Have been waffling over the idea of getting a new router for several months. Was interested in a 3 hp Hitachi. Well I was at Sears with wifey monday night and whilst she was looking at dainties, I mosied over to the tool section. I spied a”professional” 3.5 hp router by Craftsman that looked like it might fit my needs. As usual with big dept stores I couldn’t find a price. I called over a salesperson and asked him the price. He said $159. I thought noway. 3.5 hp, variable speed, soft start, 1/2-1/4 collet. 15amp. It just couldn’t be. I took the router- the last one on the shelf- to check out, 199.95. Dang too good to be true. I called the salesman over to the check out. He stood tall to the test. Said “yep, 159.95 is what I told him sell it for that price. I bought it. My question is. Did I get the deal of the century or did I buy a pig in a poke?
Rick W.
Replies
Rick,
I don't like routers, but it sounds like a good deal to me. Many (most? all?) Craftsman routers are made by Ryobi. (I've had my Ryobi for four years now and I haven't noticed any problems other than those I associate with any of the beasts regardless of price.)
Neither gets 5 stars in the reviews, but ergonomics and such aren't really that big a deal unless you're going to use the thing for hours on end. (Even a router with a bad design ergonomically is a heck of a lot easier to use than a moulding plane!)Granted one needs to replace the base plate to use PC guides, but the cost is nominal at only $10-$15.
Hope it give you many years of good service!
Jeff
Edited 10/3/2002 12:52:03 PM ET by Jeff K
I assume you are referring to the big posi-lock router. Don't own one, but I've never heard anything bad about the beasts.
Parts are always available. Accessories as well. That goes farther than ratings in my book. True you can find Makita, P-C & other name brands parts from service centers but Sears is a lot easier on Saturday morning.
They are generally good products in my 20 years of bouncing them off the floor. Sometimes you want a brand name though. Machismo vs bargain hunting.
Booch,
I wasn't aware that Machismo made routers. Thought they only made heavy duty hand tools such as sledge hammers.
Jeff
Have you tried the Cahonies Jack hammers?
"Machismo vs bargain hunting."
Sometimes machismo is bargain hunting! My great deal on routers ~10 years back was when I bought a 3HP Makita plunge router new for ~$100. Turns out a local dealer put them on sale and advertized in the paper. I think it was $110. Turns out they were going to stop carrying the Makita line. I missed out at the local dealer (no surprize there), but was able to take the add to a big box hardware store which advertized that they'd beat the competition's advertized price by 10%. You could hear the manager's molars crack as I handed him the ad. My friends and ww acquaintances were less impressed with my brute router than with the price I got it at. It still runs great, although I use it mostly in my router table. In truth my favorite router right now is a little old Monkey Ward router that is light and easy (think it is a Monkey Ward Label on a Standley). Picked it up used with a new set of steel bits and edge guide for $3 at a garage sale.
See, machismo is bargain hunting!
Ed
Rick - On the rare occaision when I'm shopping with wifey the 'dainties' department is the best part of the trip. At Victoria's Secret they even give you a drool rag. Oh yeah, you asked about the router. I have no idea I only buy mechanics tools there.
Booch - Parts at Sears, you gotta be kidding, LOL. You can't even order them there, you have to go to their service center. As evidenced by your post, you know about the internet. Best way to order parts IMO.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
NS on the service center at Sears. They seem to hire the lowest common denominator there. No inventory-no sense- no understanding. I hit the net for sears and cruise to the exploded views of the products. Pickout what I need and any tool accessories that got sucked up by the shop vacuum.
A couple good things they do have at the service center are refurb tools and surplus mechanics sockets. The prices are a pretty good deal certainly better than the store. The sockets are a wild deal. Generally you get some obtuse product like deep well impact sockets for a buck a piece. Can't ever have too much machined steel in your life.
I like the parts cause you can get the goesintas for everything from the dryer, to the dishwasher, to your angle grinder all in one place. I'd better shut up before their marketing group hears this and decides to price the parts away from reasonable.
speaking of Victoria's - I keep submitting an application and they keep laughing at me. maybe I should not wear my carharts when applying?Steelkilt Lives!
Funniest Victoria's story in my family is walking by with my brother and my sons. The ten year old was doing that sidways eye thing mentally undressing the manequins and hoping for whatever else. He was absolutely unaware we were edging tword the store as we walked down the mall. As soon as we got near the doorway my brother gives him a shove that put him bodily standing in the store nose deep and face to face with satin. What a blush, what a laugh. It was a guy thing that I can picture to this day.
El,
Depends on your local Sears store. Ours is strictly hardware, tools and appliances with their own service department.
Jeff
Rick,
I once owned the sears router you just bought. I used it moderately for two years before it stopped working. When I took it to Sears to have it repaired (under warrenty thank goodness), two technicians told me that model is "a piece of junk" and it would cost $300 (cdn) to fix it. They told me that the repair was common and would eventually happen again. Their suggestion was to return it for a full refund which I did. I used the proceeds from my return to purchase the porter cable equivalent. There's no comparison between the two machines.
Paul
If its the big Posi-lock model you got a deal. One minor problem though, the runout on the collet is higher then most. I forget the actual number but I am off monday and tuesday and if I get a chance I'll look for it.
Dave in Pa.
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