Porter-Cable 894PK 2-1/4 HP GripVac Base, Plunge Base Kit

by Porter-Cable

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Featuring an extremely accessible motor release and height adjustment controls, as well as an ultra-powerful and low-noise 2-1/4 HP motor with superior electronic feedback (10,000 - 23,000 RPM), the Porter-Cable 894PK offers precision for superior results. Brass post busing ensures durability, while a dust collection insert helps improve visibility and keep your workspace clean. For added convenience you can replace bits with one hand, a bypass control makes larger adjustments, and an easy-to-use knob tackles more precise and minute alterations to 1/128-inch. The 894PK works with most 890 and 690 router series bases and comes with a helpful CD-ROM that breaks down the process of constructing a work table, a carrying case with plenty of bit storage, a transparent sub-base, 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch self-releasing collets, one wrench, dust collection insert, and GripVac handle.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 8.6 x 24.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 22.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000DCBKH
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 894PK
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,865 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #33 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Routers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice fixed base unit, OK plunge base unit, February 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Porter-Cable 894PK 2-1/4 HP GripVac Base, Plunge Base Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought this set mostly for use in a Bench Dog RT150 router table with the fixed base. Wanted the GripVac base for occasional "out of the box" use where the vac feature would be nice. The fixed base/motor work REALLY well in the RT150. The motor release and height adjust controls are very accessable through the cabinet door and the accessory top-side height adjust knob, though a free mail-in item, is not really needed. The only things you have to reach for are the speed control (easy), on/off (easy), and the collet lock (less easy, but tolerable). The motor is very quiet, the soft-start "way cool", and power more than adequate. The clear plastic sub-bases ae less impressive. Seem like polystyrene, but I hope they are something more durable that that. I am less impressed with the plunge base. It's OK, but compared to my P-C 7529 plunge router, it's pretty crude in features, but then it only added $30 to the cost of the fixed-base router and $6 of that is for the plastic base that can take guide bushings. Too cheap to pass up. An annoying thing about the plunge base is that it has a 1" dust port, but the location makes it very inconvenient/impossable to use with P-C's 1" dust hose. Somebody stopped thinking too soon in the design stage. No fine plunge adjust, either. I give the GripVac base 5 stars and the plunge base three, so an average of four. Overall, a very good product and worth the money. Sure wish P-C was less stingy about warranty. Milwaukee does "lifetime", why does P-C only do 1 year? By the way, the CD they give you with the kit includes a video of instructions on building a simple router table. Unfortunately, the audio periodically fails. Not a big thing, but it does make P-C look bad to ship such a thing. I think they need a little Demming influence there.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great going, Porter-Cable!, December 29, 2003

By 

Jeffery D. Oliver (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Porter-Cable 894PK 2-1/4 HP GripVac Base, Plunge Base Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

I recently bought this router to supplement my Milwaukee 3.5HP table router. I have, thus far, been nothing but impressed by this new offering from P-C. It is, by far, one of the quietest routers I have yet to use (other than the original Elu I used in Europe). The dust collection system is functional, the multi-point accessible power switch is a great innovation, and the general feeling of solid quality is P-C at its best! If I had any complaint, it would not be against P-C - it would be that you really should peruse the manual first - I didn't notice the additional switch access until later (who uses manuals anyway, until they have a problem with a product).

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deficiencies, April 30, 2004

By 

Paul Cardinale (Hayward, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Porter-Cable 894PK 2-1/4 HP GripVac Base, Plunge Base Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

Overall, it's a fine system, and I'm glad I bought it.
However there are some astonishing design blunders:
1. On some of the plunge bases, the depth indicator is made of translucent plastic instead of transparent. This makes it impossible to read the depth indicator.
2. The spindle lock actuator on the plunge base is completely disfunctional. The motor unit cannot be brought down far enough to engage it.
3. With the dust shield in place, it's impossible to make above-the-table bit changes. Worse yet, with large bits, the entire unit must be removed from the table to change bits. Without the dust shield, above-the-table bit changes are quite easy; but you get a lot of dust sprayed around.