Router table system

[JohnMichael Schlim]

I have been stalling the purchase of a router table system for quite some time. I have the PC 3.5 hp variable speed router.
I just found the Jessem mast-r-lift II complete system for $699.00 with $50.00 shipping. (table top, legs, Mast-r-fence, mast-r-lift II lift, 4 feather boards 4 lock rings and remote switch from direct from Jessem.
I have a small shop with many tools, floor space is a premium so I am trying to minimize space without loosing quality. I was looking to get the Jointech tablesaw/router table combo with removable/floating tables. The Jointech would increase my table saw capabilities while adding a router table and reduce the TS footprint increasing my floor space. But Jointech won't answer the phone, I think they are out of business. I do not believe anyone else has designed a floating table design for the TS.
So two questions; 1) What do you think about the Jessem mast-r-lift II complete router table system for $699.00. 2) Anyone know what is up with Jointech? Are they out of business?

[Will Overton]

I like Jessem and WoodPecker router tables and accessories, to a point. The tops, lifts, and fences all can be worth purchasing. They may afford a bit more accuracy than a home brewed setup.

Under all that stuff I recommend a home made cabinet. Put it on wheels, and make it the same height as your tablesaw if you want an outfeed table or more side extension. Build the cabinet to suit your needs, rather than buying a metal stand. As you can see, I prefer drawers, and dust collection. The table, fence and lift are WoodPecker, while the router is a Jessem/Milwaukee.


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/router-table.jpg?t=1289667464

[Bill Huber]

I have been stalling the purchase of a router table system for quite some time. I have the PC 3.5 hp variable speed router.
I just found the Jessem mast-r-lift II complete system for $699.00 with $50.00 shipping. (table top, legs, Mast-r-fence, mast-r-lift II lift, 4 feather boards 4 lock rings and remote switch from direct from Jessem.
I have a small shop with many tools, floor space is a premium so I am trying to minimize space without loosing quality. I was looking to get the Jointech tablesaw/router table combo with removable/floating tables. The Jointech would increase my table saw capabilities while adding a router table and reduce the TS footprint increasing my floor space. But Jointech won't answer the phone, I think they are out of business. I do not believe anyone else has designed a floating table design for the TS.
So two questions; 1) What do you think about the Jessem mast-r-lift II complete router table system for $699.00. 2) Anyone know what is up with Jointech? Are they out of business?

I can't really tell you if the price is good or bad on the Jessem complete system, I guess you would just have to add up the parts, but I can tell you this.

I have the Master-R-Lift II, and it is one really nice lift, it is very smooth and built very well, it's like a rock. The lock is a positive lock and it is not what it looks like, it is just a flip of the crank, you don't have to turn the crank to tighten it, just a quick flip of the crank and it's locked.

I have the Master-R-Table, large, flat and very nice to work on, again it is a very nice table and it does not have slots, it is just a nice flat table with the cut out for the lift plate.

I have the older Master-R-Fence, It is heavy straight and does everything you could ask a fence to do. It does not mount with slots in the table, it mounts with rails on the ends of the table which I really like. The new one has changed in that the jointing strips have change to more like a bar which I think is better then the old strips.

I also have and really love the feather boards, they are the best I have ever used. You can stack them two high or you can have them just one high. I use them on the table saw, the band saw, the router table and the Ridgid sander. The thing about them is you lock them in the position you want and then push feather board in and lock it down, works very well and is very easy to adjust.

All in all I really like my Jessem set up, they have never given me any troubles at all. They have always done what I have needed them to do. I do not have the legs, I made my own table with drawers for storage of my bits.

This is my router set up.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=65473&highlight=jessem

Here is a thread I did on the new Master-R-Lift II.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=149596&highlight=jessem

Here is a thread on a mod I did to the feather boards.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=135503&highlight=jessem

Here is a thread on the feather boards.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=126151&highlight=jessem

[JohnMichael Schlim]

Thanks for the info i knew I could count on the Creek for some useful advice. Does anyone know what is up with Jointech? I am afraid if i pull the trigger on the Jessem I will find that Jointech was selling under a new name or something. Although from the reviews here the Jessem system might just be better in every way. Anyone with info please advise as my wife says I have to buy one before Monday :)

[Paul Wunder]

Always listen to your wife

[dan sherman]

if floor space is at a premium, I would recommend you build your own table that has plenty of built in storage space. My father has the Kreg version of the Jessem table; and semi-regrets the purchase now, because the space under the top is lost.

Attached is an image of my router table. when not in use, it roles under then bench behind it in the picture, and the fence hangs on the wall. I have about 1k in it, but that's because I used Baltic birch ply, and have a benchdog lift, and Kreg t-tracks. I'm sure it could be built for under $700

[JohnMichael Schlim]

I am really having a hard time beating the price of the Jessem complete setup. :) But I really like the home made cabinets for storage and space so I am thinking :rolleyes: buy the system "as is" and use it to build my own router table cabinet in the near future and then sell the metal stand after finished. That way I can use the router table until I find the time to build mine :D

[Stephen Bolshazy]

I have several Jointech items and have been pleased with them. However, I am not pleased with the company. I ordered several items over a year ago and have not received them. I last talked to a human about 60 days ago and was told someone would get back to me.

Their phones have been disconnected but their website seems to be working, although it has not been updated since October 12, 2010. My only presumption is they are out of business and if they aren't they have generated a great deal of bad will.

I hope someone will resurrect the the selling of their tools as they are very decent.

[Robb Graham]

I purchased a jointech sawtrain system with a smartlift router lift about 5 or 6 years ago. I was satisfied with the product and the customer service was pretty good. :)

Last October my Smartlift, decided that it would prefer to stay in one position and stopped lifting and lowering. There was no way to fix this myself, so I called Jointech and spoke to someone, who gave me the instructions for returning it for service and said that it would be done in two weeks. Two months late,r I still did not have it and encountered several weeks of not getting anyone to answer the phone. Finally, I got someone on the phone who said that it had not been fixed, but that he would see that it got done. About two weeks lated I got a call saying that they had fixed it and were shipping it. During this process they were moving so I had hoped that this was a temporary issue.:confused:


Unfortunately, I was wrong. This April I bought a Ridgid R4511 saw for $369 when BORG was unloading them like they were linked to causing cancer. I called Jointech to purchase some longer rails for the R4511.


Over the last six months, I've called hundreds of times and gotten them on the phone two or three times. They did not have any rails that were longer than 40" in stock and were supposedly getting a shipment in a month. I've yet to see my new rails despite numerous mesages, emails and faxes. Unfortunately, I have not found anyone else who makes the aluminum extrusion that Jointech uses.:mad::mad::mad:

In August I found several Jointech items for sale on ebay. I spoke to the seller, who was a one of Jointech's landlords. He had acquired quite a bit of their merchandise when he seized some of their inventory due to the fact that they had not paid their rent. I get the feeling that this problem has extended to their aluminium extrusion supplier as well. The landlord had a bunch of phelolic tops. He said that he sold a lot of them to either Woodpeckers or Incra I think. He said that the orginal owner of Jointech, who had invented the system had died a few years ago and that his son in law was now trying to run the business. He sold me some used rails, that I have cobbled together with my old rails, and I now have a serviceable system for my saw.

In light of the problems that everyone seems to have with Jointech, I think that you would have to be crazy to buy into their system now. In my search for extrusions I ended up speaking to the technical advisor for Incra, while he did not know where Jointech gets their extrusions, I told him that there are a tremendous number of unhappy Jointech owners out their, and suggested that Incra should come up with an adapter kit so that its products would with Jointech systems, before some other company cashed in on the pent up demand for parts and products from thousands of dissatisfied Jointech customers.