Questions on plunge routers. Looking to replace

[Jim O'Dell]

Well, with the variable speed out on my PC 8529 router, I'm contemplating replacing it rather that repair. Maybe I can bypass the speed control and still use it. That may be one thing I try today. I have been happy with the router, except the plunge mechanism. The depth limit rod never seemed to stay locked in to the setting I made. Always wanted to slide on the rod and allow it to go deeper.
So, with that in mind, what do you have that the plunge mechanism works solid on? What are it's strengths and weaknesses? Are the kits with plunge and fixed bases worth the extra expense? (I have a PC 7518 for the router table, so the new one will not be required to do that duty)
Thanks for any insights. Prefer information on units that are still available. Jim.
__________________

[Jim Becker]

For sheer utility, I like the multi-base kits. (I have the Dewalt 618 set with all three bases) But my go-to plunger most of the time is the Festool OF1400...smooth as silk and very comfortable in the hand. Excellent dust collection, too. If that's out of your reach, the DW621 is the "classic" plunger to like including kind words from Pat Warner.

[Bill Huber]

I have been working with digital cameras for the last 10 years and am always ask which is the best one to get. I think in this day and age routers are just about like cameras and everything else.

Given a price range that just about any of them are good and its how they feel to you when you pick one up and use it.
So I would say decide on the price you want to pay and then go look and feel the ones in that price range. Get the one that feels best to you in the way it handles and works, that will be the best router to get.
If the router feels good in your hands then that is the router that you will do your best work with. It make no difference it I think that Bosch is the best or someone else thinks that Dewalt is the best, if it feels right to you that the one to get.

[Jamie Buxton]

The plunge-stop setup on the DW621 is very slick. You can quickly set it, you can micromanipulate it accurately, and it stays put. It may be the best feature on the router.

[Mike Spanbauer]

Own the 621, works well. I also have the 618 3 base kit Jim mentioned and the plunge unit in there works fairly well too (not as nice as the 621, but good). Bosch makes a good plunge unit, PC isn't all that hot imo (690, 890 personal experience).

Festool units are wicked smooth, but awful expensive. Depends on where your pain threshold is :)

g'luck.

mike

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I have the DeWalt 616 which is basically the same as the 618 but without softstart (they share the same bases). It works and feels nice. Smooth plunge action. I've heard nothing but good things about the 621, which is a dedicated plunge router which I believe is the old German Elu design.

The dust collection is a nice feature, but only when making groove details. It doesn't help much with edge details. Also, long splinters will clog the vacuum shaft tube of the router thus reducing its effectiveness.

-Jeff :)

[Jim O'Dell]

Thanks everyone. I still continue to welcome ideas. The Festool is out of reach at this point. My main question is the plunge mechanism and if it holds it's place when set. My PC 8529 hasn't done this well. I played with it some this morning, and it will hold if I get a pair of pliers and really torque the set knob. I took the speed control out of the loop and it will run at full speed for smaller bits, so I may save my pennies to get the DW621. I've heard one good story about the Triton 2 1/4 HP router...need to see if I can find both of these locally to handle.
Thanks again. Jim.

[Curt Harms]

Thanks everyone. I still continue to welcome ideas. The Festool is out of reach at this point. My main question is the plunge mechanism and if it holds it's place when set. My PC 8529 hasn't done this well. I played with it some this morning, and it will hold if I get a pair of pliers and really torque the set knob. I took the speed control out of the loop and it will run at full speed for smaller bits, so I may save my pennies to get the DW621. I've heard one good story about the Triton 2 1/4 HP router...need to see if I can find both of these locally to handle.
Thanks again. Jim.

Hi Jim

Sorry to hear about your problems. I've heard of people with sick speed controllers doing what You did, bypass it and get a cheap external speed controller. I've heard they aren't the best for motors but at this point You may not care. Did You try a dry lube like teflon on the rods to smooth the plunge action? Dry lube helped my 8529 a lot, it plunges nice.

HTH

Curt

[Carl Crout]

I think that the Festool is overpriced. Is it possible to bypass the speed control and buy one of the external speed controls?

You might check with some of the online tool part suppliers and see what the speed control portion costs. Here are a couple that I am aware of.

http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/toolparts.html

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/

[Charlie Plesums]

The DeWalt 621 was my only router (despite an otherwise very well equipped shop). Of course the bearings (and rotor, it turned out) chose to go out in the middle of a project that couldn't wait for a repair or mail-order purchase. I sprang for the Festool 1400 - a very nice unit, painfully priced like all Festool products, but clearly a robust unit. I had the 621 fixed, so now I am a two router shop... believe it or not, the 621 has one feature better than the Festool... the depth setting.

If I were buying just one plunge router, it would be one of the two, and probably the Festool for the slightly better dust collection and slightly smoother plunge, and hopefully more durable construction.

[Chris Barnett]

Like you, the PC 7518 seems to be the ticket for table use, and another PC, the 893PK should be useful with the plunge or fixed base. I get more use out of my old B&D of 30 years back since the PCs are too new and not even out of their boxes yet :D . Did get lucky with the cheap Hitachi plunge 3 1/4 hp and tried it out a few days back...wel-l-l-l-l, I turned it on, and think I will have a good working relationship with that Hitachi M12V2. Its butt ugly, but extremely smooth and fits my mitts quite well.

[Jim O'Dell]

Hi Jim

Sorry to hear about your problems. I've heard of people with sick speed controllers doing what You did, bypass it and get a cheap external speed controller. I've heard they aren't the best for motors but at this point You may not care. Did You try a dry lube like teflon on the rods to smooth the plunge action? Dry lube helped my 8529 a lot, it plunges nice.

HTH

Curt

Curt, it's not the smoothness of the plunge that bothers me, (that's actually ok) but getting to the depth stop, and the stop not stopping the plunge!:eek: It has been too easy to go too far. I may just need to crank down the set screw with a pair of pliers each time.

I think that the Festool is overpriced. Is it possible to bypass the speed control and buy one of the external speed controls?

You might check with some of the online tool part suppliers and see what the speed control portion costs. Here are a couple that I am aware of.

http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/toolparts.html

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/

Yes, I have priced the replacement from those companies, and more. Believe it or not, Sears had the best price on it!!! :confused: I emailed PC asking if the part had been updated, because I didn't want to spend 35.00 just to have it go out after another 6 or 7 hours of use....didn't hear back from them. So that made me not want to do the repair on it. I have thought about an outboard speed control, and may be the best way to go unless it will harm the motor, like Curt mentioned it might. We'll see. I've placed 4 on FrozenWarior to watch prices for a while. I can use the 8529 for now for most things. I have the 7518 to put in the table, and I can take it out if need be, but I don't me see slinging a big bit hand held any time soon (read that as ever!!:D)
Thanks again for the tips! Jim.

[Jason White]

Hi Jim. Question about the Festool 1400...

What about ergonomics if I'm using it to do things like make mortises, edge routing, inlay work, etc. With the pistol grip, I worry about being able to use it like a "regular" router with a handle on each side.

JW


For sheer utility, I like the multi-base kits. (I have the Dewalt 618 set with all three bases) But my go-to plunger most of the time is the Festool OF1400...smooth as silk and very comfortable in the hand. Excellent dust collection, too. If that's out of your reach, the DW621 is the "classic" plunger to like including kind words from Pat Warner.

[Curt Harms]

Curt, it's not the smoothness of the plunge that bothers me, (that's actually ok) but getting to the depth stop, and the stop not stopping the plunge!:eek: It has been too easy to go too far. I may just need to crank down the set screw with a pair of pliers each time.


Yes, I have priced the replacement from those companies, and more. Believe it or not, Sears had the best price on it!!! :confused: I emailed PC asking if the part had been updated, because I didn't want to spend 35.00 just to have it go out after another 6 or 7 hours of use....didn't hear back from them. So that made me not want to do the repair on it. I have thought about an outboard speed control, and may be the best way to go unless it will harm the motor, like Curt mentioned it might. We'll see. I've placed 4 on FrozenWarior to watch prices for a while. I can use the 8529 for now for most things. I have the 7518 to put in the table, and I can take it out if need be, but I don't me see slinging a big bit hand held any time soon (read that as ever!!:D)
Thanks again for the tips! Jim.

Hey JIm
I believe the problem with the plug-in router speed controls is that when used on routers not intended to be variable speed, the motor would overheat. The cooling was engineered for full speed operation only; slowing it down caused inadequate air flow thru the motor. A motor engineered for variable speed operation may be fine but I ain't buyin' ya a new Festool if You burn this 'un up!!:D:D

I heard a rumor that B & D was talking about a "new 8529" Why they would do that when they have the 621 & the 616/618 kit is a mystery but B & D probably knows more about marketing than me:o.

Speaking of revamped products, has anyone used the new plunge base for the 890 series yet? The pics on the various online vendors show the old plunge base. The new one has, I believe, been released but has the same model # as the old base. The new 890 plunge base looks much like the 618 plunge base.

Curt

[Jim Becker]

The external controls cannot be used with a router that has soft start; I'm not sure that bypassing the VS circuit also removes the soft start feature.
--------

Jason, the OF1400 (and it's little sister, the OF1010) are quite comfortable to use for just about any task. When you hold it like you might a more traditional router, you can key the switch with your thumb and when held by the handle and upright, with the index finger. While I still prefer a fixed base router for dovetail work, I've pretty much switched entirely to using the Festool routers for all other hand-held work. They are also a little quieter, too, for some reason.

[Jim O'Dell]

The external controls cannot be used with a router that has soft start; I'm not sure that bypassing the VS circuit also removes the soft start feature. snip

Thanks for the note. I wasn't aware of that. But I believe that the soft start is part of the variable speed circuit board. I doesn't start as softly as it used to, but it's not as strong of a kick as I thought it might be. I'm thinking I'll just leave it as is for now. It is usable, and like I said earlier, I won't be slinging big bits in this thing. Maybe a cove bit to ease the edges on wood, but that would be the biggest bit, and it wouldn't be hogging off a lot of material. Jim.

[Bill Neely]

I bought an external speed control many years ago (looks exactly the same as those sold today) and it wasn't linear at all, all the control was in the ~last 1/4 turn of the pot. Made it difficult to use.