Router Lifts

[byront]

I'm shopping around for a lift for my PC 7518 router. Currently I am deliberating between the Woodpecker Quick Lift 420A ( http://www.woodpeck.com/quicklift420.html ) and the Bench Dog Pro Lift Router System #40-016 ( http://www.benchdog.com/prolift.htm ). The Bench Dog seems to be highly recomended by those I have talked to - but, because I believe it is fairly new, those same folks are completely unfamiliar with the the Woodpecker Quick Lift, - so I am unable to get any kind of comparison. Has anyone out there had any experience with both of these lifts? --- BT

[kreg McMahon]

I have the woodpecker one and it works good. I think the benchdog is new and it looks sweet. benchdog makes great products and does not have a chain drive like the woodpecker.

I am in the process of adding a router top to my saw stand from rousseau for my dewalt mini table saw. whenever rousseau gets them in. I might also buy the bench dog.


my Decision... you can't go wrong with either, but benchdog has more features and you can raise it above the table.

Benchdog buy

[Toolwhore]

but benchdog has more features and you can raise it above the table.

Kreg,

You must have a different model woodpecker, you peckerwood. :) byront's link shows above table adjustment. I've been looking for a raiser and was liking the Rouseau, but those 2 look pretty sweet.

[byront]

Kreg, I think Tom is right - you must have a different model. The Woodpecker lift I am concidering I believe allows bit changes above the table on the PC 7518, and operates with a lead screw instead of chain or belt drive. They both operate via lead screws, both have heavy bronze sleeves, I believe the plate sizes are about the same size, and they are both micro adjustable to .001" although the Woodpecker uses a 32 pitch lead screw and Bench Dog uses 8 threads per inch, but the similarities stop about there.

The differences that I am seeing are that the Bench Dog seems a bit heftier - it has a nickle plated steel plate and inserts whereas the Woodpecker is aluminum. It also has a preload nut and a column lock to prevent any backdriving. The columns pretty equally straddle the router so the weight and support of the router is pretty equally distributed - the columns on the woodpecker are both mounted on the same side of the router (something about this just doesn't seem quite right to me - doesn't seem as though it would be as stable and it seems like the sleeves would wear oddly). The Bench Dog also toutes the fastest linear motion and a self cleaning lead screw, although I believe that this claim is prior to Woodpecker's coming out with the QuickLift - but they mention nothing about their model having a self cleaning lead screw.

The Woodpecker on the other hand does have the quicklift feature that seems to be a good idea and looks like it would certainly make bit changes conciderably quicker - wether it would be much quicker than the Bench Dog is something I'm not sure of. The columns on the Woodpecker are a bit heavier, but not by much (15/16" apposed to 1.025”). The threading on the lead screw is finer (32 tpi) which I think would give me a better handle on extremely fine adjustments - but they both claim .001 adustability so I don't really know if this would be a concideration without actually trying them both. There is a bigger selection of insert rings for the WP and they lock into place - I believe that the BD rings are held in place simply by their weight although they also can be screwed in place. The WP has a table top engraved scale for aligning your fence, but with my Incra fence system I really don't see my need for this. The WP is definitely a nicer looking unit but I lean towards function.

Although the speed of bit setting on the Woodpeckers QuikLift is very attractive I am currently leaning towards the nickle plated steel and heaftiness of the Bench Dog along with the stradling columns, preload nut, and column lock. Unless somebody blows me out of the water I will probably order the Bench Dog within the next couple of days. Thanks for the replies guys. -- BT

[kreg McMahon]

yes I do have the older model this one to be exact:

http://www.woodpeck.com/precisionrouterlift.html

and the chain gets full of sawdust. the quick lift looks much more improved over mine.. it sounds like either one is great but the benchdog is just a little bit better.

get that one so when I come back from LA on the 23 rd you can let me know how you like it so I can get one and put it on my table saw stand for the dewalt saw

and tom you are right it is peckerwood and not woodpecker like you have ( or I heard that you had)

[kreg McMahon]

Kreg, I think Tom is right - you must have a different pecker lift screw instead of chain. They both operate via screws, both have bronze Woodpeckers and Bench Dog uses 8 inch, but the similarities stop about there.

The differences that I am seeing are that the Bench Dog seems a bit heftier - It also has a preload nut that equally straddles the woodpecker and are both mounted the same (something about this just doesn't seem quite right to me The Bench Dog also toutes the fastest linear motion and a self cleaning screw, although I believe that this claim is prior to Woodpecker's coming out with the QuickLift - but they mention nothing about having a self cleaning screw.

The Woodpecker on the other hand does have the quicklift feature Unless somebody blows me,out of the water I will probably order the Bench Dog within the next couple of days. Thanks for the replies guys. -- BT

I cleaned up your wording a bit.... or a bit funnier sounding

[byront]

Thanks Kreg - I do like your version better! Also, I just ordered it from Allprotools.com - they have it on sale right now for $239.90. That's the best price I could find and it's about $100 less than what I could find it for locally. Don't know how long the sale is on for, but they are located about 60 miles east of L.A. Was just in Long Beach a little while back working on getting a restaraunt ready for a friend of mine to open up. Was there for a month - 2 weeks fun and 2 weeks work. Last I heard the city wanted him to tear up the concrete and increase the slope on the drainlines. Years back he had a couple restaraunts in SanFrancisco and is now always talking about how easy things were compared to Long Beach. Weather was nice when I was there, hotter than I like now though. Have a good trip. --- BT

[kreg McMahon]

allpro tools is a great place to buy I have bought a lot of tools from them over the years at the woodworkers shows in Pomona and Orange country. let me know how you like it.