Best Router for Table?

[Mark Blatter]

I am getting ready to start building a router table and am trying to play ahead for a change. I am not planning on installing a lift at this time, so I am looking at the PC 892 and the Bosch 1617 as each can be adjusted from the top of the table.

I read Jeff Branch's blog about building a table and he went with the Bosch, but I am currently leaning towards the PC. I would love to hear others thoughts and suggestions, in particular other options than these two.

I want at least 2 1/4 hp, but cannot afford my first choice, the PC 7518. Need to stay in the $200 range.

Thanks

[Steven Hsieh]

Either the porter cable 892 or Hitachi M12VC

[Prashun Patel]

Check out hartville tool. They have deals on the triton routers right now. Might just be the ticket for you. If you are planning to do dovetails or anything that needs to be cut in a single pass you will want a heavy hp router. I have a 1.75hp milwaukee in mine and it is easy to bog it down.

[Wade Lippman]

The 1617 is a poor choice. Although you can adjust the height from above the table, you can't change bits above; unless they improved it since I owned one.

I just got a Milwaukee 5625 for $285 and $15 for a 1/4" collet. It is $100 over your budget, but probably money well spent. (I put it in a lift, but it does have above the table access)

[Mark Blatter]

Check out hartville tool. They have deals on the triton routers right now. Might just be the ticket for you. If you are planning to do dovetails or anything that needs to be cut in a single pass you will want a heavy hp router. I have a 1.75hp milwaukee in mine and it is easy to bog it down.

I have a Leigh jig and use either that, or hand cut my dovetails. Right now my plan is to use the new router and table for making five piece doors. I am making replacement vanities for my bathrooms, and at some point soon will start on cabinets for a new kitchen.

[Prashun Patel]

In that case, I'd definitely hold out for a larger router. Routing wider profiles on door panels and coped doors can be done with multiple passes, you won't be very happy when doing a room full of cabinets using multiple passes. Just my 2 cents. I just completed an entertainment unit and wished for more cowbell during the scant 10 panels I had to do.

[Julie Moriarty]

I own the Bosch 1617 and it's only used in the router table. I've had it since the mid 90's. For years I was reaching under the table to engage the shaft lock to change bits. (I use an offset wrench to loosen and tighten the collet.) About 5 years ago I took a piece of flat stock and bent it to engage the lock from above.
http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab233/jules42651/Woodworking/Tools/router_01_zps613a6311.jpg
I can change bits with one hand now. :D

But I would not recommend the 1617 for a fixed plate mounting. It's a plunge router and there are strong springs resisting your attempts to raise the bit (when in the table), all the while trying to hold back the plunge lock, which is trying to spring back. And once you release that plunge lock, it extends fully. Trying to accurately set the bit height is a real task! I quickly abandoned that method and got the router lift. It's worked great ever since.

[Prashun Patel]

Julie-
I have a 1617 also. Mine came with a fixed base that I don't use anymore. If you would like it I can mail it to you.
prashun

[Dave Anthony]

I have the Bosch 1617 and a Triton. The Triton is much easier to use in a router table w/out a lift: both in depth adjustment and above the table bit changes. The Triton seems large and heavy for hand held use; I like the Bosch for hand held and plunge operations.

[David Weaver]

I have a 7518 and no lift. I would wait until you find a 7518 on sale, it will easily easily be worth the extra money if you ever spin a door bit for a dozen doors. I can reach under a (home made) table and loosen the router and turn the router in its housing and get it to precise height.

[David Weaver]

Well, i could be wrong about the price. I can't find it anywhere for less than the $305 that amazon charges. When I got mine, coastal tool was selling them for $280 and there was a $50 rebate. That was before PC went to a MAP model for pricing, which seems to have gone by the wayside a little since I can see amazon's price without carting it.

And since some of us were beating up on mcfeely's last week, I see they have a generous deal of $442.95, but they do let you know they'll ship it for $1. What a deal.

(grainger has it for $495).

[pat warner]

"I would love to hear others thoughts and suggestions, in particular other options than these two."
*******************************************
I'd hang with the 890. Not what you asked for but the right choice for medium work nonetheless. Powerful, longest motor barrel in this class, good for most practical cutters. & in my view, door cutters are not practical for any router.
Some provision made for through the top adjustments, a reasonable compromise if the 7518 and 5625 are not candidates.

[Mark Blatter]

So if I could swing about $300, which would be better, the Milwaukee 3 1/5 hp or the PC 7518?

They are close in price, but I was surprised to see that I can get the Milwaukee for about $20 less than the 7518.

[johnny means]

Mark, I have the Milwaukee 5625 in a router table. It is plenty powerful, runs smoothly,with grest speed control and does a good job with the heaviest of cuts. But... the switch is very prone to problems from dust and the above the table adjustment contains plastic parts that are not up to the job of lifting the heavy motor. The 7518, on the other hand, is perfect. IMO, the Milwaukee is a fine tool but is no 7518. At some point, both my tables will be converted to PCs.

[pat warner]

If your tool supplier is to be trusted (quick replacements under warranty) and cares about you: I'd get the 7518.

[Roger Rayburn]

I started with the PC 890. I liked it and had all the flexibility I needed. I liked the above the table height changes and the above the table bit changes. But, I knew someday I'd want more horsepower. I kept my eyes pealed for a 7518 on craigslist and when one showed up I was all over it. Then I bought the PRL2 and permanently recovered the 890 for handheld work. If I had to do it over, that's what I'd do again.

[Curt Harms]

Check out the refurb Hitachis here:

http://bigskytool.com/Routers___c362.aspx

Some of the Hitachis are ugly but hey, they sit under the table :).Downside to Hitachi is they don't come with table friendly features like built-in lifts AFAIK, you'd need to add something like a Router Raizer. Triton always seemed like they were more table ready out of box than most.

[Rick Fisher]

I picked up a used PC 7518 that needed bearings really cheap at an auction.. Which reminds me I need to change the bearings.. ( bearings have been sitting waiting for several months ) ..

The router was $85.00 and the bearings where $20.00 ( approx ) ..

Routers are actually pretty simple devices.. I wouldn't hesitate to buy used. I would rather have a used 7518 in a table than say a new 690 ..

[Keith Hankins]

Ok, I'll start with my router table has been used a lot and i mean a lot over the 10+ years i've had it. I spent the dough for the 7518 way back when you had to buy the motor and base so I payed 350 back then. I also have the 890 series when it first came out for hand held work. I'll tell you right now do not settle for the 890 series. Don't get me wrong not a bad router (except top heavy IMO). However for a table you want gruntability and as much as you can get. That 7518 has never flinched or hesitated. I just did a quick look and for a motor only (put it in a lift) is 288. Probably catch a pc sale over the summer. Save a few more pennies and get the right one! Trust me on this. I've done the I'll settle now only to kick myself over and over for not being a little more patient and waiting and skipping a few lunches to fund my tools. That 7518 will be the goto router for a very long time. You know down deep I'm right you said it in your post. Anyway just an old timer that's "been-there-done-that". good luck!

[Chris Hachet]

If your tool supplier is to be trusted (quick replacements under warranty) and cares about you: I'd get the 7518.

I would buy the 7518 and never look back. I am about 75 percent hand tool right now, and am planning on a new set of kitchen cabinets and a vanity in. Te near future, also am going to be building an entertainment center for a friend. 7518 is the only one in that range I am even thinking of.

Almost the people I know who work wood for a living in one way or another pretty much use a 7518.

[Rich Engelhardt]

My first router table is/was a 1.75HP Ryobi I gave $99.00 for.
I still use it as a job site table.

My shop router table is a Freud 1700 w/top bit change and adjustment.
You get spoiled real quick with the top side capability.

I'd never even consider another router for table use that didn't have top side capability or anything less than a full 15 amp machine.

My Freud is a 14 amp (2.75HP) only because at the time I bought it, I had to run it at the end of an extension cord.

[Jim Stewart]

Get the 7518! You won't regret it. It is dedicated to the table. I use the Woodpeckers lift.

[Bill White]

I have a Freud in my table. Love the soft start feature, and the router has never let me down.
Bill

[Grzegorz Sajko]

Sorry for digging up old thread.
Do you have any suggestion for someone in EU zone? no Milwaukee or PC for me... I have to stick with DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, Festool, Hitachi.

[Robert Chapman]

Try the Triton. Can change bits from the top - no lift required. Made in Australia.

[Mark W Pugh]

Try the Triton. Can change bits from the top - no lift required. Made in Australia.

Yes, the Triton has the capability of above table adjustment, but I have problems with mine. While using the router the adjustment screw backs off. So, when I loosen the carriage lock, to adjust the height, the router falls a small amount. This pretty much negates using the above, or below, adjustment for small subsequent adjustments.

Yes, I tried to contact Triton, no response.

[Tom M King]

I have a Triton that someone gave me. I don't like it for various reasons, and don't use it. I have 5- 7518s, and wouldn't buy anything else for this use.

[Mike Schuch]

I use a Porter Cable 7539 3hp plunge router with a Router Raizer which allows adjustment from the top of the table. The 7539 was a no brainer for a router table router because I picked it up brand new with the Router Raizer installed at a Habitat for humanity store for $50.

Router Raizer makes models for several different plunge routers to allow you to adjust them from the top of the table.
http://www.rockler.com/router-raizer

[Curt Harms]

I use a Porter Cable 7539 3hp plunge router with a Router Raizer which allows adjustment from the top of the table. The 7539 was a no brainer for a router table router because I picked it up brand new with the Router Raizer installed at a Habitat for humanity store for $50.

Router Raizer makes models for several different plunge routers to allow you to adjust them from the top of the table.
http://www.rockler.com/router-raizer

I'm partial toward the router-raizer as well. It uses a 3/8"-16 lead screw so one turn moves the router 1/16", 1/2 turn 1/32" etc. That may be too coarse for some. I have mine on a Freud FT2000E (no longer sold in the U.S.) and don't use the plunge lock. There's enough 'drag' in the router raizer mechanism that the height doesn't appear to change when running yet it's pretty easy to turn and I can do above the table bit changes.

[ken masoumi]

Yes, the Triton has the capability of above table adjustment, but I have problems with mine. While using the router the adjustment screw backs off. So, when I loosen the carriage lock, to adjust the height, the router falls a small amount. This pretty much negates using the above, or below, adjustment for small subsequent adjustments.

Yes, I tried to contact Triton, no response.

That's exactly what I'm experiencing with my Triton 2.1/4 hp router,the router "unwinds" or loses it's height adjustment while in operation,the only remedy for it is to fully engage the plunge lock after the adjustment (which you have to do to many routers out there anyway) but the problem is ,when you disengage the plunge lock,the whole router drops down to the bottom /full height extension.
I used to praise Triton routers every chance I got but ever since this problem has developed I do not recommend their routers anymore.

[Phil Hansen]

I used to praise Triton routers every chance I got but ever since this problem has developed I do not recommend their routers anymore. I use mine a lot and have the same problem with it dropping down. Have also had problems with the speed control (2 replacements) and collets (3 replacements). The new collett design does work better though. Phil