis for repair of wood trim pieces
for jukeboxes and pinball games. If your local store will honor the
on-line price and give you the 20% off with the coupon, then this seems
like a good deal. The main short coming appears to be the router
itself. The table insert is stamped steel. Not as nice as the upscale
inserts, but not really that bad either.
Some things I've got from HF have been absolute crap. For $150, I was
looking at a really cheap table top router table. The HF table was
better and included a workable router.
Rockler does make a table that's under $200. Perhaps that would have
been a better deal if I had a router that was compatible with that
table. With the Porter Cable router it's closer to $400 including
shipping.
I would agree that you need to handle any HF product. Do not buy sight
unseen.
Jim Stuyck wrote:
> "LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > On 10 Jul 2006 06:57:37 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
> >
> >
> >>...not bad for the price...light-weight, but not too bad...seems
> >>compatible...seems like a good deal...but not really that bad either.
> >
> > I believe this summarizes every report of a Harbor Freight purchase
> > I've ever seen. I just don't get it.
>
> I was thinking of citing pretty much the same "not too bad" remarks
> that LRod did. But I didn't. Rather, since there are some Harbor
> Freight retail stores in my general area, I decided (long ago) to
> actually handle the merchandise they sell rather than, or before,
> ordering online.
>
> Some vendors are like that: Pig in a poke. There's a new Northern
> Tools a couple miles away: I'd touch in the store before ordering
> online. Some stuff is crap, some gives good value.
>
> Others, like maybe Rockler, I'd buy from their catalog or online store
> even though I could drive to a retail outlet. Or LL Bean...I trust
> them, too.
>
> Jim Stuyck
On 10 Jul 2006 06:57:37 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>...not bad for the price...light-weight, but not too bad...seems
>compatible...seems like a good deal...but not really that bad either.
I believe this summarizes every report of a Harbor Freight purchase
I've ever seen. I just don't get it.
--
LRod
Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite
Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999
http://www.woodbutcher.net
Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997
email addy de-spam-ified due to 1,000 spams per month.
If you can't figure out how to use it, I probably wouldn't
care to correspond with you anyway.
"LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 10 Jul 2006 06:57:37 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>>...not bad for the price...light-weight, but not too bad...seems
>>compatible...seems like a good deal...but not really that bad either.
>
> I believe this summarizes every report of a Harbor Freight purchase
> I've ever seen. I just don't get it.
I was thinking of citing pretty much the same "not too bad" remarks
that LRod did. But I didn't. Rather, since there are some Harbor
Freight retail stores in my general area, I decided (long ago) to
actually handle the merchandise they sell rather than, or before,
ordering online.
Some vendors are like that: Pig in a poke. There's a new Northern
Tools a couple miles away: I'd touch in the store before ordering
online. Some stuff is crap, some gives good value.
Others, like maybe Rockler, I'd buy from their catalog or online store
even though I could drive to a retail outlet. Or LL Bean...I trust
them, too.
Jim Stuyck
For less than $200.00, you could have made a router table that is like ones
that you will see in professional shops all across the country. Take a piece
of mdf or plywood the size you want the top and screw a couple of battens
along what will be the bottom to prevent sag. Drill a hole big enough for a
router bit to stick through and drill router mounting holes concentric to
the center hole. Screw router to it, set across two sawhorses. A strait
board and two C clamps make up the fence. This table, and the PC 690 to
mount in it, will cost well under $200.00 and do anything you could want
short of raised panels.
"P1nZ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Some things I've got from HF have been absolute crap. For $150, I was
> looking at a really cheap table top router table. The HF table was
> better and included a workable router.
>
> Rockler does make a table that's under $200. Perhaps that would have
> been a better deal if I had a router that was compatible with that
> table. With the Porter Cable router it's closer to $400 including
> shipping.
>
> I would agree that you need to handle any HF product. Do not buy sight
> unseen.
>
> Jim Stuyck wrote:
> > "LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > On 10 Jul 2006 06:57:37 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>...not bad for the price...light-weight, but not too bad...seems
> > >>compatible...seems like a good deal...but not really that bad either.
> > >
> > > I believe this summarizes every report of a Harbor Freight purchase
> > > I've ever seen. I just don't get it.
> >
> > I was thinking of citing pretty much the same "not too bad" remarks
> > that LRod did. But I didn't. Rather, since there are some Harbor
> > Freight retail stores in my general area, I decided (long ago) to
> > actually handle the merchandise they sell rather than, or before,
> > ordering online.
> >
> > Some vendors are like that: Pig in a poke. There's a new Northern
> > Tools a couple miles away: I'd touch in the store before ordering
> > online. Some stuff is crap, some gives good value.
> >
> > Others, like maybe Rockler, I'd buy from their catalog or online store
> > even though I could drive to a retail outlet. Or LL Bean...I trust
> > them, too.
> >
> > Jim Stuyck
>
"LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 10 Jul 2006 06:57:37 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>>...not bad for the price...light-weight, but not too bad...seems
>>compatible...seems like a good deal...but not really that bad either.
>
> I believe this summarizes every report of a Harbor Freight purchase
> I've ever seen. I just don't get it.
>
> --
Being one who occasionally buys from HF I think it's more an info piece
about HF to respond to the "HF is all junk" posts. I've found their quality
control sucks big time BUT if you can pick through stuff, you can find very
good quality for a low price. Point example - 15.99 3/8 18v cordless drill
with keyless chuck. The BATTERIES for my other cordless tools cost me more
than that. I bought 4 of them a while back - work perfectly.
Vic
Their nail guns are a fantastic value.
cm
"Vic Baron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On 10 Jul 2006 06:57:37 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>
>>>...not bad for the price...light-weight, but not too bad...seems
>>>compatible...seems like a good deal...but not really that bad either.
>>
>> I believe this summarizes every report of a Harbor Freight purchase
>> I've ever seen. I just don't get it.
>>
>> --
>
> Being one who occasionally buys from HF I think it's more an info piece
> about HF to respond to the "HF is all junk" posts. I've found their
> quality control sucks big time BUT if you can pick through stuff, you can
> find very good quality for a low price. Point example - 15.99 3/8 18v
> cordless drill with keyless chuck. The BATTERIES for my other cordless
> tools cost me more than that. I bought 4 of them a while back - work
> perfectly.
>
> Vic
>
[email protected] wrote:
> I recently purchased this router table:
>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91130
>
> Price was $179 - a 20% discount coupon I had. The on-line price was
> lower than the in-store price, but my store matched the on-line price.
> The total cost including tax was about $150 which included the router.
> The store I purchased it from was in Westminster, Colorado. The table
> itself is not bad for the price. What the picture does not show is
> that some of the parts, namely the side pieces on the upper base are
> blue plastic. It's not a huge issue because there's metal underneath.
> The cut-off switch is very nice. The table itself reminds me of the
> Bosch or Ryobi ones I've seen. It's light-weight, but not too bad.
> The fence is actually quite nice - extruded aluminum stock. The router
> seems under powered at only 1HP. I'm going to be doing some
> fingerjoints with a 1/2" shank bit and I'm a bit worried. I have a 3HP
> router that I was thinking about retro fitting to the table. It seems
> compatible. That was also a Harbor Freight special at $49. I only use
> my woodworking tools on a periodic basis for repair of wood trim pieces
> for jukeboxes and pinball games. If your local store will honor the
> on-line price and give you the 20% off with the coupon, then this seems
> like a good deal. The main short coming appears to be the router
> itself. The table insert is stamped steel. Not as nice as the upscale
> inserts, but not really that bad either.
>
I was looking at that router table last time I was in their store.
Actually looked pretty decent and includes the router. I have one of
their $15.00 4 inch angle grinders and it works flawlessly. The $11.00
pnuematic cut-off tool is also a great buy.
Scott.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
> The table
> itself is not bad for the price.
> It's light-weight, but not too bad.
> The router seems under powered at only 1HP. I'm going to be doing some
> fingerjoints with a 1/2" shank bit and I'm a bit worried.
> the 20% off with the coupon, then this seems
> like a good deal. The main short coming appears to be the router
> itself. The table insert is stamped steel. Not as nice as the upscale
> inserts, but not really that bad either.
I had one cheap router and router table in my life. I'll never have
another. I gave it away as IMO, it was not good enough to take anyone's
money for it.
After you use it for a while, reread your description, go visit a buddy with
a real table and 2hp router and see what you are missing.