PC 7518 vs. 75182

[Mark Vedder]

I'm looking to get a Porter Cable 7518 for my router table. This router will be mounted in the table "permanently" in a Mast-R-Lift. Other routers will be used for hand routing.

When looking at the 7518 (http://www.deltaportercable.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=11099), I saw the 75182 (http://www.deltaportercable.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=16394) which is listed as the motor for the PC 7518 and is $50 cheaper. Since I will have the motor permanently mounted, I really don't need the base.

Does anyone know if the 75182 is truly the 7518 without the handle? Is there anything else (accessories, collet, wrenches, etc.) missing from the 75182? The PC web site doesn't provide much detail for the 75182. But the Woodcraft page (http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=20159&productid=821719&mode=details#tabs) for the 75182 states it includes 1/2" collet and wrenches. I just want to make sure I won't be sacrificing anything if I go with the 75182 over the 7518.

Any comments or advice are welcome.

[Paul Greathouse]

It's exactly the same, the only two things I can see that you will be missing are the base which you don't need and the 1/4" collect which you might need. If you already have any of the old smaller 690 series routers the collet is the same for the 7518 & 75182.

[Bob Genovesi]

Mark,

If the router will be permanently mounted in a life, why not look into buying just the motor and saving additional cash?

[Bob Lloyd]

Mark

You get the motor, two wrenches and the 1/2" collet. As Paul says, the 690 1/4" collet fits. I think that it is so cheap of Porter Cable to charge that much and not include the 1/4" collet.

Bob

[Luther Oswalt]

I have the same set as you are planning in a Jessem Router Table and it was much cheaper to buy just the motor ... If my memory serves right today, I think my motor came with both the 1/4" and the 1/2" chuck. You will like this set up!
Leo

[Mark Vedder]

Thanks for the input everyone. Sounds like my plan to just get the motor only (the 75182) is a good one. As I said, I just wanted to make sure there weren't any hidden gotchas. (You know... something like save $50 on the motor only and then have to pay $65 for an accessory that would have been included in the 7518.) Neither the 7518 nor 75182 have the 1/4" collet, so I'd have to buy that either way. I agree Bob that it's a shame PC doesn't include that.

By the way, for any one interested, PC has a $25 rebate on these routers right now. I got lucky on the timing since I was planning to buy this weekend and the rebate started this weekend. I posted the rebate details (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1123302) in the Deals and Discounts forum.

[Chip Lindley]

Save yourself $50!! 7518 Type 1 is an *older* model. If you download P-C parts lists for both, you will see many diff. part numbers listed. Many parts are Not interchangeable.

As most will attest, *older* is better, concering Porter-Cable! But either if these 7518's should serve you well! They are heads above the newer P-C models which suffer from collet over-heating and other issues.

I have 7518 and 7519s and also a couple of *really old* pre-P-C, Rockwell motors which are built like a tank and only need new brushes and perhaps bearings to run for yet another century!

[Larry Edgerton]

That router actually works very well as a hand held, so I think you are doing yourself a disservice by not getting a base. It has so much mass that things that bother lessor routers don't phase it. It is a lot less work to run the router over the boards in some cases than to fight moving heavy boards, plus there are situations that the boards that you are profiling can no be flattened, so a router follows the curve where a shaper/routertable will give a raise in profile.

For example there are cases where I need all of the thickness for stair stringers and will be pulling them into a wall, so I do not flatten them on the jointer. I use my 7518 to do the top profile and route out for all of the stringers.

My suggestion is that you are making a mistake that limits your possibilities by not buying a base.

[Mark Vedder]

Thanks for the suggestion Larry. I understand your point. However, I have a beefy 3HP plunge router that I got a number of years ago that can handle anything I can throw at it. At this point I am looking to have a router dedicated to a router table. So I would never use the handle. If it was the only router in my shop -- or even the only monster router -- than yes, I'd get the handle to have for hand routing.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I was in the same boat as you and found that I wouldn't save that much getting just the motor.

I was on ebay and got a router from tool zone inc. for $309 shipped. This is $40 cheaper than a amazon and cheaper than buying the motor by itself from amazon at the time.

Though since I did get it on ebay, your mileage may vary...

I use my router in a Jess em lift so the base just takes up space, however the main reason I am keeping the base is so I can resell the router some day easier.