Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 7310 5.6 Amp 3/4-Horsepower Laminate Trim Router

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When reading Woodworking with a router, I noticed the author stated, that after getting a standard size router, your second router should be a laminate trim router. It is so versatile. Since it is smaller than most routers, it is more manageable. Shop made jigs using a router, are best done with one of these. Since it takes the standard 1/4" bits, it makes it a convenient, multi use tool.
If you do a lot of counter top, laminate work, their combo pack, with the different bases, is the top choice. Saves a lot of money over buying the individual bases.
I looked at some overseas, and the Ryobi model, and decided to spring for the Porter Cable. The metal base, and fine adjust feature, and metal housing, set it apart. This is a professional level piece of equipment. Should give you many years of trouble free performance.
When you are doing fine work, the lightness, and ease of visibility afforded by this router, is unmatched.
If I had to be critical of it, I would say that when changing a bit, I remove the base, which isn't that hard, for easy access. The base is designed to come on and off real easy, since it is one part of a multi base system.
All in all, definitely 5 stars. The more you use it, the more it will become your favorite one.

After reading a few reviews here I thought I would comment on this tool myself. I am a proffesional comercial woodworker and have owned and bought for my company this router maybe 15 times over the years so I am very familiar with it. One thig that I keep seeing in the negitive column in everyones reviews is that it is not precise enough for some people, all I can say is keep in mind what this tool is inted for....this is a laminate trim router...there is nothing precise about that, infact it has always been kind of a joke in the industry that they put the fine adjustment knob on the router at all! If you are looking for a small precise genral pourpose woodworking router this is not what you want, if you are looking for a laminate trim router as the name implies this is a very good one, we do millons of dollars worth of work each year here and have found for the price this is a fine trim router.

While this trimmer might be fine for quick roundovers and the like, it lacks the refinement and precision necessary for fine woodworking and production work. Careful observers will notice that the base and motor are not perfectly perpendicular to one another. There is too much slop in the height adjustment mechanism and set knob. Too, the base itself is not perfectly flat (place a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper on a flat table and run the base plate over it a few times. High and low spots will quickly become apparent.) All in all, the 7310 is very underwhelming in its quality and precision. As far as the "Rotozip" style trimmers go, the DeWalt and Bosch models offer better quality and refinement then this PC, though they, too, suffer from some of the same problems.

By far the better alternative is the tried-and-true Porter Cable 310 production router. This model has long been a favorite of professional cabinetmakers (the guys in my shop own two or three each), but it is somewhat unknown to the woodworking public at large. It is not made for mass market consumers (Home Depot/Lowes don't carry it), and PC has instead promoted the 7310 trimmer as its mainstay trim router. The 7310 trimmer, however, is but a shadow of the 310. Read some of the reviews on the 310 and you'll see what I mean. The 310 is truly a fine machine. At $100, the 7310 is not a great value. At $159, the 310 is worth every penny. Spend more now and you'll be very satisfied with the knowledge that you own the very best. More importantly, your work will show the wisdom of your choice.

Sadly, Porter Cable no longer sells the excellent offset, angle, and other optional bases for the 310. If you need these you can acquire them used or new-old-stock, but they are getting harder to find. The premium prices of these trimmers and optional bases found on Ebay attest to the loyal following the 310 has. These bases are available for the 7310, but you will still have to deal with the inferior design and quality of that trimmer. Again, go with the DeWalt or Bosch if you need a complete trim kit with all the bases. If you don't need them, get the 310 and you'll be set for life. You'll be glad you did.

I have a special application for the PC7310 trim router. I have built a computer numerically controlled (CNC) overhead router machine. The standard spindle (router) used in this machine is the PC7310.

The PC7310 is not a large spindle as these CNC machines, even a small one like mine can use much larger routers or even professional grade spindles (costing several thousands of dollars)

The PC7310 is much more than I expected for the cost. The body up to the electrical end cap is metal. The end cap is plastic, nothing wrong with that. I had thought all the dark body may be plastic.

The single screw mounting I thought might be a limitation, but the design of my machine uses that single screw and a plate upon which the router sets. Together the router is very firmly secured.

The light weight of the PC7310 router is a very good asset for the quick moves the CNC control can produce. The 3/4 HP is three times the power of the spindle I am presently using on a smaller machine.

I have not run the router enough to determine life of the bearings in this duty, but I know there are dozens if not hundreds of other craftspeople using the PC7310 router in this configuration. I have not seen or heard any issues about short life expectancy in this kind of duty.

Only two issues with the application and not a fault of the PC7310 router is the router noise level and single speed. Otherwise the PC7310 router design is well suited for this application and is an excellent choice for the price.

This little router works great!
I find myself using the 7310p router where I used my
heavier routers before.
It's great for cutting out laminate pieces and trimming.
It's also great for those chamfers, roundovers, etc. along a long narrow edge where a larger router is harder to hold level down the edge.
It fits in your hand well for one hand work and is easy to use
holding it sideways.
It's kind of loud, but what router isn't?
ANYONE WHO OWNS A ROUTER SHOULD HAVE THIS IN THEIR ARSENAL FOR THOSE 1/4" BIT JOBS.

having been in the home building & remodeling business over 26 years i have learned to appreciate dependable tools.tools that rarely need to go to the shop ,because tool down time cost money & increases overhead.this is just a good,simple,& very dependable tool that we have put hundreds of hours on. this p-c tool has never let us down yet.i own other laminate trimers & routers but this model is by far & away the most used.i have & will buy this model again.

I've found the height adjustment clumsy and the knurled knob to be hard to sufficiently tighten by hand (it creeps with use). The best trim router out there is their 310P production trim router.

This trimmer is a real pleasure to use; great balance, comfortable for extended periods of use. Its drawback seems to be the difficulty in changing bits, the 1/4" bit shanks are extremly tight in the 1/4" collet. Overall it is one of the more well balanced laminate trimmers that I have.

I tackled the ultimate DIY project - a countertop! I have only done this once before, and the results (with an inferior router) were obviously DIY. But with this tool, I was able to quickly and easily trim off those laminate/formica edges and then go back and bevel them with a bevel bit. I had a long time contractor tell me that if I wanted to tackle a countertop relamination "more power to you" - he didn't think I could do it. But the results were beautiful! This router has already saved me $1,000 in professional countertop costs. Since we regularly flip houses, I expect it to save me plenty more. And it is half the price at Amazon as at the big box store. By the way, I did not need the fancy tilting base, just used a bevel bit for that finished edge. If you are looking to do countertops, this is definitely the right tool! With a little research into HOW, and taking your time, countertops can be a DIY project!
Did I mention I'm "just" a GIRL :)

I purchased this tool largely on the reputation of PC - and my experience with some of their other tools. I've had it for about a year or so and have used it on a number of laminate trimming projects and as a small router with regular wood bits. In use, the product works well. It has the power I would expect from a small motor and the long cord length is nice.

It's getting to the use part that I have a beef with. As mentioned in some of the other reviews, the base adjustment is poorly designed. Trying to do fine adjustments of the bit is hit and miss. There's a knurled wheel to adjust the height and a locking know. The problem is that when the locking knob is loosened enough to move the base there's way too much play in the base. Consequently, you can't really tell where the base will end up until you tighten the locking knob.

I've also had the problem where the collet won't release the bit after use until I tap the bit a few times.

Maybe I underestimate the ease of designing a motor with a switch, but that seems like something any tool company could do. It's the stuff that bolts onto the motor that makes the difference between a great tool and one that's not so great. Unfortunately, this one falls into the latter camp.