Shopsmith Forums

At work in the shop I use nothing but Porter Cable 690 routers. They hold up to hours of daily run time mounted on machines, tables and alone. They may have lost a bit of durability since the Black & Decker buy out, but still damn good. The old made in U.S.A. stickers are long gone and they now come from Mexico.

Just noticed this is an older thread..........

beatnik wrote:At work in the shop I use nothing but Porter Cable 690 routers. They hold up to hours of daily run time mounted on machines, tables and alone. They may have lost a bit of durability since the Black & Decker buy out, but still damn good. The old made in U.S.A. stickers are long gone and they now come from Mexico.

Just noticed this is an older thread..........

You made me feel guilty there for a couple of seconds, cuz I already have a couple of used 690's that I got good deals on. But one of those is earmarked for the overarm router motor, and the other is for the dovetail jig and hand routing. But then I remembered why I wanted the Triton -- it has variable speed so that I can run big bits at lower speeds, and also has the built-in router lift. Plus excellent dust collection, according to the reviews, and the extra horsepower can't hurt.

Most of ours are fixed in place and stay put, so durability is my main concern. Just need a motor to turn a bit and not quit, I keep a box of brushes on hand.

I suggest you look hard at the routers with a circular motor. Why? Because if you ever happen on to an Overarm Pin Router assembly - it will only work with round routers. In the future you may want one of these - http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... router.htm

I favor Porter Cable brand:)

BuckeyeDennis wrote:So Ben, how's that Triton 3-1/4 hp router working out for you?

Inquiring minds need to know, cuz I just bought one. It's been on my wish list for many months, and I have an upcoming project that requires converting about 400 board-feet of rough-cut hardwood lumber into T&G flooring and ship-lap siding. I do not want to be power limited for that adventure! The Triton will be permanently mounted underneath my vintage Shopsmith standalone OPR table.

I finally pulled the trigger because Menards currently has them on closeout for $209. Which should be a huge bargain for under-table use, as the router has a built-in lift. I got the last one on the shelf at my local store. The box was unopened, but quite dusty.

Something strange is going on. According to the reviews that I have found, that big Triton is top-rated for under-table use. But Rockler lists it as "no longer available", Amazon is out of stock (you can sign up for email notification when they become available), and Highland Woodworking currently has them on sale for $250. A new and improved model coming out soon, perchance?

Hi Dennis,

POWERFUL!!! I use it strictly under table. The bit exchange is very nice for me. It is heavy. After about four months I noticed a sag in the Bosch plastic plate. Plans are to finish up making a table that attaches to the SS so I can use the INCRA LS (and the miter slots in the main table if needed), however I am switching to the INCRA aluminum plate.

Back to the powerful! Decided to "test" it and ran 6/4 red oak trying a single pass of a 3+" Freud raised panel Quadra. At slowest speed I did try a full depth cut, but chickened out after a few seconds, but I'd did do it in two passes without burning!! I was impressed, but figured the Quadra was part of the success.

I tried to use it handheld twice, but was uncomfortable with it. It's not so much unwieldy as heavy.

I bought mine for $250 and had Amazon free shipping. Shortly after, the price was raised to $270 I think.

Between it for table use and my DeWalt 611 for everything else I'm not planning any more router purchases except for bits.

No clue about an upgrade / update / new model.

I'm guessing that the Triton will work exceptionally well for your OPR. Not much should bog it down.

Be well,
Ben

benush26 wrote:Hi Dennis,

POWERFUL!!! I use it strictly under table. The bit exchange is very nice for me. It is heavy. After about four months I noticed a sag in the Bosch plastic plate. Plans are to finish up making a table that attaches to the SS so I can use the INCRA LS (and the miter slots in the main table if needed), however I am switching to the INCRA aluminum plate.

Back to the powerful! Decided to "test" it and ran 6/4 red oak trying a single pass of a 3+" Freud raised panel Quadra. At slowest speed I did try a full depth cut, but chickened out after a few seconds, but I'd did do it in two passes without burning!! I was impressed, but figured the Quadra was part of the success.

I tried to use it handheld twice, but was uncomfortable with it. It's not so much unwieldy as heavy.

I bought mine for $250 and had Amazon free shipping. Shortly after, the price was raised to $270 I think.

Between it for table use and my DeWalt 611 for everything else I'm not planning any more router purchases except for bits.

No clue about an upgrade / update / new model.

I'm guessing that the Triton will work exceptionally well for your OPR. Not much should bog it down.

Be well,
Ben

Well, now you've done it! I just blew my tool budget (and then some) on the Triton router, and now I have to add some Quadra-cut bits to my wish list.

Two or three of those puppies cost as much as the dang router. But I checked them out online, and it appears that they are well worth the price.

I'm really starting to like the tool-budget justification process that I saw online somewhere:
1. Get a professional estimate for any major project that you are planning (especially if it is a honey-do).
2. Track your out-of-pocket costs while doing the project yourself.
3. Allocate half of the savings to your tool budget.

How can SWMBO argue with that?

BuckeyeDennis wrote:Well, now you've done it! I just blew my tool budget (and then some) on the Triton router, and now I have to add some Quadra-cut bits to my wish list.

Two or three of those puppies cost as much as the dang router. yes they do!! But I checked them out online, and it appears that they are well worth the price.

I was VERY lucky because that particular bit was included with some others. The PO had decided to make cabinet doors, but abandon the idea when figured out the cost of the lumber was nearly as much as what he would pay for ready built but lower lower quality. He also had strong doubts about his skill level so I bought LOTS of stuff for pennies.

I have two other Freud bits but not Quadra. There is a major league difference between the finish achieved with those two (and the Whiteside set I have) and the Quadra, but also a big price difference. Close to the same for that one bit (if I bought it from Amazon) as the 7 piece WS! No plans to buy more Quadra unless it's a big project with lots of the same edge but they sure are nice!!

Have fun and keep us apprised of the growing collection!

Be well,
Ben

I have a milwaukie 3 1/2 horse; it is varible speed, and has enough power to meet your task it is a fixed base; however it has access in the plate, and a wrench that allows you to raise & lower it above with a router table without spending big $$$$ on a lift; the only downsides are that if you want a 1/4 collet you have to order one seperate from hardwaresales.com, and you have to use two wrenches for bit changes other than that it is real nice, and comes with a seven year warranty.