Editorial Product Review:Amazon.com Item Description:If you’re tired of crawling under your router table to make adjustments, then you’re going to love the Bench Dog 40-016 ProLift Max Router System. This cleverly designed device allows you to make all height adjustments and bit changes from above, while standing comfortably at the router table. The system is particularly useful when working with large, heavy fixed-base routers.
The 40-016 has a precision-crafted cast-iron housing and durable bronze bushings that glide up and down on dual hardened-steel columns. The insert plate has three bit-hole sizes (2 inch, 2.6 inch, and 3.7 inch) for accommodating most router bits. A crank-style wrench is included for quickly raising and lowering the router from above.
All these exclusive features and heavy-duty construction don’t come cheap, but the Bench Dog 40-016 ProLift Max Router System is ruggedly built and designed to last a lifetime, even in a professional woodworking shop. Note that an adapter is required—and sold separately—for mounting routers measuring less than 4.2 inches in diameter. --
Joseph Truini
Accessories available:
click for more
Accessories available:
Product Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
More related to this product:
click for more
More related to this product:
Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
-
IMHO the best one
I am a profesional woodworker and purchased this lift based on the previous reveiws. There is a Jessem lift in the shop and I definitely prefer this one for all the reasons mentioned by your other reveiwers, notably weight to dampen the motor and smooth backlash free adjustment right through the top. The only minor inconveneince are the two allen screws the hold the rings in, you have to tighten them evenly and just snug or they'll lift the ring up on one side, not worth marking it down for though and if bench dog would supply a long T handled 3/32 wrench for this it would be even better.
Customer Rating: -
Arrg
I did it all, cast iron table, pro-lift, PC 7518. All fits seamlessly on my Delta 10" LT contractor. See my review on the pro-max table for more details. And, yes, it makes for a very expensive router table.
We are also talking effortless control, and accuracy well beyond the ability of the human eye to detect flaws.
Customer Rating: -
I like it
We needed a heavy duty bench mounted router system to prepare machined samples for an instrument that we sell. The Bench Dog lift sure fills the bill. So far we have purchased and installed 5 of these router lifts. The quality is superb and appears consistent from one to the next. Might be overbuilt for someone that just runs small bits, but for our very large cutting head it is perfect.
Customer Rating: -
Can't buy better, could use a few tweaks
I absolutely love this lift. My personal setup is the ProMax table, with this lift, and the Porter Cable 7518 router. I don't plan on buying another router table in this lifetime. It's rock-solid; I've run a few 3"+ panel raisers without any problem whatsoever. Long story short, it's a big hunk of cast iron that will likely outlast you.
All of that being said, there's one area for improvement that I'd like to see. While I firmly believe this is a better lift than both the Woodpeckers PRL, and the new one from Incra the Magna-Lock, they both have one-up on Bench Dog with their throat plates. Changing the Bench Dog's is an unnecessary hassle, requires several screws, Woodpeckers pop in and out with a quick turn of a wrench, and Incra's are magnetic. I know I'm nitpicking here, but every time I go to change mine out, I'm tempted to leave the screws out, and just let gravity do the work, (a less than safe practice). Bench Dog, if you're listening, is there an easy fix to this? If there's something like this already in the works, as in a new lift, how about a retrofit for all of us Pro-Lift believers?
Despite my pickiness, I'd buy this lift again. I'm positive that I'll wear out long before it does.
