I have a question about the motor lock on the porter cable 890 and was
looking for answers.
The motor lock is the pin that locks the shaft so you are able to
take the bit out of the collet, right? And on this router, it is
completely above the router base, right? I also have to clear a 1 1/4
router table top, which may be an issue as well, right? So if my table
is 1 1/4 thick I may be able to remove the bit but may need double
jointed fingers to get to the lock.
I may be all wrong so please, fill me in. Thanks a bunch.
Mike Coonrod
I was about to buy the dewalt router combo package when I heard about
the new Porter Cable 890 series combo. It sounds like it has a lot of
great features, but I haven't seen an actual review on it yet. Anyone
out there seen one? I saw an excerpt from someone at the Woodworkers
Journal and it looks like they will have a review in their next issue.
YJJim
Mike Coonrod <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I have a question about the motor lock on the porter cable 890 and was
> looking for answers.
>
> The motor lock is the pin that locks the shaft so you are able to
> take the bit out of the collet, right? And on this router, it is
> completely above the router base, right? I also have to clear a 1 1/4
> router table top, which may be an issue as well, right? So if my table
> is 1 1/4 thick I may be able to remove the bit but may need double
> jointed fingers to get to the lock.
>
> I may be all wrong so please, fill me in. Thanks a bunch.
>
> Mike Coonrod
Thanks! I'll check it out.
Jim
"Ed. O." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Received Woodworkers Journal in the mail today. Great review on page 48.
Leon wrote:
> IIRC "in a router table setting" the motor
> lock engages automatically when the motor is raised all the way up and or
> set to its deepest cutting position.
Yes. The shaft lock is automatic for above the table bit changes.
> I am not sure how
> far the collet extends past the base of the router base.
Not far. I do not believe you will be able to do above-the-table bit
changes if your table or mounting plate is more than about 1/2" or 3/4"
thick. The collet will be far below the table surface on a 1 1/4" table.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad new Mike!
Martin
I will have to get one in my hands with a tape and figure out how high
it will lift up. The lock does engage automagically, so that is not an
issue.
Martin Frankel wrote:
>
>
> Leon wrote:
>
>> IIRC "in a router table setting" the motor
>> lock engages automatically when the motor is raised all the way up and or
>> set to its deepest cutting position.
>
>
> Yes. The shaft lock is automatic for above the table bit changes.
>
>> I am not sure how
>> far the collet extends past the base of the router base.
>
>
> Not far. I do not believe you will be able to do above-the-table bit
> changes if your table or mounting plate is more than about 1/2" or 3/4"
> thick. The collet will be far below the table surface on a 1 1/4" table.
> Sorry to be the bearer of bad new Mike!
>
> Martin
>
[email protected] wrote:
> As the 890 motor is backward-compatible with the 690 bases (which can be had
> for only $40), will I lose any of the above-the-table features using the 690
> base?
Yes, you will lose the above-the-table feature. The 690 base does not
have the collet lock fixture. So, with the 890 motor in the 690 base,
you would need to use two wrenches for above the table bit changes or
reach in and actuate the spindle lock manually. I'm not sure if you
could even get the 2nd wrench in there. It'd be pretty useless.
If you don't already have the 690, you should DEFINITELY NOT buy 690
bases for an 890 motor. The 890 bases are way better, and they are
designed to work together with the 890 motor.
There are only two reasons I can think of to mix and match 690 and 890
series componenets:
1) You already have the 690 plunge base. Buy the 892 (fixed base only)
and swap the motor between the 890 fixed base and the 690 plunge base.
You've saved about $50 relative to the 890 combo pack, but you still
have to deal with the crappy allen wrench lock on the 690 plunge base.
2) Buy the 893/4/5PK combo pack. Put your 690 motor in the 890 plunge
base. Now you have most of the benefits of two 890 routers for less money.
Caveat: I looked these over very carefully and tried different
combinations at the local woodworking show, but I don't actually own an
890 router so take this with the appropriate grain of salt.
Martin
I saw this router being demonstrated on the Hardware show this weekend. It
was mounted in a router table. IIRC "in a router table setting" the motor
lock engages automatically when the motor is raised all the way up and or
set to its deepest cutting position. I would think that your only concern
would be getting the wrench on to the end of the collet. I am not sure how
far the collet extends past the base of the router base.
"Mike Coonrod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a question about the motor lock on the porter cable 890 and was
> looking for answers.
>
> The motor lock is the pin that locks the shaft so you are able to
> take the bit out of the collet, right? And on this router, it is
> completely above the router base, right? I also have to clear a 1 1/4
> router table top, which may be an issue as well, right? So if my table
> is 1 1/4 thick I may be able to remove the bit but may need double
> jointed fingers to get to the lock.
>
> I may be all wrong so please, fill me in. Thanks a bunch.
>
> Mike Coonrod
>
>
>
>
I've had a pc 690 for a couple years and I've been wanting a second
motor and maybe a second plung base to save on time chaning bits (its a
pain when building a series of boxes of different sizes).
Then I saw the 893pk at the Denver wooodworking show. I debated getting
the variable speed 690 kit with the plung and fixed base but the 893pk
was only $30 more. The price turned out to be the same as from Amazon so
I got it. The motor will fit in my 690 bases after removal of a guide
with two screws but I don't know if I'm going to ever do it. With a
fixed base and a plung base I should be able to cover all my two router
project needs.
The only concern I had for a while is that the 890 D-handle has no power
switch like the 690 but the power switch on the motor can be accessed on
the top and the bottom (but not on the plung base). The handle fits on
the fixed base replacing one of the regular handles. Supposedly PC will
be selling those as separate parts some day but without the trigger on
the handle I don't know if I'm going to bother.
One nice feature is the elimination of the need to use two wrenches to
change bits. I have not tried it yet (trying to complete too many
christmase projects that are in the finishing stage).
PS the engineer in me wanders if I can add a guide to my 690 motor but
I'll have to look at that more closely later.
YJJim wrote:
>I was about to buy the dewalt router combo package when I heard about
>the new Porter Cable 890 series combo. It sounds like it has a lot of
>great features, but I haven't seen an actual review on it yet. Anyone
>out there seen one? I saw an excerpt from someone at the Woodworkers
>Journal and it looks like they will have a review in their next issue.
>
>YJJim
>
>
>Mike Coonrod <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>
>>I have a question about the motor lock on the porter cable 890 and was
>>looking for answers.
>>
>> The motor lock is the pin that locks the shaft so you are able to
>>take the bit out of the collet, right? And on this router, it is
>>completely above the router base, right? I also have to clear a 1 1/4
>>router table top, which may be an issue as well, right? So if my table
>>is 1 1/4 thick I may be able to remove the bit but may need double
>>jointed fingers to get to the lock.
>>
>>I may be all wrong so please, fill me in. Thanks a bunch.
>>
>>Mike Coonrod
>>
>>
I am very interested in this new line. I will want to dedicate a base to a
table and also have the plunge base. But that new GripVac base looks good
too.
As the 890 motor is backward-compatible with the 690 bases (which can be had
for only $40), will I lose any of the above-the-table features using the 690
base? Also, is the Router Table Height Adjuster really easier to use than a
3/16" hex socket or should I save the money (the height adjuster isn't
available with the plunge/GripVac combo)?
Thanks.
[pasted from other thread. posted before I got down this far.]
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I saw this router being demonstrated on the Hardware show this weekend.
It
> was mounted in a router table. IIRC "in a router table setting" the motor
> lock engages automatically when the motor is raised all the way up and or
> set to its deepest cutting position. I would think that your only concern
> would be getting the wrench on to the end of the collet. I am not sure
how
> far the collet extends past the base of the router base.
>
>
>
>
> "Mike Coonrod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have a question about the motor lock on the porter cable 890 and was
> > looking for answers.
> >
> > The motor lock is the pin that locks the shaft so you are able to
> > take the bit out of the collet, right? And on this router, it is
> > completely above the router base, right? I also have to clear a 1 1/4
> > router table top, which may be an issue as well, right? So if my table
> > is 1 1/4 thick I may be able to remove the bit but may need double
> > jointed fingers to get to the lock.
> >
> > I may be all wrong so please, fill me in. Thanks a bunch.
> >
> > Mike Coonrod
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>