What makes a good router???

[killerkowalczyk]

Im looking into purchasing my own router (instead of using my friends all the time)

What makes a good router and why? High rpm? 9/10/11 amps?

I dont want to spend much more than $200, plunge not neccessary either.

[thylantyr]

Most woodworkers have more than one router,
each optimal for certain tasks.

I prefer the 3 horse routers for the heavy work,
plunge and fixed base, variable speed is a must have feature. If I had to chose one of those two, I'd pick the plunge.

I also have the 1.5 horse routers as they are
smaller and lighter for easier freehand work.

You need to identify the use and buy the
appropriate one.

[killerkowalczyk]

cutting round holes in 3/4 mdf

[billfitzmaurice]

Two HP and 1/2" collet. Less HP and 1/4" collet won't handle big jobs, 3HP are too heavy for other than mounting in a table. The usual brands are good, Porter Cable, Makita, Ryobi, avoid Black and Decker and Skill. For $200 you can get a nice machine. Plunge doesn't cost more, so get it.

[Æ]

I go for one that feels good in my hands, ergonomics. Also one that is lightweight yet not flimsy/cheap. I've had several budget routers, Black N Decker, Craftsman etc. and I didn't like any of them very well. One thing I don't like is if/when the router depth adjustment gets clogged up with wood dust and then it requires you to clean it thoroughly before it works well again. I now have an inexpensive Skill plunge router I bought at The Home Depot. Fits the Jasper Jig.

[bogie]

Here's what I'd do...

Get one of reconditioned Ryobi routers from Home Depot. That'll work fine with your Jasper jig for cutting holes. For heavier jobs, Harbor Freight's larger plunge routers ain't bad.

> Im looking into purchasing my own router
> (instead of using my friends all the time)

> What makes a good router and why? High rpm?
> 9/10/11 amps?

> I dont want to spend much more than $200,
> plunge not neccessary either.

[bogie]

...and NONE of mine work this way... If you can find one with a nozzle on it that you can hook your shopvac to, you'll love it...

[dancarroll]

> ...and NONE of mine work this way... If you
> can find one with a nozzle on it that you
> can hook your shopvac to, you'll love it...

Look no further than the DeWalt 621, which I have and love.

[bill]

> Im looking into purchasing my own router
> (instead of using my friends all the time)

> What makes a good router and why? High rpm?
> 9/10/11 amps?

> I dont want to spend much more than $200,
> plunge not neccessary either.

The basics:

Power - 2 HP or better. 1 HP = 774 watts, so at 117 volts, 1 HP = 6.6 amps. A 2 HP router will pull 13 amps at stall.

Runout - A good router will have very low runout, meaning close to zero eccentricity or play in the rotor shaft. If you don't have low runout, you'll never be able to mill accurate cuts.

Stable, easy to adjust depth settings - You'd think this would be a given, but some routers are a major pain to set accurately and others don't stay where you set them.

Variable speed - High speed (25,000 rpm) is nice, but so are slower speeds, particularly if you intend to use large bits (roundovers, chamfers, etc., occasionally. Unless you're dedicating the router to a specific application, a specific size bit and a specific material, you really need variable speed built in.

Dust collection - If you work with MDF, you want a router that either has dust collection built in, like the DeWalt 621, or as an accessory, like the Porter-Cable 890 series. This is less of a concern if the router is going to live exclusively in a router table, but it's essential if you're going to use it handheld. With effective dust collection, you can easily use the router indoors and without a respirator. This is a serious health issue, so give it careful consideration.

You should be able to find several excellent routers in the price range you're considering, particularly if you don't need a plunge base.

HTH,
Bill

[Æ]

> ...and NONE of mine work this way... If you
> can find one with a nozzle on it that you
> can hook your shopvac to, you'll love it...

I don't like anything to weigh me down when using a router. Hoses get in the way. I do have a Shop Vac, but prefer compressed air. (I blow the dust over to my neighbor. Ha!)

[alexb]

I have a Ryobi 1 3/4hp which has problems with the switch and the chuck lock. Don't know that I would recommend one.

Last month Home Depot had their Dewalt 618B3 kit on sale for $189 and also had an additional $50 rebate. Don't know if that is still going. I am building a router cabinet and will mount the standard base in the cabinet and use the D-base and plunge base for my woodworking/speaker projects. The dw618 is 2 1/4hp variable speed. Good luck.

[thylantyr]

> cutting round holes in 3/4 mdf

Plunge router for sure, 2HP - 3HP range, variable
speed a must. I do prefer the 1/2" collet. Pick
a brand you like, routers are simple, a motor
spinning a cutter, lol ........ {hehe}

I do prefer Whiteside router bits over
home center 'cheap' bits. These quality bits
cost more but they do cut the wood like a hot
knife on butter.

I don't have too much of a problem handling
the 3HP 'big' router. I cut a bunch of 4"
round holes in 3/4" wood with the heavy router,
you can do it with no real issue unless you
have weak arms {each spinach for a month}. hehe

[killerkowalczyk]

I weigh 250 pounds and have 19" arms, a 3hp shouldnt be a problem. As for those Bits your talking about, where can I find them?

> Plunge router for sure, 2HP - 3HP range,
> variable
> speed a must. I do prefer the 1/2"
> collet. Pick
> a brand you like, routers are simple, a
> motor
> spinning a cutter, lol ........ {hehe}

> I do prefer Whiteside router bits over
> home center 'cheap' bits. These quality bits
> cost more but they do cut the wood like a
> hot
> knife on butter.

> I don't have too much of a problem handling
> the 3HP 'big' router. I cut a bunch of
> 4"
> round holes in 3/4" wood with the heavy
> router,
> you can do it with no real issue unless you
> have weak arms {each spinach for a month}.
> hehe

[bill]

> I weigh 250 pounds and have 19" arms, a
> 3hp shouldnt be a problem. As for those Bits
> your talking about, where can I find them?

Woodcraft carries Whiteside bits; they run a sale on a different bit each month, so check their site regularly. I'm partial to the Whiteside 1/2" flush-trim bits.

For circle-cutting I use CMT solid-carbide 1/4" spiral upcut bits. I have a Skil 1820 1/4" router that I've dedicated exclusively to circle-cutting; I've added a homemade dust-collection rig to it. The Skil is not a professional-grade tool by any means, but it works fine with a Jasper for hole-cutting provided you don't try to cut deeper than 1/4" on each pass. The Site-Lite feature is a big plus; it's a pair of white LEDs that turn on when you put your hand over the handle with the power switch. It's fixed speed, but for a dedicated tool that's fine. And it only set me back $70 at HD a couple of years ago.

For serious work I have a pair of Porter-Cable 690s. One lives in a fixed base in the router table; the other stays in the plunge base for any freehand jobs. If I had it to do over again, I don't know that I'd pick the P-Cs because they don't have dust collection, but at the time I got them that was nowhere near as common a feature and they've held up well.

The next router I buy will likely be a laminate trimmer. I don't care how big you are, after a while you appreciate being able to one-hand a tool.

HTH,
Bill

[thylantyr]

> I weigh 250 pounds and have 19" arms, a
> 3hp shouldnt be a problem. As for those Bits
> your talking about, where can I find them?

I bought my Whiteside bits from this place.
<A HREF="http://www.routerbits.com/">http://www.routerbits.com/</A>

I'm sure you can find alternative bits that
do well, you might want to try one of the
Whiteside and buy the same type of bit from
another vendor and compare them over time.

[matg]

my portercable 690 series routers. I now have three of them. One is always mounted in my router table and has run trouble free for six years now and i use it in my business. One is in a plunge base and i picked one up at the pawn shop today, almost brand new for $50! They come with a 1/2" and a 1/4" collet and have never let me down. They are 1 1/2 hp motors, fit the jasper jig and have plenty of umph!

I know i know, most people say that you "need" at least 2 hp but i have made some pretty big profiles with the 690 series, just take smaller bites. It is a SOLID machine.

I know bogie likes his harbor fright router, but i would avoid them. buddy bought a plunge from them and while it had a solid motor, the thing was not square and resetable for repeateable cuts. Just cheap plastic everything. The portercable is SOLID! but that is just my opinion.

> Im looking into purchasing my own router
> (instead of using my friends all the time)

> What makes a good router and why? High rpm?
> 9/10/11 amps?

> I dont want to spend much more than $200,
> plunge not neccessary either.

[robertcottiers]

> my portercable 690 series routers. I now
> have three of them. One is always mounted in
> my router table and has run trouble free for
> six years now and i use it in my business.
> One is in a plunge base and i picked one up
> at the pawn shop today, almost brand new for
> $50! They come with a 1/2" and a
> 1/4" collet and have never let me down.
> They are 1 1/2 hp motors, fit the jasper jig
> and have plenty of umph!

> I know i know, most people say that you
> "need" at least 2 hp but i have
> made some pretty big profiles with the 690
> series, just take smaller bites. It is a
> SOLID machine.

> I know bogie likes his harbor fright router,
> but i would avoid them. buddy bought a
> plunge from them and while it had a solid
> motor, the thing was not square and
> resetable for repeateable cuts. Just cheap
> plastic everything. The portercable is
> SOLID! but that is just my opinion.

Hi Matt: I'll second your opinion on the 690 router,I also have three of them with over ten years of continuous service.I also have a Bosch 1611 3hp plunge router(my favorite tool ....

Routers...You can't have just one!

Regards Bob C.

[franka]

> Im looking into purchasing my own router
> (instead of using my friends all the time)

> What makes a good router and why? High rpm?
> 9/10/11 amps?

> I dont want to spend much more than $200,
> plunge not neccessary either.

Killer, you definitely need a plunge base router if you are going to be cutting out circles (I presume for speakers). You also need/should use a bit that will let you cut while it plunges. Most bits don't have cutters on the bottom. Variable speeds are nice and necessary if you plan on using larger (1 1/2 inch and larger diameter bits). Go for a 1/2 inch collett, too.

You should be able to get a very nice router for $200.00. Myself, I have a 3-base, 2 hp Ryobi that does OK for me. But, if you plan to spend that kind of money, look at a more better brand. One of the posters (Bob?) said he really liked the Bosch. I recently bought a reconditioned Bosch jigsaw and it is a super jigsaw. I saved about $30-40 buying it reconditioned at <A HREF="http://www.cpotools.com">www.cpotools.com</A>. They do sell Bosch products and were easy and good for me to work with. They do have new and reconditioned Bosch tools, including routers.

good luck, Frank

[johnastockman]

> Im looking into purchasing my own router
> (instead of using my friends all the time)

> What makes a good router and why? High rpm?
> 9/10/11 amps?

> I dont want to spend much more than $200,
> plunge not neccessary either.

Killer, dust collection ability! 1/2" collet, and does it fit the Jasper jig...the DeWalt ones have the better dust collection. Check out one of the woodworking mags online...tons of great stuff on routers, actual tests, etc.

John A.