# craftsmen router?



## rhe8542 (Jan 27, 2009)

I normally shy away from the craftsmen name when it comes to power tools, but a router, model # 302.17542 caught by eye. The router looks nice and so did the price(about $80.00). Does anyone know who makes the tool and does anyone have any comments they would be willing to share about this router. I am looking for a moderately priced router to mount in a router table. Thanks in advance for any help. By the way I am a beginner in woodworking.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Welcome to the forums Robert.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI rhe8542

The 302.17542 is a great router but I would suggest the 
Craftsman 2 hp Soft Start Fixed and Plunge Base Router w/Electronic Feedback, 11 amp 
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00917543000P?mv=rr

In that way you get two routers so to speak  It's just a little bit more money but it's work it,, I have two of them and it's a great router..  I will say if you want to move up just a little bit get the Pro.red top combo kit,it comes with 3 bases and a great power plug  I also have one of them and I would stack it up with any of the routers on the market place...




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rhe8542 said:


> I normally shy away from the craftsmen name when it comes to power tools, but a router, model # 302.17542 caught by eye. The router looks nice and so did the price(about $80.00). Does anyone know who makes the tool and does anyone have any comments they would be willing to share about this router. I am looking for a moderately priced router to mount in a router table. Thanks in advance for any help. By the way I am a beginner in woodworking.


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

Yes, Recommended.
I have the 320.17543 with LED lights, 2 HP, interchangeable fixed and plunge bases. 
I keep the fixed base up under the table, and use the plunge for freehand. Changing the base between the 2 setups is fairly easy. Good power, comfortable, the adjustments take some getting practice to get right. I did a side profile detail in 1x6 oak for a half wall in my living room, about 10 feet long. Took about 3 passes to get to the desired depth and very few scorch marks. Very pleased overall.


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## rhe8542 (Jan 27, 2009)

*craftsmen router*

Thanks to all that took the time to respond. I just received a woodcraft flier in the mail today and they are having a special on a FREUD 2-1/4 HP router with both fixed and plunge bases for $129.00. I like FREUD and think this would be a better deal than the craftsmen 302.17542. What do the helpful readers in this form say? Not sure of the model number but the router can be seen on their website as a Woodcraft exclusive offer. Thanks for your thoughts.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

That Freud router was just 99.99 for the last 2 months if you wanted it you are a little late. It gets horrible reviews as stated here on the forum many times.

http://www.amazon.com/review/produc...cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

http://www.amazon.com/review/produc...?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&pageNumber=2

It seems there are a few good reviews, but all the reviews in 2007 and newer seem to get worse and worse and in 2008 they are horrible.


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## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

*just got that Craftsman*

I just bought that Craftsman combo for $107 a couple days ago (model 17543). The day before that, I bought the Ridgid 2 1/4 HP combo for about $200 at Home Depot. I had forgotten to look at Sears and had already tossed the Ridgid box out, but fortunately Ridgid as a 90-day return anyway.

Last night I took both routers out and examined them side by side. I have no previous routing experience, but did a bunch of research and I'm not a stranger to tools. First I compared the fixed bases. The Sears has a larger window to see the work, and three LEDs as opposed to the Ridgid's two. The height adjustment on both units is fairly sloppy, but the Craftsman's is pathetic. It's of no use at all, for three major reasons:

1. The scale ring around the height-adjustment knob is loose and stops turning while you turn the knob.

2. There's a dead spot in the gearing where you can turn the knob a full 180 degrees and the router motor doesn't move at all.

3. After you get the bit flush with the base, you push a button to disengage the height-adjustment knob so you can zero the scale. After you release the button, the gears do not re-engage, even if you jostle the assembly. They only snap back into each other after you turn the adjustment knob a quarter turn at least, meaning that the scale is now totally inaccurate.

You will be using a ruler to make your height adjustments with the fixed base, period.

The Ridgid's height adjuster isn't what I'd call precise, because the motor can slide up and down a bit before hitting the retractable stop that holds it into the base. But it works much better than the Craftsman, in that you might get away with using it without a ruler.

Switching both machines on, the Craftsman was slightly louder but vibrated less than the Ridgid. The Craftsman "soft start" is much softer than the Ridgid, taking a couple of seconds or more to reach full speed. The Ridgid winds up quickly, and still twists a little with torque. I didn't mind either, but I like the Craftsman action. Sitting on a board, the Ridgid rotated slowly with vibration, and the Craftsman stayed put. The Craftsman's base is wider, however.

The location of the Craftsman's power switch is much better than the Ridgid's; you can, with effort, flip it without taking your hand off the handle. No way can you do that with the Ridgid. This is such a common complaint that it's a little ridiculous at this point.

Next I took out the plunge bases. No obvious advantage to either one here. The Craftsman does have dust boots on the rods. The Craftsman does suffer from one shoddy piece of engineering, though: The rod that limits plunge depth comes down and hits a small pedestal (see picture). That pedestal is stair-stepped in a circle, allowing you to rotate it and make coarse adjustments to plunge depth. It's a useful feature, but unfortunately that pedestal teeters slightly when the rod comes down and hits it. If your pressing force varies much between each plunge, you can get slight depth variation. This thing is held on with a simple screw through its middle, and I'll bet it'd be easy to modify it for the better.

I decided to try the Craftsman, routing a half-inch-deep rectangular well out of some pine (not all at once, of course). I couldn't use the Ridgid for the task at the time, because I found that while the Craftsman comes with an edge guide, the Ridgid doesn't. Also, the Craftsman comes in a hard plastic case that holds the router, bases, edge guide and wrench securely. The Ridgid comes with a canvas bag with no interior pockets and only a divider to separate the bases. The wrench, extra collet, flimsy plastic dust-collection attachments, and base-alignment tool roll around loose in the bottom. The bag has outer pockets, none of which is wide enough to hold the manual (not that you really need the manual after day one, but come on). LAME.

The one thing that the Ridgid comes with that the Craftsman doesn't is the base-alignment tool, which is basically a metal pin that goes in the collet and a plastic cone with a hole through it.

I used the Craftsman with the plunge base to rout my rectangular well, and it worked fine. Really the only issue was my inexperience.

I didn't try the Ridgid, because it's going back and I didn't want to make a mess of it. It don't see what would have made it worth more than double the cost of the Craftsman, when you factor in the lack of an edge guide.

As far as I can tell, the Craftsman is a very good deal.

I do have a question for other owners: Where can I get a good guide bushing for it?


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Well the difference is more likely to show up after 8 hours of use every day for a year. Meaning the Ridgid motor is probably going to last a whole lot longer, but unless you are a pro that runs the router constantly I do not think it will make a whole lot of difference.

It does not seem you measured the run out of the units which is probably just as if not more important than anything you mentioned.

The only height adjustment that I ever saw that really was worth having was on the Festool routers followed by the Bosch. Actually, the Festool routers are head and shoulders above anything else out there and are the only routers that I actual use the fine adjustment without checking it, knowing it is dead on every time. Is it worth 500.00 for this on a single base router? I don't know.

To me the height adjustment is not as big an issue as some make it out to be anyway. 

It sounds like the craftsman is the way to go.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Everyone always talks about the new craftsman , but I really have not heard anything about their current top of the line 12.5 amp routers. How do they stack up against the DeWalts, PC's and Bosch, etc?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00928084000P


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## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

nickao65 said:


> It does not seem you measured the run out of the units which is probably just as if not more important than anything you mentioned.


Yep. I don't really have the means to measure it. I didn't notice any deviation, but it would be good to know.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Stokestack

Craftsman router
You can fix the little bit of slop in the gears by picking up a little bit longer spring, and replace the one that's now in place..

Brass guides from HF or Lee Valley But I do suggest you get the bigger guides... ( 1 3/4") it's not a big deal but it's worth doing...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95160
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51208&cat=1,43000

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Stokestack said:


> I just bought that Craftsman combo for $107 a couple days ago (model 17543). The day before that, I bought the Ridgid 2 1/4 HP combo for about $200 at Home Depot. I had forgotten to look at Sears and had already tossed the Ridgid box out, but fortunately Ridgid as a 90-day return anyway.
> 
> Last night I took both routers out and examined them side by side. I have no previous routing experience, but did a bunch of research and I'm not a stranger to tools. First I compared the fixed bases. The Sears has a larger window to see the work, and three LEDs as opposed to the Ridgid's two. The height adjustment on both units is fairly sloppy, but the Craftsman's is pathetic. It's of no use at all, for three major reasons:
> 
> ...


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Nick

The red top craftsman pro.is the same as the DeWalt and one step above the PC and the Bosch..the real nice thing about the Craftsman it comes with 3 bases in the combo kit..that can be mounted in the router table and all 3 come with above table top adjustment device..and just like the DeWalt as the quick unplug power cable..all 3 bases come with a vac,pickup tubes..

I would rate it 5 stars ***** out of 5 stars...***** 
I was lucky and got it for 100.oo bucks that's hard to beat and Levon also got one..  and some other members as well.. at last count it was a total of 14 members 


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nickao65 said:


> Everyone always talks about the new craftsman , but I really have not heard anything about their current top of the line 12.5 amp routers. How do they stack up against the DeWalts, PC's and Bosch, etc?
> 
> http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00928084000P


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## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

Thanks for the info and the pics, Bob. I saw that Sears had a full set of metal bushings with an alignment tool, so I ordered that. It's not brass, but the one review I read said there wasn't any problem with them coming loose.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Your Welcome Stokestack

I'm not a big fan of the steel guides, I have had my share of them come lose..one took out a bit and it was TP time for me..  I wish they made a tool for them so one could get them tight ...a simple tool would do the job,,I'm sure you have seen a spanner wrench with a dog on it ..that would do the trick..but a hole in the ring nut would need to be put in place...

If you have the same error I did here's a place to get a item to fix it. 

Router Bushing Spring Washer
http://www.ptreeusa.com/routerAcc.htm

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Stokestack said:


> Thanks for the info and the pics, Bob. I saw that Sears had a full set of metal bushings with an alignment tool, so I ordered that. It's not brass, but the one review I read said there wasn't any problem with them coming loose.


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## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

Hm. The brass set at Harbor Freight is actually cheaper than the one I ordered. It doesn't have a base-centering tool, however. I suppose I can make one. Is there some simple base-centering method I'm overlooking?


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Opinions may vary but the Bosch 1617 is the router most of the current combo kits are based on. The Bosch is an industrial quality tool designed for heavy every day use and will be around long after the other brands hit the dump. Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with purchasing a home owner quality router, and exceptional value can be found in the Craftsman 15743. There is a very real difference between the types of motors and bearings... and you get what you pay for. That said, these new Craftsman routers offer tremendous value for the money and should last the average home woodworker for many years. It is a pity that Sears still sells their low quality routers along with these value leaders. Sears is improving; and another example is the new Vibrafree sander built by Rockwell. Having tried this unit at the woodworking show I was impressed. Watch for it to hit your local store soon.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Stokestack

Buy any of the MilesCraft jigs and they all come with a centering tool  that's the easy way to get one that will work in 95 % of the routers. 

http://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-12...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1233272891&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-12...f=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1233272942&sr=1-18

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_hi?url=search-alias=tools&field-keywords=milescraft+&x=0&y=0

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Stokestack said:


> Hm. The brass set at Harbor Freight is actually cheaper than the one I ordered. It doesn't have a base-centering tool, however. I suppose I can make one. Is there some simple base-centering method I'm overlooking?


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## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

*Harbor Freight = painful amateur hour*

Thanks for the recommendations on those, Bob.

And, this is sort of off topic, but Harbor Freight is a pathetic buying experience.

After entering my whole order online, I had to abandon it because their shipping-address form has only one field for the entire combination of street address, city, and state; and that field is limited to 25 characters. I entered a a four-digit address on a NUMBERED street (5th) and then "Santa Monica" wouldn't fit.

The Web page also says, "To place an order, call..." and then gives an incorrect phone number (incorrect according to their customer-service rep).

So I had to call in and painfully spell out most of my order character-by-character over the phone, including how to spell "5th" or "fifth". And for all of that, their "standard shipping" is TWO WEEKS.

The only reason I didn't bail is that I'd already invested vast amounts of time. NEVER AGAIN.


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## wuzfuzde (Feb 21, 2009)

hi Bob
Short verison 
I'm going to make some snap rings -actually just inset rings for my craftsman router table and for my home made table (solid surface) attached to my table saw---i really would like to make these things and maintain my fingers ...Can you direct me how to do that.. Thanks 
Bill


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Bil

I would be glad to,,but I need some info from you,,a picture of your router table or the model number of your table..

Most Craftsman router table are not all made the same, the hard part is getting them to say in place, but it can be done.. 
I will say the easy way just to pickup some replacement rings,take a look at levon post and you will see the set..and ask him where is got his.. I almost sure you will need to rework them just a little bit but it's a good start..

http://www.routerforums.com/show-n-tell/13888-working-shop.html

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wuzfuzde said:


> hi Bob
> Short verison
> I'm going to make some snap rings -actually just inset rings for my craftsman router table and for my home made table (solid surface) attached to my table saw---i really would like to make these things and maintain my fingers ...Can you direct me how to do that.. Thanks
> Bill


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Bill

i ordered the set i got from peachtree woodworking in atlanta. 10 bucks i think.


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## Barry99 (Feb 10, 2009)

rhe8542 said:


> I normally shy away from the craftsmen name when it comes to power tools, but a router, model # 302.17542 caught by eye. The router looks nice and so did the price(about $80.00). Does anyone know who makes the tool and does anyone have any comments they would be willing to share about this router. I am looking for a moderately priced router to mount in a router table. Thanks in advance for any help. By the way I am a beginner in woodworking.




I have the Craftsman 15743 combo fix/plunge. If you can afford to spend another $30 or so, you will be glad you did. Mount the fix base in the table. In less than a minute, you can remove router from fix base to plunge base.


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