[Joe Jones]

I am going to set up my 5x10 PlasmaCam "Samson" table for routing again. I WAS using the DeWalt 611 router with John Derby's custom router mount, and that has worked fine. However, I am s-l-o-w-l-y learning about spindles now.

What are the main advantages of spindles over routers? I would probably get an air cooled model, but water cooled is not out of the question. The spindle would be set to run all night while I am sleeping, to do very large half tone images that take many hours to cut. I do use a camera and mic to monitor the project. If I hear an "Uh Oh!" from the machine, I can remotely shut down the power.

Speed? Horsepower? Accuracy? Life expectancy? The 611 router does an okay job, but it has a limited life before I either have to replace the brushes or replace the entire router. It is NOT made for projects that involve 15 or 20 hours of constant running.

All advice is greatly appreciated!

[GME]

Joe,

IMO, the inexpensive Chinese spindles with HY VFDs are the way to go. Over time, they've proven to be pretty reliable and cost a fraction of the "name brands." I have no complaints with mine, although I wish I had gone larger than 2.2 KW. I would prefer Made in America, but the pickings seem pretty slim. As a practical matter, you are probably going to end up deciding on which foreign made spindle is for you. I wish I could indulge may preferences, but like many, I cannot justify the expense. Your mileage may be different.

If you want to step up some, you could consider an Hitachi VFD. Folks who have them seem to really like them. I get the impression they put out less noise, although with proper grounding and a line filter, the HYs are fine. I had to add a filter to mine. The cost was around $25 for a good one.

Gary