Bench dog 40-001 protop contractor benchtop router table
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Have to say it took a little bit of time to put together but nothing too hard or too vague. Mine didn't include hex wrenches but they were standard and I had them so no big deal. What is a bigger deal is the dust collection port.
I plan on doing dust collection via shop vac. Mine has a standard 2 1/2 inch hose which according to Bench Dog is supposed to fit their dust collection port. It does not. I took the port with me to The Home Depot, Lowes and Sears but could not find a 2 1/2 inch hose that would fit it. So much for standard. I called Bench Dog support and it seems they have been acquired by Rockler. Rockler has revised the port and while I had the newer one some were made with a smaller ID. Seems like someone forgot to tell mfg that the wall thickness was supposed to go on the outside and not the inside of the opening. They sent me the revised one. That took two weeks because the first time the order didn't go out. After waiting the normal time to call, they said oh, gee it didn't ship so will try again. They included a free set of hold downs as compensation and this time it did ship. But it still doesn't fit any hose I could find. The ID is exactly 2 1/4 inches. That is what a standard 2 1/2 inch hose fitting is supposed to be apparently. However it is actually about 2 5/16 with most being fitted into a 2 3/8 coupling. So if the Rockler people would have made this at least 2 5/16 or 2 3/8 things would be fine. I ended up buying a 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 adapter, cutting the 1 1/4 part off and duct taping the rest to the dust port. Works fine. I suppose I could have sanded my hose end down some as well.
The table works fine. Nice and solid, etc. Would have been nice if they would have included an external switch as it is obviously unsafe to open the door to turn off the router. Using a Triton router and had to drill holes to mount. Bench Dog includes a paper template with the proper hole spacing. These were accurate so that was a non-event to do.
I would give the table a 5 if this review was just confined to that part. Having to fool with the dust port because they can't check the fit on a hose by buying and trying a few before spec'ing and the lack of an external switch makes this just average for the cost. Even Bosch on a less expensive table includes a switch and presumably a dust port that fits a shop vac hose.
So far this router table has worked well for me. They included many parts and some extras and warned the purchaser about this in the instructions. Unfortunately, they changed some of the parts (fence, dust collection connector) from the original that the instructions were written for. They also did not include the tools that they said were enclosed ( Allen wrenches and open end wrenches). That being said, most of us have the tools and can figure out the change in parts and dirctions. What grinds me a bit is that they include a very friendly slip that says to contact them if anything is wrong. I told them of the missing parts and directions and parts changes via the email address provided and had no response. I like the router table so far - not so sure what would happen if I have a problem with it considering their lack of responsiveness.
I recently purchased this table from amazon and the shipping was quick and it arrived timely and in great shape. There are plenty of good reviews here to read so I won't go into a lot of detail about the table itself. It is well built and is a very good table for the $.
I will just share my experience with the table since it arrived. First, the instructions are not accurate. There are several steps in which the picture does not match the parts. Particularly, the bit guard in the box does not match the one listed in the manual and the subfence construction is completely different. Its like they updated or changed parts on this model and didn't bother changing the instructions. Nothing wrong with the subfence itself, it just doesn't match the book and makes it unclear how to put it together.
Most importantly, there were a couple parts missing from the box I received. The hex wrenches that are supposedly supplied were not included; no big deal since I had plenty. The dust port was missing as well as the whole set of bolts used to attach the router plate to the router. So I emailed benchdog from their website requesting the missing parts and also included some suggestions for the manual. Its been a week now and I have yet to hear anything from them at all.
All in all, this is a great table if you don't have to deal with benchdog and you actually get all the parts that are supposed to be included. This may be an isolated incident for all I know but I just wanted to share my experience for what it's worth.
This is for sure one of the best small router table packages on the market. The cabinet is heavy constructed laminated lumber and the top appears to be phenolic. I have it coupled to a PC 7518 with Bench Dog's nickel plated adjustable insert and there is no deflection. The fence works very well and is easily adjusting - you can couple it to a dust collection system fairly easily. Rubber feet secure it well enough so that it doesn't move with large stock. The edge mounted track works well with miter gauges. No complaints here. Amazon has very competitive prices on Bench Dog gear.
I read all the 3 star and below reviews here and I think they aren't to be taken as accurate or fair. (P.S. It is not particle board, it is finished plywood, actually nicer than I expected). This is a $200 router table okay. Let's say it again, a $200 router table. Have you seen $700 - $1000 router tables, like the Jessem? You should. This is not that table and can't be compared. It can't handle the match in features, size or materials. However, taking that all into account it is a great deal and if you are just getting into routing this is probably the best low cost router table you could get. Kreg, Freud, Bosch, Pinnacle... none match this little gem. It has a great fence and even comes with a jointing feature that works well with a good bit. It is solid, has very good dust management. The top is nice and though you probably shouldn't profile an 8 foot long board on it, you can do a lot - you can even flip the fence for a larger working area and wider pieces (it's in the manual). Sure, putting it together had shades of Christmas Eve - the instructions weren't perfect and I admit it, I put the feet on the wrong side of the bottom panel due to a lousy picture and cursed a little while I switched them.
If you are looking for a router for this, the Porter Cable 690 fits very well. I take the motor down to prevent any sag in the plate. Why push it? It only takes a minute. Again, if I had a $1000 table with a steel or phenolic plate and a lift, then okay, but I don't.
When all was said and done I have used this table and it is great. Everything I make with it turns out very well. No, I am not making raised panel doors. This isn't the router for that, but if you have a home shop and wanted a router table, get this. Maybe you will go on and buy something else or make your own. Great, but while you use this table you will make nice things all while learning what you may or may not need in your ultimate dream table.
There isn't much I can say that the manufacturer of this fine product has not already described, so I will limit this review to my impressions of it's design. I was searching for a quality router table that would accommodate my router without modification, and was capable of handling fairly large work pieces, particularly raised panels for cabinet doors. This table accomplished both wonderfully. The construction of the table is first-rate, utilizing birch plywood for the base and sides. The top employs a thick laminate as opposed to a melamine finish, as used in some lower quality tables. The router is supported on a large sturdy insert, and a metal frame with adjustable gib screws to level the plate to the table. The table comes unassembled, in a well-packed box. The assembly instructions are clear and easy to follow, and it took about 1 hour to put the table together and make all the necessary adjustments. All components that comprise this table are of excellent quality. Overall, this is a fine addition to my shop, and I would not hesitate to recommend this product.
this table went together in about 1 hour. all parts where finished well. i had to drill the holes for my trition router but with their template it when well. just wish they would have had a metal plate. but all in all a good table for the money.
Very happy with this purchase. Reasearched several other brands and settled on the Bench Dog. Have used it for multiple jobs and have been very satisfied. Also purchased the switch and mounted in on the right corner below the table. It makes it it easier for operating the router. I have a Porter Cable 6902 Router, it bolts right on!
I'm no pro, just a handy homeowner. Needed to make a window seat for the Mrs., and needed to do some routing for joinery, trim, and the like. Had the router, (a Freud model) but knew I needed a table. Looked at the usual suspects at Sears, Home Depot, Lowes. All looked way too flimsy, even to my amateur's eye. Saw this table on Amazon, read the mostly glowing reviews, and decided to pony up the dough after assuring my wife that I really needed this to do the job right. Amazon had a deal for the table and a pair of featherboards at a discount, so I ordered both.
Table came within 4 days, even with free shipping. Featherboards were backordered and actually arrived the day I finished the job! The table's packaging was adequate, all the parts were there (with a few extra screws and such) and in pristine condition, the assembly instructions were excellent -- clearly written by someone for whom English is their primary language! Assembly took me exactly 2hrs and 10 minutes -- not counting the drilling I had to do to fit my router to the plate. That was a bit scary, since two of the holes I needed fell very close to some of the pre-drilled ones. But, taking my time, I got it right, leveled and ready to go.
I built a sub-cabinet from an old (heavy) printer stand, then attached locking casters so that the router table top would be on the same plane as my table saw. I can't tell you how useful THAT was! The Bench Dog table is substantial, very good quality materials and engineering. Again, as others have noted, despite Amazon's claim, this table does NOT come with a miter gauge. Squaring the fence is easy, but I am a bit disappointed that both long edges of the top are not square -- the "rear" is slightly rounded, which can be a problem when squaring the fence to that side.
Overall, though, this is a terrific American-made product. I also purchased a Bench Dog power switch -- expensive as switches go, but rock solid and easy to mount (as I did on the right side under the table top). If you want a solid, well-designed, easy to use and functional portable router table, the Bench Dog ProTop is hard to beat.
I bought one of these used from a buddy. I was surprised at how beefy the construction is. It is made from 3/4" thick baltic birch plywood and is quite heavy. (on the order of 40 lbs.) Everything has been well thought out, and everything is milled with precision.
There are only two minor things that I wasn't happy about:
1) It didn't include a feather board. c'mon guys. What does it cost to include that, Fifty cents?
2) Sometimes the whole cabinet reverberates loudly.
I was deciding between this one and the Kreg. This one has a smaller footprint and is made out of nice-looking wood. The Kreg doesn't have the enclosed cabinet, so it is not going to reverberate like this one does, and it includes at least one featherboard. (but costs $10-20 more)
If I had bought the Kreg, it would've been just big enough to NOT fit on the shelf under my workbench, so no regrets.
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