Customer Reviews

JessEm 04001 Mast-R-Fence 36-Inch Router Table Fence

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having used rockler and bench dog router tables in other shops, I decided to finally get one for myself. After seeing a JessEm table and fence next to a bench dog, in a local store, I decided on the JessEm. The build quality of the table and fence are in a whole new class when compared to the other products.

This fence is a dream to use. Highly adjustable, rock solid, easy to move, very stable. The "high boy" knobs make small adjustments simple. The adjustable measuring scales on the side make it very easy to "zero out" for any pass. And the adjustable faces make it a snap to fit the fence to the bit in use. It's easy to get "zero clearance" with this fence no matter what bit is in use.

JessEm includes a fantastic guide, and all the tools you need to use this fence right out of the box. You won't be disappointed.

I have been using a rockler table for years and although very good I ended up buying the whole Jess-em system and I love the ease and accuracy of it all, yes it is expensive but if you are a serious hobbyist (like I am) and can afford it, it is well worth it

There's a lot of choices out there - But three things made me chose JessEm for my router setup -
And along with it this fence.
1. I'm a relativley new woodworker. I wanted to buy - And USE - A system - Not spend my time creating/building one. JessEm had everthing I needed to put together a complete router table/lift/fence/slide/stand package. And they fit - And work - Together - Exactly and Precisely.
2. The reviews on all their equipment are "top end".
3. The quality of the stand - And the rest of the line are everything claimed. Built with precision - They deliver precise routing.
I added a Porter Cable 7518 router (fits this setup perfectly), a Rousseau switch, and an HTC2000 Universal Mobile Base.
And now I'm in really "in business".
You get what you pay for - Do it right up front.
Hint: Buy the JessEm 02021 4-Piece Tab-Loc Insert Ring Set up front. You'll want 'em and use 'em.

Called and asked JessEm customer service if I could order my at 52 inches to match my 48 inch table, they told me sure. Had this router fence since it first came available with the high star shape adjustment knobs, so that should tell how old it is. Very well made and designed for the true woodworker doing router work, not just making dust. You will not go wrong by this fence with the jigs you can add while being heavy duty too. I also own the Bench dog router fence, only used it for two weeks, now taking up room and just standing up in my shop.

I've had the mast-r-lift excel table, fence, mite-r-slide on a jessem stand for about 3-4 years. It's a solid system all the way around. I have a PC 7518 router in it, with a Bench Dog on-off switch hooked to the front of the table. I put it on locking casters which raised it another 4" or so, and installed a shelf where the metal rails connect the four legs of the stand. It was the best system available at the time and to my knowledge it still is. The up-down adjustment is extremely precise. There's not a similar precision adjustment available for the fence, but the locking knobs are very easily accessible and fence adjustments are a breeze.

A few criticisms:

I agree with the reviewer who said the dust collection leaves something to be desired. I had to do some serious plumbing to connect the dust port at the rear of the fence with the dust port under the table top, and it's just not very efficient. The port in the back of the fence is quite small and the enclosed space there easily clogs. Despite the DC hook-ups, about one-third of the dust falls through the hole and isn't collected.

Jessem appears to be a company that's strong on engineering and weak on people management. I asked Jessem's customer service if they could suggest a solution to the DC problem, such as whether a DC box could be installed around the router to catch the dust. It's not obvious whether that would work, or how it could work, because the rubber belt that adjusts the height extends to the front right corner of the table. I asked whether they thought the Woodpecker's DC box, for instance, could be modified to work on their table, or whether they had any other suggestions. They just blew me off, saying they didn't know anything about other manufacturer's products.

My workshop is in my garage, and after the first winter, all the Jessem hardware (steel with black paint) began to rust. I decided to replace it all with stainless hardware and so I asked Jessem's customer service at least three times to give me the specs on the hardware I needed to replace. Again they blew me off. They ignored me for about a month; when I persisted with the same question multiple times, they finally suggested I should take all the hardware out of the table and fence, etc., take it to a hardware store and have them replace it. It's strange that they work hard to develop a good product but don't support it at all.

All in all, I'd recommend the Jessem router system anyway, to someone who doesn't care much about router table dust collection (from what I've seen over the years, most woodworkers either don't care about router table DC or believe that DC at the router table is impossible or too much trouble) or post-sale customer support.

Great fence! Nice quality and well built. Manual is good enough. I'm using it with the Jessem top and insert. They make a great combination. Slightly expensive, but well worth it. Good knobs and its easy to zero out. Nice accessory in the mite-r-slide also. Would agree that the dust port is not perfect but its worked well enough for me. This would not be a reason not to buy this product (I wouldn't give it 2 stars just for this). You can get a 2 1/4 to 4 inch adapter which is what I'm using with my dust collector. Overall, worth the price...its nice! Can also get these from Rockler...made by Jessem for Rockler...they are blue instead of red. Exactly the same though.

Easy to set up. I have the Jessem table and the holes are pre set. However, I think it would not take that much more with another brand table. The fence is really solid and heavy. Fit and finish are out- standing. Vacuum port works fine. Zeros out perfectly. Easy to calibrate. A high end tool.
Is it better than a lower priced fence? Fence setting is way above other fences. But I have made some beautiful stuff with my old Rockler fence and table. Those are moderately priced and quite good. You are paying for quality when you step up another hundred bucks. If I was just starting out with router tables and fences, I'd like to think I would pass by the Rockler and move straight to the Jessem. For the long haul, that's the best choice. But maybe money considerations would pull me to the Rockler. Both are good products, but in this case, you really do get what you pay for.

Will

I have owned cheap router tables and fences and that is what they are, cheap. This JessEm fence is head and shoulders above the rest in quality and ease of use. It's perfect as I also have the JessEm table and router lift, it's top shelf all around. I't built to last and you will never regret it, just be sure to get both the table and the fence and the lift as a package, it's first class.

When I first installed the fence, I noticed that the faces of the moveable sub-fences are recessed about 1/16" behind the front of the fence itself, making it impossible to get a square cut on any piece that is taller than the sub-fences. The work piece gets pushed out of square by the top part of the fence. I have tried numerous times to get in touch with someone at JessEm to discuss this problem, and no one has gotten back to me.

Definitely not the quality product they claim!

This fence is nice. It is adjustable, rock solid, and easy to move. The "high boy" knobs are better than most. The adjustable measuring scales on the side are easy to zero out.

However, the dust collection system is backwards. (1) It will only accept a 2¼" connection. That is Shop Vac size. (2) If you are a serious hobby woodworker, I think you would have at least 4" lines running to each machine. Most dust reducers go from 4" to 2½" - NOT 2¼". (3) And you must put the dust connection inside the hole, which is backwards in direction to efficient collection of saw dust. (4) JessEm makes no adapter for other sizes.

They should have made the dust port with a "nipple" on top to accept different size connections. Plus that puts the connection reducer on the outside of the hole, NOT inside. Shame on JessEm. Their design team made a big error on the Dust Port. And their Customer Service STINKS!

JessEm includes a manual, but it is no better than others. It lacks detail in a lot of areas, just like most manuals. However, with trial and error, most functions are intuitive.

This is a nice fence. Worth the high price? Doubtful.