# Crftsman router



## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

I bent the shaft on my plunge router, and am in the market for another. 

Does anyone have any experiance with the 17517 Digital router?

Router

Thanks.
Danny


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

jd99 said:


> I bent the shaft on my plunge router, and am in the market for another.
> 
> Does anyone have any experiance with the 17517 Digital router?
> 
> ...


Hi Danny - Frankly, this looks like a much better deal:
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more


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## jaydubya (Aug 19, 2010)

Just bought the plunge/fixed base router combo today


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Danny

It has a small down fall check out the speeds..

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jd99 said:


> I bent the shaft on my plunge router, and am in the market for another.
> 
> Does anyone have any experiance with the 17517 Digital router?
> 
> ...


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Danny
> 
> It has a small down fall check out the speeds..
> 
> =======


Just had a look. That is a rum one. Minimum 15000rpm with that power is definitely odd. It's got ample power for the bigger bits, but won't run slow enough to safely use them. Who designs these things?

Cheers

Peter


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

I don't plan on running bigger bits, but it could be handy to do it.

I also don't want another combo set, I have two combo sets (well three if you count the bentshaft one) The reason the shaft bent is because of the slop in the plunge housing and motor body, the bit would move back and forth at least .015" no matter how much I tried to tighten the clamp, and I always had problems with It. 

My thoughts is to get a dedicated plunge router, and I won't have that issue. I want to keep the cost down. So what suggestions do you all have for a dedicated plunge router? At least 2hp, and 1/2". 

Thanks
Danny


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I will suggest the router below
Buy Freud FT3000VCE 3-1/4 HP Variable Speed Plunge Router at Woodcraft.com

If you are lucky you can still get one for 200.oo bucks..

It's not running the bigger bits it's having a router with the power to run the bits like a 1/2"/3/4" that can plunge down and plow out the stock in a pass or two..


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jd99 said:


> I don't plan on running bigger bits, but it could be handy to do it.
> 
> I also don't want another combo set, I have two combo sets (well three if you count the bentshaft one) The reason the shaft bent is because of the slop in the plunge housing and motor body, the bit would move back and forth at least .015" no matter how much I tried to tighten the clamp, and I always had problems with It.
> 
> ...


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks Bob, thats a good buy, but a little out of my range to replace the injured router.

I'm mainly looking at sears because I have $60.00 in gift cards I can use, and I want to stay right around the $150 range. 

I never had issues with not enough power when plunging with my router, it was the play in it causing the bit to grab and dig when it shouldn't, which eventualy caused it to grab and bend the shaft. It really took a lot to use it you had to clench up on the handles, and push down so much, it would wear ya out after a little bit.

I am going to sears tomorrow, and look at what they have that is plunge, 2HP min. and solid anywhere in the plunge range. I don't think I'll ever go over 1 1/2" - 2" in bit size with a hand held. 1 1/4" bowl bit is a hand full enough. 

I got to get 7 more trays done ASAP, and need to get something right away.

I'll let ya know what I end up with.

Thanks
Danny


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

jd99 said:


> Thanks Bob, thats a good buy, but a little out of my range to replace the injured router.
> 
> I'm mainly looking at sears because I have $60.00 in gift cards I can use, and I want to stay right around the $150 range.
> 
> ...


Hi Danny - you may want to take a closer look at that combo, I think you will want to check the play in the plunge mechanism no matter what you get. The kit offers power, more plunge depth, $30 less money. You can put the fixed base up on eBay and get some of your money back that way if you want. Just a suggestion.


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

jschaben said:


> Hi Danny - you may want to take a closer look at that combo, I think you will want to check the play in the plunge mechanism no matter what you get. The kit offers power, more plunge depth, $30 less money. You can put the fixed base up on eBay and get some of your money back that way if you want. Just a suggestion.


 I plan on looking at that combo and the others, according to the web site, both those routers are in stock at my local sears. Whichever router looks and feels the most solid, and has no play when clamped in a plunge setting and meets most or all the specs I want will be the one I buy. 

I not going to go through the hassle of having another bucking bronco router to deal with. If I gotta give up a little something to get stability then I think I can live with it.

The old router always scared the he__ out of me because of the slop in it. :fie:

Thanks for the advice.

Danny


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

I musta missed it, what kind of router was the old one. Guess with all those issues I would have been happy to celebrate it's demise.


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

jschaben said:


> I musta missed it, what kind of router was the old one. Guess with all those issues I would have been happy to celebrate it's demise.


It was a skill 1820, it was a gift one xmas or birthday I can't remember. It has always been a POS, but it was the the only 1/2 plunge router I had, I use my PC 890 as a fixed base, and the other PC 890 in the table. The other plunge I have is the T4

The motor housing has a weird shape and you can't get the base to clamp around it tight enough to make the motor not move around inside the base. plus the bearings on the plunge spindles/shafts had way too much slop I thought.

Since I never did that much plunge routing before it wasn't a big issue, the T4 worked out fine for when I did any plunge stuff.

Making all these candy trays for xmas I had to use it quite a lot for the first time.

Made it white knuckle routing thats for sure. :nhl_checking:


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

I ended up buying the 17517. I checked all the 2HP routers there and it was the most stable.

I took a 1/2 dowel pin (Metal not wood) with me and with the sales guys help I chucked up the pin in each router, and moved the plunge distance down to the middle of the travel, and tried to see if the pin would move side to side first by moving the motor body in the base; then by grabing the handles amd seeing if I could rock it on the plunge pins.

All the routers there would move side to side but the 17517 was by far the less, and the 17517 was the only dedicated 1/2" 2 HP router they had, all the others were combo sets.

I'll be cutting with it today let ya know if I made a wise choice. :blink:


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

OK all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here all this time, when ever I had to do plunge routing it was a PITA with that router I had to fight it, thats the reason I started using the trend t4 as my plunge router it at least cut smoother I just had to make more passes.

Now I know what it's like to have a decent plunge router, the thing is rock solid doesnt dance around, plunge is smooth, cuts good, I cut the first cut on the Xmas tree, and I don't have any burning in the tight corners. I'm impressed. :dance3: :yes2:

Yea I know I gave up a couple of things; the lower RPM and 3/16" off the plunge depth, but I don't plan on running 3" bits in a hand router, and I can live with loosing the 3/16".

Thanks Guys for your input.

It helped out a lot.

Danny


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

jd99 said:


> OK all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Here all this time, when ever I had to do plunge routing it was a PITA with that router I had to fight it, thats the reason I started using the trend t4 as my plunge router it at least cut smoother I just had to make more passes.
> 
> ...


Good deal Danny - Don't think ya lost much if it's working for you. That's about the only dedicated plunge router in that HP range that I'm aware of, other than the Skil and you been there. Most are tanks.


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