Router Lift

[Jim Kappel]

I'm looking for a top flight router lift. Seems like there are a handful to choose from....

Jessem
Woodpecker
Bench Dog

Question is, what are the pros and cons?

I'm leaning toward the BD for some reason. I'm drawn to the stability of it. Any input you give me will be taken to heart.

I have a NYW router table and the PC 7518.

[Ron Bontz]

I have a NYW style router table as well 36 x 27. A wp lift and 7518. I have been happy with it for about 7 years. A lot of use and no problems. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the lifts you listed. Just preference. Best of luck.

[Jim Kappel]

Thanks Ron!

That's exactly why this decision is so tough for me. I have feeling I'd love any of them.

[Jim O'Dell]

I have the Woodpecker PRL and love it. As others have said, it's built like a tank. About 4 years old. I hear good things about the Bench Dog also, but I've never seen one in person. I don't think you could go wrong with either of them, and probably not with the Jessum either. Maybe pick one that will fit with your color scheme??:rolleyes: :D Jim.

[Neal Clayton]

i have the bench dog. heavy ++, probably about 10 pounds.

no problems with accuracy or stability, i make doors and windows with it without any issues.

also using a 7518.

make sure your table is well supported...

[glenn bradley]

Tough choice. I have the PRL with a Milwaukee 5625 and love it.

[Clay Crocker]

I've had the Benchdog for about 5 years and love it. Can't comment on the others since I have never used them. The BD is built like a tank and works great w/ a PC 7518.

Clay

[Jonathan Spool]

I have been pondering the same choice for the past couple of weeks. I finally ordered the PRL V2 for the feature that seperated it from the pack. It gives you the ability to raise the motor for bit changes without spinning a crank forever. A couple seconds is all it takes to raise and lower the motor. It also will allow me to utilize my motor of choice, the Milwaukee 3625. The Benchdog pro looks like a great steel product, but requires the Benchdog table if you want to level the lift (the levelers are in the table, not the lift). Other than that all the major players seem to be putting out a quality product.

[Rick Fisher]

I have the Jessem. I really like it. I woudnt say its built like a tank, more like a finely tuned instrument.

I like that the router can be removed in less than 10 seconds, without tools. The adjustments are silky smooth and easy..

I am betting that there are better lifts than my Jessem but I wouldnt bother swapping for one, the Jessem does everything I could ask for.


What I really like is the matching Jessem Phenolic table top. The combination of the two is excellent.

[Bill Huber]

I have the Jessem FX and it is everything I could ask for almost. I do like the Quick lift of WP but that is a little thing to me. The FX is for the smaller 2 1/2 hp routers. It is very smooth to operate and as was stated the router comes out in a flip of a lever.

I also have the Jessem top and fence and the whole setup is just a joy to use.

102933

[Doug Shepard]

At the time I was looking, I also wanted a Woodhaven AngleEase so needed something with the same plate size. I ended up getting the Woodpecker PRL. My only beef with it is that the scale markings are white against a gold colored plate though I think maybe they've changed colors since. The white/gold is extremely hard to read with my boogered up vision.

[Dewayne Reding]

I have a NYW router station and a 7518. The Jessem Mast-R-Lift lift has served me well for two years.

Pros:

Very solid construction,it reminds me of an aircraft part.
Ease of adjustability
Cuts wood with the repeatable precision of metalworking tools

Cons:

I don't know of any yet, but I haven't used other lifts. Sure I would have been happy with your other choices, but Amazon had a real good sale so the decision was easy.

[bob greenshields]

+ 1 for the Mast-R-Lift. It's as if it was made just for the 7518. Super smooth lift operation, secure hold on the motor, above-table access to the collet, yada, yada.

No doubt that BD and WP have excellent competitive products.

Like Dewayne, I finally selected the Jessem based on a great sale price at the time.

Sale hunting seems like a pretty smart strategy when the products are all worthy.

[Paul Greathouse]

Jim

I have the NYW table, PC 7518 and Benchdog lift. They work great togeather, very precise and at the same time very strong. I do everything from simple edge profiliing to raised panels with a 3 1/2" bit. It is so easy to adjust for cope and stick cuts for door rails and stiles. Put a straight bit in it and you have a poor mans edge jointer.

[Bruce Page]

I have the Bench Dog with PC7518 and the Digi-Router digital readout. I can’t imagine it getting any better than this – built like a tank and I can raise/lower in .001 increments if I want to.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=68786 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=68786)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76739 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76739)
The Router Raizer is the only other “lift” that I have ever used but from what I have read you’ll be happy with any of the ones you have listed.

[Russ Massery]

I have a Woodpecker Plungelift with M12V. I'm very happy with, like others have said I don't think you could go wrong with any of the choices you have listed. I'm am considering adding a wixey digital read out to it.

[Steve Roxberg]

So does anyone with the Woodpeckers PRL, without the quicklift feature, use a cordless drill or Screwdriver to raise and lower for bit changes?

[Michael Shea]

Another vote for the Jessem Router Lift FX. I love mine.

[Brad Townsend]

A couple of you have mentioned the JessEm FX lift. I too have a JessEm Router-Lift FX and am very pleased with it, but the OP already mentioned he has a PC 7518. The FX ain't gonna work.;)

[Jim O'Dell]

So does anyone with the Woodpeckers PRL, without the quicklift feature, use a cordless drill or Screwdriver to raise and lower for bit changes?

Steve, I haven't done it yet, but several have. Shouldn't pose a problem. Might want to be careful when it is close to one end or the other if going full tilt with a height torque drill. That could possible create a problem. Otherwise, should be fine. I have thought that I would do it in the future. Jim.

[Jim Kappel]

Well Gents, I visited Rockler yesterday morning. They had four choices:

Bench Dog, Jessem Mast R Lift, Smartlift Digital, and a Rockler one.

And the winner is......

Jessem Mast R Lift!

I couldn't pass on the price with the discount. I liked both the Bench Dog and Jessem but for some reason, maybe the way it was set up or something, the crank was very wobbly as it was seated on the nut. Those two things, price and crank, made me go with the Jessem.

I truly don't think I would have regretted either decision.

Thanks for the input everyone.

[glenn bradley]

Congrats. Let us know how you like it after awhile.

[Ernest Saldana]

SmartLift Digital

[Alan See]

I just got a brand new Bench Dog ProLift. I love everything about it except one thing. They have apparently changed some details of the design without updating their manuals or sales literature. The PC7518 motor I mounted in the router WILL NOT fit through the hole in the top plate. This means the bottom collet nut wont quite clear the table surface. The manual and every review I've read all show (or discuss) the motor raising clear through the table for easy bit changes. I'm guessing that this design change occurred as a part of BD's new "partnership" with Rockler. I purchased mine at Rockler on the day after Thanksgiving, and I am just now getting my table set up. This thread had reminded me to call the BD tech support line and find out what gives!

[Alan Schaffter]

So does anyone with the Woodpeckers PRL, without the quicklift feature, use a cordless drill or Screwdriver to raise and lower for bit changes?

Close- I have a 7539 in a WP Plunge Lift. I added a small bidirectional 110VAC gear motor I got from the Surplus Center, a HF right angle chuck, some wire, and a spring loaded, single pole, double throw, center off paddle switch, and some hardware:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/P4160001.JPG

It works pretty well, but I need to clean and lube the 32 TPI lead screw regularly. I would also like a little more HP than 1/40 and more speed than the 260 RPM. I used a really cheap Ebay special drill, first but that took more wiring.

[Bruce Page]

Alan, my 7518 motor clears. I don't think BD has changed anything, I think something's not right with yours.

[Charles Saunders]

Jim, you will not be disappointed in the Jessem ML. I have used one for a couple years with PC 7518 router with great satisfaction. It's really well designed and built - and the wear points have compensating adjustments. If I recall correctly they use a 3/4-16 drive screw for the lift. I think a lot of us tend to use dial calipers and process dimensions in 1/1000ths, so it ends up being 0.0156" vertical movement per quarter turn. Just a minor inconvenience. I don't have a digital readout on mine but I may consider it at some point.

[Rick Fisher]

Congrats on your purchase. I am sure you will love it. You compared Caddilac products, any choice was a good one.

[Alan See]

Alan, my 7518 motor clears. I don't think BD has changed anything, I think something's not right with yours.

Bruce, how old is yours? The clues the lead me to believe this is a design changer are: 1. The router motor fits perfectly in the lift body -that rules out PC having changed the router diameter. 2. The overlap difference is exactly 1/4 inch all the way around the hole - I ran a sharpie along the edge of the hole to mark the motor. 3. The throat plate that came with the router fits the hole exactly.

I called Bench Dog's 800 number today. Got an automated system, and left voicemail. No callback yet.

I'm not trying to hijack the thread and turn it into a gripe session, but I would like people considering their router lift options to be aware of this possible change before plunking down $329.00. If I had known ahead of time, I still would have gotten the ProLift, the thing's built like a tank, and just looks like it belongs in my BD cast iron table.

[Bruce Page]

Alan, my 7518 motor clears. I don't think BD has changed anything, I think something's not right with yours.

Bruce, how old is yours? The clues the lead me to believe this is a design changer are: 1. The router motor fits perfectly in the lift body -that rules out PC having changed the router diameter. 2. The overlap difference is exactly 1/4 inch all the way around the hole - I ran a sharpie along the edge of the hole to mark the motor. 3. The throat plate that came with the router fits the hole exactly.

Alan, I bought them both a little over a year ago. There’s only about 1/16” clearance, but as you can see, the 7518 does clear the BD.
Clearance issues aside, I never raise the PC this high. You can easily change bits with the router body below the plate/insert rings.

[Jim Becker]

I love my Bench Dog lift. I started with a JessEm Rout-R-Raiser years ago and it gave good service, but didn't have the features of the more current generation of lifts. I like the Bench Dog when I first saw it, but didn't bite, as it were. When they came out with the cast iron router top...I did bite...and now happily use the combination of their top and lift with my trusty PC7518.

[Gilbert Vega]

I have 3 Jessem Mart-R-Lifts on 7518's and would gladly buy another one ( if I could justify it).

[Rick Fisher]

Okay. I gotta ask..

3 lifts..


How many routers do you own ???

I can understand people owning 3 or 4... maybe even 5 ..

I have 3 and am considering a 4th.. Perfectly normal.. :rolleyes:

Something tells me you have more than a few... ? :p

[Alan See]

Alan, my 7518 motor clears. I don't think BD has changed anything, I think something's not right with yours.

Bruce, how old is yours? The clues the lead me to believe this is a design changer are: 1. The router motor fits perfectly in the lift body -that rules out PC having changed the router diameter. 2. The overlap difference is exactly 1/4 inch all the way around the hole - I ran a sharpie along the edge of the hole to mark the motor. 3. The throat plate that came with the router fits the hole exactly.

I called Bench Dog's 800 number today. Got an automated system, and left voicemail. No callback yet.

I'm not trying to hijack the thread and turn it into a gripe session, but I would like people considering their router lift options to be aware of this possible change before plunking down $329.00. If I had known ahead of time, I still would have gotten the ProLift, the thing's built like a tank, and just looks like it belongs in my BD cast iron table.

I spoke with Bench Dog. Yes there has been a design change, yes the change is related to Rockler's recent "partnership" with BD. Rockler changed the top plate to allow the use of a plastic throat plate instead of a steel one. No one at Bench Dog was aware the change prevented the PC 7518 from raising through the table until they started hearing from grumpy customers via their 800 number. They said things are a little up in the air in terms of how they are going to deal with this, or whether the change was permanent. The new ProLifts with the narrower throat are model number 40-150. There are still some older models in the marketplace with the wide throat. Look for model number 40-018.

[Cary Swoveland]

It may be worth a mention that one of the advantages of the Bench Dog is that, being steel, it allows you to use magnetic featherboards and hold-downs. I have a BD with the PC 7518 and am very pleased with it. It's very fast and smooth raising and lowering. I had no problems installing it in a shop-made phenolic table.

I initially considered getting the large Milwaukee router for it (the only alternative to the 7518 I believe), but shims would be required and there were some clearance issues.

Cary