PORTER-CABLE Router, Fixed Base, 11-Amp (690LR)

Being a do-it-yourself homeowner, over the years I've owned many tools. However, until purchasing this Porter Cable 690LR router, I had never owned a router before. I had always wanted one but could never justify making a purchase. Heck, my idea of fine woodworking usually entailed 2x4's, wood screws, and glue. But there came a day recently when I decided to take on the project of making cabinets for my kitchen. For this project a router was an absolutely essential piece of equipment for making dovetail and dato joints in hardwood and hardwood plywood. It was also necessary for decorative finishing like chamfering and rounding edges, etc.After doing some research, (after all I knew nothing about routers), I decided to take a chance on this Porter Cable product. From the reviews, it seemed like a solid product, so why not? After receiving it from Amazon, I was very impressed with the quality of the tool. It was very simple and well made. It came with both a 1/4" and a 1/2" bit collar to hold either 1/4" or 1/2" shaft size bits. It also came with two stamped steel wrenches used to tighten the nut on the collar to the nut located on the bottom of the motor part of the assembly. When tightened, these two nuts securely hold the bit in the router. It has a fixed aluminum base which has two handles, a built-in clamping mechanism, and a plastic screw-on bottom plate that allows the base to smoothly glide over wood. It also has a top assembly which includes the motor, on/off switch, and on the bottom the part that the base slides and rotates over. If you don't know about routers like I didn't, fixed base routers cut at fixed depth as opposed to plunge routers which can plunge into the work for applications like making letters in wood signs, etc. However, cut depth on fixed base routers like this PC 690LR is completely adjustable with an infinite amount of settings within its range of depth. It adjusts by releasing the easy to use clamping mechanism on the base by and rotating the base relative to the top.For routers, as long as your router has enough power for your application, and this one absolutely did for mine, accuracy and ease of cutting depth adjustment is THE most important aspect of fine router woodworking in projects like making cabinets, etc. With this PC 690LR router's accurate turning and clamping mechanism, I would have to say that depth adjustments of less that 1/64th of an inch and perhaps less than 1/128th of an inch are absolutely possible. I was very impressed with the extreme accuracy of depth adjustment obtainable with very little effort in this tool. Needless to say, the dovetail joints fit perfectly together and dato joints were cut excellently-very tight with no variations.The base on this router has a black band on its top that you can see in the pictures. It is a rotatable dial graduated in 1/64th of an inch increments designed as a reference guide to allow for changes in depth adjustment.This router does not have a variable rotation speed setting-rotation speed is fixed at 27,000 RPM. You can easily attach this router to a factory made router table or, as I did, to a make-shift router table made of plywood and set on top of my table saw base stand. This is accomplished by removing the three screws that hold the plastic base plate onto the aluminum base, removing the plastic base plate, and by using the same 3 screws or 3 longer screws to fasten the aluminum base of the router to the bottom side of the router table top. (To more easily accomplish this and other things like tightening the nuts, the aluminum base of the router easily detaches from the top motor assembly after the clamping mechanism is quickly loosened.)To cut 1/2" dovetail joints you will need to purchase a 7/16th" router template guide bushing adapter that fits into the bottom of the plastic base. This will slide into the 7/16th" template guide that you will use in a dovetail machine or by itself (I used only the template guide screwed to a 2x6 as I didn't want to spend the big bucks for an official machine) to cut 1/2" dovetails.To sum it all up, this is a terrific router because of its quality, accuracy, and easy to use features. It is well worth the money Amazon is asking for it. You may find cheaper and for that matter, more expensive routers on the market that I know will not work better and many probably not nearly as well. But if fixed base router applications are in your future, this is the router to get.

I wanted a hand router that had a ½ inch collet. I use ½ inch shank bits in my son's Porter Cable 890 router mounted in a router table and find them much better and longer lasting that the ¼ bits. The three other hand routers I use only accept ¼ shank bits and the bits snap apart with use. The alternative was to purchase a large router for the router table and use the 890 as my hand router but then the incremental cost was over $200.The 690 arrived in two days - Amazon's oder filling and shipping is amazing. I put it immediately in use with a one inch trim bit to trim ¾ inch face frame stiles on my workbench. The balance, the router quality feel, and ease of use is excellent. Much better than the ¼ inch collet routers. What I found was that the 690 also fits into the 8931 plunge base accessory.My only issue is the on - off switch is awkward to use. But that is minor considering the quality and balance along with the ability to find router accessories that work with Porter Cable routers.In my view, the plunge ability is overstated. I usually drill a starting hole as, with my limited ability, the plunge mechanisms are problematic. Therefore, unless you plan on using large bits that require more power and a slower speed, this is the router to buy. Beware of less expensive routers. I bought a few but then threw them out. The differences with the Porter Cable or another quality router is major. Porter Cable is the standard for a reason.For $130 I got a simple, quality and rugged router that I am certain will be the one I grab to use over the others. What a deal!

About a year ago, I designed and built a CNC Router table. I researched the subject on the internet during the design phase, and read many reviews on the best router to be used for such a machine. The Porter Cable 690LR came up as being a real work-horse tool. So I purchased one from a local builder's supply house. The tool performed flawlessly, up until I left the machine unattended during a 4th axis cut. Since the 4th axis was a new addition to my machine, it still has bugs to be worked out. I learned this the hard way.... when I returned to check on the machine's progress, the circuit breaker had tripped, and the router had plunged completely through the piece of PVC pipe I had been machining. I reset the circuit breaker, and powered everything back up, only to discover that the router no longer functioned. (When it plunged through the pipe, it broke the bit, and melted the collet into the PVC, which had overloaded the router to the point it burned up the field coils of the motor). Since this was MY FAULT, and NOT the tool's fault, I searched the internet for the best price for a replacement router. Amazon offered a deal I could not refuse. $159.95 for the 690LR router, and a 15 piece router bit set. This price was only $5 more than I had paid for the original router, so I ordered it immediately. Since it was like getting 15 router bits for only $5. Also, since the 690LR was an exact replacement for my original router, installation was a simple bolt-on, plug-in, and GO operation. I have since worked out the bugs on the 4th axis, and the new router works great for all of my carvings! I highly recommend the Porter Cable 690LR as the tool of choice for a CNC router table.

EXCELENTE PRECIO MUY RECOMENDABLE

There's nothing flashy or fancy about this router. It's not a plunge (although you can get a plunge base for it) it's single speed, it has no spindle lock, it has no depth stops, the depth adjustment is very low tech, there is no trigger switch. This router does one thing and it does that one thing well every time. There's almost nothing to go wrong with this router, it just works. It takes both 1/4" and 1/2" router shanks. The only odd thing I noticed was the opening in the router base is rather small. I didn't have to put a very bit bit in the router to learn that the hole can easily be too small. A base with a larger hole is available separately.

Bien hecho, calidad esperada.

It is a small router that I use on a dovetail jig. It has enough power, easy to handle, bit changes are easy. Comfortable to use for longer period of time....all round very good router,

I've been woodworking for almost 40 years and I've used a lot of different routers and this is by far the best. In fact this is the second one I bought. I use one in my router table and one for hand use. I also have 2 smaller routers for lighter work but really there is no reason why this can't be used for lighter work. It's a very well built machine That I'm sure will last a very long time. My first one is almost 20 years old and still going strong.