Which Router- PC?, Ridgid?, Bosch

I love our PC routers. I am not even sure how many we have, we just keep buying them because I don’t think you can have too many routers. We also have one 2 1/4 hp Frued and a 2 14 hp Hitatchi (which is a plunge kit). We have 3 of the PC plunge kits but all of our PC routers are 690 which is 1 3/4 hp. I feel the 690 is strong enough to do most router type of jobs, unless you want to run panel bits on a router table. I just like having all the same type of routers for flexibility. Just my opinion.

-- Jerry Nettrour, San Antonio, www.topqualitycabinets.net

I’ve got a pair of porter cables of which I’m the third owner (that I know of), and that have survived some pretty intense abuse over the years and still work great. If/when I need to get another, I’m sticking with PC. I have no exp with Bosch or Rigid, so can’t really compare, but Im a “if it ain’t broke…” kinda guy.

-- - Jei, Rockford IL - When in doubt, spray it with WD-40 and wrap it with duct tape. The details will attend to themselves.

I’ve got 4 PC’s, the newest is a 3 year old 892 that’s mounted in my CNC, and runs for hours at a time nonstop. I also worked in a shop for 15 years with over 20 PC’s, and have never seen one fail yet.

I’ve heard some bad reviews, but i won’t buy anything else.

-- Gerry, http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/CNC_Woodworker.html

I have had my PC for 2 years and it runs great, Look at Rockler for the kit with the 2 bases

Porter-Cable … I have three (2 690’s and an 890), and wouldn’t part with them.

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"

Woodmule, have had my PC with the interchangeable bases for three years and I love them. Got em at Tyler Tool, good price too.

-- Methods are many,Principles are few.Methods change often,Principles never do.

Bosch for sure.

No love for Milwaukee? I’ve got the 5616 and love it!

-- If at first you don't succeed then maybe skydiving isn't for you.

At work, I have 4 PC 690’s, a couple of extra 690 bases, and a PC Plunge. The extra bases are in the router tables with removable inserts. That way, I can quickly change the router without having to change the bits. I always leave the Dovetail router setup, and I always have a 1/8” roundover chucked up. It is either in the table, or in a base at all times. Lately, I have kept a 3/8” rabbetting bit chuck in a table at all times, as it is much faster than the dado head for doing back insets on cabinets, dressers and bookcases. The last router and the plunge then get most of the bit changeouts, depending on what I/we are doing.

At home, I have the Bosch with interchangeable bases (and an extra base permanently mounted in the router table). I personally like the Bosch a lot better than the PC. I think it is better balanced and a little heftier. The router mounted in the Plunge base is less top heavy than the PC, and I really like the pistol grip style on the Bosch as opposed to the “knobs” that PC uses.

All in all if you tied me up and tortured me, I’d probably go with the Bosch. But the PC’s have been strong and relatively trouble free, and the 690 is a reliable little son of a gun!

One other thing about the PC: I teach woodshop at school, and the PC’s have survived several dives off a 34” inch workbench onto a concrete floor without cracking or dieing. Students…. argh!

Wouldn’t worry too much about the switch issue on the Bosch, it’s a really easy fix if you have the issue. Got one on E-Bay (1617EVS) that said it wasn’t working. Not a lot of bids on it, I guess everyone was afraid of the “wasn’t working” comment. I had read about the issues with the switch and hoped that was the problem. I ended up getting it for under $30 total, that includes shipping! Within about 3 minutes of receiving it, I removed a couple screws & sure enough, full of saw dust. Cleaned it out, put it back together, ran like a top. I also got both the fixed & plunge base, case, wrenches, everything. Already had one Bosch so I didn’t need all the extras, sold the case, plunge base & a couple other things back on E-bay for almost $100 bucks! Now I have a router for free hand and one on my table and made a few bucks on the deal! Gotta love E-bay!

-- Sawdust looks better in the garage than cars, explain that to your wife!

I have a 690 pc i use for dovetails and anything i cant do on my table. I am happy with it. I have a 2 1/4 freud that is designated to my router table. I am very happy with it but i dont think i would use it for anything but the table. I like the feel of the pc and i was unaware of switch problems.

-- RKWoods

I’m gonna sound like a Porter Cable salesman here! LOL!!

I’m not though….I’m one of the foremen in a large-ish custom stair and railing shop…..and boy lemme tell ya…We’ve DESTROYED every make of router on the market(in short order)....except Porter Cable.
Right now, we are probably running every model they make, with the 690’s and the 7518 and 7519’s most commonly. We use ‘em and we abuse ‘em…HARD! Some of the custom bits we run in the 18’s and 19’s would make you CRAP yourself they’re so big and heavy!
Porter Cable has been the ONLY router that can hold it’s own, day in…and day out. On occasion, we have to send the odd motor out to have the bearings switched out…they come back and run like brand new, but this only after YEARS of hard abuse. The only other service would be to change the motor brushes out once every year or two, and we do that ourselves…takes 10-20 minutes.
Porter Cable routers can’t be beat….

All this….from a Makita diehard! LOL!

-- Come to the dark side....we have cookies...

Tony: you are right, you sound like the PC salesmen at the woodworking shows!

I do agree… the 690 is a reliable little rascal!

I sure wish the PC hadn’t changed their Random Orbital Sander design a couple of years ago! I sure liked the old ROS dust collector design and the feel of the old “QuickSand” a lot better than the newer verson. But that is for a different thread!

If it’s for hand use, it should really boil down to which feels best in hand that has the features you want. For table use, variable speed, above table features, and power are more important. It’s really a matter of preference…For hand use I like the Bosch better than the PC and Ridgid, but I like the Milwaukee better than any (Milwaukee is actually TTI’s top line above Ridgid)....it has the BodyGrip feature, an excellent plunger, accepts standard PC style bushings, and is extremely well built. I wouldn’t immediately exclude the Hitachi KM12VC without a good look either.

For table use, the Freud FT1700 is loaded with great features that allow easy one handed bit changes, above table height adjust, and above table height lock.

Anyone concerned about where PC is heading under Stanley rule, and are the new ones really the same as those of 10 years ago?

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

“Anyone concerned about where PC is heading under Stanley rule, and are the new ones really the same as those of 10 years ago?”

We haven’t bought a new PC for about a year now….If Stanley messes with ANYTHING!.....I’ll cry! DON’T EVEN SUGGEST THAT!!

-- Come to the dark side....we have cookies...