Replies

1. 
   stantheman | Sep 18, 2020 12:57pm | #1

   Interesting. I didn't know Jet or Sawstop made router tables. I infer Sawstop is expanding their product line now that they've been bought.
   I have a Kreg table and very happy with it, although I did not get the lift with it.

2. 
   geedubbee | Sep 18, 2020 01:53pm | #2

   I chose the lift then chose the table to go with it. The table design can often dictate the fence so look at all the links in the chain. A dead flat table with a poor fence just provides years of unpleasant use ;-)

   Back a few years ago the Woodpecker PRL and the Bench Dog were the two beasts that filled the slot between lightweight lifts and the sky-high prices of the Jess Em's of that period. The PRL has morphed, the Bench Dog has become the Rockler and Jess Em is making them for themselves and others.

   I went with the PRL and a Milwaukee 5625 that is still running like day one. Bought a second set when the PRL was being replaced by the "improved" PRL-v2, etc. I kept the table and fence simple with the stock Rockler units of that time building a cabinet to provide proper table support and storage for all those things we like near our router table.

   So many choices today. Some quite involved. Watch the videos of the old-timers on FWW. A few still use a milled board clamped to a shop made table. For some things, simple is better. However, the simple must also be versatile and accurate. I doubt that helps your search but, enjoy the journey.

3. 
   godelescher | Sep 19, 2020 07:19am | #3

   There are lots of choices for router lifts these days, but the three stand outs are Woodpecker, Jessem, and Kreg. I would not trust a power tool manufacturer to make a router lift because it is a completely different build. The bests lifts are made by companies that make no power tools at all (Jessem, Woodpecker, Incra, etc). There's a reason for that.

   At the top end is Jessem's Excel package. The lift mechanism is the fastest and easiest and the lift is part of the table rather than on a plate that you set in a table. Depending on the package, that's anywhere from $700 to $1500.

   Next tier down are all inset plates that can be bought with or without tables or fences:

   Woodpecker V2 is a great lift with a fast lift and a micro adjust dial. Very accurate and easy to dial in perfectly. Plates are standard size. The downsides are: The micro adjust lock tends to get filled with dust. The rapid lift bar annoys some people. I like it.

   Jessem master lift II and Router Lift II. Both very good and built very well. The Master lift has a better plate and can accept a larger motor. The Router lift II only accepts small motors but also has a very flat machined aluminum plate and is very reasonably priced. Down sides are cost of Jessem accessories. Standard plate size.

   Kreg also makes a good lift right in the same price ballpark as Jessem and Woodpecker, though Kreg uses a nonstandard plate size so You either have to buy one of their table tops or make one. Either way, you won't be able to easily swap out lifts if you want to try something else.

   I would avoid the Jet package. At that price you can get any of the packages above which are far superior to Jet/Grizzly who seem to be stumbling into the router lift market. They're not particularly well made or well supported. Cast iron tables heavy and not always flat and, generally speaking, are slightly inferior in just about every way. But they're expensive.

   Incra also makes a router lift, but it's mostly a clone of the Jessem. At their price, I would rather have the Jessem, but Incra is quality, too.

   I have three lifts.

   I have the Jessem Excel package with lift, table, and fence. This one is hands down, the best. I've had it for about 5 years and it's still perfect.

   I have the Woodpecker package with oversized table, lift, and fence. Also about 5 years. The micro adjust gearbox got stripped out after two years and Woodpecker sent me a whole new gearbox, no questions asked and it's been perfect ever since.

   I have a Woodpecker Router lift II that I bought a few years ago for rabbets and slot cutting with a small router motor. It too has been problem free. This one is in the table saw extension.

   I've owned some Jet and Grizzly tools just like everyone else. Some are OK, none are great. But I would never trust them to make a decent router lift or table. They're too concerned with keeping production costs low. That means undersized mechanism hardware, plastic gears, inferior tables, and imperfect plates. I wouldn't expect a Grizzly or Jet offering to last without developing problems.

   I use my lifts virtually every day and probably have 500 to 1000 hours on each table. The Jessem and Woodpecker lifts are proven.

4. 
   esch5995 | Sep 19, 2020 09:42am | #4

   I'm quite happy with my Woodpecker lift and Super Fence, but I have had bad experiences with Fiberboard tables sagging overtime so I built my own with a torsion box table and it's perfectly flat years later. A simple cabinet with a couple of drawers to store bits and accessories is much better than any commercial tables I have seen.

5. 
   fivebirdscustom | Sep 19, 2020 10:01am | #5

   I used a couple of the smaller portable router tables (Ryobi and Bosch) for years. I didn't have a shop and my work was mostly on the jobsite. They worked okay, but taught me that I wanted something better.

   When I first got my shop, I realized that the Bosch table top fit into my table saw's extension wing area... So, that was my first halfway decent shop router table set up.

   Earlier this year, I picked up the JessEm Mast-R-Lift II. It will not, of course, fit into the Bosch aluminum table top, without some serious modification... I am not set up to machine aluminum. So, I built my own router table set up. I built it to fit into my Table saw, and built it to collect dust underneath the table, as well as have. more storage than I've figured out how to use yet. It cost me about a half a sheet of 3/4 baltic birch plywood, some 1/4" bb ply for drawer bottoms and drawer boxes, and two pieces of poplar that I used for drawer fronts (which I had left over from projects) and then I bought some t-track. I re-used the Bosch fence.

   I was having a hard time finding a router table top that fit into my table saw extension area. I'm sure there are some out there, but most of them are designed to go on a stand alone unit.

   The biggest advantage to a stand alone router table (not one of the portable ones, though) is that the top is usually larger. The fence would be longer as well. But, the 27" width of my table has not been a problem yet. I also have an outfeed table right behind my table saw, which allows additional workpiece support in one direction anyway.

   Anyway, if money is tight, I always suggest building your own... If not, I am a big fan of phenolic table tops.

   Oh, and I went back and forth between the JessEm, Incra, Rockler, Kreg, etc. I found they were all good quality units that would have worked well for me. I think @Godelescher gave a great run down. The one thing I will add is that I debated the Incra over the JessEm very hard... the metal inserts that attach via magnet really appealed to me. But, in the end, I found the JessEm on sale... So I jumped on it.

6. 
   mikaol | Sep 19, 2020 11:49am | #6

   MLCS offers a table set up with bluetooth electronic lift, ipad attachment with software installed and foot pedal. Pricey but worth it if you use it a lot.
   Mikaol

7. 
   Deleted | Aug 15, 2021 12:57am | #7

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