I'm looking at router lifts...

[Dave Zellers]

... and thinking of taking advantage of the Rockler 20% off one item sale.

Poking around, I see the Incra Master Lift II Rockler sells has a base that is 1" less than the Incra Mast-R-Lift II that others sell to make it proprietary to their tables. And it's cheaper- $50 difference on Amazon. I assume all else is the same?

A Jessem lift is cheaper but you have to buy the inserts separately.

So I'm leaning toward the Incra at Rockler but I'll be building my own table. No biggie that the lift base is smaller?

Looking for any and all input. And in case I've completely taken leave of my senses when I pull the trigger, anyone have any experience with the
JessEm™ Mast-R-Lift Excel II™ ?! http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=69204&cat=1,43000,69192

[james glenn]

I recently bought the Jessem 02120 Master-R-Lift II Router Lifter 9-1/4' X 11-3/4' for my General Cast Iron Extension table and so far I really enjoy it. Works smoothly and installed easily. Great quality construction and machining. I bought the inserts as well, and they lock into the plate.


http://www.thetoolstore.ca/viewItem.asp?idProduct=10487

Jimmy

[Brian Lefort]

i just got the woodpeckers lift. i love it.

[Ellen Benkin]

I think the Rockler branded one is made by Jessem. I have had one for years and really love it.

[Dave Zellers]

I looked up the Incra Mast-R-Lift II at Carbide Processors and they had the lowest price I'd seen. With the 'creekers' discount (I thought it was 15% on orders over $100 but it discounted it 10%), it was a few bucks cheaper than Rockler.

Couldn't stand it any longer. Pulled the trigger.

[Rick Fisher]

I have 2 x Jessem lifts .. one for large routers and one for smaller routers. They work really well. I have no doubt that there are fancier lifts but I have no motivation to upgrade.

[Vince Shriver]

James, since you went with the General Extension table, did you look at the Excalibur lift? It looks well built.

[Keith Weber]

I just recently upgraded to a Mast-R-Lift II and a PC 7518 on my homemade router table. I bought it at Rockler because they had the magnetic inserts, which really work well. Yeah, the Rockler one is an inch shorter. It's definitely a Jessum, but Branded Incra. Rockler, Jessum, Incra... everybody taking a piece of the pie, which is probably why they're so expensive. But as pricey as they are, they really are a great unit, especially when paired up with the PC router. The narrower Rockler one turned out to be a bit of a PITA to install because there's not a lot of overhang on the front and back of the plate, so I had to rout out a bunch of recesses so that the lift mechanisms would fit in the hole. But, once in place, you never have to remove it again. You can change bits from above the table. I'm just about 30 minutes worth of work to finish up 288 linear feet of base cap trim I made tonight. Setup was a breeze with the above-table height adjustment, and the PC router had plenty of power. Great upgrade from my Bosch 2hp router/Rockler aluminum router plate setup.

[Mike Heidrick]

i just got the woodpeckers lift. i love it.

Had mine 5 years. SAME

[Alan Lightstone]

I replaced my Woodpeckers PRL-V2 with the Incra Mast-R-Lift II. I'm much happier with the Mast-R-Lift. Adjusting the Woodpeckers annoyed me too much. It's far easier with the Mast-R-Lift. I also like it with the PC7518, and the magnetic inserts are quite nice.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I really like my Jessem Lift, and, they have decent support (or at least they got back to me when I needed some help).

The only disadvantage is that their plates to change the size of the hole are expensive.

[Prashun Patel]

I considered the Incra and Jessem and opted for the Incra Master Lift 2. The reason is it has magnetic, metal insert rings. Tool-less and durable.

I like everything except one thing: the lift does not go far enough below the table to be able to route shallow dados with certain bits. You either need a shorter bit for this or to build a sled to raise the table. Clear as mud?

[Steve Peterson]

I considered the Incra and Jessem and opted for the Incra Master Lift 2. The reason is it has magnetic, metal insert rings. Tool-less and durable.

I like everything except one thing: the lift does not go far enough below the table to be able to route shallow dados with certain bits. You either need a shorter bit for this or to build a sled to raise the table. Clear as mud?

I have the Incra PRL-V2 and really like it. It is great to be able to quickly swap out the magnetic inserts. The PRL-V2 adds a quick adjust to raise the router, but with a slightly less convenient micro adjust mechanism.

Prashun, As I recall, the router locks in by clamping to the sides of the router. You may be able to lower the router and re-clamp instead of building a sled.

Steve

[Keith Weber]

Prashun, As I recall, the router locks in by clamping to the sides of the router. You may be able to lower the router and re-clamp instead of building a sled.

The problem with that is that he might not be able to change the bits from above the table then, because the router wouldn't come up far enough.

[John Piwaron]

Jessem makes the Incra router lift. The plate is the standard Rockler plate size. I bought the Incra lift for that reason. I already had an opening for the Rockler plate size. I think the Jessem/Incra lift is great. I really couldn't be happier with it.

[Dave Zellers]

I just added the Wonder Fence.

Waiting for these is going to be painful. With the holiday, this will take forever!:eek:

[Larry Heflin]

Maybe build your own. I'm thinking about this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNXWQHx4-7U

[Dave Zellers]

Maybe build your own. I'm thinking about this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNXWQHx4-7U

Too squeaky! :cool:

[Chris Padilla]

I have the Incra PRL-V2 and really like it. It is great to be able to quickly swap out the magnetic inserts. The PRL-V2 adds a quick adjust to raise the router, but with a slightly less convenient micro adjust mechanism.

Prashun, As I recall, the router locks in by clamping to the sides of the router. You may be able to lower the router and re-clamp instead of building a sled.

Steve

Ditto on all this. The Incra PRL-V2 is the cat's meow IMO. I love the magnetic inserts. I think most of the router lifts can suffer from tall/short bit syndrome.

[Earl Rumans]

As others have stated the Incra Mast-R-Lift II is made for them by Jessem. I have this lift and I am very happy with it. I got it over the Jessem because of the magnetic throat plates. I much prefer the Incra setup over the Jessem. Just be aware that the Rockler version will lock you into their, or your own custom made, router table, due the the smaller size.

[Don Huffer]

Maybe build your own. I'm thinking about this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNXWQHx4-7U

Larry
Since you posted it and brought it up. I built one and would recommend it. It was really an easy build.
Best aspects for this one.

Doesn't hang from the top.
Fast bit changes without having to raise the router.
Adjusts from the top. One turn is 1/16". Micro adjustments are perfect.
Cost less than $20. Built from scraps on weekend.
The router drops out quickly if needed.
Easy access to change bits.

Don

[Larry Heflin]

Nice one Don!

[Jacob Dahn]

I have a Jessem that is built into their table top. I absolutely love it. Especially the side mounted height adjustment. I never need to move the fence when adjusting the bit. Worth every penny for a lift.
Jake

[Don Huffer]

Nice one Don!

Thanks

Don

[Don Huffer]

There are many lifts that can be built that will last a life time. The movement in raising up and down is a very low ware point and IMHO doesn't require a complicated bearing costing hundreds of dollars. Many of if not all the major magazines showcased their version and I took what I thought to be the best of two worlds and combined them.

My lift has 5 surfaces to register and ride against. It only moves in two directions, up and down. The freedom of not hanging on the top is also a reason I built it. This was a major improvement because bits change at the tip of the table. No need to crank it up.

If anyone wants more information for building one I'm only happy to help.

Don

[Jack Jackson]

I replaced my Woodpeckers PRL-V2 with the Incra Mast-R-Lift II. I'm much happier with the Mast-R-Lift. Adjusting the Woodpeckers annoyed me too much. It's far easier with the Mast-R-Lift. I also like it with the PC7518, and the magnetic inserts are quite nice.

I'm curious Alan, what about the Woodpeckers set up was annoying to adjust... leveling the plate, adjusting the bit? I've never seen one in person but it seems like the little thumb wheel would be more convenient for bit adjustments than having to use the handle each time.... Any input would be helpful, I'm on the fence between the Incra and Woodpeckers right now..

Thanks,

Jack

[Wayne Jolly]

A couple of months ago I bought the Incra branded lift from Rockler. I was aaaaalmost ready to pull the trigger on the Mast-R-Lift II from Incra, but then saw the Rockler ad where theirs was on sale for $80 less. I was a little concerned about the smaller plate size, but I don't have a big router like the 7518. It handles my Bosch 1617 quite well so the smaller plate has not been a problem for me. I am also putting it in a table that I am building for it. I haven't finished the table yet, but it is done enough that has allowed me to use the lift a few times. Sweet.

I talked to an Incra rep about this and there are a couple of differences between the smaller Rockler plate, and the larger Incra. I don't remember the specifics, but one was the way the plate attaches in the corners. It is handled better in the true Incra plate. The Rockler uses "snubbers", one on the top edge and one on the bottom edge, to hold it in place. I managed to fit my plate into my table tightly so I don't have it anchored at all. Besides, the weight should hold it down. There are also two large chamfered holes in opposite corners that are not used on the Rockler plate and are sized for a 5/16" Flat head machine screw. I suppose you could use those to fabricate your own hold-down.

I must add, though, that this is my first lift so I don't have that much experience with lifts. My first router table . . . actually my only other table . . . was a table insert for my Craftsman contractors table saw. It worked, but I wanted something better. Besides, I picked up a PM66 table saw and gave my Craftsman to my son so I gave him my "table" too.

I tried to attach a picture, but I had a little difficulty reducing the image size while still having it big enough to see. Anyway, The insert plate is black, the table top is black, and the fence is black. About the only things that won't be black are the bright magnetic inserts, and the blue Rockler t-track. The case itself is maple.

Wayne