Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table

I just finished putting this together, and is my 2nd router table. I'm an amateur, DIY woodworker, but still appreciate a tool or accessory that's done up right and makes my job easier and enjoyable. Pros: Solidly (!) built, has enough weight to remain in place, light enough to hoist onto a low table or low bench (table is 16" high). Assembly required (not necessarily a plus), but instructions are complete, extra/spare nuts, bolts, set screws. The instructions are concise, so plan on 1-2 hours of patient reading, cross referencing parts to location diagrams, and you too will have a fine table in the end. Working surface is laminate (a plus for me), accommodates a router plate for hanging your machine underneath. Router plate (with router) can easily and quickly be removed and replaced -- 2 screws secure it to the table top. Plate rests on 8 set-screws that you pre-position and adjust to flush with the table top, and thereafter the plate should remain there. If not, fine adjustments are easy and quick, with or without your router hanging from the plate. BenchDog made this part -- keeping a level and smooth, snag free working surface -- easy, a nice design. The router plate itself is pre-drilled to accommodate 25 of the most popular routers. A spec sheet shows a template of the pre-drilled holes, and a list of those 25 routers indicating which holes each uses. Hardware includes most screws -- size and length -- for hanging your router. Fence and miter track made of extruded aluminum, substantial material, not cheap. Miter track accommodates feather boards and a miter gauge (not included), fence accommodates feather boards (I bought a pair of BD's featherboards, decent). The table cabinet is constructed of 3/4" plywood (not cheap particle board), substantial, pre-finished and smooth sanded with rounded edges, and provides precise fitting of all pieces. Hex keys are provided for fasteners and set screws, all you will need is a 7/16 wrench or socket. So-So: You get 2 very colorful Bench Dog decals to apply to your new table (in addition to the one that's already on the cabinet door), or your pickup. They are very proud of their product, and rightfully so. Cons: None really, you'll have spare hardware, some for the table itself, and a lot for hanging routers you may never have. Alas, none are identified, you'll have to experiment with the bag of leftovers. (Personally, I don't understand the few negative reviews.)

I don't have a traditional workshop/garage - I have to take my tools out of a storage shed to use them, however I still like to do high quality woodworking and cabinetry - so I was in the market for a top quality bench top router table. After researching for many, many hours over several weeks and hands on examining several models, I decided on the BenchDog ProTop Contractor. I wanted a very solid/durable high quality table with full size table features; namely it had to have the ability to mount a router lift and the fence had to be top notch, I went and looked at all the competition and narrowed it down to the BenchDog and the Kreg, in the end I preferred the BenchDog fence & enclosed wooden cabinet better. Table arrived in 3 days, was packaged well, assembly was straight forward. Was beyond impressed with the quality and detail to function ~ fit/finish was outstanding. Assembly took 15-30 min, but I went slow paying attention to detail. The fence is very robust (same extrusion as their famous full-size router table fence. The fence included 2 small square bars about 8-9" long that aren't mentioned in the manual, so I downloaded the fence manual online and found out they are shims for the outtake side of the fence so the table can be used as a joiner - Kewl! All-in-all am very impressed with what all you get in such a small package and the quality is exactly the same as the other BenchDog products - easily recommend this for anyone looking at a bench top router table. Also note: ordered an INCRA Mast-R-Lift II to go with the router table (made by JessEm but with magnetic inserts around the bit) they make the lift in two sizes, 8-1/4" is needed for the BenchDog (note: you can buy & change the top to the 9-1/4 later if you change your table) - when trying to install it, it wouldn't fit - the metal support on the front right side needed to be clearanced about a 1/4-3/8 inch in one spot about an inch long - easily solved with a dremmel, took 5-10 min. - router lift fits great now along with a mounted Milwaukee 5625 router.

After reading all the reviews, this table seemed like the best choice for the quality/cost ratio. First, the good. It was very well packed and arrived in perfect condition. The instructions were good enough to complete the assembly fairly easily if you are handy (if you are buy this, I assume you are handy) although some of the pictures were incorrectly marked. The quality of the finishing on all the wood and metal components was very good. The fence is easily adjustable and the top is flat. Complaints: first, the back cabinet piece was a little shorter than the sides (maybe 1/32") This caused a slight bow in the top when I screwed in the back center top bolt. I shimmed it a bit and tightened the bolt to fix it. Second, as noted in several other posts, the vacuum port on the fence back does not fit any standard shop vacs. Since this is a portable table, it will likely be hooked up to one. I finally modified a shop vac connector with my dremel tool to make it fit. Third, and most frustrating, is the ridiculously fiddly adjustments for the router plate. After spending about 1 1/2 hours putting the table together, I spent the next 45 minutes trying to get the plate to lie flat. With no success, I attacked it again a couple of hours later, both with and without the router attached. I got it close enough to use, but it still is not 'just right'. Maybe it's just me, but I suggest extra patience. It should not be that difficult to level the darn thing. I can't imagine living with this plate long term. In retrospect, although this is a nicely made table, I would likely buy something else if I had it to do over again. I expect my tools to work and be easy to manage. Add in the fact that you also have to provide your own switch system (this is clearly not included so it is not a direct criticism) and I think there are much better options for your money.

After an extensive review of performance and Customer satisfaction comments for smaller router tables I settled on, and purchased, the Benchdog ProTop Contractor from Amazon. Why….? #1 Pricepoint – Fell within my target budget. #2 Portability – I needed something I can move around and store in my garage workshop #3 Amazon Customer Reviews – Remain consistent and sincere. There’s always the few that are dissatisfied but the vast majority endorse this product well. THANK YOU FOR PLACING YOUR EVALUATIONS!!! They weighed heavily in my decision. I came quite close to purchasing a Bosch Router Table but because of all the negative comments on warping tabletops I steered myself towards the Benchdog. I own four (4) routers but this is my first router table. My experience is “novice” which I hope to expand to a greater level in the near future. Based on this my evaluation may be less focused than those with a greater knowledge and experience using a router table. Features I LIKE about the ProTop Contractor: #1 Solid Construction – The majority of the unit (with the exception of the table top) is made from 12-layer Baltic plywood and is nicely finished. The unit assembles tightly and is a “solid” workstation when complete. #2 Adjustability of the fence & face boards, dust collection, and miter gauge track. Great flexibility for fine-tuning. #3 The insert plate accepted my Porter Cable 690 perfectly. The instructions indicated which holes to use for mounting. Saved some time in manipulation of the router to determine proper alignment. Features I DISLIKE about the ProTop Contractor: #1 Assembly Instructions – Instructions have lack of detail. Despite the narrative identifying the proper screw/fastener to use (2 of which are incorrect!), It would be far more user-friendly if Benchdog provided insets in the instructions of the connection details which contain the proper fasteners. Take your time and use common sense when assembling the unit. #2 Router Insert Plate & Alignment – The Insert Plate is a “phenolic type” material and lacks rigidity. It bows easily when the attachment screws are adjusted and takes some time to get it properly leveled. I still am not completely happy with the final adjustments. I feel this product should have had a more rigid aluminum insert plate included in the design. I will purchase a replacement insert from Rockler in the next few months. The insert plate leveling system is good; there are locking bolts which hold the eight (8) adjustment screws in place once properly aligned. The problem is the adjustment screws are only located on the sides of the insert plate and not in the middle of the top/bottom. Because of this design anomaly, the plate is unsupported at its weakest location, the middle. Another reason to purchase an aluminum insert. #3 As mentioned in previous Customer Comments it’s somewhat of an inconvenience to open the unit to turn the router on/off. Other buyers recommended that a separate external safety on/off switch be purchased and installed to overcome this inconvenience. I purchased the Rockler Safety Power Tool Switch when I purchased my Benchdog Router Table. I cut a hole in the vertical side (right) of router table and installed the switch with minimal external protrusion. There’s plenty of room on the inside of the table to accommodate the switchbox. Works and looks great and it's so much easier to turn the unit on & off not to mention the safety feature it now offers. Thanks again for those recommendations in your comments. I’d highly recommend future Buyers do the same. #4 There are a lot extra fasteners left over after you complete the assembly. It makes you doubt whether you did everything correctly. After I completed assembly I methodically went through the instructions step-by-step to ensure I had assembled everything correctly. I did. There’s just a lot of extra assembly hardware. Despite the greater amount of ‘negatives’ than ‘positives’ here, overall I give this product high marks. It is a “Solid” product and fulfills my needs perfectly while fitting nicely on my storage shelf in the garage.. I may add add’l comments as I grow my knowledge and experience in using the table.

TRULY A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY! Think about it for a minute. Why are you buying a router table? For the router guide, fense and top OR for the table it sits on? Yes, this seemed like a neat item and I took the bait. After hours of putting this thing together and using it make some molding I realized I could have made the same molding by just buying a very good router fence and table top system like one from Kreg (which is what I eventually did.) Look carefully at the fence and how it works. Does it have an adjustable outfeed fense? NO. Think that the vacuum is going to suck up the sawdust from the top? NO, it's going to fall down inside the table to cover any tools you got in there. Working with long boards, is the height adjustable to something else in your shop like the workbench? NO, you're on your own. Again, DON'T WAIST YOUR MONEY ON THE BENCH. PUT IT INTO THE TABLE TOP AND FENSE SYSTEM.

I'd give this table a solid four stars be it not for several careless manufacturer blunders (mind you, I purchased this new, not used or refurbished, so the contents of the box were seemingly untouched): 1. The enclosed manual was for Bench Dog's Pro Cabinet (a much different item). It took a couple of seconds of scratching my head in search of the parts described in step 1 of the assembly instructions before I bothered to glance at the front of the manual. I had to download and print the correct manual from the manufacturer website. 2. Several holes were woefully misdrilled. Rather than screwing directly into the wood, most surfaces are joined by machine screws that thread into perpendicular metal cross dowels. This is great for the durability of the table. There are a series of pre-drilled, intersecting holes that accepted the screw and cross dowel, respectively. However, two or three of mine were misdrilled with the cross-dowel hole in the correct location but the would-be intersecting hole 2+ inches off. I had to drill a few myself. 3. Furthermore, two screws were missing, and I could not fully affix the metal track until the manufacturer sent the screws (yeah, I could have gone to Lowe's and procured what I needed, but it was the principle of the matter). To the manufacturer's credit, they sent me a copy of the correct manual and the missing screws. My only other nit: I wish it came with a switch. It seems like comparable tables in this price range include switches. Now that it's assembled, no complaints. It's a solid build and a good weight--heavy enough not to slide around but light enough to be moderately portable. I haven't had it long enough to comment on the rigidity of the plate, but I don't expect it to warp. And unlike Bosch (who doesn't even sell blank drillable plates for their tables!), it accepts my router without customization (Dewalt 621). Assembly is simple enough IF you have a manual, IF you have the requisite parts, and IF it's pre-drilled properly. In short. I'm happy...now. I was not at all happy throughout what should have been an easy assembly process. I hope it was an isolated incident. If it was, then I'd recommend the table (buy a switch, too). But if this is par for Bench Dog's course, well, you might as well save yourself the hassle and look elsewhere. As for me, I have to dock them a couple stars, because it was really carelessly prepped and packaged.

-I have been using this table for about 2 years- Although this is an expensive table, you do get what you pay for, and through use likely come to appreciate the features. The build quality is top tier in all respects. The wood parts appear to be high ply count pre-finished Baltic birch, with all parts perfectly machined. The feet work to dampen vibrations, and there is a cord outlet on the back. The mounting system for the plate allows for a very precise level of adjustment, with an array of set screws around the perimeter of insert to make sure it is exactly flush with the table at all points. This is something that is generally not available on simpler table designs, and rather difficult to incorporate on shop made options. The main table top is quality as well, with excellent fit and finish, with a standard 3/4" miter slot running along the front edge. The insert is set up to accept most popular routers; I have used it with Dewalt and Porter Cable models. The fence is also very nice, with tool free adjustable sliding MDF inserts to close in around the bit, a T slot at the top for accessories, and tool free hold downs for moving it around the table top. The fence also has a built in 2 1/2" dust extraction port, which in my experience is about 85% effective when attached to my dust collection system. Running the table with no dust collection is extremely messy, as shavings will fill the inside of the cabinet as well as be expelled from the collection port about 2' out if the fence is attached. This is probably the only aspect that is a negative when using the table. There is an obvious temptation to use the lower cabinet as storage since there is a lot of space in there, but it will inevitably fill with sawdust and cleaning it out if there are items in it is not ideal; I have just resorted to leaving it empty. Overall I remain completely satisfied with the choice to get this, though I would concede it is not a necessity item by any means as there are other router setups that will be entirely effective at a lower price point.

I bought this table from Amazon 3 months ago! I spent several months looking at router tables and collecting plans to build my own! Because of these reviews, the features of the table and it's low price, I decided to buy the Bench Dog 40-001. I couldn't buy the materials and fence for the little amount this table cost! I was mildly concerned that I could build a better table, but once this one arrived and I assembled it (took a couple of hours - had no problem leveling the insert etc)I knew I had made the right decision! It is really a quality product and I couldn't have built one that better met my needs. I will use my Porter Cable 690LR in the table. This router doesn't have variable speed and it spins too fast for some bits and routering processes also! Since I needed an external switch anyway, I bought the Rockler switch which also has variable speed for $40 plus dollars! It works fine with the table and router and I am very happy with everything! The table works well for many tasks and I have found it to be very adaptable to unusual routing situations. Needing a split fence at times, using a couple of different bolts, I can mount my Shopsmith Shaper Fence on the Bench Dog table which also gives me micro adjustment of one side of the fence! This is very useful! I also really like the fence that comes with the table, but I am very happy to be able to easily switch between the two fences when needed. I love having the miter track at the very front edge of the table! With some adjusting, my shopsmith miter gauge works fine! I also like the t-mount track on the miter track ...and on the front, back and top of the fence! The dust port works fine with my dust collector most of the time. Dust does get into the bottom of the cabinet, but that is what it was designed to do ...collect the dust! I will probably add a 4" port by drilling a hole in the back of the cabinet, but the dust down there doesn't bother me! The cabinet is high enough I will one day add a layer of plywood a few inches up from the bottom and store what needs to be stored under it away from the dust. This is really a great table and I can't imagine finding a better one for the price!

very good product