My two cents

Posted By: GeorgeSK - P-23 "DayDream", P-15 "Pxyis"
Date: 5/3/09 6:07p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Jerry and others: I need a new wood router. (Rob M, P-21, Minuet building.)

The Admiral has been working at a Rockler store, so I have seen and handled a number of nice routers. I bought a Porter Cable 890 fixed base unit, and I love it. Possibly a bit big for day to day handheld use (2.25 hp), but it kicks in a router table. Variable speed is a must if you are going to spin big diameter bits, and one gets very spoiled by electronic "soft start". The Porter Cable 690 is a bit smaller and a bit less powerful, but more maneuverable. Also a nice unit, and also available in a kit with both fixed and plunge base. Bosch makes a very nice kit as well, and Freud is pretty nice as well (and sometimes available at a very attractive price). The biggest difference between these $150+ routers and a lower cost unit is the design of the collet, the runout of the spin, and the bearings used (heavier duty; in a low cost router you might be getting bushings rather than bearings). For LOTS of handheld work (as I envision you might do building your Minuet), you might consider a smaller unit like the Bosch Colt. It can only take a 1/4" bit, but it is fabulous for edging and trimming laminate or edgebanding. Even though it is small, newer, modern motor design can pack lots of power into the small form factor. It does have a small base, and so you are trading some stability for weight and agility. I don't mean to dis the Craftsman tools - they are OK. They will give good service, but might not provide quite as nice a finish as a higher zoot tool, and you can often get a deal or a coupon to get some bucks off. If you can possibly find someplace to handle a few, do it. You might not like where the controls are or how they work. I have a few really nice tools, though, and they give me pleasure every time I fire one of them up. The difference between the PC router and my old Black and Decker (finally deceased after 18 years) or the Craftsman I inherited from my uncle is enormous. I have a Hitachi plunge router that is rugged, but the controls are difficult to adjust in fine increments. Good hunting. With the exception of actually parting with the cash, the search should be fun.