A week ago I asked about buying a 3.5hp Milwaukee or Triton to replace my Bosch 1617. Someone suggested a lift, but that was both much more expensive and ignored the issue of inadequate power.
However I have stumbled across a Woodpecker lift that will hold my 1617 for $170. Since I have to buy a plate anyhow, this is over $100 less than a new router and plate.
Is the Woodpecker any good, depite the low price? Is Aluminum worth $30 more than the phenolic? The 1617 isn't very heavy...
Thanks
"Toller" wrote in news:iatxg.6133$ snipped-for-privacy@news02.roc.ny:
Yes. Very good for your stated purpose.
Can you get the lift with the phenolic plate? I thought that the lift was aluminum only.
My 3.something hp router has been hanging in a phenolic Woodpecker's plate for at least four years now, without problems.
They make good stuff.
Patriarch
I have the Woodpeckers "Unilift" and a Bosch 1617 router. This has seen extensive use in the couple of years I have owned this. If I recall the lift only came with the Aluminum plate, which I wanted in any case, although I was not expecting significant sag with the phenolic plate. So now I have a "spare" phenolic plate from the original table top purchase.
I love the "Unilift". Wood magazine this month has a review of the different lift models. The Woodpecker "QuickLift" got an Editors award.
Dave Paine.
The September issue(#171) has a review of 11 lifts, It is worth a look. It had good things to say of the UniLift but gave Top Value award to the Woodpeckers Quick-Lift.
Sorry, that was Wood Magazine. . .got in a hurry!!!
I just got one of the Woodpecker Quick lifts a short while ago. I have the PC 890 Router installed in it. The QL350A is designed to fit both the 890 and your 1617. It works great. It is very well built and solid. The 32 pitch adj. screw gives you the fine adjustment you need while the quick lift raises the router to above the table instantly for bit changes. When I ordered mine they told me that the phenolic version had been cancelled. You won't be sorry if you buy it.
Red
I have the Quick Lift. It is really nice to be able to lift for bit changes without any cranking. The ONLY drawback I found was that if you didn't hold the unit in the table then sometimes when you lifted it would come out of its "home". I solved that by tapping 4 screw studs into the plate from the bottom side (I have the aluminum plate model) and securing the unit with a couple of hardwood strips and wing nuts. That snugs the strips up against the underside of the table and keeps everything rock solid. The unit's material and workmanship are very good.
Tex
Yes, its the quick lift I am looking at. You mean you pull the whole thing, including the plate, up if you don't secure it first? If thats the only drawback than I think I may have found my solution. The movement on the
1617 is much too fussy; almost as bad as the switch.
There were times when I went to lift the router to make a bit change and would pull up to do so and the unit would at least partially lift out of its place. The plate has a couple of small detents but they don't really exert much force to hold the unit in place when lifting. I have a 1617 in mine and don't have any problems with it moving in the unit's clamping assembly.
As far as the switch, I attached a variable speed controller (from Rockler, I think) to a table leg, plugged the router into it, and permanently turned the router switch on. Now, I can control on/off and speed without having to fidget with a router switch under the table.
Tex
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