( 39 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 21 2009
This is the second one Iv'e owned now. First one came with a thumbscrew for tightening the base to the router. I would have to crank down on this with a wrench to keep the router from vibrating out of the base while I was routing with it (undertable mount). Having to crank down on the base tightening mechanism led to the (aluminum) router housing becoming gouged up. Finally gave up on it. Seen P&C changed the base design so I got another one. I can no longer crank down and damage the router housing but the router still vibrates itself out of the base. The height adjustment setup was nice at first glance . Made for quick, easy accurate setup. Bottom line though, if it moves while routing it's all in vein. Have decided instead of throwing half my wood away I'm going to throw my router away instead and not have to worry about it anymore. If used as a plunge router or used on top of the table freehand with smaller bits maybe it'll keep from moving. Under the table it moves, and there's nothing I've found to stop it.
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Posted: Jun 11 2009
Okay, I haven't used this router much. My router table had issues, so I borrowed a friend's, which had this router mounted in it. It worked okay, and I know Porter Cable is the standard when it comes to routers, but I was very unimpressed. To adjust the height, you twist the body and clamp it down when you get the height you want. This is very awkward in a table, and I never got the bit at exactly the right height. The 890 series (and my Freud router) has a screw to adjust the height which works MUCH better. Also, since the base and the motor are both aluminum, they don't glide smoothly. For a simple hand held router, I am sure this is a very good choice. For table mounting, this thing leaves a lot to be desired.
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Posted: May 19 2009
If you've got a lot of routing experience, you already know that the PC 690 series is pretty much the defacto standard general purpose router. However, since you're here reading reviews on this router, I'll assume the reader is either looking for their first router, or is perhaps upgrading from a wobbly old hand me down of some sort. Look no further. You will never regret buying this particular router. It is the perfect router for general use, and one that no craftsman should be without. Most first time buyers and upgraders have a tendancy to want the biggest baddest do-all tool they can get, for fear that they may get stuck on a project someday without enough power. This router isn't the first choice for spinning large panel raising bits. It CAN do it if it absolutely needs to (with several gradual repeated passes). And it's not going to rip through ebony with a big bit the way a router with twice the power might. But what it will do is everything else - and do it very well. One problem with larger routers is weight. You'll hear that mentioned a lot, and probably think "yeah, but I'm pretty strong, I don't care how much it weighs". However, whether your built like Arnold or Pee Wee Herman, a lighter router like this gives you much better feel and feedback, which gives you better control. Think of it like a pencil. If you're going to sketch a detailed drawing, a lightweight pencil will give you better results than a heavy lead pen, regardless of your strength. Another consideration with this router is the tools popularity. Even your grandchildren will have no problem finding accessories and/or replacement parts for this tool by the time it gets passed down to them. You certainly won't have any trouble. But then there's the case... Why must manufacturers make a great tool and give it such a )#(*$)#(*$ 10 cent plastic home? The case is enough to house JUST the router and its wrenches. It's so tight you can't even fit the instruction manual back in without sitting on the case to close it. AND - the case's handle is on the top half of the clamshell style case. If that plastic (finger hurting) snap latch ever decides to let go while you're carrying it, you'll be glad that you COULDN'T fit anything but the router in there. I find this situation so annoying that I had to mark the router with 4 stars instead of 5. The router itself is a 5 - but the case brings it down. I'd be happy if they just gave you a spot for two or three of your favorite bits, but you don't even get that. (this may not matter if you do all your work in your shop - but I do most of my work on site) And finally - complaints you see here regarding the the power switch. Don't worry about it. Is a trigger switch safer? Maybe, maybe not. You can get that on the d-handle base if you want it. But - and this is especially important if you're new to routers - the top mounted switch almost forces you to use the tool properly. You really have to think about what you're doing, and it will keep you from doing something stupid the way you might with the ease of a trigger switch. (like starting the motor while you're bit's too close to the wood). I personally think it's MUCH better to learn with a router like this and then try a trigger later once you've developed the habits for proper router use. To sum up - if you're new to routing, this router's simple no frills design will make you a better wood worker. This isn't a tool you have to "settle" on and upgrade later. This will most likely remain your go-to router, no matter how advanced you get. When you use it a few times, you'll then understand why getting that 3 horse behemoth plunge router with all sorts of bells and whistles first would have only made you miserable. They have their place, but that place is AFTER you get a good solid general use router like this one for handling 95% of the tasks you'll ACTUALLY need it for. (and certainly check out the various configurations of this router - the plunge base, and d-handle are good options to have, but if you're keeping it cheap for now - you really can't go wrong with this basic model, buying the other bases in the future). Of course if you plan on mounting this thing on a router table and leaving it there - THEN I'd say go for the most horsepower you can get - otherwise - this router can't be beat.
