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Thread: Smoked Another Router

  1. #16
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Ventura, CA
    Posts
    530
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Eure View Post
    I started a major kitchen renovation back in Feb. of this year. After about 3 weeks into the build, I smoked my DW 618. This router was about 6 years old with minimal use. I opened it up and found the magnetic ring broken. Ordered the part and was back in business a week later. It lasted to the end of that week. The blasted thing caught on fire with my dust collector and shop vac running full of dust. Fortunately, I was able to put out the fire, clean out the dust bins, no worse for wear except a smoked router.
    Went to the box store and bought another DW. Should have listened to the reviews. This router lasted less than 3 months with minimal use and it's toast also. I will take it back for a refund and exchange in the morning.
    I will not buy another DW. What is your preferred router for a Rockler router table. It has to be in the 2-2 1/2 HP range to fit my setup. I am looking at the Bosch 1617. This router has good reviews. What is y;alls opinion on this machine?

    I think the issue here is the dust getting down into the guts of the machine and mucking it up. The failure is the magnetic ring, which is part of the speed control.

    I've read other users have similar issues when using the DW upside down in the table...

    So I don't think this is due to overworkign the router; it is a design shortcoming for this model.

    My suggestion is one of the Milwaukees...

  2. #17
    I own no DW routers but have a DeWalt plunge router on my wish list. The one that used to be an Elu.

    I used a Ryobi R500 plunge router motor on my router table for about 20 years. The bottom bearing finally failed and melted the case. So it got replaced with the big PC. I am very happy with this router for router table use. I got the fixed base with it too but it so huge I doubt I will ever use it hand held. It has noticably better power. The Ryobi was rated 13.3 amps and the PC is only rated at 15 amps but the difference seems significantly bigger than that.

    I have two PC690s which I have had for decades too. I used one for awhile in a router table setup in the extension table of my table saw. It functioned fine but required 3 or 4 cuts to raise panels. It would do the cope and stick cuts for doors in one pass but seemed to be stressed. I had dust collection coming out of the bottom of the box around the router and I decided that was a bad idea. If you pull from the bottom of the router this way you are fighting the cooling fan of the router reducing airflow through the router causing it to heat up.

    So my router table has a 4 inch hose coming through the back and extending to the area of the collet of the router. So it helps the motor get more airflow, not less. There is an air intake at the bottom of the cabinet the router is in. There is also a 2.5 inch hose to the fence. That also helps move air through the router.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    My DW618 has been utterly reliable from day one. It's the only non-Festool router I've keep in my shop. But I don't use it in the table. I like a heavier, beefier more powerful 15 amp motor for that task. DW618 and similar 12 amp router motors from Bosch and others are the bee's knees for hand-held work but can be used for "light duty" table work for sure, however..
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
    Agree with Warren. Some don’t like big PCs because they think they are too heavy, and they might be for their routine work. They are not
    for 1/4 inch round overs , they are for making wood fly out of your way.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Little River, Australia
    Posts
    42
    The DW618 2 1/2 HP rating must have originated in the marketing department, at 15A it is only drawing 1 3/4 HP worth of electricity and if you allow for efficiency losses that means that it is a 1 to 1 1/2 HP router.
    If you push it hard smoke is inevitable.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Itapevi, SP - Brazil
    Posts
    672

    Bosch MRP23EVS

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Eure View Post
    [...]
    I am looking at the Bosch 1617. This router has good reviews. What is y;alls opinion on this machine?
    Since many moons ago I maintained two routers: one small and one "big".

    On the 1980s I purchased a Hitachi big router (TR12, I believe) and it served me very well for more than 2 decades when I decided to go to a newer one including variable speed as my Hitachi had no thing like that and I missed it for bigger bits.

    I went to Bosch GFF 1600CE, at 1,600 W. It is a monster that never gave reasons to regret the purchase - actually, some time after that purchase, I bought another one just to have a pair of similar routers, a welcome resource for some jobs when you need different router bits or set up´s for an application. In the USA it is marketed with another model name:

    MRP23EVS | 2.3 HP Electronic Plunge-Base Router | Bosch Power Tools (boschtools.com) - that is the plunge model, the "autolift" traditional base is also available

    It is a great router for hand held uses as the on/off switch is on the handle and it has an embedded LED illumination, but you need a trick to use it in a lift base. When at a router table, I prefer to use that router with its "traditional" fixed base directly without a router lift base as that base can be fine adjusted by bottom - it is like an embedded router lift.
    Last edited by Osvaldo Cristo; 06-24-2021 at 5:10 PM.
    All the best.

    Osvaldo.

  7. #22
    hey Mel

    I like the stuff with weight, router is two hands most of the time weight makes no difference, probably helps at times.

    Rebuilding a second roof found my middle aged worm drive was feeling a bit heavy for one arm stuff. Hmm, getting older so got the latest one that was lighter. Its fine with one arm. The very original Black and Decker one that the old guy left me me was demoted to cutting concrete. that one is seriously heavy. both will outlast the newer light one but still reach for it the most for the one hand thing.

    The porter cables served me well and did tons of work and lots was heavy work.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    N CA
    Posts
    1,277
    Edwin brings up an interesting point on the DC in a router table. I’m using the Sawstop router table and have their 2’ DC at their fence and I put a 4’ connection on the lower back of my enclosure. I’m using the 7539 (?). The Big 3 1/4 PC plunge in the table. What are your views on DC locations. I’ve inspected my router and find no accumulation on it, but I think I will run a couple experiments on DC suction location.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Portland Oregon
    Posts
    83
    Tough crowd.

  10. #25
    Jack,

    When I had a router table setup in the extension wing of my table saw I did exactly what you describe but I used a PC 690 router. I thought the router was getting too hot. The DC is trying to pull air from the collet to the top of the router while the router fan is trying to push air from the top of the router to the collet. So they fight each other. In my current router table I have the 4 inch pulling from the collet area (and I use the big PC motor). That way the DC is working with the router fan to move air through the router motor.

    Another advantage would be dust. Pulling from the bottom moved dust past and potentially through the router. Pulling from the collet area help to keep dust out of the motor.

    My router table has a home made lift where the router rides in a wooden carriage that pretty much fills the cavity of the router table for the motor. So it was not hard to put a port on the top of the carriage for the dust port. 4 inch flex comes in the back and hooks up to the port. It Ys outside the table for the 2.5 inch hose to the fence. If I was to do this on a box type enclosure I think I would put the dust port on the side of the box at the top. That is not as good but I think it is better than the bottom.

    The router motors fan may be powerful enough to keep dust out, I don't know, but it just makes sense to me to have both airflows going the same direction (as much as possible).

  11. #26
    As just a DIYer I have worn out a Craftsman Super Router. The arbor got too sloppy. The replacement is the New model Porter Cable 690, really a cheaper DeWalt. Even just using it as 1/4" table router, all it's good for, it gets suspiciously warm. I wouldn't bet on it lasting. I have Bosch 1617 and a DeWalt 625. The 1617 I use as a hand held, it's nice and light. The 625 , a yellow Elu ,is a monster . A truly heavy duty plunge router.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    New England, in a town on the way to nowhere
    Posts
    537
    Agree with all here about trying to use a router as a shaper- horsepower ratings are really pretty inflated and the small motors and shafts do not have the tourque and momentum of a shaper of the same HP. I have several routers, from laminate trimmers to a PC 75362 & an Elu 3 hp plunge, most over twenty years old and have never burned one up and only replaced the bearings in my Bosch 1604 because I was doing a lot of stairs. A router table will let you overtax a router pretty easily
    Anyway, I've been very pleased with the performance and durability of my Bosch and PC routers, but they're US made. I've no experience with the newer models. I would also recommend at leats 2-1/2 hp, 3-1/4 is better, sounds like you need it.
    And to all raising panels with a router, first, my condolences- and it will go much easier on you and your tools if you waste most of the hips off the panels with a table or band saw first; I often still do it when raising panels on the shaper- I get nice smooth shear cuts, clean straight hips

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