Last week, I talked a little about router options for router tables, and mentioned that I bought a heavy duty Porter Cable 7518 router.
The Porter Cable 7518 enjoys a long-standing reputation as being the best large-motor option for router table lifts. Reading user experiences at woodworking and router forums, the common consensus is that it’s still the best choice for mounting to a router table lift or other contraption, but that the quality might not be what it used to.
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There are other very popular options for mounting directly to a router table, which is why I was careful to say that this seems to be the best option for router table lifts and other such mounts.
I wasn’t quite ready to start making wood chips, but I wanted to test the motor out, so that I could chuck the boxes with last week’s recycling collection.
Well, it left me flummoxed. (This now marks the first time I have ever used “flummoxed” in written or verbal conversation.)
I should point out that the router doesn’t quite look like this anymore. After the recall in 2014, it now has black plastic handles over the metal fixed base handles.
So, the 7518 is supposed to be a 5-speed router with electronic speed control and soft-start functionality.
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Testing it out at the lowest speeds, there was no soft-start, and the speed started off at max. What? No, it didn’t ramp down, it just started at or near its max speed, with a hard counter-rotational tug of the handles.
I slid the speed control switch to its second speed setting, and it ramped down to a lower speed. It sped up a little when switched to its third speed setting. I couldn’t really differentiate what it was doing when switching to the two highest speeds.
Other tool motors, even those with electronic load-monitoring speed controls, ramp up or down in discrete steps. You can hear the difference in RPMs as it does this.
Could this tool’s weird max speed at the lowest setting be intentional? I couldn’t possibly believe that. Even if that was true, what’s the excuse for the soft-start failure?
I retrieved my Bosch-made Craftsman router, which hasn’t been used in a few years. It’s more than a decade old, now. I used a roommate’s Sears gift card wedding gift to snag the router kit, which was either deeply discounted or clearance priced.
That Bosch motor behaved predictably and confidently.
Something seems wrong with my new Porter Cable 7518 router. Either the speed controller is defective, which is why the soft-start also doesn’t work at the lowest speed setting, or I just don’t know how to use this router.
In my mind, a brand new tool with a defective component needs to go back. I’ll try again another time.
In the meantime, I do have 3.5″ pads for my router table, and so I’ll pop something else back in there. Maybe it’ll be my Bosch-made Craftsman Pro router, or a Porter Cable router sample I’ve been testing on something else.
I tried to find some answers online, as to why the Porter Cable’s speed control switch doesn’t seem to work properly – or perhaps it’s just not working intuitively, making the issue user-error rather than a product defective – and found many posts about speed control failures. While some opt for add-on router speed controllers when their built-in functionality fails, that’s not something I should have to do with a brand new tool.
Maybe I won’t even need the added power of the 7518, compared to the still not too shabby power of smaller routers, like the Porter Cable 690, or Bosch 1617EVSPK that my Craftsman is a slight adaptation of.
From what I can gather, the Porter Cable 7518 is a relic, a time-testing but old design. That’s why its speed controller isn’t all that smooth to use, aside from the mentioned issues, and why its power switch has an old-timey look to it.
Its look, its feel… this model is crying out and begging to be updated.
What will happen if or when a supplier stops making a specific part that goes into this router? Will it be discontinued or perhaps updated?
Shown here is a Porter Cable low profile sander, which was also available in Dewalt colors at one point. Both have been discontinued, because Porter Cable could no longer buy the special motors they built it with. If something like that happens to the 7518, maybe they’ll update it then.
If the need arises, and I want a larger size and more powerful router motor, maybe I’ll get the single-speed version, 7519, but the 5-speed version is the same price, or a little less. Maybe I’ll try my luck with another version of the 7518.
The 7518 is made in Mexico (not China), and from the markings, I received one that was built in the later part of 2017. It feels solid, and both the fixed base and the collets felt nice and precise.
I was very excited about my sight-unseen purchase, and was even more excited, until I switched it on.
I can understand why it’s an older design that hasn’t been updated. If it isn’t broken, why fix it? Mounted under a router table, the large rocker switch and speed control switch might be easier to control than the smaller power switches and speed control dials found on more modern designs.
But all that excitement was quickly diminished once I came to the conclusion that the high speed at the lower setting and absence of soft-start there was more likely an issue with the tool than my familiarity with it.
I checked the user manual too, just to be sure, and again after I searched the internet for clues. The only related part says something about switching the speed and not hearing an anticipated change in sound, and about how continuing to run the motor can overheat it.
Cosmetic defects? I can handle that. What seems to be an unknown electrical defect with unknown consequences apart from limited speed range and soft-start complications? *Sigh* It’s going back.
Or am I somehow wrong about this being a defect?
David Funk
Not sure what you are looking for in your router but I would recommend taking a look at JessEm’s Power Tech Motor it has remote turn on and remote speed dial with digital read out. I got mine from Acme on percent off sale. I feel this router might have the technology that you miss with the old Porter Cable.
Stuart
I was looking for a router to be more or less permanently fixed to a router table. I went with the 7518 vs. the motor-only model because I got the fixed base at an almost negligible price difference.
I haven’t seen the JessEm Pow-R-Tek Router Motor yet, will take a closer look, thanks!
BUT, it also looks like the Portamate and MLCS routers of similar size, and they haven’t had great reviews.
Robert Lubecker
I have the mentioned JessEm Power Tech Motor with the digital speed control. The speed control is good but the router lacks power and shuts itself down on deep cuts (raised panels).
So I’m not impressed with the JessEm router.
I’ll have to switch to some thing else at some point..
Eric S.
In my experience, you can best forget about the Jessem Pow-R-Tek. I just returned my second one for a refund. Both units just shut down without warning (after 3 months and 6 months respectively) of very light use (occasional weekend, hobby work only). In my opinion, there is clearly a defect in the design of their electronics, but no shop I tried would even consider touching them for repair. No spare parts available either, not even through Jessem. To their credit, Jessem offered me a refund instead of insisting that I try again and wind up tearing apart my table and lift for a third time. Great company, but an obviously poor product. I would bet its built in China, which seems to be a common denominator in the performance decline of most 3hp routers these days, including the similar Milaukee and Porter Cable units.
DENISE MACARTHUR
It was more then likely wired backwards.
Thomas Gettys
My JessEm Power Tech on July 22, 2024 and it has already failed on 8/24/24 after light use over the last month. I wouldn’t rush to buy the JessEm just yet if I were you.
The yeti
Stick with bosch
Jason
Bosch stopped making their higher HP model. The most powerful ones you can get now are marginal for spinning big bits like horizontal panel raisers. I use a Bosch 1617, but you can stall it out if you take too big of a bite. I was considering either this Porter Cable or the large Milwaukee.
Andrew Q
What’s the advantage of a high HP router motor? I was under the impression that the limiting factor for most useage was usually heat on the router bit.
Jalopy_J
It’s a production router. It’s meant to be mounted and you can use huge router bits for things like cabinets. It’s not really designed for normal edge routing. You can do that, but it’s big and cumbersome and way overkill.
Stuart
Large bits can require more power.
I was also hoping that it would run a little better in long sessions. I’ve read about smaller routers having trouble in router table environments, due to heat or dust.
Part of me was also curious to see if I could see any noticeable differences in performance or capabilities, which is why I bought my router table with both 3.5″ and 4.2″ mounting brackets.
Jalopy_J
Yeah, I just bought a 7539 a couple weeks ago, and I specifically bought an older model. I just looked for one that had the older Porter-Cable logo on it. Works great. Soft start and everything. SBD has run the brand into the ground. Either get an older model or go Bosch.
satch
This.
I never thought I would see the day when guys were recommending two or three other brands over P-C. Just sad and lame on SBD’s part.
fred
My 7539 dates back to the 1990’s – still works great for those times I need to hog out a lot of material. I use it hand held – mostly with some jigging or larger shop-made base plates to keep it steady. Maybe SBD does better with the Dewalt 625 – which is really a clone (maybe an update) of an ELU model that is about the same vintage(design wise) as the PC7539. SBD should know how to make quality routers – their collective knowledge from Stanley-Carter routers, Porter Cable routers, B&D routers and ELU routers combined – but driving for a lower price point on the PC tool line – may have gotten in the way.
BTW – Stanley used to make high frequency motor routers for industrial use. They used induction motors that ran on 180Hz or 360Hz . The ones I was familiar with ran at 20,000 RPM off of a 230V – 360Hz frequency converter
satch
Fred, indeed SBD should know. They have had the big guns in router develolment under their wings for years now.
My lament mostly goes to their overall lack of caring about the brand identity of P-C. I mean, we are speaking of the brand that developed the first random orbital sander, portable belt sander, and the helical drive saw.
Rockwell didn’t do the brand justice but at least when Pentair bought them they brought back the name. And more importantly, professional grade woodworking power tools. There was no need to try to drive this market to DeWalt and conversely, P-C to the Ryobi class.
Black and Decker certainly had a more professional pedigree in decades past. They actually had several lines not normally seen in consumer venues. My uncle had a business supplying a large consolidated school district with power tools. He supplied them with B&D. When I asked my dad about it he said it was not the same stuff we could find in the hardware store. So yeah, they have the history and they have the technical goods. I just hope they restore some of the lustre of these old brands.
fred
Lots has been written about developing, positioning and maintaining brand identity. My thought is that it takes a long time to establish a good brand identity – but a short time to ruin it.
B&D – who did indeed make industrial quality tools – may have a better reputation as a brand name outside the US. But all that orange plastic junk that they sold at the height of the DIY movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s sure cancelled out the good thoughts professionals had coming from tools like the Super Sawcat.
You are spot on about what happened to Porter Cable – down-market positioning the brand to compete with brands like TTI’s Ridgid or even Ryobi – but IMO not terribly successful in that endeavor.
Clark
If your Porter-Cable 7500 series router isn’t working, return it. It has a 3-year warranty. Sounds like the electronic module isn’t working. Happens right from the factory sometimes.
I didn’t see anyone mention DeWalt routers. The DW618 is 2 1/4 hp but can handle panel bits. Works great on all other projects. If you think you need 3 hp, then , the DW625 is a real workhorse. It has been around for decades and still going strong.
Julian
The festool routers don’t act like you think a variable speed motor should. Apparently, the system doesn’t kick in until after it’s under load. I wonder if your Pc is operating like that?
Stuart
I considered that. Chucked in a large bit, didn’t take a cut, but hoped it would change things a little bit.
Still, low speed setting should never start out at max speed. I switched from 2nd speed to lowest speed, and it revved up.
A speed controller is supposed to keep RPMs constantly high when under load, instead of letting motor speeds get bogged down. But keeping motor speeds at 21,000 RPM instead of 10,000 RPM?
And if this was intended behavior, wouldn’t the same be true at the other speed settings? Wouldn’t there be mention of this in the manual where it talks about the other speed control behaviors?
Ben
Hey Stuart, get yourself the big router from Milwaukee. The Porter-Cable has a very old design, and the electronic to maintain the speed under load is very slow to react. Worst, if the PC 7518 is not mounted in a router lift, and you decide to screw down the base on the underside of the table, then good luck with that. It’s a nightmare to adjust the router bit height precisely, just waaaaayyyyy too much slope. DAMHIKT.
The Milwaukee on the other end, while not the newest design in town either, is still “much younger” than the PC7518, has far more advanced electronics, and is just as powerful if not more. I don’t understand why people are still talking about the PC7518 when there’s only one single alternative in the exact same category (fixed base + 3.25HP).
My 0.02$
Joe
Bosch 1617 mid size and Dewalt big boy….never let me down…….we use the old portable like you bought to router plyoood out of window and door openings..when it died we went with DEwalt
John Sullivan
My router collection includes a 7518 that I bought about a year ago… finally put it into real service last month. Absolutely HATE the speed control switch. It’s a fine tool otherwise, and I haven’t felt any compelling need to change the speed setting in the ~5 hours of runtime that it’s had so far, but I have also been using bits with similar speed requirements.
Now I’m wondering if I even *want* to do some exhaustive testing to see if the speed switch and soft-start feature performs as intended, since I haven’t noticed so far and probably am past a return deadline.
Arlen Stutzman
i work on porter cable routers every week when i get a new 7519 porter cable router i gut the insides take out soft start and speed control and they work just fine hardly ever lose power nor will they burn up these routers get used every day to route 5/8 plywood
ChrisK
I’ve got the Kreg table, Jessem routr II lift and the Bosch 1617 router. I also have an OF2200 but that Bosch is a great 2.25 motor and works well with most stuff. Not the same power level as the PC but I’m not driving massive bits. It handles all of my 1/2” bits just fine though and the Festool will push auto sized bits for me, though I never work with those huge ones. I’ve heard of the speedomatic having a lot of issues as of late so I have stayed away.
fred
We must think alike – Kreg Table – Jessem Masterlift II and old Bosch 1617 in my shop too.
I think that one of our collective problem is that we expect that a router table can do the work of a shaper. The trick is to recognize the limitations and take light – progressive cuts. Really big panel-raising bits and tough wood – may still be a problem.
Joe Smith
I have been eyeing a pretty much identical setup.
tim Rowledge
If you’re doing a lot with a router table it might be worth considering one of the motors popular for cnc routers. VFD and water cooling may be advantageous.
Stuart
I’m not. I just wanted to future-proof myself. That, and if a motor is going to live in the router table, it might as well be one that I wouldn’t use handheld. Otherwise I get stuck in decision-making hole. Buy a new 3.5″ router and if so which one.
Dean in Des Moines
I have used several models in the 7800 series. I have one with soft start but no speed selection right now. I’ve used this one shown, with the fixed selector. I’ve had one with a fully variable dial. I can tell you your assessment is spot on. Something is wrong with this. It should soft start and peak at it’s set RPM.
Aftermarket speed controllers don’t work as well as the integrated ones. The most obvious is that external devices cannot know the RPM of the motor. Hit a hard spot in your work piece? There’s no compensation. The only way they are a good choice is to retrofit a used router which one acquires at little or no expense. Then, for the hobbyist like me, it can be a reasonable choice.
Adam
I’d say you got a lemon – we’ve been using a 7518 we purchased at the end of 2017 and put it through probably 10-15 hours without a problem. Works great with the lock miter bit – plenty of power.
Justin
I have the Dewalt 618 router and the PC7518 for the exact purposes you mentioned. The PC lives in the table, and the Dewalt has the various bases for working by hand. I’ve had great luck with it, the 7518 has tons of power for raised panel bits and never complains. I couldn’t imagine even trying to use the 7518 in-hand.
Sounds like your 7518 is defective from the factory, I’d just swap it out and get another one. Its a simple tool, doesn’t have nearly as much going on in it as a lot of the newer stuff. If you get one that works great out of the box, it should keep working great for you for many years.
David Boris
The problem is when Stanley Black & Decker aka (Dewalt) Bought Porter cable…. all their manufacturing left Tennessee and went to Mexico I would only buy an older porter cable that is made in United States because the tooling and manufacturing is that much better !!! Stanley Black & Decker sees to put porter cable as second to Dewalt… it is sad because for years porter cable made the best professional routers on the market !!! If you can master of router and all its potential than you are a master carpenter !!!
Donald Niessen
I agree! PC is gone forever. I recently bought a 20 v PC kit and it’s JUNK! I didn’t know at the time SBD bought PC but it didn’t take long to figure this out. Also my buddy has a Milwaukee combo kit and I’ve used it. Same Junk
David Boris
My Grammars is off I apologize… if you can master a router and all its potential then you are a master carpenter!!!
Doc Fluty
I had a porter cable 892 in my jessum lift for almost a year. I got tired of using two wrenches to loosen the collet or having to press my thumb on that pain-inducing little lock for the spindle to change bits.
I bought a Dewalt DW618PKB that was going to be used for my handheld duties. But I ended up leaving that full time in my jessum lift due to the much more comfortable button and only needing one wrench. It also seems to be a more updated product.
I picked up a festool of 1400 to take over the hand held duties now and am pleased with my overall set up.
Albert
I seem to recall Porter Cable’s variable speed electronics to be of questionable quality, even back when they were owned by Pentair. I like the Hitachi M12VE for table use. It frequently goes on sale for under $200. I used to have an original Hitachi M12V and wish I kept it. I don’t like the M12V2.
Sam
You must have gotten a bad copy Stuart. I just picked up a MastRLift II Incra version with a 75182 motor bundled in. The soft start works just like you would expect. I was a little surprised at how slow the motor ramps up and how slowly it ramps to an alternate speed once selected, however I was quite impressed with the overall quality of the motor and build of the motor. The combination of the motor
I’ve recently taken my woodworking shop out of mothballs and decided to retire my Elu 3338 to handheld operations rather than drop additional dough on a substandard lift. I agree with Justin however; when I picked up the 75182 for the first time, I couldn’t quite imagine using it by hand.
Stuart
I agree. But the question is – do I want to bother with a replacement? I was a little soured by the experience, but maybe I’ll try again another time.
Brian
I was sold off the the PC brand when I had a cordless drill that had a defective trigger and could not get a replacement even from authorized repair facilities. I was told they were not available from any sources. To date I refuse to purchase any of their gear…
Sniffy
The Dewalt/Elu design plunge routers that Black & Decker has been making for decades now, after purchasing the Elu are generally considered a very solid router. The DW625 was actually put in a router tool test by one woodworking magazine, maybe ‘Wood’, a decade or so ago, and despite being rated at only 12/15 amps, in an actual torque test, it bested other routers that drew more amps, including a newer Bosch designed router. From what I’ve seen, B&D has been tweeking the engineering on the DW625 since they acquired the design, to up the motor efficiency. While Porter Canle used to be considered the gold standard for handheld portable power tools for woodworking, there were always certain issues with some of their designs. I don’t know about the speed controllers for the routers, but the PC 7518 supposedly had vent open areas on the motor that could allow falling chips, when the motor was inverted, like in a router table, or other debris to enter the motor while running, and damage the fan blades or other motor parts. I’ve also never liked the PC collet design, since I’ve had the collets slip on bits. I’ve also had the screw in height adjustment slip/move during start up torque or during heavy cuts, screwing up batches of work. As far as what B&D did when they purchased PC, they switched production to Mexico, and may have switched to lower quality bearings from what I’ve heard. The bearings can be rectified since bearings are usually standard sizes. The speed controller issue could have something to do with a bad connection or a problem with a ferromagnetic sensor getting jostled in shipping.
BG100
Hate to necro the thread, but I couldn’t keep silent when my sweet PC router is under scrutiny… Been using the 7518 for the last few years in a heavy production environment. Noticed that the electronic speed control is the the first to go. Me and the 4 other guys on the production line use these every single day, and I can’t recommend any other router for heavy, prolonged use.
Now, it we could all do it again, each of us guys would pick the single speed model, simply because we remove the one major point of failure. Plus, it’s a pain to accidentally knock the speed down when you’re 3 feet into a 40 foot panel flush cut through 5/8″ PT T1-11.
I’m quite sure you got a bum speed controller from the factory. It happens, please don’t let that sour you on the 7518/7519.
Also, this seems like overkill for a router table… You must run a pretty heavy duty shop. My DW618 does me just fine.
Cheers!
Stuart
Thanks! I’m sure it was just defective out of the box, but that kind of thing always sours me.
I ended up putting my Bosch-made Craftsman router in the lift, and it’s been working okay. I might leave it in there and buy a new Bosch motor to replace it with.
Shane Stock
How many times do you really need the variable speed anyway? I don’t know about you, but I just run my routers with variable speed in high all the time any way. Just purchase the Porter Cable 3 hp single speed model and you don’t have to worry about accidentally turning the speed down, or forgetting to turn the speed up. Also, I can’t understand why you are fixated on soft start. I like to turn the router on and go. Why would I I want to wait three seconds for the router to ramp up to speed every time I turn it on?
Peter B
Bought my 7518 in the 90’s. Still runs great, no issues with soft start or speed controls. Ploughs through whatever I put into it. I have used it freehand, but best in a table. Sorry to hear that the quality has gone down so badly. Happens with so many great brands when they get bought out.
Rob
We have a custom wookworking shop and we have 3 of these motors on router tables. The router itself is outstanding but the electronic speed control is just a nifhtmare on all 3 of them. Fresh out of the box it is baffling to understand what the heck is going on. After wiggling the speed control for a while I can get them up to speed and just leave it there in the on position and controlled by a master power switch. I cant believe PC cant fix this major problem.
Arlen Stutzman
i work on porter cable routers every wk i take all soft starts out hook them up direct and they never lose power nor will they burn up i had them out on the floor for almosts 7 yrs very seldom do i have to change brushes or armatures they are a good router but soft start is junk
Brockett Withim
Just installed a bran new 7518 in my router table. It too was made in Mexico. Runs just great. Soft start yes. Fixed speeds yes. I can not see a difference from my 2 older 7518. I have job that requires multiple setups. Its more efficient to buy another router than to change bits. When running large diameter bits they require a lower revolution. When starting the big 7518, it starts out at the highest rpm and steps down to the stetting selected. Takes a little getting used to. The 7518 is best, strongest, and quietest router on the market.
Jamil
I own four 7518s. Three of them are permanently mounted in router lifts, one for cope, one for stick, and one for whatever else I might need to chuck into it. The fourth is on a D handle base for profiling solid surface counter tops.
There’s not another router motor in the world I would use. I’ve tried the triton, the pow-r-tek, Milwaukee’s, and even MLCS. I’ve always come back to the 7518.
I have a shaper for panel raising bits, but sometimes that needs service or I need to use another profile, so I’ll use one of the 7518s. They have never let me down. They are simple and indestructible.
If you have variable speed control issues, return it. I’ve never had that problem in my whole stable of 7518s. I feel for you, but I think it’s an outlier problem.
FWIW, my oldest 7518 is probably pushing 300-400 hours of work and still going. I produce roughly a kitchen’s worth of cabinets every couple of weeks so my tools get used a lot. I’m sure any motor can crank out a kitchen or two, but I wouldn’t trust anything other than the 7518 to hold up to repeated use. I’ve tried them, they don’t.
Brockett Withim
Agreed
Jay Klein
Wow, a lot of interesting stuff. I have a model 5182, speedtronic made by “Porter Cable”. It is basically the same thing you guys are talking about. Probably older, like myself. It has worked fine all these years at different speeds depending on the bit and wood. I just cranked it into my router table (a piece of wood) for a new project and it would not run. The speed control switch has been a problem for probably the last twenty years but now the thing fell off. I took the router motor out of the base and discovered, by turning it on and rotating it, that it won’t run inverted anymore. Unfortunately my regular tool guy retired after 40 plus years and my saw company quit selling and repairing tools so I am looking for a new router. I will bite the bullet and get the “Porter Cable” again because I want the power and the speed differences. It sounds like none of the other router choices you guys mentioned have this power.
Satch…I am curious as to when “Porter Cable” developed the first random orbit sander, I think the first of those were air powered tools for the auto repair industry. The first corded, electric ones I ever saw (and still the best, but you can’t get them or parts anymore) were made by Makita. Mine is still cranking 42 years after I got it, used.
Jim Fouche
I’ve utilized my PC 7518 in a JessEm Masterlift for 10+ years and have been completely pleased with it’s capabilities. I’ve had no problems with my switch or electronic soft start – runs like a cheap pair of hose… The only thing you must do is clean the router once in a blue moon.
Sheldon Padawer
Weird. I have been using 7518 and 7519 routers for 28 years in my shop. I have put them through hell. For a few years I was using a 7519 with a 1 1/2″ round over bit to cut 3″ wide 3/4″ thick red oak boards ( 10 at a time) and then following up on a vertical Delta sander. The guy at our Woodcraft store told me I was nuts, but it worked until I developed a better solution.
Yes – I have replaced brushes from time to time as well as bearings, but still I have 3 currently in service and have bought a total of six in 29 years including a new one due in Friday 10/9/2020 to be a standby.
I also have fixed setups for 1/8″ and 1/2″ round overs. I also do plunge cuts with a 3/8″ dovetail to slot Maple and Birch. One day last week I calculated that each year I cut the equivalent of 3500 – 5000 linear feet of full depth inverted dovetail slots. After several years I end up going through and bringing the routers up to new condition. As far as soft starts, I’m sorry – but I can not duplicate your findings. Mine soft start at whatever speed I am set at.
I started using PC after I annihilated some top name competitors back in the early 1990’s. If there was a better router I would buy it, but different tool companies I have consulted told me what I was using was the best choice for heavy and continual production work, I lost interest in replacing a product which I have been happy with for three decades.
Charles
Stanley Black and Decker has ruined porter cable. The whole line is basically lowes junk now.
Sad, as they used to be a great router manufacturer, and a good 7518 is something a lot of us would still appreciate
JOHN NEWTON
Boy am I ticked off, Brought Woodpecker router lift package at a trade show less than a year ago. The router just quit. (burned up I think) (it was part of the package).
Not only that, the PRP4 System is not so great. it came with all the micro adjustment stuff, a stop block, assortment of collet covers, both 1/4 & 1/2 collets, the POS router, the stand, the whole nine yards (if anyone knows where that saying came from, pls let me know, but I digress).
To change the height of the bit is a chore; you need this wheedling tool to get close (and it’s a pain), to get closer you need to spin a dial a million times (ok a lot). To move the fence you need to unlock four knobs. The “Stop Block” (and you only get one) does not lock in position (it does not even fit in the T-Track to keep it from moving (or turning) in place.
What a disappointment from Woodpecker.
Bummer
Stuart
There’s a handle that is inserted and removed for large height adjustments The rotating knob is only for small height adjustments. The coarse adjustment tool can be a little fiddly. If you’re not happy, you can remove the spring (I keep mine on most of the time, mostly because I’m afraid I’ll lose it and then want to add it back again).
How many stop-blocks do you need for routing operations? Users that want more can always buy more.
You can take the micro-adjust fence component off for simpler operation.
Have you shared your frustrations with Woodpeckers? They might have some advice for easier use.
Sam
I Just saw this post now in July 2023, over 5 years after it was written. I wanted to add that my P-C 7518, which was purchased in 2010, and also manufactured in Mexico earlier that year, doesn’t show those speed control and whiplash startup issues observed by Stuart in his 2018. It’s very sad to learn the newer 7518’s have faltered. It’s unlikely that it makes any difference, but my router has never power up while pointed down.