Do I really need another router?

[Jason White]

Was at Woodcraft yesterday and they're selling the Porter Cable 690LR for $100 (down from the usual $150).

Now, I don't "need" another router. I've already got a PC690 and a Bosch combo-kit.

However, this is a great price and I'm trying to justify getting it just to have.

Anybody see a benefit to having 2 of the exact same router just because?

JW

[J.R. Rutter]

Good excuse to leave one set up for a dovetail jig. As a bonus, if you don't have a jig, you now need one...

Dedicated setups are the way to go if you do any sort of repetitive or production type work. A tool is so much cheaper than 10 minutes every time you change bits...

[David DeCristoforo]

Reasons to buy another router:

1) For a hundred bucks, it's worth it just to have a "backup".
2) You can never have too many routers.
3) If you didn't buy the router, you would probably just waste the dough on some frivolity like paying your phone bill.
4) Your wife (presuming you have a wife) can more easily be persuaded to let you spend a hundred bucks if you have a good reason like that you will not have to change bits so often due to the fact that you can keep commonly used bits in several of your routers, thereby enabling you to spend more time "with the family".

Please let us know if you need more.....

[glenn bradley]

I very much enjoy having a router dedicated to a certain use for extended periods.

[Greg Crawford]

If you just have about a hundred bucks that needs a new home, you might look into a trim router. The Bosch Colt seems to be a good one in that price range. I just bought a PC 690LRVS, and wish I had gotten the Colt, instead.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Yes you do need another router.

You need one for the router table, another for your DT jig another for beading and chamfering and another for odd stuff while you have your other three set up. and you need at least one more for your mortise machine - the one you haven't made yet. Then you'll find you need another to hold the straight bit for your DT jig and later on when you do a kitchen you'll need to build a three station router table for stiles rails and edging and that'll be three more routers.

Then you'll need another for - - - -

Well you get the point

[Grant Davis]

Yes you need it. I have 6 so you are way behind.

[Brad Noble]

OOHH! Another creeker very close to home. I'm about 38 miles SW of Columbus. Maybe I need to have a look at all six of your routers sometime.

Brad

[pat warner]

Need for another router?
Of course. (http://www.patwarner.com)

[Roy Harding]

I only have five routers - one dedicated to a router table, one to a mortising jig, two (dove-tail and straight) to a dovetail jig, and a little laminate trimmer - the Colt. (OK - six if you count the Dremel with plunge router base) - and I think I need another one for hand-held applications that can't be done on the router table or shaper.

I also have six cordless drills - one always has a #1 Robertson, one a # 2 Robertson, one a #1 Phillips, one a #2 Phillips, one is a hammer drill (fairly powerful for drilling) and one I "just have". I also have two corded drills (each has it's own strengths and weaknesses).

Depending upon what you're doing, and how much you value your time (I make my living at this - time is money), then it is entirely possible that you'll be happy with "only" one or two routers. If you're a hobbyist, then another router is a "nice to have" - you can certainly make beautiful furniture and cabinets without the "extra" router, it'll just take you a little longer.

I always equate the number of tools I have to a homeowner having one of those "multi" screwdrivers. If all you're going to do is put together some Ikea furniture occasionally, and take apart the chandelier for cleaning once a year, then why would you need anything else? On the other hand - if you're going to be driving many different types of screws fairly often, then perhaps a full set of "dedicated" screwdrivers is worth your while.

The decision to purchase a new tool (ESPECIALLY a duplicate of one you already own) is always a balance between the cost of the tool, the time it will save you in production, and the VALUE of that time saved. (As well as whether you can sneak it past SWAMBO or not).

Personally, I don't think you'd go wrong getting another router - but only YOU can decide the value of that purchase in proportion to how you'll use it.

Just sayin'


Roy

[Steve Clardy]

Sure. Good price.

I have over twenty, almost 99% porter Cable.

Most are dedicated routers, 4-5 I use for free hand routing

[Bob Feeser]

Do you need another router? Pro router books suggest that you have 3 tables, plus a hand held, a plunge, and a trim router. With tables, finding a perfect setting is what takes all of the time. Set, try a sample, set, try a sample etc. Once you arrive at the perfect setting, the actual pass of the piece takes seconds. Then, for example when making cabinet doors, you take out the next bit, and spend more time finding the right setting, and so on for the third bit. The problems arises when you need an earlier setting, that you had to remove to put in another bit. So the solution is 3 tables. You can easily build combo tables. Here is an example I made using an old Sears 1950 series table saw as the base.

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/3896/2457906590100733997S600x600Q85.jpg
This is an incredibly inexpensive set up to make, and it is also very thrifty with your floor space. Additionally it makes for a nice side table for the saw. I built 2 router fences for the 2 stations on the right that are not shown in the picture.


Now onto the considerations of the PC690. At Amazon it is receiving rave reviews. At 1 1/2hp it is great as a hand held, but would labor when cutting panels, or anything that requires a lot of material. Additionally, for above table work, it does not have a table top adjustment. You can crawl under the table so to speak, but that gets old quick.


The beauty of what you already have is the Bosch Combo pack. I have that one also, and what it does is gives you a fixed base to permanently attach to the table, and keep the included plunge base for hand held etc work. Same motor, double utility. It easily drops in and out of the dual bases. Also the fine adjusting knob is great. You get close, and instead of loosening the clamp, and on lesser routers, you totally lose the setting, and have to start at the crude level each time, you can get it close, then keep tweakng the fine adjust knob. Sweet. Makita has some collar adjusters, that spin to a fine setting, which is another alternative.


PS: Don't ever feel bad having router buying mania, I have at least 9, and Norm Abrams has 21. I bought a new table saw, so I had an extra side table, that used to be on the Sears, so I added legs and made a dual station roll around router table, that doubles as a glue up station by putting plastic over it. The sixth one I have is the Jessem sliding router table. With 6 if you are in the middle of a cabinet door panel job, and need to rout something else, you have the available tables to do it. I can't tell you how many times, I need a 4th procedure, even if it is only nipping the outer edge on a panel, with just the tip of a roundover bit. So is it safe to say, you can't have too many routers? I think so.


PSS: The one way around the 3 table syndrome is to make small sample pieces of your setting, then you can use that piece as a guide to recover the setting, in the event you need it later on. I find that even with a sample piece for a guide, it still requires some sample cuts to tweak the setting back to perfection.

This all adds up to a primary consideration. I think it was perfectly said by Roy Harding, the 3rd post before this one, and he said if I can quote from his post,
"The decision to purchase a new tool (ESPECIALLY a duplicate of one you already own) is always a balance between the cost of the tool, the time it will save you in production, and the VALUE of that time saved."

[Per Swenson]

Yeah,

I am with Steve and everybody else.

A large portion of my work is at the install.

Having dedicated set up routers for the 4 bits I use most often,

saves a heck of a lot a time.

Come on, you may think....how much time could it take?

Heh-heh, takes me a hour to find the wrench.

Per