Dewalt plunge router questions

Has anyone used both the Dewalt 618 with the plunge base and the Dewalt 621?

The 621 appears to be superior to the 618 in fit and finish. I have never had my hands on a 621 but I have played with the 618 and the larger 625 on the store shelf. The 625 plunge is much smoother than the 618 from what I can see.

I am looking for a good midsize plunge router that is dust collection capable and I really like the way that the 621 and 618 use the through the plunge tube dust collection. I don't mind spending the extra money if the 621 is better.

I did notice that the 621 is rated at 10amps and the 618 is rated at 12 amps on the Dewalt site. Is this just a numbers game or is the 618 really that much more powerful?

I've always had Porter Cable routers, so I need some help from the Dewalt guys on this one. The fact that the 618 also comes with a fixed base will not be a factor in my decision because I already have enough fixed base PC routers. If I do get the 618 I would probably get it off of Ebay, Sellers there are always parting out the kits so I should be able to buy just the plunge if I want to.

Paul,

I've had the 618 plunge base for about 3 years now and if I had to do it again I'd get the 621.
The on/off switch being on the handle of the 621 is a great improvement, and I know you just let the router rise but I still prefer the handle mounted switch.
The 621 also has a nice bend in the top of the dust collection post to keep the hose out of the way.
The 621 feels better balanced with regards to weight.
These are just my opinions.

Pete

I've never used the 618 but as far as the plunge smoothness goes, I cant really tell any difference between the 621 and the 625 that you tried. Dont know if that helps.

The DW621 dedicated plunger is a real smooth operator...it's been around a long time, too. The DW625 was originally an Elu machine and is also well respected.

As to the numbers, yes, the DW618 is a little more powerful than the DW621...amperage rating is a better way to compare, too, rather than "horsepower" which is somewhat bogus on any of these tools.

I have the DW618, but honestly, I've never used the plunge base yet as I have other plunge routers. It does appear to be smooth, but I can't compare it to others from experience.

FWIW, Pat Warner, who is my opinion is one of the experts in the routing field recommends the Dewalt 621 for the best mid range plunger...

I haven't used one, but am also looking at picking one up...

Although, it's hard for me to use anything but my Festool, just love it...

Have studied the DW line, 2 ripped from Elu, the 6182 a DW original.
They all plunge well. They are not perfect tools but DW makes the best plungers. The 621 is the most provocative for this user.

The plunge-ability is about equal from model number to model number.
Notwithstanding, sample variation is obvious but they all usually even out over time.
Another factor here is bouancy. How close are the springs matched to the weight of the head?
The 621 is better than the 625 and the 6182 requires more plunge force than the other 2.
It is also a pretty heavy plunger, heavier than the 621, almost as heavy as the 625.

So 3 things play a part here (plunge-wise):
1) Sample to sample variation
2) Bouancy and
3) Age
Bottomline: I would not let plunge-ability be the deciding factor for DW plunger purchase.
There are other more important variables.

Appreciate that plungers are step & waste tools. As such, horsepower is not particularly an important variable. You can always select a depth of cut commensurate with the task, cutter and HP of the tool.

Routers

I own the 616 which is basically the same router as the 618 but without electronic speed control/softstart. They share the same base housings.

As a previous poster suggested, the shortcoming of the 616/618 is that the on/off switch is located on the body of the router rather than near the handle. This is understandable since the motor is placed into various bases. But I don't like the idea of taking one hand off a running router to turn it off. Perhaps a D-handle base in the solution for this issue.

If I did it again, I still would buy the 616 or 618 kit. If I wanted only a plunge router, I would definitely look at the 621. The 621 seemed smooth when I checked it out at the store, and is reasonably priced. The dust collection on all of these models are nice too, but sometimes not so effective.

-Jeff :)

Thanks for the responses, I kind of thought the 621 would be the best choice, I just haven't had the chance to see one yet, other than on line.