Is anyone using the Woodpecker Quick-lift? Specifically the model QL350A. I have been looking to purchase a router lift and this seems to fit my needs. I will be using it in my basement shop, no heavy duty work. I would appreciate any info anyone can give me good or bad. A heads up on where the best place to purchase would help too.
I can't comment directly on the Quick-Lift, but I can say that I've purchased a number of tools from Woodpeckers and always been impressed. I've used both their standard aluminum plate and Plunge Lift in my router table. While pricey, both have performed admirably. Tom Hintz has a review of the Quick-Lift that you can read here:
As for purchasing, I've never heard of getting them from anyplace but Woodpeckers directly.
My Quick-lift is nice and works well -- NOW. However, there is a major deficiency that I emailed them about. It's a real PAIN to start to lift the router and have the WHOLE unit come out of the table. I fixed mine by drilling & tapping studs into the unit from the bottom and afixing it securely in the table with a hardwood bracket/bar.
To my knowledge they haven't addressed this serious defiency and unless you are prepared to make the mods yourself I'd advise avoiding the item like the plague.
Can you buy that lift cheaper than a router with the capability to make fine adjustments when mounted in a table? Typically you can buy a router with fine adjustment capability that does not need a separate lift for less than a lift.
That was my thought too.
Leon; Thanks for your response. I currently have the PC 890 router which is supposed to have that fine adjust capability. The fine adjustability is not very good. It takes a lot of guess work to get it set. I guess what I'm probably looking for is a fast and "repeatable" adjustment capability and the 890 does not give you that - IMHO.
Maybe so, but how accessible is the find adjustment feature? One of the useful facets of many router lifts with the adjustment facility is the ability to adjust from above the plate without the need to fumble around for some adjustment knob below the plate.
I'm guessing that there maybe some router brands with the fine adjustment capability that have a hole in the sole plate enabling adjustment from up top, but I haven't actually seen one yet.
The idea for the quick lift here is to let you quickly and easily lift the router high enough so you can access the collet from the top and make bit changes, then lower it back into the table. There is also a crank on top for fine adjustments. But, with the quick lift you don't have to turn it a thousand times to get the collet high enough to change a bit then crank some more to get it back down. The unit works well except that, as I wrote in an earlier response, Woodpecker neglected to engineer in a way to make sure the whole mechanism didn't lift from the table when the lift mechanism is used -- a rather simple thing to fix but a pain that the buyer shouldn't have go thru.
Two come immediately to mind. The 890 that the OP has and the 8529 that I have (both Porter Cable). There are others. It is becoming one of those features that, if you don't have it, you're behind the competition. Rockler even sells a digital readout for the 8529.
Accessable from under the table, at least on the Triton but no fubleing needed. Pretty straight forward and an unmistakable knob to turn. Kinda like turuning the switch on.
With the Triton and IIRC the Milwaukee's coarse adjustments from full down to full up is about a 2-3 second ordeal. Then you have the fine adjust knob that you can twist from one to the other also if you want.
The plunging 8529 and the 890 appear to be pretty close in HP as well as in price. Considering that you can buy a plunge base for the 890, is there any particular reason why you've got both of them?
Well, if you screw a 8529 into a router table, it makes handheld operation a bit difficult. In any case, I don't have an 890 (the OP said that he did though) but I do have the 8529 and a 690. The 690 is actually the one that I use in a table. Have a spare base for it permanently mounted and can take it out and use it handheld in seconds. The 8529 is always used handheld. I also have the plunge base for the 690. More routers and more bases means less set up time.
Almost as good as Norm's router for every bit.
Thanks for the info.
Be nice to have his collection, wouldn't it? :)
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