Review: Craftsman Router and Router Table Combination

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The chances are good that if you’re just joining Woodwork Nation, you probably don’t have a router right now. What good is owning the best router table without the tool you need to use it properly? This is why we took a look at the Craftsman router and router table combination. It includes the router, a 0.25-inch collet, fence, dust guard, featherboards, and miter gauge.

The router itself is an entry-level model. It is suitable for skill building, training, and basic cuts. The tool operates at 9.5 amps with a 1.75 HP motor, giving you up to 27,000 RPM of cutting power.

As for the table, you receive over 300 square inches of working space. The top of the table has also been given a laminate surface to improve its durability. You’ll also find a standard dust extraction port and a double outlet strip equipped to this combination product.

Here’s What We Liked About the Craftsman Router and Table Combo

The router uses sealed, permanently lubricated ball bearings. It is underpowered next to mid-size routers, but it is fine for light-to-medium tasks.

The fence of the table also adjusts so that you have the proper bit clearance. Both the infeed and the outfeed are able to extend for up to 2 inches to support your working piece. The jointing fence also offsets by up to 9/16 of an inch.

You can also adjust the miter gauge up to 60 degrees in both directions.

Here’s What Could Be Improved with This Craftsman Router and Table Combo

Our primary concern with this product is that the fence is made from a high-grade plastic instead of a metal component. This cuts the cost of the combo, but plastic can flex or warp with regular use. Obtaining a precision edge can be difficult because when you put pressure against the fence, unless it has been well-braced, it will flex.

The table inserts and tabs are plastic too. You don’t need Craftsman-brand bits: any bit with a shank that matches the router’s collet, here 1/4 inch, will fit.

Once you receive this router table, you’ll want to mark more measurements on your fence before using the router. The measurements are only marked at the ends of the fence, so if you’re doing edge joining work, you either add the measurements or you eyeball the project – and the latter is not what you want to be doing.

Keep the bit guard in place and feed stock right to left, against the bit’s rotation, so the cutter can’t pull the piece away from you.

If you’re looking for the best router table with a router that can help you learn this woodworking skill, then the Craftsman router combination is a reasonable starter kit, though it is an older model that may be hard to find new. If you’re a serious woodworker, however, you may find this product to be under-powered to meet your needs.

Sources

• Learn Router Tool Basics, Family Handyman
• Wood Dust - Overview, OSHA