# Think it's time to shop for a router



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

This is one of the ones I own and love it.
http://www.cpoworkshop.com/factory-...r-cable-routers&prefn1=condition&prefv1=recon


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

That's what I have Joe only I think mine is an older model. Mine has been a real workhorse. I was lucky I got mine in a kit with 3 bases and a table. A D-handle, a base to mount it in the table, and a plunge base.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I have the M12V Hitachi in my router table
http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-M12VE...389394469&sr=1-2&keywords=hitachi+m12v+router

and the Bosch 1617EVS for my go to router for most other things.
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-1617EVS...=1389394122&sr=8-2&keywords=bosch+1617+router

I have about 12 or 14 routers or somewhere there abouts.

For a home owner, that craftsman you are talking about should be fine but I would make sure it had the 1/4 and 1/2 inch collet.


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I have the big Hitachi in my big router table for raised panels and the such. My first router was a Craftsman was extremely hard to adjust had that ring around it which was confusing. But I also agree 1/2" and 1/4" collet is a must. Not having both would be a deal breaker. Also get yourself a couple woodworking books and in almost all of them you can send for catalogues from router bit companies. Routers can do things you never dreamed of, I have 8.


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Joe and Jim listed my favorites---i have several Porter Cables like Joe pictured---and a big Bosch in one table and two larger Porter Cables for the other two tables.

For hand held worl--a smaller well balanced machine is best---for a dedicated table router--variable speed is needed for the big panel bits.


----------



## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

So, rather than looking for something with the fixed/plunge base, would I be better off just buying a fixed base here, and looking for a second smaller perhaps compact router with a plunge base attachment? 

Good point on the variable speed, Mike.

I personally have never used a plunge base for anything, so I don't know how necessary it is for me to have it, but if I'm buying new tools I like to consider all capabilities. That, and for the homeowner I think I'd probably be ok with one more-versatile router than 2 dedicated ones - or am I wrong here?

Oh, and 1/2" and 1/4" collets are a must. I HATE only having 1/4" with my current setup.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

hyunelan2 said:


> So, rather than looking for something with the fixed/plunge base, would I be better off just buying a fixed base here, and looking for a second smaller perhaps compact router with a plunge base attachment?
> 
> Good point on the variable speed, Mike.
> 
> ...


Just my 2 cents, I would go with a plunge router, if I were getting only one router base, there is so much more you can do with a plunge router than with a fixed base router.


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

Since when did Craftsman make wireless routers?

Oh....you mean the wood working type?

I don't know much....so I have 4 of them.

Of the bunch, the Craftsman is the POS.

To be honest, my Ryobi plunge router is my go to for most jobs...it's lighter and variable speed.

My Porter Gable stays attached to the router table.

It's too late at night for me to see what my 4th router is....I'd rather navigate to the fridge for another beer...(it's been a long day...and night)

So....if you had to have one....make it a plunge and variable speed.


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

A word on router bits---beware of the cheap ones---the bearings are often a poor match to the profile---and the bearings may not live through the first job---

Buy a cheap set if you wish---then replace the favorite profiles with high quality ones as the cheap ones fail---


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

One other point....get a router that will accept a 1/2" collet and 1/4" collet. 

1/4" is fine for small router bits....but when you get into the bigger ones....it's going to be 1/2". 1/4" just flexes too much.


----------



## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

I seem to accumulated a few routers. A couple old B&D Professional models that work well, have good balance, and are easy to run with one hand. Their rack and pinion adjustment tends to get sticky. I recently purchased a Craftsman version of the Bosch 1617 (I think). It works great and came with a plunge base that I haven't used yet. For running a round-over or cove profile on a piece of molding, or easing an edge, my little Bosch Colt is the one I grab.

There's been some negative opinions lately regarding DeWalt. But some of their routers look pretty appealing. The Milwaukee with the rubber hand grip looks like a good one to me. I like the Acme thread adjuster. And the Porter Cable Joe linked to is a classic. I'd like to try one with threaded body adjustment next.

If you think it may end up in a router table, get one that can be adjusted from the base, with the router upside down.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

ddawg16 said:


> Of the bunch, the Craftsman is the POS.
> 
> To be honest, my Ryobi plunge router is my go to for most jobs...it's lighter and variable speed.


I knew someone would say that, that is the reason I didn't. 

I can't say how Ryobi products are today, I can only say how they were years back. I bought a Ryobi miter saw years back and that was the sorriest tool I ever owned, well almost the sorriest. They may have improved a lot by now and from what everyone says, they have.

I really liked the way the Dewalt felt and how it worked, the only thing is they just will not hold up to everyday use. One of them burned up under regular use within a week, Home Dump would not replace it. I figured it was just a bad router and bought another one stronger than the first. Burned that one up and the place I bought that one from did replace it, the third Dewalt spun the cooling fan blade inside but still works because I tore it apart and fixed the fan. I have never had a moments problem out of the Bosch tools I own so I guess I am partial to Bosch.


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

One of the deciding factors is what kind of use it's going to see. If your making a living with it, yea....Bosch is most likely the way to go. 

If I had the bucks, I would love to buy the Bosch trim router.....easy one handed operation. Small foot so it doesn't dig in at the edge of the trim. 

On my Craftsman. That thing is single speed and LOUD and big and 1/4". 

Jim....I have the Ruobi compound miter saw. It has worked well....if I have a complaint....the turn table is not the best design. 

If it dies, I'll buy a slider.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

ddawg16 said:


> One of the deciding factors is what kind of use it's going to see. If your making a living with it, yea....Bosch is most likely the way to go.
> 
> If I had the bucks, I would love to buy the Bosch trim router.....easy one handed operation. Small foot so it doesn't dig in at the edge of the trim.
> 
> ...


Dawg, back when I bought the Ryobi the compound and sliding compounds hadn't hit the market yet. The power and accuracy of the saw was good what really got me is pulling the saw down into the cut it would gald and finally got so bad that it was unusable for anything. 

On the craftsman router, that was what my sears router did, that thing would vibrate so bad it made my hands tingle. I have found over the years, to buy the best you can, the cheaper tools are really hard to use. 

I had one of the craftsmen belt sanders, that had to be the hardest sander I ever used, it would dig so bad I finally threw it away. The sander I have now is top of the line and easy as the dickens to use but it will hurt your back if you use it long enough. 

On the routers, I have an old Stanley made probably back in the 50s or late 40s, it still runs so smooth. I used it to mortise hinges on doors.

This isn't my router but mine is like this one.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I was wrong, I checked and my old router is like this one, not the other one.


----------



## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

Getting into the 'brand wars' is likely foolish of me, but... I've got a DEWALT DW618 I really like. It's a plunge and fixed base kit with variable speed unit. As much as I like it though, I'd also like another one. Specifically, I'd like to have one that stays mounted in the table and one that's not. While I don't do a lot of woodworking, when I am I'm going to be switching back and forth from the table to freehand. No, it's not that big a deal to undo, but it's a time waste and hassle. So, I'd say...

* If you can't afford two GREAT routers, you may want to consider two at least decent reliable ones; one for the table and one for freehand. Otherwise, best you can get that's going to do double duty.

* Have to go 1/2" for the stability of the bits and ability to use larger bits if you need to. And at least 2HP to run the bigger bits if you need to.

* Should get something with variable speed in case you have special applications where you need to be adjusting that.

Always gets back to what you're going to be doing, which implies what kind of bits you're going to be running, which should lead to right machine choice.

My next step is to get another motor only DW618, so this way I'll have flexibility to use the base I've already drilled in the table, the existing plunge unit and other custom base plates. Or I'll just suck it up and try to mange my project tasks so I don't have to keep swapping from table mount to freehand.


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

That's what I like about my Porter Cable. In the kit I got a base to mount on the table, one for free hand and a plunge. The motor twists out of one and twists into the other. It takes 1/2" or 1/4" bits. The I have my big Hitachi mounted in the big table with a router lift for the big projects.


----------



## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

I've had my Porter-Cable 690 for 30+ years and all I ever did was replace the switch one time. The design to raise and lower the motor would work nice in a table I would think. For heavy work, I use a DeWalt DW625 plunge router. I don't use a router table, so I'm not really sure how that would work.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Maintenance 6 said:


> I've had my Porter-Cable 690 for 30+ years and all I ever did was replace the switch one time. The design to raise and lower the motor would work nice in a table I would think. For heavy work, I use a DeWalt DW625 plunge router. I don't use a router table, so I'm not really sure how that would work.


I wish that big dude had been on the market back when I bought the DeWalts that I had. I love the way the DeWalt feels and operates, the ones I had just wouldn't hold up but I bet the DW625 will hold up to about anything you throw at it.


----------

