Can any one send a review about this new router table.
This is the very item I’m looking at also. I need to replace a 30 YO Craftsman router and saw this router/table combo currently on a Father’s Day special at Lowes for $129 (regular $169). I’m a huge Milwaukee cordless fan, but frankly do not need a router that often. This would seem to fill all my limited needs but I’d like to hear what the Tool Talk folks have to say about it.
Gary
This combination is all about price. For $129 you do not get the large size and full features of a Kreg , Jessem or similar table with a router lift and big Bosch or other router - but you pay 1/0th or even less of the price. The reviews on the Lowes web site look to be rather mixed - but the price is akin to Harbor Freight - so it could be worth a try for occasional use. If I bought one. I’d run it through its paces while I could still return it if it proved to be a lemon
I’ve never used it, but I am happy with the features and qualities for the price of Kobalt brushless tools. I have their cordless saw and a cordless jigsaw and I feel that for the money I couldn’t do any better. The Lowe’s website has some reviews that look to be genuine and a lot of answered questions. I noted it has a built in router raiser/lowerer which performs like a lift, which is a real plus, but is not in the description. This feature got mixed reviews which likely means you have to learn how to use it correctly and/or tweak it. It can accommodate both 1/4" and 1/2" shanks. It does not have variable speeds, so using large bits may be a problem, or you’d need to take many passes. That is a very good price, but I’d second Fred’s idea about using it right away and getting a return if it doesn’t perform properly. My impression is that Lowe’s has a decent return policy, but you’d want to check the details of that, too.
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I’m glad to see this thread as I’m curious about it as well. I’ve been eyeing for some time the Bosch flavored mini router table. and putting my POS router it in till I could buy a better one. This is the same price and comes with the router and oddly enough a edge guide. Now variable speed I do want to have but I can get/make my own vario for this motor. If I had to. I could probably still put my Router on that table.
Otherwise the table features look to be good for the money - again comparing to the Bosch one that is currently 189. I’d have to play with it a bit more in the store to know for sure.
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I just noticed this router combo a few days ago, after seeing this thread. The table looks a little smaller than the Ryobi I found for $45 last year, but that could be the angle. All told, for the money it looks like a decent enough setup for the beginner. Full disclosure: my Ryobi table/PC690 setup has sat unused since assembling it last year. It’s kind of hard to route anything in an apartment…
@ Napalm
There is probably no such thing as the ideal router or router table.
I made do for many years with a homemade setup
Then I bought a Jessem with their MastRLift
I use it with a Bosch router - but it can have some issues
There was some discussion here:
https://toolguyd.com/best-router-motor-for-router-tables/
and here
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That’s a comfort as I figure any router table will do more than me trying to freehand it now. BUT am I wasting money I could spend on something like a scroll saw
Evidently the usual speed controller won’t work with this type of motor. It is possible that an AC-AC Variable Frequency Inverter could work, but slowing the motor down could overheat it.
And as to taking multiple passes with larger bits, the fence on this unit is difficult to adjust accurately. And because of the design of the table edges, clamping any jig to aid in fine control of the fence is difficult.
Perhaps what Kobalt has heard back from their customers about this (their very first router table) is why the price has dropped.