Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table

• Ample 16-by-22-inch router table with plastic laminate top
• Clear acrylic insert accepts most routers; melamine cabinet
• Extruded aluminum fence with T-slots
• All necessary hardware and assembly instructions included
• Limited 2-year warranty

Amazon.com Product Description:
The router is arguably the workshop's most versatile portable power tool. And you can further enhance its versatility with the Bench Dog 40-001 Benchtop Router Table, which converts a portable router into a stationary, mini-shaper. The benchtop table allows you to perform a wide variety of routing operations that would be imprecise or dangerous to do with a handheld router, including routing dadoes, rabbets, grooves, slots, mortise-and-tenon joints, and raised panels. The Bench Dog 40-001 Benchtop Router Table has an ample 16-by-22-inch top that's covered with smooth, hardwearing plastic laminate. It's outfitted with an adjustable, precision-extruded aluminum fence that has T-slots for accepting various add-on accessories. Other features include a melamine cabinet, dust-extraction port, and a clear acrylic insert that has 12 leveling screws for quick, accurate attachment and adjustment of the router base. Weighing approximately 35 pounds, the router table can easily be moved around the workshop and stored away when not needed. There's some assembly required, but clear directions and all necessary hardware are provided, so putting together the router table doesn't take more than about 20 minutes. -- Joseph Truini

great router table:
I ended up picking this up from a woodworking supply store here in Portland. The price was higher, but I needed it right away so I spent more for it than I wanted to. This is a great table! Assembly was straight forward, the instructions were clear. Fit and finish is good, all the parts were in the box, etc. I feel like I never had full use of my router until I mounted it in this table. I'm going to buy the feather boards next. I definitely recommend this table.

Context people, context!:
I read all the 3 star and below reviews here and I think they aren't to be taken as accurate or fair. (P.S. It is not particle board, it is finished plywood, actually nicer than I expected). This is a $200 router table okay. Let's say it again, a $200 router table. Have you seen $700 - $1000 router tables, like the Jessem? You should. This is not that table and can't be compared. It can't handle the match in features, size or materials. However, taking that all into account it is a great deal and if you are just getting into routing this is probably the best low cost router table you could get. Kreg, Freud, Bosch, Pinnacle... none match this little gem. It has a great fence and even comes with a jointing feature that works well with a good bit. It is solid, has very good dust management. The top is nice and though you probably shouldn't profile an 8 foot long board on it, you can do a lot - you can even flip the fence for a larger working area and wider pieces (it's in the manual). Sure, putting it together had shades of Christmas Eve - the instructions weren't perfect and I admit it, I put the feet on the wrong side of the bottom panel due to a lousy picture and cursed a little while I switched them. If you are looking for a router for this, the Porter Cable 690 fits very well. I take the motor down to prevent any sag in the plate. Why push it? It only takes a minute. Again, if I had a $1000 table with a steel or phenolic plate and a lift, then okay, but I don't. When all was said and done I have used this table and it is great. Everything I make with it turns out very well. No, I am not making raised panel doors. This isn't the router for that, but if you have a home shop and wanted a router table, get this. Maybe you will go on and buy something else or make your own. Great, but while you use this table you will make nice things all while learning what you may or may not need in your ultimate dream table.

The Best Bench Top Router Table:
Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table This is the best of the best and it made in USA. It also one of the best engineered products I've had the pleasure of assembling and the parts are made of first class material. The fence system is easier to use then the fence system of my larger router table and I won't mention the brand. Installing router bits is a breeze, and the wood cabinet is handy and also keeps the noise down. The way the dust port is arranged makes for a dust free work area. Ed Redman, Augusta, Maine.

Probably the best tabletop router table:
I have had this router table for about 2 years now. Very impressed with the quality of the cabinet (all baltic birch) and the engineering that went into the design of it. The router plate that comes with it is predrilled for quite a few different routers, it fit my old Ryobi re600 fine. Adjustments are easy enough. The fence is an aluminum extrusion with MDF inserts. It works well, though I don't care for MDF being used in this manner. I also had some of the screws that adjust the depth of the top loosen up after a year which caused the plate to sag a bit and the work to bind on the edge. It was easy enough to adjust it back to normal. There is a metal plate that is available from Benchdog that would be stiffer than they composite one that ships with the table. I would like to see them include it but it may push the cost up some.

good small router table:
We use this router table along with the Bench Dog lift as a basis of a small unit to custom machine samples for an instrument we sell. I like this table, but with a couple of comments. One is that the table Bench Dog is currently selling does not look like the one in the picture. Current finish is white mdf. I keep thinking it is going to be plywood, but it is not. The second comment is that they ship a table top stiffner that does not fit along with it. The stiffner is from their larger tables. No need and no way to use it on this table. Incidentally, I have not had good luck with the larger Bench Dog tables. The thin MDF table is just not stiff enough for the application. They get buy with it in this table because of the smaller size.