Thread: TRA-001 Alternatives?

I have 2 tritons. If I wee starting again I would not buy a triton. There is a very good thread here somewhere about using a CNC spindle as a table router. I would do that and buy an appropriate makita or hitachi as a hand held router.

There is also a conversion kit for several routers which give them table top adjustment. Much cheaper than a router lift.

But really I'd just do the spindle thing.

And I'd probably build a pantograph router as per the online instructions and youtube video. Depending on what you are doing the panto may be more useful. You could for example use it to make mortices in legs stretchers etc and make some loose tenons with rounded corners to match the mortice corners. That'd be a really nice way to build furniture.

I, too, have two TRA001s, both under router tables (one I bought for the Men’s Shed). Both have had problems with collets, pieces falling off, speed controls not working. Nothing that’s made me throw them through the window - but enough to say I’ll buy differently next time. My old Hitachi powered on for years without missing a beat, but maybe I was lucky.

As to lifting, our Shed is trialling an old scissor lift from a car. So far it seems to work well, especially for those members who aren’t as strong as they used to be.

Just a thought - depending on what sort of work you’ll be doing you may not need a stonking great beast under the table.

Regards,

Brian

Cheers Homey. Yes, feedback such as yours has made me leery of the TRA's - lucky as I probably would have bought one and gotten rather annoyed.

I have seen quite a few of home made lifting mechanisms out there but I was hoping there would be a slightly less DIY solution such as the TRA offered. It seems a bit strange to me that there is not a router out there that is not configured for table use or as in the TRA's, have logical facilities for such. I also like the depth control in the hand help mode too. Any ideas?

As for use, like nothing huge but I do want to have the ability if needed. I don't need a rocket engine but I would like to avoid the bottom end of the power band.

Cheers.

Hey DK, I'm currently planning a router table build and both the Makita RP2301FC and the Hitachi M12VE have a bolt for raising and lowering the router from above the table. I'm probably going with the Makita option.
I don't envisage the router table will be high use tool for me so can't justify one of the fancy lift systems.

+1 for the Makita. I've had mine in a table for years and the only thing I'd like to have over and above what I've got is above table bit changes, it does have spindle lock and above the table height adjustment. Make sure you install it in a cabinet with dust extraction. I have the Makita 3612 for heavy hand held use, mainly mortising, had it over 30 years and it's as good as the day I bought it.

Dunning Kruger,

I’m sure there are many people who swear by their Tritons, I can only speak for my own experience. I’m planning to shift to an Incra lift and either the AUK fixed body router or a CNC spindle (as Damien suggests).

With the scissor jack it’s extremely easy to raise and lower the router, lock it off and away you go. Yes it’s a bit DIY but I’ve seen furniture pros using this approach so it works OK.

Good luck with choosing a router - always an enjoyable job!

Brian

I was doing some surfing looking at the larger Makita Routers and it appears they only come with a 1/2" collet and use a sleeve to go down to 1/4". Is that correct??
I'm not a fan of sleeves.

Originally Posted by Lappa

I was doing some surfing looking at the larger Makita Routers and it appears they only come with a 1/2" collet and use a sleeve to go down to 1/4". Is that correct??
I'm not a fan of sleeves.

They work okay, in my experience. I don't have that many 1/4" bits but when I have used them the sleeve was not a problem.

I have two triton routers and I used to be very impressed with them. Not any more.

Originally Posted by Lappa

I was doing some surfing looking at the larger Makita Routers and it appears they only come with a 1/2" collet and use a sleeve to go down to 1/4". Is that correct??
I'm not a fan of sleeves.

Why do you want to use 1/4 bits ? Do you already have some ? They are inferior in every way to 1/2 bits. More vibration etc.

Anyway as said if you must sleeves work fine.

The majority of my extensive range of bits are 1/2” but I do have a range of 1/4” bits for my small Makita which only takes 1/4” bits and 3/8” bits. I occasionally use some of them in my MOF001 which has 1/2”, 1/4” and 8mm collets.
I guess, from reading some stories re movement of bits with sleeves and my own experience with an 3/8” sleeve, I prefer collets over sleeves.