Woodpeckers has announced that they will be introducing a new SpinRite router motor that’s meant for use exclusively with router tables.
Woodopeckers says it’s ideal for use in router lifts or small shop CNC machines.
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Additionally, Woodpeckers will be the exclusive North American distributor for SpinRite. I have never heard of this brand before, and it’s uncertain if SpinRite is a new brand name, OEM, or other type of company.
Here’s where things get confusing. The same router motor design can be found through several existing brands who all offer a nearly identical router motor and accessory package.
Woodpeckers says that their 3.25HP SpinRite router motor feature ER20 collets, soft-start, and an “infinite speed control” from 10,000 to 22,000 RPM.
Woodpeckers says that the router motor comes with a 1-year warranty and that they will be handling any warranty claims or machine parts and service needs.
The router has a 4.2″ cylindrical body without any pins or grooves.
The Woodpeckers SpinRite router motor does look to be a new variation, and it’s competitively priced. It comes with 1/4″ and 1/2″ collets, and since it works on the ER20 system you can easily source compatible collets in other sizes.
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Introductory Price: $250
Regular Pricing (After 10/15/2021): $270
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See Also: Bora via Amazon
Similar router motors are also available from Grizzly and MLCS.
Discussion
The “built from the ground up” part and talk about “exclusivity” threw me off a bit. Both statements are technically true, but this simply looks to be a revision of an existing product that the same OEM makes for several other brands.
However, looking past that bit of marketing, the collet setup seems like a good selling point, and the pricing is average for this type of 3-1/4 HP router motor.
You get just a router motor (plus collets and wrenches), which is perfect for router table or benchtop CNC machines. This is a good idea for users who don’t want or need the handheld bases most router kits come with.
The pricing seems to be competitive.
Woodpeckers has been offering router tables and related accessories for a while, and so this is a logical choice for them. While they’re not putting their brand name on the router motor, something they surely could have done, it seems that they’re vouching for it.
Here’s the promo video:
fred
The SpinRite brand name trademark is owned by Woodpeckers:
https://trademarks.justia.com/905/57/spinrite-90557029.html
As you say, its not clear who the OEM is.
Stuart
Great find! Hmm, that’s just strange – if this is their brand name, of course they are the exclusive distributor…
I don’t understand why they’re creating this identity separation.
JoeM
To differentiate their tool components division from their limited-time tool division? The same way Stanley separates certain tools from FatMAX.
It’s not about making an economic or business separation… it’s about putting a product name on something that isn’t expected to be treated the same way as products sold under the main brand name.
That’s just my guess though. If I’m being honest, I look at this product and think “Good to know they’re doing this, in case I ever want to build my own Router Table in the future.” and then I move on. I’m not thinking too deeply on it.
Beyond… Y’know… the usual “Woodpeckers… Must be a One-Time…Wait a minute… that’s a whole new thing, it’s going to be sold permanently now…” reaction you’d expect to have when seeing this.
Julian Tracy
So basically just a Chinese knock-off with lesser features of the very excellent (no longer available) Milwaukee / Jessem router table motor collaboration.
The name is so silly, can barely take it seriously.
Rafe
The universal collet is a nice touch, but the Bosch and Dewalt motor that serves the same purpose is quite a bit less expensive, albiet less powerful. Anything north of 12A/2HP on a benchtop CNC is irrelevant though. Arguably also on a router table.
Matt R
So you’re saying that it’s the same spinning up a Whiteside 5920 raised panel bit in a 2 hp motor as a 3 1/4 hp? I’m failing to understand the logic there.
MM
Any claim north of about 2 horsepower is marketing wankery. A typical north american wall outlet can provide a maximum of 1800 watts before tripping the breaker. That’s a little over 2 horsepower. A normal 110 wall outlet simply can’t provide any more. Numbers higher than that are either outright lies or some kind of deception like quoting peak inrush current as “power”. It’s simply impossible to run an honest 3+ horsepower motor on a standard outlet.
I’m a bit curious now. Does anyone make a 240V or a 20+ amp 120V router? Or do people switch to a shaper at that point?
Tom D
If they exist they’re fixed-mount for certain and probably just called shapers. Everything I’m seeing is just for UK power.
Hal Arnold
AFAIK, 12 AWG wire will carry 20 amps, no?
Hpax
Mafell LO 65Ec. 2600 watts, 230 volts and a claimed 3.5 hp motor. All yours for a mere $1400.
Lance
1800W = 2hp, which is the peak output power of a 120V 15A circuit. Anyone claiming more than 2hp is blatantly lying (like pretty much every shop vacuum).
Matt R
So we think that the guys that make the 2 hp routers aren’t lying, but the guys that make the 3 1/4 hp are lying?
Come on, you guys are smarter than this. Clearly the industry standard of the 3 1/4 hp that numerous manufactures make is actually a “2 hp” router. How ever you want to label it, that class of router is the one that they rate at a 15 amp draw. All of the mid sized routers that are marketed at 2 1/4 hp are clearly less than that as well, since they only list a 12 amp draw.
How ever you want to slice it, a router advertised at 3 1/4 hp is clearly more powerful than one marketed at 2 1/4 hp. Not saying that either of them even come close to actually outputting 2 hp, but if you’re sitting at home with your DW618 thinking that’s as good as it gets, think again.
Lee
I’m curious why you selected 15A instead of 20A? Wouldn’t 120V * 20A = 2400W = 3.21something HP?
Lee
Nevermind… I had looked through the manual and didn’t find it but I see that if you look real closely at the sticker in the tool image it specifies 15A.
Kelly
15A is correct as the router has a 14 AWG cord which implies it is terminated with a standard 5-15P plug. Most home shops will be wired with standard 5-15R 120V 15A outlets (2 vertical sockets with ground). I doubt you would be happy if you received a new tool with a 5-20P plug and you only had 5-15R outlets. Hence:
15A * 120V = 1800W ÷ 745.7W/hp = 2.41 hp
Rafe
Matt, I say arguably because router tables don’t typically exist in professional shop seetings. I wouldn’t do a run of raised panels on anything less than a 220V 3HP shaper. A 12A or 15A router will make the cuts, but both of them will be inadequate for powerfeeding and maintaining quality cuts not just because they are underpowered, but also because there quite a bit less stability in a router bit. Insofar as the work you should be reasonably doing on a router and a router table, or a benchtop CNC, a 12A router with a sharp bit is more than adequate.
Plain grainy
Not sure if I want this type of setup, where I still need to purchase a lift. Or go with a router like the Milwaukee 5625-20 3 1/2 Max HP router, which has above the table access.
MoogleMan3
It’s good for those of us who already have a lift. I’m tempted to grab one to upgrade from my tried and true 690 in my router table, but a 1 year warranty is anemic.
Plain grainy
Yes, the Milwaukee router I mentioned above is for five years.
Hal Arnold
Moogle, the PC 890 series is a definitely a step up!
David McDermott
Mine burned out just after the 1 year warranty. No serviceable parts so it’s in the trash. Maybe had 5 hours of actual run time on it.
Jeffro
I had the 2 1/4 hp Bosch in my table. While using a raised panel bit, it was bogging down. I bought the Milwaukee 5625-20 3 1/2 hp router and paired it with the Jessem Master Lift II. I cut the above the table feature off the router so it wood fit in the lift. I have no regrets whatsoever! It is an absolute beast!! And I love the ease of set-up with the lift.
Jeffro
And I did mount a switch above for convenience.
Matt R
I think people fail to realize how big of a deal the ER20 collet is for a router. That’s worth the price of admission alone, and IMO is definitely hype enough to warrant a “from the ground up claim.”
Julian Tracy
I may be uninformed, but those collets look about the same to any collet I’ve seen on a higher end European router. Elu, Dewalt, festool, etc. or even the collets on the excellent Milwaukee routers
Lance
I have two 3.25 “hp” routers which both came with 1/4″ and 1/2″ collets. Are they different than this standard? If so, what would make them worse? They seem to work fine, holding the bit straight and true, not slipping. I’m ignorant of different router collet designs and why one may be better than another?
Lance
Should have mentioned they’re both Freud routers, and so far they work great.
MM
Every router I have used has had proprietary collets, and like you mentioned they came with a 1/4 and 1/2″. That always worked fine for me, I never wanted anything else. I hardly ever used the 1/4″ anyway.
This one uses ER series collets which are standardized. There are many sizes, I use ER16 and ER32 in the machine shop. ER collets are available in a huge range of sizes, and they also have quite a large “grip range” for any one collet. So while a traditional router’s 1/2″ collet will only work on an exactly 1/2″ diameter shank, a “1/2 inch” ER collet will hold a 15/32 drill bit no problem. So I can see that ER collets are in some ways “better” than proprietary ones. But the obvious question is why does this matter? It seems that in my limited experience most router bits are 1/2″, 1/4’s are a thing too, but other sizes are very rare, so what’s the point?
Matt R
MM everything you said is 100% true. However, for a router in this application, the real benefit of the ER collet is the ease of use. They hold much tighter than the standard collets in routers and require less torque to tighten them down. This is achieved by the 8 segment design with an additional relief slit in between each of the segments. If you look at any of the other collects that come with this class of router, they are all only 4 segments with a relief slit in between.
Stuart
I’ve seen collet conversions before – doesn’t seem like a big deal.
They’re not saying this was designed from the ground up for them, although that’s how I interpreted the marketing language before realizing I’ve seen the design before, but that it was designed from the ground up to be used as a standalone router motor for use machine use as opposed to handheld.
The collet type is – good selling point, but how long before other brands offer the same? This isn’t much different from how Harbor Freight, Grizzly, MicroMark, and other brands all offer slightly customized versions of the same Seig benchtop mills and lathes.
Kevin
You know, if you’re making a router that is exclusively focused on router table use, why the hell do you keep the power switch and speed control ON THE ROUTER?!? New flash: You can’t reach it when it’s there! Now if this came with a remote panel that could be mounted to the front of the panel, with a paddle-style off switch for knee activation, THEN it would be significant. I think they are just trying to provide an alternate source for the late great 7518 Porter Cable motor that virtually everyone used prior to its demise.
P.S. I also get a chuckle out of all the Festool Systainers in the background of the video… What are they trying to tell us there exactly?
Jared
For what it’s worth, my router plugs into a switch mounted on the router table. I leave the router in the “on” position and use the safety switch on the table. You can also connect dust collection to the same switch.
I.e. in practice, I imagine most people aren’t using the switch on the router itself.
fred
Exactly
I use a Bosch router mounted in a lift in my router table. I’ve read complaints about the router’s switch malfunctioning because of dust intrusion. But I never turn the switch off using the switch on the table instead – so I really wouldn’t know if the router switch isor isn’t prone to dust problems.
MM
Agreed here too. I don’t own a router table but every one I’ve used at other people’s shops, or the one I used to have at an older job, were all wired in to a separate switch which also turned on dust collection.
Koko The Talking Ape
Yep, though it would be cool if had a remote switch on maybe a 4′ cable.
It would be even cooler if the motor had a standard three-prong C13 connector on it (like on electronic equipment) so we could replace or customize the cord and switch if we wanted. Heck, Woodpeckers could sell a switch and cord as an accessory.
Jeff
I’ve thought about this as well, but a C19/20 or C21/22 will be necessary for a router’s current draw. And it still doesn’t solve remote speed control like I want.
fred
It seems to be available at Woodcraft for $220 – under the “Bora” name:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/portamate-pm-p254-3-1-4-hp-variable-speed-router-motor
or at Acme for $270
Acme lists the UPC as 878258008334 – which is associated with Affnity Tool Works LLC. Affinity doesn’t make tools as far as I know – but rather imports tools with brand names like Fisch, Bora and Portamate.
Rob
Let’s view the options.
A.) Support my local woodpeckers dealers and buy the portamate?
B.) Navigate the world’s worst e-commerce website.
Plain grainy
Reviews say it was quieter than their previous routers. That’s a plus for me! Hi
David Zeller
I see pins on the side of the cylinder. Can anyone clarify what painless means relative to what I see? Thanks!
Plain grainy
I don’t see any pins on the Spinrite, just on the Portamate.
Plain grainy
He mentions & shows the router has no pins in the.video.
Don
I already have a remote switch for the router and just always leave the motor-mounted switch in the ‘on’ position. I’d like to find a way to put in a remote speed control as well. Without knowing the internal design of this router, does anyone have a suggestion for that?
Todd
I mean… Not a single mention of performance. No review notes whatsoever. I’ve got a DC Milwaukee that’s no longer offered. Beat on earth from what I can tell, bit was curious how this one handles speed control. Guess we’ll never know. Anything about it.
Stuart
This isn’t a review, it’s a news/new tool discussion post, which typically don’t include review notes.
As discussed in the post, this looks to be a clone of a nearly identical router motor that has been on the market for quite a few years by numerous brands.
Woodpeckers says they are “the exclusive North American distributor for SpinRite” but it turns out that they own the SpinRite name. Meaning, this is their brand. Since they’re not in the power tool business, and this looks identical to other router motors on the market, it seems this is the same router motor but with the Woodpeckers SpinRite label. I would assume whatever has been said about the identical router motors by other brands would apply here.
LT
Bora Portamate used to sell and remote speed control that consisted of a flexible shaft mounted to the speed control with the speed knob removed. The control could be mounted to the front of your table. It had a twist knob that rotated the cable and speed control shaft. Spinrite’s speed control looks identical. I have not seen many good reviews of the Bora Portamate, but if Wood Peckers is putting their name on it, I am inclined to believe they have made some improvements.
David McDermott
I purchased a Spinrite from Woodpeckers along with their router table. I’ve had it for just over a year, (just beyond the warranty), it no longer works and there is no service offered for these. It has maybe 5 hours of run time on it and is now in the trash barrel. I have Milwaukee and Porter cable routers that are 40 years old and still run as good as they ever have. I would, and will avoid Spinrite.
Larry
I have the Spinright router mounted in a Kreg router raiser and I love them both. I have not put huge hours on it, but I have been very impressed. I also have the Bora mechanical remote speed control. I am not sure where I ordered it from, but I can look to see if I have the magazine. It works great! The Bora Router did not have a good reputation, but when WoodPeckers took it, I felt more comfortable in buying it. I don’t do any production work, but have been pleased with it. Surely, Wood Peckers will take care of it for you.
Larry
On any under table mounted router you need to power it through a magnetic (contactor type) switch for safety. I ordered my Portamate mechanical speed control from the old MLCS. It works great. The booklet has a table of RPMs/settings. I laminated it and stuck it on my table beside the switch. It is easy to compare the speeds by the sounds. I do not do production, but I just take small bites and move the fence. These really large bits scare me. I am all about safety.