Power: 12 amps Street price: $180 Cut quality: Good Router accuracy: Excellent Control and handling: Very good Cut visibility: Very good Ease of bit changes: Very good
The Porter-Cable’s soft start works well, and the scale on its rack-and-pinion micro-adjuster is very accurate. Its variable-speed dial is the only one to list actual rpm, making it the most accurate. The base is easy to remove for bit changing, but the single-wrench system makes bit changes a little awkward. Also, this router had the most bit runout.
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Festool Cleantec CT 26 E HEPA Dust Extractor
The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.
While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.
With its graceful curves, cabriole legs, and ornamental back splat, a Queen Anne side chair is a bucket list build for many woodworkers. Dan Faia had a very specific Queen…
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