Customer Reviews

DELTA 43-505 Router/Shaper

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bought this for price and name. Know what you're getting. The two piece fence is difficult to true up. The sharp edges on the table ribs catch any imperfection in the workpiece and make it hard to move smoothly. The mechanism to lock the head in place raises the head 1/16" and angles it closer to the fence by 1/32". OK for real low precision work.

I was truly amazed to see this kind of low quality equippment at that price from Delta. I've returned this item after completing the assembly (did not even turn it on). 1. The table's ragged edges gave me a cut on my fingers. 2. The two adjustable fences are hard to adjust and cutch on the table surface when you try to move them - especially annoying when trying to do fine adjustments. 3. The locking mechanism will lock the motor assembly after having slightly readjusted your adjustments.

4. The miter gage groove (miter gage not included) is not smooth and the gage catches the small 'imperfections'. 5. The motor height adjustment screw is what put me over the edge: when you turn the knob nothing happens for half-a-turn (up or down) then the motor assembly 'jumps' about 1/8". By the looks of it the crank scew was bent.

Did not even bother contacting Delta - there are too many quarks in this product. By the way, removing the unit from styrofoam packaging is a project by itself. It's time to move on to another vendor.

I wish I had read the previous reviews before I bought this tool. I would have run the other way. First it is almost impossible to get the machine out of the styrofoam. It took two of us pulling for a couple of minutes. The fences are extremely hard to aline. The edges are extremely sharp on the top and scratch your wood. You have to push the wood thru the bit so hard because the top catches the wood and won't let it slide. I have noticed the spindle actually moves backward when running wood through. I am a professional carpenter who was lookin for a light machine to use on the jobsite, so I guess I will have to just keep looking. This machine also needs a variable speed or at least a couple of more speed settings. does not produce a clean cut on smaller bits.

If you want a router table and simply can't afford better then go for this thing. It has one speed, difficult to adjust fences and stock gets stuck on the ribbed table. Why do you think Norm Abrams replaced his with a home made version. If you do decide to buy, get rid of the two pieces of wood they call fences and replce them with one piece. The maybe, just maybe you'll be able to route something accurate.

Turns too slowly at 12.500 to produce clean cuts with small bits. Probably underpowered as a real shaper. Its NOT a Router/ or a Shaper! Its not a good buy.

This is not a quality piece of equipment, but I liked it for two reasons: 1. The cost; it is at least $... cheaper than the cheapest shaper that I could find on the market. 2. Portability; my garage is my workshop, and I did not want an infrequently used piece of equipment (such as a shaper) taking up critical floor space. This unit fits nicely on the shelf.

Another good point is the dust collection, which worked well for me.

However, the fence is junk. There is no fine tuning adjustment, and it is difficult to attach feather boards in the right places. Similarly, the fine tuning on the cutter height is clunky; it works only on the way down (not on the way up). And the hole in the table top is not big enough to handle the panel raising bit that I wanted to use; I had to buy a smaller bit.

But the unit did work well enough for me to build raised panel doors for my kitchen.

I must have a different machine than anyone else. Adjusted the fence in accordance with the instructions and have no problem. The table top is not rough and wood slides thru smooth. Bought it for portability for jobsite. Don't intend to use the router/shaper for heavy duty shaping, so it does fine.

I too wish I had read the reviews about this machine before I bought. Like most all of the reviews I have now read,I agree with them all. Lousy fence,height adjustment and sharp ribbed top. I guess you get what you pay for ; but don't buy this one. I expected more from Delta.

I really like the Delta 43-505 Router/Shaper. While not as good as some higher end router tables, it does what it is supposed to do. I personally do not have a large workshop with high-end professional equipment, but this router/shaper table is a great addition to my quaint little woodworking shop. I gave it 4 stars because of the price and the features it has and the fact that I have had no problems with this table at all.

I purchased this without looking at the reviews, boy I wish I had. This is not up to Delta's rebutation. The fence is terrible and I consider it unsafe. The grooves on the top have too many sharp edges. Larger bits do not work with the size of the opening.

The only thing I like is the thought put into the two wrenches to change the bits.(...)