# Porter Cable Router Power Tool Review



## sIKE

So tool and man make up we? Nice review?


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## moshel

no one protect the rights of the poor routers? havn't they suffered enough? I am sure the video is shocking!!!!


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## teenagewoodworker

cool. i was thinking of getting this router for sole use on my dovetail jig. now its between this and another dewalt.


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## Festool4

Porter-Cable routers are like pickup trucks from the 60s. Although rather crude in design, they are built like a tank and will take years of abuse. I have to tell you that I still miss my 1966 Ford 250. Anyway…

When my crappy Hitachi router dies in my router table, I will replace it with a Porter Cable 7518. It has tons of power, runs very smoothly, and will keep on going for years. I know people who have been running them for over 10 years of hard use. It isn't by accident that most CNC machines use the 7518.

Having said that, I don't think I will ever use a Porter-Cable router for handheld operations. Compared to other brands out there, they are too heavy, underpowered, and grips came right out of the 60s. I should know, I have a vintage router from the period and they are identical. It also has the same black bottom that you can't see through.

In my opinion, the Festool 1400 is the best medium sized router on the market. It is everything you would expect from German engineering. The only problem is that $450.00 is more than most are willing to spend on a router. The Dewalt DW618 is my next choice. It is very light, has lots of power, really nice ergonomic grips and a clear base. Its predecessor, the DW621 is also a good choice and I have picked up several on ebay for a song. My third choice would be the Bosch 1617. It is a little heavier, but works very well.

Now, how can we be so far off here? Well the difference is that I baby my routers. I even store them on a carpeted shelf so they don't get banged up. If you are hard on your tools, drop them from ladders, throw them in the back of the truck - get a Porter-Cable. They can take it.


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## croessler

I have had the PC690 kit with both the fixed and plunge bases for about 9 years… It's still going strong, no problems at all. How much more could I ask for the first router I ever bought or used?


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## Richforever

I've used the PC690 for years. I bought the kit with fixed and plunge base. A couple years ago, the plunge base didn't fit the router. Can't figure out why. Just like it shrunk, and the router won't fit it anymore. The fixed base works fine.


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## Dusty56

I've had one of my PC 690s mounted in my router table for a good 12 years now with no problems at all after constant use . I also have a Bosch that came as part of an extension table on my Jet cabinet saw , but I rarely use it as it is too awkward to change bits in. I have left a chamfering bit in it for the times that I have a different profile in my PC router that I have set up for certain jobs…..I really should use it more seeing how much I paid for it , but I made my PC table to my specs (height , etc..) and it is so much more comfortable to use at my age ! hahaha Have a great day : )


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## Pete_Jud

I have 5 of the pc 690s, and one of the PC speedmatic 3 1/4 hp plunge routers. I love all of them, the reason for so many, is one for the router table, one for cutting the tails for dove tails, one for cutting the pins for dove tails, one with the "D-handle for freehand or template work, one spare, and the plunge for plunge. Not haveing to reset routers during a production run is a big plus. I don't care for the older "T screw" for holding the router deepth, the newer compresson latch is much better, and I have been able to update a couple of the bases cheaply by looking on amazon.com.

Pete
Elma Wa


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## DanTheLumberJockMan

I've got the PC 890 with the fixed and plunge bases and I love it. My only complaint is that the height adjustment on the fixed base doesn't work that great, especially from above the table. I occasionally have to take the motor out of the housing, clean it up and give it a thin coat of grease to get it to slide properly again. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?


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## dmoney

I got one for Christmas, I've just used it as a handheld. Works great, a big step up from the $60 Skil one I was used to. Mine was on sale for $99, I think the model was 690LR, it came in a box, no plastic case to store it. No big deal to me since I use it a lot, it's always sitting out. Comes with a black base plate, I do recommend getting a clear one for it so you can see what you are doing better. One of the things I liked the most is it's very easy to find accessories since this model is so popular.


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## hasbeen

I bought the kit with fixed and plunge base recently. Replacing my OLD Dewalt 610. I found the PC somewhat top-heavy compared to the older 610, but it's a great router none the less.


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## Unclejimbob

The PORTER-CABLE 9690LR (11 Amp 1-3/4-Horsepower Fixed Base Router with 1/4-Inch and 1/2-Inch Collets) is on clearance at Lowes right now, for just under $54. At that price, I couldn't pass it up, even though I have a perfectly good Ridgid router already. Figure an extra (for a router table) is just what I might need.


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