Do I need a new router?

[Keith Hankins]

I've always made raised panels (coves) and rail and stile profiles on the table saw. This is time consuming, with lots of sanding and fidgeting. I want to make a bunch of window treatments for the house, and I'm thinking its time for full sized (3.25 in) raised panel bits and rail-stile bits. I've got a few routers, but my largest is the 2hp bosch 1617 combo router. I have a router table. I am thinking about Whiteside bits, to the tune of 200 bucks or so for the sets.

Is it worth upgrading to a 3.25+hp router? I've made it 10+ years and never had a problem with the Bosch, so I don't see myself using a large router after this job too much, but it is appealing to think of having a dedicated router table router. Budget is, of course, tight. No coin for shapers, etc.

If I do upgrade, any opinions on a good budget big router? I've heard good things about the Triton.

I appreciate your response. Thanks.

I'll give you the same response when my wife (13 years ago) said you don't "NEED" a Harley, my response was madam, "NEED" has nothing to do with it.

get the router. I've been making my panels with the PC7518 forever and it's sweet.

[michael langman]

I looked at 3 plus HP routers for a few years and the cost stopped me, until I bought the newer Hitachi M12 V router for under 200.00 new. I was extremely pleased with the features and quietness of the router.

It will do raised panels easily, and the height is adjustable from the top of my router table.

[Cody Colston]

First, unless you are frequently doing a lot of raised panels you don't need a shaper. Second, a 3+ hp router is a nice-to-have but not a necessity. I've had a 2.25 hp PC router in my table for years and have done many raised panels on it using a Whiteside raised panel bit. I'm getting ready to build cabinets for an outdoor kitchen and expect to use the same set-up again on the raised panel doors with no problems. I cut the raised profile in three passes, moving the fence back after every pass around the panel until I reach the desired profile. The last pass is very fine to eliminate/prevent any tear-out.

[Rich Engelhardt]

If you want a 3.25 router get a milwaukee 5625 and use it in a table dedcated and use its built in through table adjustments. It will be cheaper than a hitachi and router raiser. Should run you $250.

That's what I did - but - it's more than $250.
A new 5625 runs about $309, and a plate for it for the table runs $99 (Woodpeckers) plus $34 for the insert rings and another $14 for the template for the plate if needed.

The good news though is that it's pretty easy to get one for next to no cost.
I opened a checking account(Key Bank), got a couple credit cards(PNC and Key Bank) and opened an online savings account ($500 min balance for 12 months) - which paid for almost the whole shebang...
I got $100 for opening the checking account for 6 months with direct deposit, $50 for the savings account and $100 each for getting the credit cards and putting $500 on each within the first 6 billing cycles. One of the credit cards has a zero % rate for 6 months and the other a zero % rate for 12 months.
(Just make sure you have the money to pay them off at the end since the APR is enormous of you don't....something like 24%...)

[Eric Anderson]

I'm currently running a PC7518 with variable speed to do raised panels with a 3" panel raising bit. That big of a bit needs slower speeds and I run at 10,000 rpm. I believe the PC690 runs at 24,000, way too fast for a big bit. Before I got the big boy, I used a vertical raised panel bit with a PC 690, and that works fine , but you must do a bunch of passes and have a good set up to support the door vertically instead of flat on the table. But that is a way to use a smaller non-variable speed router. I have built close to a hundred door panels with the PC7518 and all turned out fine. I also have the Hitachi M 12V, plunge router, but have never used it in a router table. It is a nice router and can handle pretty hard jobs easily. Lots of power. The PC routers have been around forever and are good heavy duty routers. The PC 7518 is the "standard" router table router. I leave my 7518 in the table all the time and it does everything I ask it, even smaller bits.

Good luck