Nothing says "custom" like having a 450-pound shaper stationed on your shop floor. You could try to pull off radius work, trim profiles, raised panels, and fancy mantels without one, but it wouldn't be easy. And it wouldn't come out nearly as well.
If you're serious about woodworking, you'll be adding a shaper to your shop floor. We tested five mid-size machines from 3 to 3.6 hp.
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Specs are provided by each manufacturer and are not verified by Tools of the Trade.
Bridgewood
Table Size
Motor
Spindle Size
Reversible
Weight
Drive
BW-310SL
29 x 23 inches
3-hp
1/2-, 3/4-, 1-1/4-inches
Yes
471 pounds
Belt drive
Tester Comments This is a solid tool. Access to everything is easy and from the front. There s a nice range of travel on the fence and spindle and the hold-down system is my favorite. The spindle locks down hard and with nearly zero play. It has a 4-inch dust port and an optional sliding table. They test each tool at the factory before shipping, and it shows. Plus, I just love the red toolbox.
Tester Comments This is my favorite. Access to everything is from the front. Changing speeds, spindles, and cutters is a breeze. The huge table with two fence placement options is a real plus. The fence has the broadest range of adjustment and is the easiest to use. The spindle locked down solidly with zero play. It runs smoothly and is set up for dust collection.
Tester Comments This machine works well but lacks some refinements. The table is large enough, but the fence is small with a limited adjustment range. The hold-downs are fine. The switches are in front and easy-to-reach. Rear-access for changing speeds and spindles is inconvenient. The spindle lock-down has some play. Dust collection is optional. However, it delivered hard-working, reliable performance.
Tester Comments The Jet is well-finished and smooth-running. It comes nicely equipped with two collets and two spindles. The fence is small and limited, but the tool has a dust port and a nice cutter guard. Hold-downs are fair. Changing cutters is pretty easy. It has the most play in the spindle. Access for belt and spindle changes is from the back of the machine. On/off switches are in front and easy-to-reach. It's a basic tool that works hard and well.
Tester Comments Rojek's finish is wonderful. The fence/hold-down system is accurate, easy-to-use, and reliable. The spindle locks solidly in place with zero play. The table is long, but narrow. Rojek offers a sliding table option. Front-access makes changing between the five speeds easy. The motor is the largest and the soft-start feature is nice.
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