Initial Router Recomendations


EverStudious

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Many good routers out there.  I have a few.  Last year, I bought the Bosch 1617 Kit and I am VERY happy.  Power, Price, ergonomics, ease of use, performance, etc...I have nothing but good to say about it.  You get a fixed base and a plunge base.  For where you seem to be in the woodworking journey, this kit would do all you would need it to do - possibly for decades!!!  It will also work well in a router table if you get one.

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Yea, I think Don and Steve win the router contest... I had a dozen+ at one point, but been selling-off for a year or so... I'm planning to sell three or four 690s if anyone is interested... I want to get down to five or six if I can...

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Yea, I think Don and Steve win the router contest... I had a dozen+ at one point, but been selling-off for a year or so... I'm planning to sell three or four 690s if anyone is interested... I want to get down to five or six if I can...

THIS wouldn't be a bad way to go either if you didn't want to go new.  Not too expensive...let TripleH pick out the best one and go cat go! The Porter Cable routers get a lot of good reviews

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Yea, I think Don and Steve win the router contest... I had a dozen+ at one point, but been selling-off for a year or so... I'm planning to sell three or four 690s if anyone is interested... I want to get down to five or six if I can...

Trip when are you selling those clamps? :)

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When I change the bit in one, usually the one I reach for is a Milwaukee 5615.  It has a decent fine adjustment knob and I like it overall for quick setup.  Let me know when there is a prize for the most router contest.  I only have two plunge routers.  Both are only used for plunge operations, and are over 20 years old.  One is a 1613 Bosch several model stepback predecessor to the 1617, and the other is a PC 7539.  I couldn't even count how many 690s I have, but remember that I do have 4 dedicated to router templates, and three or four dedicated to door hanging.  One is old enough to have a Rockwell name on it.  Then there's the five 7518s, toolboxes full of palm routers with dedicated roundover bits, and .......................

 

http://historic-house-restoration.com/images/ElamsHouse_Oct._2012_034.JPG

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When I change the bit in one, usually the one I reach for is a Milwaukee 5615. It has a decent fine adjustment knob and I like it overall for quick setup. Let me know when there is a prize for the most router contest. I only have two plunge routers. Both are only used for plunge operations, and are over 20 years old. One is a 1613 Bosch several model stepback predecessor to the 1617, and the other is a PC 7539. I couldn't even count how many 690s I have, but remember that I do have 4 dedicated to router templates, and three or four dedicated to door hanging. One is old enough to have a Rockwell name on it. Then there's the five 7518s, toolboxes full of palm routers with dedicated roundover bits, and .......................

http://historic-house-restoration.com/images/ElamsHouse_Oct._2012_034.JPG

that's the difference between a hobby shop and a pro shop. I can take the time to dial in a bit just right, and might only do that operation once a month, I can afford to have one or two routers, you can't spend that amount of time on tool setup or your losing money. If I don't get a setup done it will get done next weekend, in your case you don't get paid!
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Yea, I’ve got to sell some clamps… Some routers… Some -- well, lot's of stuff…. I’m under orders to get my shop under control… I’m not sure I’ll get to it before summer break… So it’ll be mid-May or Mid-Oct…

 

 

Which reminds me: developing a tool storage strategy is critical for long-term woodworking hobbyists… My current WAF* issues started when I decided to make specific place-holders and cubby-slots for my then-current tool collection… If you go down this path, you must make at least 50% more place-holders then you actually need… So when you fill all the cubby-slots and still have tools lying all over the place, it won’t be so obvious that you’ve being purchasing more tools that you claimed you needed at the time…

 

 

 

*WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor. The term is borrowed from the world of high-end audio where you must convince the better-half that speakers sound better without grills and large tube amps are just the accessory needed to complete the living room decor.…

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Yea, I’ve got to sell some clamps… Some routers… Some -- well, lot's of stuff…. I’m under orders to get my shop under control… I’m not sure I’ll get to it before summer break… So it’ll be mid-May or Mid-Oct…

Which reminds me: developing a tool storage strategy is critical for long-term woodworking hobbyists… My current WAF* issues started when I decided to make specific place-holders and cubby-slots for my then-current tool collection… If you go down this path, you must make at least 50% more place-holders then you actually need… So when you fill all the cubby-slots and still have tools lying all over the place, it won’t be so obvious that you’ve being purchasing more tools that you claimed you needed at the time…

*WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor. The term is borrowed from the world of high-end audio where you must convince the better-half that speakers sound better without grills and large tube amps are just the accessory needed to complete the living room decor.…

i might buy some clamps off of you when your ready to sell.
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Yea, I’ve got to sell some clamps… Some routers… Some -- well, lot's of stuff…. I’m under orders to get my shop under control… I’m not sure I’ll get to it before summer break… So it’ll be mid-May or Mid-Oct

Aren't you in North Jersey? My in laws are in SW CT. I'd be happy to extend my next trip and bring my checkbook down to help you "get your shop under control" in one fell swoop :)

Bonus: my father in law taught shop class for 40 years, which helps with the WAF. More than once he's helped me justify to his daughter why I "need" a tool...

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If you ever see a Porter Cable 5202 EHD router for sale grab it. It's the predecessor of the 7518. Weighs over 18 pounds, use one all day hand held and you will be one tired puppy. The multi speed chip in it was originally designed for the Space Shuttle , some sort of multi speed hydraulic pump I think.

Works great in a router table !

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My router died about a month ago. I'm about to get a new Dewalt DW618 B3. Its a combo plunge and fixed with a third handheld base. From everything I've read, Dewalt or Bosch is the way to go with the consensus being split about evenly. So it seems like personal preference between the two.

 

 

Yeah I just wandered around the new Lowes that opened in the area and checked out the prices on the Bosch routers they sell. Will look around a bit more since I have the time before I can drop the money to purchase one. 

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The refurbished tools CPO sells are a good deal . Most are stuff that got returned, everything goes thru quality control, gets fixed if needed and sold at a good price. I have bought plenty of tools from them and never had a problem. They have almost all the brands that have been mentioned. Warranty for a year on most tools.

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Four of my 7518's were refurbs from CPO.  They looked like they had never been used, and the twist ties were even still on the clean wires.  I figured that some people had bought them, opened the box, got scared, and returned them.  They all work like a charm.

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So to expand my novice set of tools I'm looking into various routers, and I am looking for advice on what type, kind, brand, Horse Power (HP), combo, etc would be in the long term most beneficial. I am not a fan of buying one thing then learning that something just a bit more expensive would serve greater purpose later on as  I develop my wood working skills. I've had advice about getting a plunge router with around 2.5 HP.

 

Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. 

 

It depends on how many you can store and what you want to do.... ;)

 

I think I'm down to 14 routers now( 2 Bosch, 5 Porter-Cable, 3 Festool, 2 Dewalt, a Makita and my old B&D Pro from the 80's) but I have an extra P-C 7518 motor in the lift so I guess that brings the P-C count up to 6 and the total to 15(not counting the Roto-Zip or the Dremel).

 

I guess what I'm saying is that one router doesn't do it all. There is some duplication in my stable, I have yet to decide between the P-C 892 or the Bosch 1617 or MRC 23, the P-C 7310 doesn't get much use since I bought the 310, and it's yet to be decided whether the alternate large plunge will be the Dewalt 625 or the P-C 7529. Main large plunge will be the Festool OF 2200, hands down. The Festoool OF 1010 is dedicated to the their LR32 system so it's not going anywhere, the OF 1400 works so well with their MFT table for cabinet dadoes(although it sucks for mostly anything else), it's definitely a keeper for that application. The P-C 7518 is the King-Hell-Daddy of fixed -base routers, no way I'll ever sell it.

 

But if I had to settle on just one for all-round use outside of the Festool system and raising panels it would be the Dewalt 621 with a couple of Pat Warner's subbases. Plenty of power, good adjustability, smooth plunge, best dust collection of the bunch built in except for the Festool 2200. It's an old Elu design but it survived the transition to baby-crap yellow well, noisier than than some newer mid-range routers like the P-C 892 but not by a lot. The stock baseplate sucks mightily, that's why I use Pat's gear.

 

Horses for courses, you pays your money and takes your choice.

 

HTH,

Bill

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I hate to hijack this, but if I may for a split moment since it's in line with the topic? A friend is running an estate sale and there is a Fein RT-1800 router that he says looks almost brand new. It will be priced at $210 tomorrow and $75 on Sunday if it's still there. Anyone have any experience with this router?

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I hate to hijack this, but if I may for a split moment since it's in line with the topic? A friend is running an estate sale and there is a Fein RT-1800 router that he says looks almost brand new. It will be priced at $210 tomorrow and $75 on Sunday if it's still there. Anyone have any experience with this router?

 

It looks a lot like my old Elu 3338, currently incarnated as the DeWalt 625(talk about falling from grace...). It also resembles the Makita 3612. I can't find any photos that show both sides and the depth-adjust so it's hard to tell. Both are good tools but a bit old design.

 

It's definitely worth $75 if it runs through the speeds, starts smoothly and doesn't squeal like a stuck pig, I'd pass until Sunday. You can buy a brand-new DW 625 for $70 more than the Saturday price and get a warranty. I don't know when the Fein was made but they make good tools, the Festool OF2000 was a Fein router rebranded. At $75.00 you can afford to replace bearings and brushes and have a decent tool, at $ 210 I'd spend the extra money and go for the new DeWalt.

 

HTH,

Bill

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