Betterley Router Dust Collection: Comments
Betterley Industries manufacturers and sells a wide variety of products, primarily targeted at solid-surface countertop fabricators and installers.
A week ago, I purchased their STACC-VAC product, and thought I'd pass along my thoughts.
Background/Disclaimers:
1) I have never had any contact with them before asking questions related to my purchase - I only called to be sure I understood what I needed.
2) I am not a countertop guy. Never have been. Never will be.
3) I don't consider this a legitimate "product review", because there are folks here who do a great job of those, and I ain't doing THAT much work on this comment.
3) I don't even consider myself a "router guy." I own 2 PC 690xx, all the bases for them, and a Makita lam trimmer. I don't have a router table, and doubt I ever will. I don't use routers enough to warrant the investment in a good table, a really good fence, and a great lift [the only setup I would be happy with]. I had to struggle a bit to come up with a "plausible excuse" to buy my 2d 690 from a fellow Creeker - forget where I landed on that one - probably involved beer.
SO: If you conclude I don't know much about routers, good for you - I already know that. If you think I should have taken a different approach - good for you - I don't care :D.
Their website has info on the product, of course. Not a bulletproof source for Q+A, I thought, but enough for me to get a good feel.
BOTTOM LINE: I evaluate products, restaurants, airlines, etc on (a) how well they perform what they say they will do [the famous Varsity in Atlanta, and the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, both rank at the top of this criteria in my book, but you would never confuse the two], and (2) did I get my money's worth, based on where I thought I was going on the price-performace curve [repeat previous example].
Betterley's product outperformed what I expected. Their website says it will capture over 95% of the dust. My unscientific, anectdotal, look-around-the-workbench-and-floor evaluation puts it at 98%+. Seriously. The product performed better than they said, and better than I expected. Also, their customer service was excellent. On the price-performance curve, I got more than my money's worth, IMO, but it ain't cheap.
VERY BRIEF description:
1) The product's "guts" is a machined aluminum base, that screws to the cast base of the router. Don't know all the hole patterns, but the 690 bolts right on. Very well machined.
2) It has a dust port that is 1-1/2" OD by 1-3/8" ID. My Fein T-III accessory hose fits inside perfectly.
3) There is a clear plastic dust guard that snaps into the main base [takes a bit of figuring out] to keep the dust below the base.
4) There is a sub-base that screws onto the main base. I also got an accessory sub-base designed for use with plunge operations.
5) There is a plastic curved block ["dust deflector body"] to which you attach a couple of brushes, and a lower dust guard that attaches to the plastic block. The point here is this: with the standard sub-base and the block/brushes attached, you are riding against the edge of a countertop for roundover/chamfering. The block w/brushes is 1-1/4" tall to account for the countertop thickness, and the lower dust guard rides under the overhanging countertop edge.
6) The optional plunge sub-base I got has a center hole sized to accept templet guides.
OBSERVATIONS:
I have used this for three different tasks [all with WRC]. I have it hooked up to the older model Fein T-III, with a filter [not HEPA] and bag, and a 16' x 1-1/4" accessory flex hose that runs from the vac up to the ceiling, across the joists, and down to the workbench.
1) 1/2" x 5" x 1" deep mortises. About 200 of these so far. 1/2" upcut spiral bit, cutting in 4 passes. Marvelous. The only issue I have seen is that the WRC has long, stringy fibers. Pretty much everything that escapes the dust collection are stray, long fibers - and there is very little of that. These fibers also mean that I have developed the habit of making a couple "repeat passes" during the plunge cycles, to clear the fibers that jam into the mortise. Probably need to do this only 25% of the time, but since I can't tell until I have pulled the router off-station, I just do it every time. I am sure this is due to the characteristics of the WCR, and would not expect to see it in hardwood.
2) Using a 1/4" upcut spiral bit, routing 2" x 6" rectangular cutouts in 3/4" WRC in 3 passes. Done about 100 of these so far. Same performance as with the mortises, except that the narrow routed slot means the long stringy fibers jam up more in the bottom of the slot. Just a couple of "clean out" passes to dislodge and send them up the chute.
3) Using a 5/16" radius bit, round over about 700 lineal feet of edge. So far. This presented an intellectual challenge. The standard product's roundover design is for overhanging countertops. Not my application - no overhang. For this type of router work, I slap some 80g adhesive-backed sandpaper on the bench for a friction surface, and go to town. I was not about to "perch' the workpiece on something. I thought it through, emailed Betterley with my situaiton and thoughts. Got into a good email-conversation about "this-then-that-did-you-think-of-no-good-point-how-about-yes-fine-but-maybe...." So, I made a reasonable facsimile of their block, but no brushes and about 5/8" thick - so it ride just above the ench surface. 2" diameter hole, then cut back to an arc of about 60% of that circumference. It sits about 1/2" off the workpiece. I rotate the leading edge against the workpiece. Now that I made one, I can see "how I shoulda done it", but - It works great. Absolutely great. Doubt I will take the time to fab V2.0 Anyone ever use a hand-held to roundover 700 lf? and then shovel your way out of the shop?
I.....have....NEVER....filled up a Fein bag that fast. True story - the fiber quit clearing. I tried more clean-out passes. Nope. I took out the hose to see if the base or hose connection had clogged. Nope. Ran through the usual litany of cusswords. Nope - these never work - I need some new ones, I guess. Finally considered that maybe the Fein bag was full. Bingo. Thankfully, I have 'Zon Prime, and got some more right away.
[Side note: with the plunge at "home", you can sit the router down, turn it on to activate the Fein remote, pull the vac hose, and vacuum up stuff on the table. :eek:. Don't start on me guys. As I said - I don't care.]
I'm a fan. They hit the gong at the top of the tower on delivered v promised, customer service, and sitting on the right spot of the price-performance curve.
If you think this would be something that fits your needs, you will not be disappointed, IMO. Solid product. Solid company.
