China Tools Ep.55, Is this small routertable a tool or toy?

China Tools Episode 55. In this video, a small "High-End" router table is tested. Is this a tool or a toy?
If you want to see a ranking among all the products I tested over the last three years, visit my site: hookedonwood.o...
Links to products shown in the video!
Enjoywood router table
www.banggood.c... router table
Enjoywood router lift for handheld routers
www.banggood.c... router lift
Enjoywood Clear Cut Guide
www.banggood.c... Clear Cut Guide
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My BEST REVIEWED and RECOMMENDED products all in one place with the latest prices!
www.banggood.c... On Wood page
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My Personal Banggood favorites of all time!
1. Hongdui Edge Trimmer
www.banggood.c...
2. Doweling Jig / Multi-row puncher
www.banggood.c...
3. Gweike Co2 laser
www.gweikeclou...
4. Mohoo Sharpening system
www.banggood.c...
5. Drill guide cabinet jig
www.banggood.c...
6. T-ruler
www.banggood.c...
7. Precision square
www.banggood.c...
8. Miter square
www.banggood.c...
9. Height gauge
www.banggood.c...
10. Hongdui Miter Gauge
www.banggood.c...
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My name is Dennis, and I am from Hooked on Wood.
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My KZbin channel is a hobby. This means I try to upload 1 a 2 video's a month. But this is not at a specific schedule. So If you do not want to miss my videos. Subscribe and click the notification.
Products I use in my workshop.
Table saw with dust system:
Felder 740S Slider
Felder 140
Workbench:
Incra master-R-router lift
AEG 1400w router
Incra 25" SL positioner with Wonder Fence
Drill press: Jet JDP 15B
Miter saw: Festool Kapex 60
Different links to products I use
Clamps:
Axminster trade hold down clamps
Piher Rail guide clamps
Micro Jig dovetail clamps
Bessey parallel clamps
Axminster trade parallel clamps
Push blocks
Micro Jig Gripper
Incra Push block
Thank you for viewing.
Best regards,
Dennis

[@TReischl1]

Watched the video and then purchased one. I have been downsizing my shop for a while since I now only do smaller projects. This unit is absolutely great! Very well built, sturdy. My only "complaint" is that like a lot of tools the dust port did not fit my standard 2.5 inch hoses. So I just 3D printed a new one. In red of course. I also like that the router and base can be removed quickly for free style routing. Took me a week to discover that feature. Thanks for the video!!!

[@colindoesdiy]

How on earth did I miss your latest video coming out 🤣. The router table looks really well built and just right for the small routers. I don't have a need myself for one of these tables, but I do like the Enjoywood hold down rollers, and at the moment, they are less than £20 for a pair. I shall be ordering a pair very soon to catch the Flash Deal. Keep up the great work, for a moment until I went looking on KZbin, I thought you weren't making anymore video's 😂😂

[@HookedonWood]

That is indeed a bit disappointing 😁😁

[@samnguyen8426]

I finish work, I see Dennis make new video, I am happy

[@HookedonWood]

I uploaded my video, read your comment. I am happy😊

[@christianroach8105]

Love this table. I want one cause it seems well thought out and looks so good. Better than my homemade table which does the job but this one is probably more accurate and permanent than a wood one

[@fcschoenthal]

Enjoywood has come up with some great products recently. Thanks for letting us know about some of them. - Chris

[@MAVideoFunnies]

It looks like a well engineered and relatively well thought out router table but considering the price it seems relying on the router base to set the bit height is kind of the weak link in the system. At least that applies to small routers with the Makita-style trimmer base which doesn't really have a very precise way to set the position of the bit. They should engineer an insert with a built-in lift and then it would be more useful and reliable in terms of the fine control it allows in setting the bit height, which is usually a requirement when working in a table configuration.

[@Arthur_C]

Hi Dennis, Thanx for your review. I purchased this 8 days ago when the video came out and had it delivered (china to NL) yesterday. I assembled it yesterday and have some further thoughs: - The supplied flipstop suffers from the square-nut being too big so it doesnt ride nicely in the alu-extrusion and the flipstop wobbles (fix: grinded off one part of the square nut a bit). - The Miter gauge does not ride nicely in the groove. Some screws protrude from the bottom of the gauge and damaged the bottom of the groove (fixe: grind of the two screws used for the black adjustabl plastic ring but some damage is done). - The holes (2x3) for the two horizontal table braces are clumsy choosen. Now they are 2 sets of 3 holes and you can only choose between the lower OR the higher mounting, however if they spaced all holes the same distance (at no extra cost), one could be even more flexible. - The assembly instructions ARE included but a bit clumsy (black and white and mentions the wrong screw-length) but for the DIY-er no big issue. - I have mounted my cordless DeWalt DCW600 with no issues. I believe I will be very happy with this unit and it is by no means perfect but the ballance between price and quality is very ok!. Thanx again!

[@chrisr8996]

I built a portable router bench very similar to this years ago and don't need one - but the trick on how to set up a dado with the combination square alone made it worth watching this video 😊 Awesome, thanks!

[@johnnyb362]

Yeah. That was one of those tips that made me want to go out to the shop and try it. I guess I’ll be building something with an unnecessary dado today.

[@HookedonWood]

@@johnnyb362 😂

[@robertneely5148]

Looks like another quality product from Enjoywood and they’ve got a good thing going with you as a design consultant. Works for them and works for us! However I’m not buying this router table (yet anyway), as I’ve just invested in a Festool Domino and also your Enjoywood router sled for the router table I already have. Really appreciated your technique for setting up a dado! Thanks!

[@matti2865]

Yes, the best takeway from this vid, very useful tip!

[@AzWineNut]

Dennis, as always, your symopsis and thoughs are right on and invaluable. Thank You!!

[@andrzej3511]

Well Dennis, so far your assessments are very accurate. What you are showing this time also looks quite good. The price seems reasonable to me, because if you want to buy a lift and a fence of similar quality separately, you probably won't save even a penny. Especially since you have a complete set in this offer! The whole thing looks very decent, and I personally thought that such a routertable could be easily incorporated into a larger tabletop, creating a very stable place for milling small and very small elements. If you buy a good quality router, not necessarily battery-powered, you will get a PRECISION machining station for little money but high quality! Thanks for the demonstration and showing a cool trick. Best regards.

[@HookedonWood]

Thanks, I think it is a very nice product as I tried to show in the video. But, I do not think it is for everyone. A seperate system, that I also showed, is more advanced compared to this. But not everyone can place such a system, or carry with them such a system. When that is the situation to deal with, I think this is a perfect solution.

[@Timber2Toothpicks]

Excellent presentation. You covered the tool well and accurate. Well done.

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic review, Dennis! Thanks a bunch for all the tips! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@Hog-g2z]

Good morning 🌅, Great looking 👀 product,

[@nikolaypetrov2554]

I would really like to see such routertable for the large handheld routers.

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Hi Dennis, great product and a good demonstration great video

[@andreasbentz6106]

Hi Dennis! A very interesting router table. Sizewise, I am absolutely sure it will do the trick for smaller pieces. I still own one of these vintage Bosch-Combi universal machine sets, that used a power drill as drive and could be converted to everything from table saw to a metal-lathe. Since it is based on the 43mm standard collar, I can also fit a Bosch POF 600 Router to convert it into a router table. The table has a very similar size than the one shown here and it is ideal for delicate workpieces. What always worries me when looking at router lifts and tables that can be fitted with handheld routers is the maximum working depth. Some constructions sacrifice a lot of height and I'm afraid the shown table is one of them. I would guess the clever universal mounting brackets plus the clear plastic insert are around 8mm thick. Even if you gain a little by removing the plastic table from the router-base, depth could become an issue. Especially since those small routers are not suitable for longer router bits to compensate. Thank you for pointing out again the basic workflows. I couldn't agree more at 06:45 - that is the way to set the router. I see no reason at all for rulers on a router table fence. It always cracks a smile, when I see people putting enormous effort in acurately mounting the fence parallel (to a round spinning tool 🤦‍♂). The large dust-port is a definite plus. I also agree with you at 08:03. Perhaps it's a thing of age plus experience, that we always manage to make things fit. Even without a 3D printer. Over all a well designed and versatile device. If I wouldn't have my little Bosch-Combi swiss-army-knife, I really would consider buying it. Thanks for all the testing and also for the suggestions to the manufacturers for improvements! Cheers Andreas

[@smorgasbord42]

I was surprised you didn't discuss setting the bit height in the router table versus the router lift. The router table appears to rely on the router's own base adjustment, which will vary based on manufacturer and some may have its controls blocked by the table structure as you found for on/off. However, a router lift gives one accurate controls for adjusting bit height, which I suspect is more problematic with this router table.

[@HookedonWood]

I agree, a product like this has its limitations. I reviewed it as a small routertable. For more advanced routerwork a lift is more sophisticated. So is a bigger router etc.

[@strifex-suspension-works]

Your series for China tools is awesome - real value added! P.S. Please provide info on what load cell kit do you use in your videos and if possible also a link on where I could buy one! Thanks!

[@markstrange6955]

Excellent product. Excellent review!

[@jackspeer2127]

oops. I commented about 10 seconds before you showed the fix. I'll be more patient now.

[@HugoGrimmett]

Dennis: I use the router lift / fence combo that you previously reviewed, and I do find that the height of the bit can shift during a cut (since it doesn't have a lock). It seems to happen when there is a lot of vibration, probably when the router speed somehow matches the resonant frequency of the table I have it mounted in. You probably didn't experience this because you were using a very substantial table.

[@HookedonWood]

You can adjust the resistance. There are two screws that you can tight. (if I remember it correctly)

[@HugoGrimmett]

@@HookedonWood You're right! Thank you so much.

[@lilyleslie6704]

Dennis, Great video as always. How about the option of the table top being able to take the small router lift. The combination would compliment both the table and the lift. Keep up the great videos.

[@HookedonWood]

Yeah, you are right. But I think the price is the biggest issue here. When it becomes too expansive, you better of with a more sophisticated size router table.

[@thewoodjunki]

Thanks fella for the review 👌

[@roysmeets6460]

Wederom een ontzettend leuke video. Veel informatie. Ik zou wel zo'n tafel willen hebben. Alleen de prijs schrikt wel erg af. Daar gebruik ik het te weinig voor. Eens even zoeken of ik iets vind wat mij beter schikt...maar blijf vooral zo doorgaan!¡!!😅

[@samrix5793]

Nice to see a video again

[@tedd1091]

Dennis after watching your video I thought I would order the router table and accessories a little bit at a time. I ordered the lift. What router models do you think would workk best. You seem to have some reservations about the Makita.

[@jimrosson6702]

Great review Thanks for sharing

[@HarriOhraaho]

The coping sled is not directly compatible with the table as it comes. The table's surface is too small, causing one of the sled's plastic runners to overhang, which prevents it from sitting flush. I'm considering adding an extension to the table, possibly by utilizing the mysterious mounting holes located in the table's corners.

[@ffriend-music]

I love you, thank you for everything

[@peterclahsen1179]

Wouldn't it be awesome if the flanges that sit on the workbench are set for 96mm dog holes, and an optional extra be included of threaded dog holes to lock it down to a workbench!

[@GhostofTatooine]

Nice piece of kit. Flash sale on £215.18

[@BuckRogers2491]

Dennis, does the table, itself, have what appears to be dog holes at the back like it does at the front? I'm referring to the ones at each corner on the other side of the miter slot. I'm asking, because if those are spaced at 96mm centers, just the top could be used with something like the TSO Products Power-Loc Bench Connector Dog for connecting the table directly to a MFT. Chamfered holes would be needed, too.

[@AD2024JAM]

Can you locate a full size router table?

[@ronboe6325]

I have the Jessem roller guides and the mounting bolts are a few thou too thick to easily slide in the provided groove on the Enjoywood router fence. Need to fettle the fence when I get a moment.

[@HookedonWood]

In this fence it is not a problem. They fit good.

[@jackspeer2127]

VERY sweet router table. However I think it needs an additional power switch on a front leg.

[@tomartomau]

Great Video well done Dennis

[@jhenderson4078]

Is there a reason that you didn't list the Enjoywood stock guides on your recommendation page on your website? Just wondering if you ended up having any issues with them.

[@TigrisUr]

It's much easier to build your own router table around a router lift than having a fancy aluminium table where adjusting height is a pain. Also, it's missing a starter pin, which is essential for safe work without a fence.

[@groschengrab]

What is the height difference between the red baseplate and the grey Aluminium in 3:29 ? I would try to print or mill some adapters, so that the Festtool OF1010 can be installed. (The height from the "legs" of this table is not a problem i think, i would like to install it on the side of my Hammer K3W as a Table Router, so the Router has no height limitation)

[@alanbrady7116]

Thanks for sharing, love your channel man. Any suggestions on where to source a router lift for a bigger half inch router?? Thanks again

[@HookedonWood]

I did a review in Episode 36. I can still highly recommend that lift. The only problem is, that sometimes I think it is too expansive and sometimes they have a sale price that is unbelievable low. Inbetween 200 and 230 I think is a very good price for this lift.

[@alanbrady7116]

@@HookedonWood Topman. Quality channel and content, thanks man I'm very grateful 🙏

[@riba2233]

Looks really good :)

[@danielkuster3783]

Hi Dennis, thank you for your presentation! Could you recommend also the nice looking combination square that you're using in the video. What brand is it? Thank you and greetings from Switzerland! Daniel

[@HookedonWood]

It is not for sale yet. I let you know. I am testing it currently.

[@SlowExpensive]

It's a blatant rip off of the bridge city square

[@kirstymctear5030]

What would be more ideal would be for them to integrate their mini router lift into a “professional” version of this. Ie. the columns mounted directly to the table.

[@HookedonWood]

Yes, the question is, how far do you stretch it. At a certain point it is better to go to a bigger and more powerfull solution. This is perfect for basic router work, but when you want to go further, a bigger routertable with highend lift and Fence is the best option.

[@kirstymctear5030]

@@HookedonWoodAll valid points. But someone would maybe just want a miniature, but full featured router table for a very small place… Or a wee full featured one that can be slung into the back of the car for use with a battery router. Maybe even an option where the mini router lift could be dropped into the mini table.

[@williamn01]

​@@kirstymctear5030Yea 2nd that , would be good to fit the lift in , you must be Scottish Kirsty 🤣

[@tralfazz7579]

Where can I get one? Amazon doesn't carry it.

[@crashcutef]

Hey, from which company is the flip stop with micro adjuster and where can I buy it. thank you very much and greetings

[@HammerHeid1]

Thanks for the review Dennis. On the compatibility you mention Dewalt and Makita are you aware if this will be compatible with Milwaukee M18 fuel trim router, thanks in advance

[@HookedonWood]

I do not know. You need to mount the base to the platform. This is a very universal mounting system and I do not see why the Milwaukee would not fit.

[@user-jp1qt8ut3s]

Waar heeft u de snelklemmen vandaan waarmee u de router table vast zet?

[@padraigfoley310]

Do you think the makita 18v trimmer or even the 40v trimmer are powerful enough to use a mitre lock bit on 18mm mdf using this table?

[@steven_vogt]

Enjoywood certainly have serious game in their field nowadays and I have really come to appreciate them as a brand that inspires both confidence and loyalty. This router table looks like it will be taking a bite out of my tool budget 🤣 Do you think the Festool OF 1010 would fit? Thanks for another great review and it's great to see these companies reaching out to you for input - very wise decision on their part :)

[@kevinwillis6707]

Not sure about this one, the small router tables for the mft from tso seem better value and more suited to site work, im sure benchdogs are working on one for their new bench. If at home i think using the other lift in a homemade top with the fence denis used in his will be a better option

[@HookedonWood]

It depends on everyones situation. The smaller lift I showed first is awesome, but ofcourse, a bigger system is even better or more versatile. When you specifically use a smaller table as in this review, in this price and up, there are more choices. This is one to consider I think.

[@cal3201]

I just want the small miter gauge for my router table I already have

[@edwinhamers6723]

The hooked on wood combination is about 250 euro. How does that compare to the bosch Router table that is around 300?

[@HookedonWood]

I have no idea, but it is definitely another contender to consider when in the market for a product like this.

[@theoscott5266]

Thanks for the vid. If Lawn Darts where once a toy, I guess a Router could be :).

[@shanemccombs]

Has anyone found a router lift that fits this table? I would really like to find one but nothing yet... thanks in advance - Shane

[@jamesmartin532]

Whilst I agree with the quality of this table, it is important to recognise the fact that, depending on where you are shipping costs can make a big difference. in my case in the UK the cost of the table is £196 with a massive £56 shipping charge. This brings it up to just shy of £253 which is not good value for money, for me the price score is 3/5. There are cheaper options from UK suppliers which may not be as 'wow' as this but they do the job just as well. Necessary to not be 'seduced' by China tools and Bangood products.

[@Arckivio]

I ordered this without the shipping costs to the UK for £213, I can't remember if it was part of a deal. I haven't received it yet & not sure if I'll be paying customs charges as Banggood just says taxes are paid for EU customers. It was my first order with Banggood & will most definitely be my last!!! I've never seen such a convoluted, uninformative & ridiculous tracking/delivery process as this. At one point, after 5 days of sitting somewhere as departed facility, I thought this was going to appear at my door but instead the tracking went right back to the beginning as sterilised & shipped out!!! Apart from anything else, it means my box is has now been covered in unknown chemicals twice!!! Now, after another 5 days of having left Hong Kong & UPS even giving me delivery dates, it's in the UAE!!! If this was aliexpress, I'd have got this in 7 working days & would have been already covered in dust by the 1st of December. Pity Enjoywood doesn't seem to sell all it's products on Ali

[@jamesmartin532]

@@Arckivio Its just no good ordering anything from Bangood and expecting trouble free delivery or even reasonable postage cost. I have only purchased two items from them over a three year period, there are a few other items that I am interested in but I will not entertain because of the cost of postage aside of anything else. When as a purchaser you encounter all these issues, the quality and usefulness of the product becomes irrelevant.

[@Arckivio]

@@jamesmartin532 I agree. Alie used to have ridiculous postage costs & incredibly long delivery times so I stopped using it. I've gone back to it after a few years & most things now are free postage, way cheaper than eBay & on a 5 to 9 working day delivery. Banggood seems to be lagging behind

[@osmundwestre7172]

the big difference between this table and the router lift...is the lift.. the table should have room for the router lift... then it would be perfect

[@HookedonWood]

agree!

[@Rethyus]

Shame it's only for trim routers, you'd think a router table would be better with the extra power and 1/2 bits

[@HookedonWood]

Yes, as a router table that is more diverse. This is just for basic work and when you can not place a big table

[@Dandelion-32]

Did they miss to provide a safety pin?

[@HookedonWood]

Good point. That was too difficult to implement, considering the mounting system.

[@howardbecdove9780]

@@HookedonWoodHa! Came here to ask the same question.

[@julianniemeyer1655]

$279. Woodpeckers is $349 - better designed and made in USA quality as well for an extra $70. I think Chinatools niche in the market is cheap tools undercutting the western produced ones. This does not fit the niche.

[@HookedonWood]

I agree it is a more expansive tool and when I was in the market, I do not know how big of a difference their needs to be to go for the woodpecker or this one. But, compared to the Woodpeckers, I do not see, this one is wors. Besides that I think there are more and more products comming from China that does not only are undercutting the western products, but also making innovative products themselves. Which is the road they should choose. And you also should remember, besides Woodpeckers, most of these router tables are made in China anyway. That the same products without the middle men are more affordable is evident.

[@SlowExpensive]

Citation needed.

[@themplar]

Great!... other stuff i want to have. You making me poor!