Need advice on router purchase

There are quite a few reviewed in the review section. Give them a look.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I’d go with the Dewalt DW618. i reviewed it awhile ago. i still love it. it’s a great tool and has enough hp to get almost any job done.

There are a ton of good routers to buy depending on your needs (fixed vs. plunge, horsepower, etc.). If you are going to be using it for hand held operations, I always have had great luck with this simple test.
Go to your tool supply house, and pick up routers by their handles.
Buy the one that you think will feel the best after using it for a couple of hours in the shop.
Ergonomics of tools are a very personal thing.

-- Gerry

I just purchased the Hitachi M12VC 2 1/4 hp with fixed base/variable speed as a second router and I couldn’t be happier with it. I have used it for about 2 months and it is powerful, extremely quiet and the price was right too. $81…No tax and no shipping on Amazon.com. A tip for you is to put items you are thinking of buying in your “cart” on their website and just keep checking it like you check your email or LJ. One day the price went from $123 to $81. Sale lasted about 24hrs. FYI, right now they have it for $96.

Good luck.
Mike

I use dewalt fo my small routers and have a porter cable under my router table. Read reviews and you will see what makes sense for you.

-- making sawdust....

I think you need to tell us a little bit more about what you expect from your router. I love my little Festool OF1010 EQ, although occasionally I lust after the 1400, its bigger brother (with the ratcheting shaft lock), but I also know that it can be a lot of money to pay for dust collection (which, admittedly, doesn’t always work when you’d like it to) and relative quiet (especially since you’re probably wearing hearing protection anyway).

I should get out in the shop and take some pictures and write a review. Up-sides of the OF1010 EQ: the aforementioned dust collection and relative quiet, along with good variable speed control. Trade-offs are that although depth adjustment is super accurate, it’s in mm, not inches; it only takes ¼ and 8mm shank bits; needs a separate bolted-on insert for US sized guide bushings, and it ain’t cheap.

For the price of the OF1010 you could pick up several other brands, all with their own trade-offs. So give us a little bit more info about how you’d use it!

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Go with the Bosch 1617EVSPK Router Combo. I’ve heard nothing but great things about it.

Here’s a few shopping links for you:
Home Depot
Lowes
Rockler

-- Happy Ripping!!!

I have a craftsman 1 3/4 horsepower plunge router and have had nothing bad to say about it. It’s only like 80 bucks regularly and I got it for 60 on sale. It has plenty of power and comes with dust collection, two collets and soft start feature, as well as under the router work lights that help a lot. Just a thought. We use porter cables at school and they work great as well. I just don’t like the grips as much, at least the ones that have the knob like handle, they just don’t feel comfortable.

-- Tyler, Illinois

I agree with DannyBoy. The Bosch 1617 combo is the one I have, and I’m about ready to purchase a second motor to use strictly in the plunge base, although it’s not much hassle to remove the current one from its fixed base under the router table. It has all the power I need, although the widest bit I own is about 1 1/2 inch diameter.

-- North Texas

as mant opions on this as thier are wood workers i got the porter cable 896 kit with both the fixed and plung bases for x-mas and i love it deffanitly if your only going to do one or the other do the plung i went years with out a plunge router man i was missing out with out it

-- I buy tools so i can make more money,so ican buy more tools so I can work more, to make more money, so I can buy more tool, so I can work more