My old reliable PC router is on it's last legs.

[Gene Howe]

I've looked for a 1hp replacement with no luck. Anybody have a suggestion for another brand? DeWalt looks OK but, I'm not enamored with their drills. Are their routers better? Anybody tried a Rigid? Would like a new one to accept PC style template guides. So, that kinds eliminates Bosch.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Gene Howe

[lew]

I really like Makita tools but I don't have their router. Both mine as still the old PC's like yours. Maybe Milwaukee? 

[Gene Howe]

32 minutes ago, lew said:

I really like Makita tools but I don't have their router. Both mine as still the old PC's like yours. Maybe Milwaukee? 

Me too. Haven't read anything about their routers. 

Just checked. They only take 1/4" shaft bits. That's a deal killer for me. Got way too much invested in 1/2" shaft bits. Off to look at Milwaukee's. 

Well, looks like a Milwaukee is on the horizon. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Gene Howe

[Grandpadave52]

Pictures or it never happened.  Oh and a review will be much appreciated too.

As for which one, buy one of each to compare. Norm had equal number of routers and clamps IIRC

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Milwaukee is my brand of choice these days, but mine were all made before they were bought out by the current owners. Still, you might look at the 5615. Another thing about Milwaukee, some of their stuff matches PC, I use my PC edge guide on my Milwaukees all the time.

[HandyDan]

Lots of used PCs on E-Bay.  Might find what you like slightly used there.

[Smallpatch]

Gene do you ever get to Albuquerue. There is this pawn shop on the east end of the main drag that runs parallel to 1-40 just one block to the south and every time we use to go to Las Vegas we would stop there. He told us years ago anything marked would cost me half that much. This started in 1998 for super bowl weekend and at least once a year was my time for more power tools.. sometime during the summer but las Vegas is just too hot for comfort that time of the year... 

Most of my routers are Porter Cable,6 or 7, but I do have a Makita RF1101 and it is about half as loud as the PK's and it does take both shaft sizes. I'm thinking all the new routers comes with both adapters for shaft sizes.

  I took the big PK 3 1/4hp out of the router table and put the makita in cause it was that much quieter.

But now thinking about it, he is probably about my age so no telling if this super nice gent is still there.

  Also never offer to give what is on the price tag in any pawn shop. If you make an offer start with 40% off.

If a pawn shop has been in business for any number of years their back room will be crammed full of stuff that needs to be sold.

[Gene Howe]

Pawn shops is a good thought. There's a bunch in and around Tucson. Might give a few a look. 

[FlGatorwood]

Gene, can you remove the housing and clean out the dust. I am wondering if collected dust may cause the problem between contacts. It is sad to me that PC went out of business and sold to B&D.

[Smallpatch]

Gene I forgot to mention if any of my lot of Porter Cable routers started changing sounds or anything it was always the brushes. Any small tool repair will have them. And if you run one with the brushes shooting sparks stop it right then and get the brushes. I have a tool I use to sell that will spin the armature and let you true it up before the new brushes goes in. You could chuck it up in a large chuck drill and do the same thing. The one I have used to be used on the old generators. You don't see too many of them any more.

[Smallpatch]

I will add all brush type electric motors will put off some sparks and it a good idea to watch that area run often then you will be able to tell when extra sparks are flying and should not be that way.

  The Dremels I use all the time are bad about brushes burning up too often it seems and I always wished for a brushless Dremel. Well a couple of week ago I got and e-mail advertising a new brushless model. Yea!

In their old literature they recommend changing the brushes once a year. But I don't ever think of it till the tool quits.

 

[Grandpadave52]

47 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

The one I have used to be used on the old generators. You don't see too many of them any more.

Is it a "Trucut Armature Lathe" Patch? Orange in color. Look like the picture? It has the micah undercutter? Used one a lot in a previous life.

 

 

[kmealy]

I'm still using my 35 y.o. PC 690 and my newer Bosch, so I'm not much help.  IIRC, you can get an adapter to use in the Bosch to let it use the PC guides, but i just went off and bought a set of Bosch guides.  The one disadvantage is that it doesn't fit the holes in my PC router table, but nowdays I'm using my newer one.

[Smallpatch]

No the one I have is a portable hand held model. I use to sell them with the Mac Tools. I started selling Mac in 1966 so geneators was being phased out before I started showing up in the auto repair shops.

[HandyDan]

Armatures on high speed motors need to be a lot more precise than those old armature lathes are capable of.  At least that has been my experience.

[Gene Howe]

I should describe the problem with the PC. Maybe, it can be fixed. It starts and runs normally. But, when it's switched off, as it coasts down, I can hear, what I think, are bearings rattling. 

[Smallpatch]

Yep, sounds like starting to get dry so you can get bearings and do it yourself of take it to a repair shop. The guys where I get the capacitors for electric motors could replace them. Either one of your big cities should have that kind of repair shops.  You even take the router apart and make it easier and quicker to take it in that way. I'm sure the brushes needs to be replaced also while you are at it.

   If you wait too long the bearings will stop turning and then waller out where they go and that means a new router.

 Gene the Makita I have comes with both sizes of gizsmos for the 1/4 and 1/2" shafts.

  If it were me I would buy a new router and get that one fixed for a back up.... but do check the pawn shops. Being used they will be working right at the shops for the owners would not take them in and give the persons money that they can't resale if the guy never pays off his loan!

[Masonsailor]

Gene I have been using the Makita 3612’s since the late 80’s and they are great work horses. At 3 1/4 HP they are not light but a great tool. I still have a bunch left over from the big shop days where we would set them up for specific purposes and just leave them set up. They have sold millions of those things so they show up on CL or eBay all the time. 
Paul

[Danl]

I purchased the Ridgid 1-1/2 HP router a few yrs ago for $37.00 at an estate sale.  I am not a fan of the on/off switch located on the top and mine is difficult to switch out bits.  The owners manual reads "Depress the motor release lever and move the base to provide clear access to the collet nut. It is not necessary to remove the base".  It is very difficult to remove the outer base on mine and there is limited access for a wrench if you do not remove it.  I find adjusting the cutting depth very easy and does not get readjusted when locking the outer base.  If I was looking for another one, I would look at the Dewalt or Ridgid corded.  A nice feature the cordless routers have is a brake.  But, not worth the battery issues you will have in latter yrs.   I have a Dewalt DW621 2 hp plunge router which I enjoy using.

Danl