I was out pricing somethings at the Highland Woodworking site and noticed they had what seems like a good deal on a Triton 2-1/4 HP Plunge Router. You should look around a bit before taking the plunge (pun). I was looking at one of these a few years back and I found a really good deal but didn't act fast enough so I missed out. It was about $10 less then this deal but still most places sell these for at least $20 more.

You will have to add postage which looks like about $13.

Take a look here if interested:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/trit ... ter-4.aspx

The claim is the boxes are mis-marked so that is why the reduced price of $199.99.

I'm trying to fight the temptation which is really hard for a router guy. Please go a buy them all up before I get one, seriously.

Ed

I have the 3 1/4 horse and it is a beast! It is great in a router table, and a good deal because of the built in lift. I bought it for about $220 delivered and see it is on sale for $249. The 2 1/4 might be a good one as a combo for a hand held AND in a router table.

Sorry Ed but I am not going to buy the 2 1/4, but if it is calling your name you need to heed the call.

I did see an ad a few months back for the 3 1/4 which was miss labeled. I don't remember the price but think it was less than they are now asking for the 2 1/4.

For anyone wondering, I believe in the quality of Triton.

Be well,
Ben

Well you guys let me down. They still have them and now I went and spent my monthly budget plus some on a new router.

I have a T4, their little one and I don't know if that is even a current product. It is fine for what it does and turned out to be a sort of wasted investment since the DeWalt 611 has taken over for my smaller router duties.

I did some research before hand and was planning on getting this version to put in a table (that at the moment doesn't have a router). It is a smaller table but will come in handy as it use. That table use to be my portable table but hasn't seen much use the last couple of years. I can leave it in there as I have plenty of other routers for just about any job I can think of. I will have to change the table insert to match the hole pattern and the hole for the crank will need to be added.

Some of the cool features are the auto lock for the power switch and shaft as you in this case raise the bit to the highest point(reference to being table mounted). It also is high enough so a single wrench can be used to change bits. That and it is a lot easier to remove the spring on these models because they are designed to have that done rather then having to dig them out....

So in a few days another router will be here to play with. I might do a review after I have it for a while and get use to it.

Ed

reible wrote:
So in a few days another router will be here to play with. I might do a review after I have it for a while and get use to it.
Ed

Sorry Ed, but buying new tools is a difficult job and somebody has to do it. Guess this month it's your burden.
I've not seen the T4 router, so don't know the controls. The TRA001 is a bit finicky when first learning the intracies of pressing in the button while twisting the knobs. Your new MOF001C has (I believe) the exact same adjustments. I REALLY like the easy adjustment while mounted to the table. I'll be honest that at first I didn't quite get the locking of the collet only while the shaft is fully extended, but once you work with it a couple times it's very slick!
I am anxious to read about how the 2-1/2 works as a hand held. Except for the large jobs, with a wide area for the base, the 3-1/2 feels too big for me to comfortably handle. I'm happy with my little DeWalt for the hand held jobs, but ever had any large jobs where it needed lots of oomph.

Congrats on the router.

Be well,
Ben

That was fast. Look what showed up on at my door.

The box does say 2HP so it is mispackaged not that I care, by next Thursday it will be in the recycling.



Ed

Of course I couldn't leave it in the box. I did let it warm up before unpacking. BTW it is well packed in its box and Highland had added another heavy duty box with crinkled packing.

So once you have it out of the box this is what you have. Of course the router, and then both 1/2" and 1/4" collets, a 1/2" straight bit, wrench, booklet and a base with fence. The odd looking thing that is the adjuster/crank for when the router is used in a table.



I just wanted to point out a few things on the router so while this is not a review I was interested in seeing some of these things I have read about and to show you them in case you have an interest in buying one of these.

The on/off switch has a slide cover so it would be hard to have it turn on by accident. When in the on position the cover is retracted so access to the off is immediate. I've never had any of my current routers get turned on unexpectedly but I did have one that once did, I no longer have that router..... It had a cable to the trigger and when the cable came loose it let the router start.



When you have the router in the bit changing position the shaft locks and you loose access to the switch so there is no turning it on with the shaft locked.



The router chuck is presented above the base when locked and the wrench has access to it so changing bits should be pretty easy.



It has a built in dust port. I hope I have a hose that will fit, that will have to wait for a warmer time in the shop.



Next I wanted to see for myself how easy it is to remove the spring for under table use. It is only a matter of making sure you have the router setting without any extra pressure on the spring from being plunged. Then you loosen this one screw.



Once the screw is loose you twist the cap and here comes the spring, reminds me a bit of a jack-in-the-box but not so surprising.



Then you simply pull the spring out and recap. To put it back in you reverse the process. A real piece of cake!



Now I get to open the manual and find out how to do what I've just done. I already know how the plunge works as well as the fine adjustment and handle twisting but I'll leave those for a review.

Ed

Hey Ed, is it the Dust Right universal small port hose kit from Rockler that fits your Triton router? I remember you reviewing that kit. I have the big Triton router (which looks like a carbon copy of yours) mounted underneath my stand-alone OPR table, and none of the adapters that I have will fit that dust port.

That will be one of the things I want to see too. I have a porter cable hose and the Rockler hose and so far one of the other have fit everything I have, hope this to be true for this as well.

My old OPR has Hitachi routers top and bottom. They will stay there. I hope to use this one in a smaller table that is portable. I use to have it set up and took it with me when working other then at home but I haven't been do that much anymore so I took that router out and used it else where. Now I'm thinking that having the portable table will be nice for just taking outside when I'm working home projects. I've got a 3-1/2 router that can just make it in the small table but I like to use it in its own table. My big router at over 13 pounds I think about as one for a router table, too heavy for much hand work.

This router is heavier then I expected. As I mentioned I got it to be table mounted so I don't care. Now I will have to see how it fits in that small table and how much room it has.... and if the router will fit the table insert. I can make another insert if not.

I'll let you know when I check out my vacuum hoses.

Ed

BuckeyeDennis wrote:Hey Ed, is it the Dust Right universal small port hose kit from Rockler that fits your Triton router? I remember you reviewing that kit. I have the big Triton router (which looks like a carbon copy of yours) mounted underneath my stand-alone OPR table, and none of the adapters that I have will fit that dust port.

BuckeyeDennis wrote:Hey Ed, is it the Dust Right universal small port hose kit from Rockler that fits your Triton router? I remember you reviewing that kit. I have the big Triton router (which looks like a carbon copy of yours) mounted underneath my stand-alone OPR table, and none of the adapters that I have will fit that dust port.

In theory, yes

However....

Even though the OD of the blue portion of the hose is about 37.5mm and the opening on the router is 38mm, the threads on the inlet stop the blue piece at less than 1.2" in. In the picture I do have it wedged in there but would not expect it to stay without a duct tape security device.

I am still looking for that illusive 38mm adapter that Triton says fits. Until then I just route what I need and then vacuum up the floor and surrounding area!

Another thought of mine is to use the local library's 3D printer to fabricate something but I am REALLY bad at trying to get the software to create a spiral for the threads. I've given up until I find a 10 year old who is smart enough to tell me what I am doing wrong!

Be well,
Ben

Do you think this would work?

http://www.amazon.com/Triton-TDPANA-Dus ... ton+vacuum

Ed