comments on ne Porter Cable 893PK router

May 08, 2004 4 Replies

Anyone have one they can comment on. Home Depot here has them on display (as do some of the tool shops) and the plunge mech is so sloppy you can actually rock the bit on the way down (assuming you can start the plunge without some level of brute force). This seemed to be the same on both machines I tried. Do they need to be set up / adjusted / assembled / springs tweeked and HD just didn't take the time or am I missing something else. Looks like a sweet unit but the plunge base makes me go hummmm...



help/comments appreciated b4 I shell out big bucks



thanks


I have one of these -

It works great

The plunge was alarmingly rough when I unpacked it - but there are adjustment instructions included. When I first tried it it was sticky, hard to start the plunge, and uneven. A slight (and very easy) adjustment of the brake made the plunge action precise, very steady, and smooth as butter.

The tapered start is slow and very nice to work with - and - it is very quiet for so much power. The dust extraction ports cleaned up every speck of sawdust, even with a small vac.

There are two shortcomings on mine: one - the auto-collet lock on the plunge base needs a spacer washer to be effective, and two - the plunge witness line for the scale for the plunge stop rod has to be set by its edge - the red line in the center is hard to use because the plastic piece that it is on isn't clear - it's frosted.

This is a good cutting tool.

Have most extant, serious routers. I use the 890 more than the others in this power range because it has the power, easy to change cutters, good motor lock, great visibility, ergonomics, continuous depth secondary adjuster, very slo start, a disarming and wonderful experiment. Would recommend. DW has the corner on plungers.

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Where are these instructions? I read the manual cover to cover and don't remember seeing anything and I think I would have noted it, since the plunge is sticky (but with my memory...).

Mike

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