selecting my first router

Mike

John, I quit buying Craftsman for a long time. This happened over a socket set I bought to work on my Dodge Caravan. Each of the metric sockets broke on first use. I exchanged them and sold them quick. That was then, this is now, and Sears is offering some very good values in tools.

__________________
Mike
Please edit your profile with a name and location so we can better assist you.

Advertising



Remove these advertisements by registering for your free RouterForums.com account today!

westend

Hey Mike, I think anybody that uses tools for more than a few years is going to run into a bad tool or brands that have a problem with quality, at some point. I'm somewhat surprised about your experience with Craftsman hand tools but I've noticed the quality is slipping in some areas.
I guess one has to realize that buying a brand doesn't mean that the tool is being manufactured by the brand. As far as I know, buying a Stanley tool isn't insurance that it is being made in New Britain, CT. My new Powerlock tape measure was made in Thailand.
I believe the same can be said about Craftsman. The neat thing about most Sears products is that, years later, it's still possible to buy parts for what ever you bought. I am reading about the experience of other members of the Forum and their endorsement of Craftsman routers. I have no reason to doubt them.

__________________
Sawdust is not dirt

jschaben

I agree with you there Lance. Some years ago I was on a committee chartered to buy tools for some 8 or 10,000 service reps we had worldwide for our metric changeover. We were sick to death of the cheapo allen wrenches purchasing was forcing us to buy so we sorta rammed Snap-On down their throat. Guess what, first batch in failed quality control incoming, using Snap-On's own drawings!!!

What ticked me off was the general arrogance of the company (Sears) which is a management attitude that filters throughout. They have made some changes but as far as I am concerned, through more recent experiences, they still got a long ways to go to get me back in there with any consistancy.

__________________
John Schaben

"I haven't failed, I have simply discovered several hundred ways that don't work"

Billat908

I wish.

The operative word there is most

Hamlin

There was a period in time in which sears "tools" were junk. I'd say, since mid to late 90's they have come around. They're selling better quality of tools. However, as Mike pointed out, you will still need to deal with them for parts. Well, atleast until it becomes obsolete, (which is usually around the 5yr mark). I deal with them only because they are close by.

__________________
Ken

***Please fill in your profile, at least your location. As this will help us help you better.***

"A VETERAN"
"Whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life". That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it." -Author Unknown

westend

John, my Sears outlook kind of parallels your take, where is the customer service in the organization? Not that Sears is the only outfit that has forgotten "who is always right". Fortunately, there are still some small Mfg.'s out there that believe in making a quality product and are genuinely interested in what theor customer thinks.
If I had to give the OP a hint as to what I believe is a good first router, it would be toward a Bosch or Milwaukee product. They are the two companies that I do have some experience with. Of course, there are more good routers being built than these two.

__________________
Sawdust is not dirt