Router recommendations

[spectre6000]

I'm in the market for a new router, and I want to do it right the first time. Primary concern is longevity/quality. I'd also like a solid feature set; a good height adjustment mechanism, plunge, ability to mount in a table, etc. It'll primarily be used for wood, but could occasionally see soft metals and man made materials. What manufacturers/models best fit the bill?

 

[WWheeler]

For handheld or table use? Or both?

This fairly recent thread may be of some help in addition to what replies you get here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351205

I would strongly recommend completely different routers for hand and table use. What makes one great for one works against its use in the other. One that works ok for both is a handicap for both.

 

[spectre6000]

I finished reading through that thread immediately before posting this one.

Ideally both, but I get what you're saying. Right tool for the job. Let's say handheld.

I'm a fairly experienced woodworker (luthier), and I'm moving into the power tool realm. This won't be my first router, but the first in a long time. I'm willing to pay for quality, but hate fancy-dancy marketing gimmickery.

 

[greasyfingers01]

I've done a ton of research into routers recently and picked up the bosch 1617evspk last weekend. It has a fixed base and a plunge base, fine depth adjustability, 2.25 hp motor, not too big, adjustable above table when mounted, and sold separately is a really nice fine adjustment edge guide. I picked it up at Lowe's while it was on sale for $189. I've already spent hours using it and I couldn't be happier.

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[MushCreek]

I have the exact same Bosch kit, and love it. It's my first 'good' router after years of making do with an old Craftsman.

 

[bcradio]

For handheld or table use? Or both?

This fairly recent thread may be of some help in addition to what replies you get here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351205

I would strongly recommend completely different routers for hand and table use. What makes one great for one works against its use in the other. One that works ok for both is a handicap for both.

I have a Bosch router similar to the ones mentioned and DON'T love it because of the highlighted comment above. I would highly recommend against it personally. It is too big and bulky to be good handheld and too undersized to be that good in a table. However, in a table is where it probably works better.

I prefer a nice small router for handheld work and a large workhorse for a table. I like my little Ridgid trim router for most of my handheld work.

 

[ww_big_al]

I have several routers. PC, Bosch, Dewalt, Titon. Different routers for different jobs. As with any tool it depends on what you want to do. The Porter Cable (PC) and Bosch kit that has both fixed & plunge bases are good all around units. What are your plans for router bits? 1/2", 1/4", 8mm shanks? Big bits? Then you need a big router. Small light weight work, then the small laminate style are easier to handle. Cheap routers don't have replaceable collets, but are part of the armature so the shank size you buy is it. The small Craftsman are an example. Personally my go to routers are either the Bosch or the small laminate routers.

 

[spectre6000]

How is Bosch from a reliability standpoint? Back in the 50s/60s, Bosch was the bees knees if you needed parts for your German car, but that's not necessarily the case anymore courtesy of low spec Chinesium manufacturing. I'm certainly not one of those "Murka" people, but I pay close attention before buying Chinese manufactured parts and tools. I don't want to be shopping for another router for the next few decades.

 

[ww_big_al]

How is Bosch from a reliability standpoint?

I haven't had any problems with Bosch tool. Mine are over 10 years old so I don't know how they are built today. Bosch is a German company so they may have a tighter control over Chine or Mexico manufactures. Don't know if PC is still made in the USA or not anymore.

 

[cgrutt]

I have a Bosch plunge that works great. I use the large (3-1/2 HP I think) Porta cable in a router table and that works great too. I also have a few smaller Porta cables with fixed bases for smaller jobs and laminate trimming. If I had to pick one, I'd probably go with the Bosch, although I don't think it would work with my table.

Surprised nobody has mentioned Festool. Don't have any but they're supposed to be awesome tools.

 

[IndyGarage]

I would go with Porter Cable or Bosch. Routers haven't changed much over time because the tool companies have invested in cordless tools.

Both those brands have been best sellers for 30 years. About 10 years ago they redesigned the 1 1/2 hp models to be a little more compact - I don't think they've changed them since.

Although Porter Cable has been bought by Black and Decker and some of their tools are cheap junk now, I think the routers are still the same as they used to be.

Of course the compact "trim" routers they introduced about 15 years ago are pretty capable. I have a Dewault, and it works great.

If you are not sure, I would buy a used one and try it out. The pawn shop near me usually has a dozen or more routers available in all sizes and styles.

 

[ecotec]

I would probably rock an estate sale cheapie until they come out with an M18 router.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I have two older PC handheld routers that have seen a lot of duty. No complaints at all and they are probably 20 years old. They are Made in USA if that is any indication of age. I don't know if they are still built here or not but they look the same to the naked eye as the ones in the stores now.

 

[skruft]

I agree that no one model is universal. If I had to have just one I would probably get one of about 2hp with both fixed and plunge bases. The table really needs its own. I have used PC, DeWalt, Elu (same as DeWalt) and Bosch with no problems. Often you can find used routers for little money - but if you do, look to see what parts are missing, as some people take off whatever they do not use.

 

[1990 Grand Wag]

I'm in the market for a new router, and I want to do it right the first time. Primary concern is longevity/quality. I'd also like a solid feature set; a good height adjustment mechanism, plunge, ability to mount in a table, etc. It'll primarily be used for wood, but could occasionally see soft metals and man made materials. What manufacturers/models best fit the bill?

Routers are addictive, you'll end up with more than one! I have a DW621 mid size, a Triton monster, a Hitachi M12V, two Makita BR (I forgot the model), and the Ridgid trim router.

 

[tarbellb]

Sounds like you want one that will be serviceable and reliable.

In that case either shop Ebay for a slightly older PC, or go new with the Bosch.

Those two have decades of parts and mfg behind them and will be easy to fix.

And to double up on what bcradio said, I love my Ridgid palm router for everything that I can get away with doing that size (lots!).

 

[jhnlngn]

I have 3 routers. I started off with a Milwaukee, 2.25 hp I think, with fixed and plunge bases. It got great reviews and is nice, but I primarily keep it in my router table. I figured I'd just always use 1 router, but since that's changed, I probably wouldn't have bought that one today and instead went with a big PC in the router table. For my dovetail jig I use one of the smaller Dewalt 1.75hp routers. The smaller router has enough power to plow through maple dovetails, and the shorter height makes it more stable on the jig. My other router is a small Bosch Colt and I just love its small size for handheld work with 1/4" bits.

If you have the cash you might want to go Festool, otherwise I'd stick with a PC, Bosch or Dewalt. They seem to have the biggest selection of aftermarket addons and jigs.

 

[spectre6000]

Sounds like you want one that will be serviceable and reliable.

In that case either shop Ebay for a slightly older PC, or go new with the Bosch.

This. Serviceable and reliable.

I don't want to start a flame war, so let's just say I'm not a fan of Festool.

 

[cheechi]

I own the Bosch 1617, PR20 "Colt" palm router, Dewalt 618, and PC 7518.

For my uses;

The palm router is my choice for anything already installed.

The 1617 is a better handheld router than the Dewalt. Both fixed & plunge bases just have a better feeling on them, depth setting for the plunge is better, less vibration, you name it.

The 7518 (and others in its size/amp range, but the PC 7518 is the standard) is the table router. I plan to buy the big Kreg table top, Jessem lift, wixey digital readout, and build myself a cabinet. However the Dewalt is not too shabby in its current home in my (simpler than above) table.

If all I had was the Dewalt I wouldn't be doing bad by any means. I get the feeling the similar kits in Dewalt & Bosch that I have, the Bosch is more built for woodworkers and the Dewalt is built more for the construction world, sacrificing fine 'anything' for durability.

 

[spectre6000]

The Bosch 1617 is available in a kit with both fixed and plunge bases. Based on reviews and YouTube videos, etc. it looks pretty functionally decent in either incarnation. Everything looks like plastic children's toys these days, but that the unfortunate aesthetic of the era... What's the construction like in terms of keeping plastic out of the important areas? IMHO, it shouldn't be near anything that moves, gets hot, requires strength, has an edge, is subject to progression through the fourth dimension... But since that's not an option anymore, what is the situation?

 

[6PTsocket]

I haven't had any problems with Bosch tool. Mine are over 10 years old so I don't know how they are built today. Bosch is a German company so they may have a tighter control over Chine or Mexico manufactures. Don't know if PC is still made in the USA or not anymore.

Porter Cable is just another brand owned by Stanley Black and Decker. In past times it was a premium brand but now it is definitely a step down from their DeWalt brand, heavily pushed at Lowes.

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[6PTsocket]

I have a Bosch plunge that works great. I use the large (3-1/2 HP I think) Porta cable in a router table and that works great too. I also have a few smaller Porta cables with fixed bases for smaller jobs and laminate trimming. If I had to pick one, I'd probably go with the Bosch, although I don't think it would work with my table.

Surprised nobody has mentioned Festool. Don't have any but they're supposed to be awesome tools.

With even more awesome prices.

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[6PTsocket]

For a laminate trimmer, I am surprised nobody mentioned the well reviewed DeWalt. In most comparisons it is better liked than the Bosch Colt.

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[ccgeedy]

I bought a used Dewalt that didn't last very long before the magnet for the variable speed broke and chewed up the windings. Just got a new Bosch 1617 and I am very happy with it so far.

 

[spectre6000]

Porter Cable is just another brand owned by Stanley Black and Decker. In past times it was a premium brand but now it is definitely a step down from their DeWalt brand, heavily pushed at Lowes.

I'm acutely aware of this sort of thing, but not aware of the brand relationships. I kept hearing things about Porter Cable, but everything I've seen from them for past several years has been a binary tool*.

What is the current state of the brand hierarchy? Who owns whom? Who gets the best specs among a given family? Is there any effort to make one brand the ____ brand in the family?

Having looked at a few Festools... Hold on... Flame suit... Damn glove... There! Having seen quite a few Festools, they're really expensive because the marketing department did a good job positioning them at a high price point. They're not terrible quality by any means, and there are a few clever features, but mostly they're neon green plastic brand image for hobbyists willing to spend that kind of money on that kind of tool. I didn't make any intimations that I was after that sort of thing, so no one has mentioned it.

*Binary means it's a 1 or a 0; it either is or it isn't with no further distinguishing of any particular quality. Like how a Saturn (they're all so forgettable that I can't think of the name of a single model... Some basic sedan) is a binary car. It is a car that does most of the things one expects a car to do at least mostly, but has no further distinguishing characteristics, and like Dr. Who's "the Silence" who you forget completely the second you're not looking at them. They aren't very reliable, aren't very fast, can't carry much in the way of people or things, and so on. They're just really not very good at doing anything but filling a niche for some market segment, and being there for people to have a choice in case they had already been to several other dealerships and were tired of looking at cars.

 

[IndyGarage]

Porter Cable is just another brand owned by Stanley Black and Decker. In past times it was a premium brand but now it is definitely a step down from their DeWalt brand, heavily pushed at Lowes.

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Porter Cable Brand has been bought and sold several times over the years. At one time they were Rockwell, then they were sister companies with Delta and only sold professional tools.

SBD did buy Porter Cable in 2004. Since then they have added a lower priced consumer line, which shares a lot with black and decker and dewault brands.

The PC routers and a few other specialty tools - belt sanders, dovetail jigs, and a few others are the same old reliable stuff they made for years.

 

[MarcSeattle]

I'll give another endorsement for Bosch routers. The size depends on your specific needs of course. I've had the big plunge router for 15 years. Works great, easy to set up, very accurate, no problems at all. Just what I like in a tool.

As my grandfather said, if you buy excellence you'll forget about the extra cost in five years, but if you buy cheap you'll remember it every time you use the tool.

 

[scissorman]

Years ago I was in the market for a good router myself and after much research everything lead me to a nice Porter Cable router.

 

[dnschmidt]

Well, as a person that has 37 routers, That's less than the number of spray guns I've got but still a substantial number I think, The best to me are DeWalt (which are actually Elu designs from 25 years ago) The DW621 and the DW625 are precision machines. The DW621 has perhaps the best dust collection this side of Festool, which as already discussed, are insanely priced. I really liked the now discontinued Hitachi TR12, the MV11 wasn't bad but the M12V2 isn't floating my boat. Bosch makes good stuff. I've got both the colt and the 1617 kit and both are fine. For some reason I don't have their purpose built plunge routers. Milwaukee's big dog 3 1/2 hp is the bomb for router table use. It's basically a shaper. Makita's offerings are solid as well. Oddly, PC, which at one time was the go to in routers has of course under the thumb of SBD, turned to ****. The problem with using any screw to adjust the height router in a router table is the threads for the height adjustment fill up with sawdust making adjustment damn near impossible. This is a particularly bad problem with the large Porter-Cables which are 1) Super loud even for a router and 2) Suffer greatly from this problem.

 

[ez-duzit]

Just 1 router won't do everything. You need at least a trim router/laminate trimmer plus a larger, say 1-1/2 hp+ router. Bosch makes a great larger router and I favor my old Rockwell trim router.

 

[tyyost]

I have used PC 690’s and Bosch 1617 standard routers for years, now that PC is a shell of its former and collets are getting harder to find I would heartily suggest a Bosch kit with fixed and plunge bases. Makita isn’t new in the router game, and while I don't have any they come well respected and many find the trim router to be best in class.

My go to routers for years have been a Dewalt 621 plunge router and my Bosch Colt. The ideal number of routers is like impact Wrenches, 3-4 different ones dialed into the job you are doing. In the same vein, you can do all the work with one, but as your needs shift it will be faster, easier and more accurate with the special ones. Need proof, try to rout a hinge mortise in the edge of a 1 3/8 door with a 3Hp plunge router and then with a handheld trim router...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Keep in mind, this thread was brought back by a now banned spammer. It's 4 plus years old.