Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table Review

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1	Kreg PRS1040 Precision Router Table System	Visit Site Review
2	Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Router Table	Visit Site Review
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Bench Dog Router Table – The Little Work Horse

A woodworker’s stock in trade is in their ability to make straight, true cuts. Most frequently the way to do that is to use a router table with a good single or double fence. Router tables come in all sizes and configurations. Some are homemade; others are purchased ready to go. Some are high quality and some are barely serviceable.
The Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor benchtop router table is certainly made with durability and quality in mind.

What to Look for in a Router Table

If you’ve used a router table before you know that there are some key elements that are present in the best ones.

First, they’re sturdy and stable. A table that wobbles could mean a botched project.
Second, they have a smooth, flat surface for guiding the stock.
Third, they have a straight, adjustable fence for guiding the wood over the router bit.

We’re happy to report that the Bench Dog Router Table has all three of those attributes and then some.

When you get your first look at the Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table you may be a little doubtful of its capabilities. But don’t be fooled; thanks to innovation the Bench Dog 40-001 can handle the same jobs as a router table much larger. The much lauded Bench Dog 40-001 has a unique configuration of router placement and a dual position fence that more than makes up for its physical size.

Test Results

We tested the Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table with both seasoned users and a talented novice. All agreed that the Bench Dog 40-001 allowed them to handle routing jobs that would have been impossible with a hand held router. In particular they were most pleasantly surprised by three things:

The high quality aluminum fence
Called a ProFence, the Bench Dog 40-001 fence is a one piece fence that is absolutely straight line true and flat. The Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table comes with adjustable sub-fences as well.
The set-up flexibility
Depending on the job at hand, the Bench Dog 40-001 was fully adjustable to meet needs. The design accommodates everything from cutting slots to creating joints. For large projects, the dual fence slots allow you to flip the fence as needed.
The adaptability
The Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table works with virtually any router. That means that no matter what router we tried, it always fit and did its job well with this table. (You should know however that the Bench Dog 40-001 table insert must be drilled and countersunk for your router. While this is not difficult, you should be careful when aligning the centers of the base plate and the hole in the insert.)

CLICK HERE to see consumer reviews of the Bench Dog 40-001 at Amazon

Materials

The top of the Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table is a laminate. It is quite strong and absolutely flat. The work surface is 24 inches by 16 inches which was enough room for everything we tried to be worked comfortably. The table is stable and strong (steel rails support the router so there’s no wiggle).

The Bench Dog 40-001 cabinet is manufactured from birch plywood.

The cabinet is designed to cut down on the router noise and the subsequent dust.
It is considerably stronger than most plastic models.
It has a port to fit most shop vacs to capture saw dust.
It weighs less than 40 pounds
Assembly is very easy. In fact, one customer commented that “I doubt that constructing the table took much more than 15-20 minutes after reading the instructions.”

You can mount the Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table on a counter top or work bench if you want. You can also make it portable by simply sitting it on top of workhorses or even a trash can. Just be sure to set the Bench Dog 40-001 somewhere strong and stable.

Which routers fit the Bench Dog Benchtop Router Table?

The pre-drilled router insert plate is made to fit many popular routers currently available. The list includes the Bosch 1617/1618 series, Fein RT1800, Makita 100 series, Hitachi M12VC, Ryobi 180PL, and the Porter-Cable 690/890 series, and many more. It is still possible to mount a router not on the compatible router list, however you may need to drill some more holes in the plate to get another router to fit correctly, which is usually quite easy to do.

Quality Reputation, Guaranteed

The Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table has a limited lifetime guarantee. It includes the table top, fence, dust port, bit guard, miter track, pre-drilled router insert plate, mounting screws, and cabinet.

Bench Dog has been making woodworking tools and accessories for some time and they are noted for their approach to good design and engineering. The Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table is just one example of their thoughtful development of tools for all levels of woodworkers.