First router

[Doug Summers]

Looking for a first router, needs to be able to handle big and small jobs. Help

[Mike Schuch]

Dewalt DW618B3
PorterCable 693LRPK
Bosch MRC23EVSK

I don't think you could go wrong with any of these. What is your favorite color?

[Mike Cutler]

Doug

What is "big", and what is "small"?

I do like Mike's choices and would add the DeWalt 621. It's nice.
The Festool's are very nice, but $$$$.

[Matt Day]

More info needed OP. What do you plan to do with it?

I've found my Bosch 1617 to be a very versatile router.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Routers are like Pringles potato chips, you can't have just one. Buy a router and learn from it what you need.
Joe

[Doug Summers]

Not really sure yet, I need one that can do variety of things because it will be the only one I'll have for a while.

[Frank Martin]

If you don't want to spend Festool money, I would go with Bosch or Milwaukee as Dewalt and PC are not what they once were anymore.

[John Lankers]

I have to agree with Frank on this one, the DeWalt just feels a bit sloppy in the plunge base.
As for versatility you might want to consider a router with a plunge and a fixed base (I personally like Milwaukee). To keep it manageable I suggest start with a mid size router and buy that 3 1/2 hp monster later :).

[Mike Schuch]

I have a DEWALT DW618PK and it is an excellent router. I have never had any issues with it and have never found it to have any slop in the fixed or plunge base. Honestly I don't use it as much as I use my PC 690's. I find 2hp routers less agile than smaller routers. My 690's are very easy to handle with 1 hand where the Dewalt 618 really needs 2 hands. My Bosch is also an excellent router. I would put my Bosch on the same level as my PC's and Dewalt. My favorite routers are my ancient Stanley routers. They are very lite and versatile with more accessories than modern routers have. Most of my router jobs simply don't need an excess of power. Round over and small profile bits don't need that much umph for excellent results.

Personally I don't believe there is such a beast as a one do everything router. Every router is a compromise in some fashion. You don't want to spin big bits in small sub 2hp routers. 3+ hp routers are a dream for big bits but a nightmare for small handheld jobs! The 2hp routers will take somewhat large bits without being too bulky for hand held work... but my 2hp routers are my least used routers.

I can't recommend a Milwaukee router because I have never used one. I love my many Milwaukee drills and would have no qualms about owning a Milwaukee router. I have just never had one fall in my lap at a cheap enough price like I have my other routers.

If your favorite colors are red and blue flip a coin and choose one. It is really hard to buy a bad router from any of the name brands... Porter Cable, Dewalt, Bosch and I assume Milwaukee. Research which ever model you choose for recurring problems. Every manufacture has made far less than perfect models as well as excellent models. I even have an excellent old Craftsman router as well as a a Craftsman complete TURD... (It actually routes about as well as an actual turd).

I occasionally use a plunge base, but not very often. If you need to make a plunge cut for a project you really have to have a plunge base though. All of the routers I listed above are kits with plunge and fixed bases. For handheld work a fixed base usually works much better for me. In the 1.5 hp range I REALLY prefer the D handle bases over the dual knob fixed bases. I don't have a D handle base for my larger routers, I don't know if a D handle base would be as controllable on a heavy router because there is so much weight so far from the grip?

[Mike Cutler]

I have to agree with Frank on this one, the DeWalt just feels a bit sloppy in the plunge base.
As for versatility you might want to consider a router with a plunge and a fixed base (I personally like Milwaukee). To keep it manageable I suggest start with a mid size router and buy that 3 1/2 hp monster later :).

John

The 621 very smooth in regards to the plunge mechanism. It actually feels too light and springy. It is working properly though. It is just very smooth. If I didn't already own six routers, three of them Festool's, I'd buy a DeWalt 621. One of my PC burned out last year, so I may have a DeWalt in my future. ;)

The Festool, OF 2200, is a big, powerful, router, but you would be stunned at how well it handles. Very nice.
If the OP wants to "go all in", that is the router, but I think I would recommend starting out a little lower in the price point until he really knows what he wants to do. I could recommend the Festool OF 1400. It's a nice size.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The Porter Cable 690 is the Ford F150 - the Remington 870 shotgun - and the Big Mac of the router world.....

Sooner or later, just about everyone needs/wants/uses a PC 690 so, you might as well start off with one.

I do have to admit though that since I picked up a the DeWalt 611 PK fixed and plunge combo, I don't use my PC 690 that much anymore.

[Chris Cohick]

I would like to try some of the PC routers for my next router purchase. I did buy a Craftsman 2 hp router combo a while back with a fixed and plunge base that I have been happy with. I understand some folks have less than stellar experience with Craftsman. Maybe I got lucky, or I don't know what I am missing, or maybe Craftsman isn't always a bad choice.

[Bill Huber]

There are a lot of good routers out there and I guess unless you have tried them all it is hard to say which is best.

I started out with a Bosch 1617 EVS kit and it has really done a great job for me, I did have a little problem with the switch but that was all. I now have 2 1617 and have used them for just about everything, I had one in the table for a long time and did some raised panels doors with it. I got a deal on a PC 7518 and put it in the table. I use the Bosch now for all types of hand application.

I also have a Dewalt 611pk which I really like for small work, inlays, round overs and the like.

You can get a reconditioned kit from CPO for $164 and one of my routers came from them, have had NO problems with it.

[John Lankers]

Mike & Mike, by any means I'm not badmouthing the DeWalt router in general, I own the 618 with all 3 bases but it is the plunge base that should have been machined a bit more precisely, maybe it's the single spring post that's causing it - I don't know. When I use the router with the plunge base and edge guide I get a slight deflection, just enough to be able to feel it and that irks me.
My little Milwaukee 5015 (could be wrong on the model number) is more rigid in the plunge base, having said that I wouldn't mind trying the DeWalt 611 it's just the right size to handle 80% of my handheld routing.
I own a Freud 2000, Bosch Colt, C T Maximum, Milwaukee 1 3/4 hp and Milwaukee 3 1/2 hp which lives and probably will die in the router table - I like that the Milwaukees are no screamers.
Hmm, I just realize that's not even close to Norm's collection, I better go shopping :) (just kidding).

[Mike Schuch]

I would like to try some of the PC routers for my next router purchase. I did buy a Craftsman 2 hp router combo a while back with a fixed and plunge base that I have been happy with. I understand some folks have less than stellar experience with Craftsman. Maybe I got lucky, or I don't know what I am missing, or maybe Craftsman isn't always a bad choice.

I buy my routers used... very cheap... and do any repairs needed myself. If I were paying retail for routers I would select a reputable brand and stick with it. The collets, guides, fences and other accessories interchange between my Porter Cable 690's and Porter Cable 7538's. It is fun to try different brands and models of routers but it is more economical to stay with a single brand when you consider all the router accessories.

I would bet no one would be able to tell if you finished your project with your Craftsman router or a Festool for several times the price!

When it comes down to it all routers just spin router bits. The manufactures add this bell and that whistle to try to distinguish themselves from other brands but there really isn't that much difference between routers of the same size from different manufactures. I have routers that are more than a half century apart in age and there is very little difference between them.

I still use my Grand Father's Stanley 8A router and it is one of my favorites because of its size and accessories. The 8A's were kind of the precursors to all the mini laminate routers and only a bit bulkier. I have no doubt my Grand Children will be able to use my Porter Cable routers. If I bought Festool routers instead it would probably be my great grand children using them but that is my children's problem to worry about. One nice thing about PC routers is they have been around forever, they can be easily repaired as parts are readily available and used accessories are cheap.

I should really stop espousing the virtues of old Stanley routers because I am just driving the prices up and shooting my self in the foot! I just can't pass a good deal on a great old Stanley router! Or a PC 690!

[Rick Fisher]

If I had only one router I would want it to be a 1-3/4 hp plunge router. But then I would buy another router, because a person should not own only one router. I think its actually a sin .. not sure ..

Second choice would be a trim router ..

[glenn bradley]

a person should not own only one router. I think its actually a sin .. not sure ..

If it is, it seems to be a self-rectifying one :).

IMHO your first router should be a plunge. Better yet, a combo package as several makers offer these at a good price point. To give a comparison opinion on a tool, one should own or have owned and used a variety over time. I am one of those who bought a DeWalt 618 combo kit as recently as 3 years ago. It went back as it was just a poor tool for the price. From the variety of reviews on DeWalt and PC, it seems consistency may be their primary problem.

A router is a pretty personal tool and how it feels in your hands is a big influence on how much "better" one will seem than another. You can get your hands on Bosch, DeWalt and Hitachi brands at Lowes, Makita, Milwaukee, Porter Cable and Ridgid at Home Depot. Try to get a few in your hands and see how they feel to you.

After passing the comfort test, read as many reviews from current owners as possible; the newer the better. As mentioned, several brands are not what they once were so more recent reviews will help with that. I prefer Milwaukees for a number of reasons but, the newest I have is many years old so I cannot speak to the current offering. The ones I picked up through the mid to late 2000's are all wonderful tools and still going strong although used on an almost daily basis. I'm sure this reliability is present in other brands as well.

A 2-1/4HP sized combo or plunge will be most versatile and can even be used in a router table for most things. A smaller router is nice for edge work due to the weight/control factors. Larger routers are nice for the table. Oh, and I find variable speed a must on any router although I do have a couple of fixed speed 1-3/4HP "body-grip" models that I use when speed control is not an issue.

If I ticked off a list of things that I find important in a hand held router:

A comfortable, confident feel in my hands
Adequate power for the job
Smooth operation of plunge, height adjustment, depth stop
Intelligent power switch location
Low vibration
Quality collet and ease of bit changes

The importance of dust collection in a router will vary with your requirements. Dust collection on simple edge forming operations can be made pretty good on many routers with the offered (or after-market) accessories. This holds true for captured bit operations like dados as well. There will always be some operation that defies a sensible method of dust collection versus the job to be done. Again, the importance of this and the amount of effort you will put out to achieve it will vary based on many things.

Lots of good responses and info in this thread. Good luck with your search and enjoy the hunt ;-)

[Rich Engelhardt]

When it comes down to it all routers just spin router bits. The manufactures add this bell and that whistle to try to distinguish themselves from other brands but there really isn't that much difference between routers of the same size from different manufactures.While aI agree with that - - - I also disagree with that (idea).
Cheap routers use cheap components and at 25,000 RPM those cheap components loosen up a lot quicker.
If they didn't, then nobody would pay Milwaukee or Festool or DeWalt or Porter Cable prices - we'd all happily route for years with our $29.00 Harbor Freight router.

Bearings go and the smoke monster escapes from more expensive routers, but,,,,,it takes longer...

The other part I can't agree with is that the "bells and whistles" being there just to set them apart from others.
I have (at last count) something like 8 different routers. Each one of them has some feature or another that sets it apart from the others & (more to the point) it's because of that feature that I bought the router!

Take my most recent purchase - a Milwaukee 5625.
It came down to either the big Milwaukee or the Porter Cable 7518. I went with the Milwaukee for one reason only - - it has above table adjustments.
Some would call that feature a "bell or whistle", but, in my case, after being used to having that feature (the 5625 replaces a Freud 1700 that the smoke monster escaped from), I call above table adjustments a requirement.

[Lee Bussy]

Greetings all - first post here. I hope I am not stepping out of line.

I personally won't send PC any more of my money. It once was that they were a premium line. I'm afraid I don't care for them anymore and I'm voting with my wallet. The older PC stuff I had (a very sad story about a van and a dirtbag) was very nice. That being said, the PC690 is a bit of a "standard" in the router world. What to do? There's a forum which is nearly all about routers where I received my advice. There I was told the Bosch 1617 was the one to fit the bill for much the same reasons the OP gave. I found one reconditioned at CPO with the plunge and fixed base (model 1617EVSPK-RT) for $164:

http://www.cpotools.com/factory-reconditioned-bosch-1617evspk-rt-12-amp-2-25-hp-combination-plunge-and-fixed-base-router-kit/bshr1617evspk-rt,default,pd.html

There was one small scratch in the blue plastic and that was about it. To this order I added a few recommended accessories:

BSHNRA1126 - NEW Bosch Templet Guide Adapter $6.99
BSHNRA1151 - NEW Bosch Centering Pin and Cone $9.99
BSHNRA1125 - NEW Bosch 7pc Templet Guide Kit $28.99

With shipping, $209.97 or a little less than a brand new kit would have cost me.

The base has holes that match the PC690 and with the template adapter you get everything that you'd get with the PC690 by way of "standards", as well as the Bosch accessories, plus it allows changing the template adapters from below. The centering pin/cone will be important sooner or later so even if you don't know why, get it now and save on shipping. I have the fixed base in my table (more like a board that sits over my table saw extension) and I can adjust from above. I keep the plunge base on it when it's not in the table.

So there you go. It's hard to call something "advice" when it comes from a new guy with no creds that you've not even met - but you can call it an option. :)

[mark kosse]

when we first got the dw618's at school i thought the cord disconnecting at the router was the dumbest thing i had seen. after using it my opinion now is that it is the smartest. no more going to the floor or outlet to unplug when changing bits. i don't know if others have this option but it is a fine router for 150.00.

[Rick Potter]

This is a hardly used Bosch 1617? kit I got for $80 off Craigs List.



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This is $100 worth of used routers. The small B&D routers are 10 to $25 ea. Cheap enough to leave set up with round over bit, etc. The DeWalt was $40, new at Lowes. Floor sample missing parts, which DeWalt graciously sent me free.



318202



Be thrifty, Grasshopper.

[Doug Summers]

I would like to thank everyone for their input on this. With your input and some good ole fashioned studying up I've come to a decision. Bosch 1617EVSPK it is!

[Tom Ewell]

Your selection is a good one, just a little surprised that Makita doesn't get mentioned more often in these types of threads.

Haven't experienced a Makita router per se but what tools I do have from this brand have been more than satisfactory.

[Cary Falk]

I have several PC690s; a Dewalt 616,618, and 611; and a Ridgid and PC trim router. I love all of the DeWalts but the 618s are prone to VS failures. I haven't had it happen to me yet but it might. The way around that is the 616 motor. I hate the PC690s. They slip unless you crank on the clamp. Mine aren't that smooth when you are adjusting the height.

[Lee Bussy]

I would like to thank everyone for their input on this. With your input and some good ole fashioned studying up I've come to a decision. Bosch 1617EVSPK it is!
I think you will find it's a great choice. Having only one is a pipe dream, but this will hold you for a while. :)

I see you are just down the road! You should keep an eye out on Craigslist. I keep seeing a lot of equipment being offered in Columbia.

[Lou Ortiz]

Don't know if you've been to the store yet, but you may want to look at the MRC23EVSK Bosch kit. I've been thinking of adding this router to the batch because of the LED light, the added illumination seems like a real plus.

[Lee Bussy]

The MRC23 is the next step in the evolution of that line. The light is nice. If you plan for this to go in a table however you have to consider the switch is on the handle so that may limit choices, especially if you move to a lift. If it's never going to go in a table, then the MRC23 may be a good choice.