Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 895PK 12 Amp 2-1/4-Horsepower Fixed and Plunge Base

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I was leaning heavily towards the Makita RF1101 Kit but then I noticed the new Router from P/C. I got one since this had all the features I was looking for. Here are my findings.

1. Surprisingly quiet <<80 DB @10K rpm, a little louder at 23K. Soft start is nice.
2. Very little vibration.
3. Love the rack&pinion above/below table fine adjust system.
4. Motor swap is flawless and fit and finish 1st class.
5. Plenty of safety features, lockouts and 1 on/off switch that works from 2 locations. Makes accidents very rare.
6. Single handed bit release is great, the way it should have always been.
7. Love the fact that the grip-vac handle is available separately for less than $30, instead of getting a separate D-handle base for around $70 for other routers in this class.
8. Love the two case system. Works as a work center to set router with bit extended, carry case, either one at a time or both bases at once, meets airline carry-on sizes, just in case.
9. Electronic speed control worked flawlessly on hard maple with plunge cut.
10. All the 690 series attachements (like the precision edge guide) and bases etc can be used with the 890.

CD sent with kit was cracked, P/C customer service too busy to return calls/e-mail.

Amazon as usual came through with the router arriving within two days of ordering... despite their site saying it was going to be backordered for a week. Of course it arrived missing one of the router handles (which PC immediately shipped to me).

Smooth router, powerful, quiet operation.

Look at all the variations before you buy: The 891 (fixed base with vacuum attachment), 892 (fixed base only), 893PK (fixed base and plunge base), 894PK (fixed with vacuum attachment and plunge base), and 895PK (fixed base, plunge base, above table height adjust knob) all use the same 890 router motor.

If you intend to mostly use the motor attached to a router table, and don't really need a plunge base (the 8931 base has mixed reviews), then you can save a bit of money by buying the fixed base 892, and buying the not-included above table height adjustment knob (which comes standard only with the 895PK) or just using a hex screwdriver.

I have had the PC 893 Router for over a year. the plunge mechanism is awful, it slips, and its not reliable. The depth control in fixed base mode is awful, it binds, then releases, moving a lot more han what you want. The last straw is that the speed control has suddenly started to go from 16,500 RPM to like 5000 RPM in the middle of a cut, or it starts at 5000 RPM, and doesnt get to speed. Turn it off, and on, then it works, until it decides to slow down. Reliability isnt visible here. I am in the market for a new router, and it will NOT BE a PC brand.

I returned this due to many additive problems. Fortunately, Amazon refunded me because PC customer service just sent canned "Thank you - won't help you" messages. PC quality is sinking.
1) cheap plastic parts on bases - plunge base pointer broke on first use. You can't read the scale anyway because of how they positioned the knob.
2) cheap metal and screws. Two screws about 1/8" long w/maybe 3 threads hold the height adjustment rack to the machine body. These fall out and quickly strip both themselves and the body when you try to re-attach the rack - something I had to do with each use in a router table. What are they thinking? These tiny screws have to support the entire weight of the router when mounted on a table and the clamp is loosened to perform height adjustments.
3) Poorly machined base plate holes. Base barely fits standard jigs for PC routers (no problem with PC 690) because they are machined enough out of alignment to require a forced fit. You could tell this would lead to more thread stripping in no time.
4) Plunge mechanism was very stiff and almost useless. Did not improve with use.
5) For me - 4 hour one-way drive to service recall - no other way offered to accommodate.

The motor seemed decent and I tried to overlook the above until the metal began stripping in less than two months of use. I think PC is economizing on bases and cheaper manufacturing processes. By the way, this is the first tool I've returned in 20 years and own many other PC tools without complaint. Maybe I got a bad apple, but others here have similar experience with this model.

I bought this combo primarily on the strength of the PC reputation in routers. I should have listened to the people in the store where I bought it, who were trying to talk me into getting the Bosch combo instead.

As others have reported, excessive lateral deflection in the plunge base, even when locked, make it essentially useless for the vast majority of woodworking applications. The plunge base is nothing less than garbage. Even my old, cheapo Royobi plunge router worked better.

And yes, the amount of backlash in the fixed-base makes the fine adjustment capability unusable.

Maybe those who use it for router table use mught think it is OK. But something like my Milwaukee 5625 3.5HP fixed-base router is a much better choice for table use.

Avoid this model of PC router. Get the Bosch or the Dewalt instead.

The motor clamp handle has broken twice in one year on my 895 router. The part costs $1.00. There is to much play in the height adjustment. When you clamp the motor closed the motor moves way out of line, and is virtually worthless when making doors with cope and stile bits. The plunge base is extremely hard to plunge. Try another brand as Porter-Cable has failed miserably with this router.

Wow. I am in shock. Zero stars would be a better option.

I picked up the Porter Cable 890 series router, specifically the 895pk, after reading a lot of good reviews. I really needed the 1/4" and 1/2" collets, variable speed, softstart, and 2-1/4hp. The above-table height adjustment reeked of convenience - no $300 lift or even $90 RouterRaizer to install. After ordering the PC890, I stumbled across a scathing review of it which pointed out several major problems, mainly:

1. lateral deflection in the plunge base
2. backlash in the fixed base height adjustment
3. low-grade bearings in the motor
4. motor windings not varnished

I got a bit concerned, but decided to hold off on forming an opinion until I'd actually used the router.

After it arrived and I began using it, I started to notice things. First problem: as noted in the review I'd read, the plastic bushing on the non-locking shaft of the plunge base allowed an intolerable amount of movement, both vertical and horizontal. Second problem: due to the backlash in the height adjustment mechanism on the fixed base, the depth of cut would change during use. Third problem: when changing bit height the motor shifts in the base, causing between 1/32" and 1/8" in horizontal movement of the bit as well.

This is completely unacceptable. Even the most ameteur woodworker would find this to be a hindrance, and outside acceptable tolerances for a tool in this price range.

The business from whom I purchased the 895PK has been very helpful in dealing with this. They agreed to take the router back, and I selected a replacement - the Bosch 1617EVSPK. While Porter Cable seems to see fit to ignore the problems with the 890 series, Bosch has addressed the earlier known issues with the 1617. I'll be sacrificing the above-table height adjustment for now, but the 1617 is compatible with the RouterRaizer, and Bosch has a new base with a height adjustment feature.

This is the first router I've ever owned. I wanted to buy a good quality tool, and this is clearly a high-quality tool package. The ability to switch from a fixed base to a plunge router is really nice. You can tell this tool is solidly built. Mine came with the above-the-table height adjuster. Haven't needed to use it because it is so easy to adjust height through the cabinet door on my Bench Dog Pro 150 table. The router has plenty of power and is definitely quiet to operate. My shop vac makes a lot more noise than this router. The plastic cases for storage of the router and bases are pretty interesting. They can be joined together (for easy carrying of both bases) or separated easily. There is even storage for some router bits in the cases.

My only complaint is the manual is almost useless. The instructions are very difficult to read and interpret, and the photos are so poor that you can barely see what the manual is trying to illustrate. Good technical drawings would have been much better. There was no explanation about how to use the optional above-table height adjuster in the manual. The enclosed CD looks nice at first glance, but it really doesn't give you much information except a video about how to build your own router table (which isn't very useful if you don't know how to use your router yet). Most of the stuff on the CD looks like promotional videos to display the product, but it doesn't tell you how to use it. Even worse, the CD links to the Porter-Cable web site to download the product manual -- they should have put this on the CD. I guess Porter-Cable figures only experienced woodworkers would buy their product, which is unfortunate. Novices like to own good tools, too, and tool manufacturers should provide manuals that show them how to use the tools properly. I have bought some books on routers that will (hopefully) fill in the gaps that Porter-Cable left wide open.

In summary, this is a great product, even for a newbie, but I gave it only 4 stars since the manual is so terrible. If you already know about routers, this is a wonderful tool to buy. If you are a novice, make sure you buy a separate book about routers if you plan to buy this product.

I won't waste space on the many positive aspects of the new 890 router. If I had purchased just the 892P fixed base unit, this would be a 5 star rating. The plunge base gets only 2 stars from me though. I only wish I'd known what to expect and saved the extra $60 for the plunge.

Before addressing the plunge I do have 3 minor comments on the motor and fixed base. First, the spindle lock is not impressive. It's about a 3/32" pin that's fairly sloppy and it extends only about 3/32" into the much larger 3/16" spindle hole. Overall, it's much less positive than one on one my little PC laminate trimmer. With so little contact area, even light wrench torque will produce bearing stresses in the 100,000+ psi range. I expect the hole/pin would soon wear to the point of being useless. Also, the spindle lock actuator is a poor design. It requires the nearly square edged lock pin to ride up about a 45 degree ramp of aluminum as you extend the motor to full depth. It doesn't work well, but that's OK since I don't plan to use the spindle lock anyway. Porter Cable should definitely include 2 wrenches (you only get 1) for those of us who don't want to use the spindle lock. Second, the pinion gear on the height adjustment is plastic, and has only one thread. It hasn't broken yet, but time will tell. Third, the large hole base is too flimsy. The flex results in wavy edges when edge routing. Another reviewer blamed it on the fact the bottom of the fixed base is not machined. I don't think that would help. The base is just too flexible. I replaced it with the old style phenolic.

As for the plunge base, I think PC really missed an opportunity. Despite all the design improvements in the 890 series, the plunge rods/bushings were not one of them. Don't be fooled by those tall plunge towers. Only the bottom 1 1/2" is bushing. With the plunge lock off, the clearances in the bushing/posts results in at least 1/32" lateral deflection at the point of entry of a 1" tall bit. It tightens up some when locked, but it still seems far too loose for precision template guide work. I don't think mine is just a bad example. This was just a mediocre design in the 690 and appears to have been carried over as-is. Maybe I was expecting too much since this is my 5th PC router. On the positive side, there are significant improvements in other aspects of the plunge base such as the motor clamp and dust collection provisions. If you are satisfied with the plunge action of the old 690 you will probably like the 890 better. In fairness, most other plunge routers in this price class are just as sloppy but many are smoother.

The locking mechanism and adjustment is disapointing in actual use. The one plus is that it is quiet. Unfortunately, it became too quiet.

At 13 months (one month out of warranty) the variable speed control failed after only about 1 hour of total run time. The repair at the local service center was $104. After several contacts and complaints, PC is unwilling to make any concession. With PC, Delta and Dewalt all owned by the same company, is this what we have to expect from American companies? Next purchase, (won't be PC) I will look for a manufacturer with a longer warranty. I guess I will have to buy all Japanese tools!