Have a Porter Cable 3-1/4 HP fixed base table mounted router and a Bosch 2-1/4 HP combo base router. Happy with both but at times wish I had 3-1/4 HP plunge router for hand held work . Not counting the Festool which 3-1/4 HP router would you suggest? Thanks. Vic
Just out of curiosity, what type of work requires 3 1/4 for plunge work? I understand if you said raised panels. While plunging deep mortises I can go pretty deep with a spiral up-cut on my 2 1/4 Bosch combo.
So just curious to know where you need more.
Are you sure you want a heavy 3+ rated HP router for hand work????
Having said that I have an old Bosch plunge router, 3+ rated HP and it weigh 14 pounds. It used to hang upside down in my router table and now rests in a tool chest drawer, never used. I also have a Bosch 11617EVS, fixed base only. And now under my router table I have the bigger Triton router. BUTT ugly and I was skeptical when I bought it. That was in
2004. Still works just fine. The big plus to that router is that it was built to be a used as a plunge router and or be used as a fixed base with out having to change bases. My latest addition needed on my last job is the small Makita trim router. I bought the one with 4 different bases. I needed to be able to use the router at a 30 degree angle so the tilt base was necessary. and routing laminate on 3/4" narrow edges required a smaller easier to handle router with a fixed base. And it has a plunge base which I did not see using but ended up using that base to plunge and cut a 5/8" diameter hole in the top of a post 3.5"x3.5" cut at a 30 degree angle. And then there is the base that provides a bit offset for getting in close to corners. So on my last job I used 3 of the 4 bases that came with it.Not counting the
************************************* DW 625, :
when using bits such as
Vic
Many years ago I decided to go the opposite route (no pun intended). ;)
I keep my PC-7518 3 1/4hp workhorse permanently mounted in the router table, and use the lighter routers (I have another four or five routers and router motors) for handheld use, including all plunge work.
Not to mention that I find using a plunge router on edge profile routing, particularly with larger bits, to be a bit fussy and prone to disaster on occasion.
YMMV ...
I certainly wish I had the 3 hp for my table. But again, I'm not sure I see the need for a honking big router. But if that's what you want certainly go for it.
I have multiple bosch 1617evs units. Glad I bought extras. I keep one in the table full time and one in either a plunge or fixed base. I also have a real old Crapsman that had served me well, but it is only
1/4, and now has a dedicated 1/8 round over bit in it.If I were to go for more power it would be the 3hp motor only, and a lift. I could see having the hp for raised panels Not for edging like you are showing. If I had to do that edging, I would use my bosch, stick a bigger bearing on it and cut. Then the next size bearing and cut, then the final bearing ... and certainly not with a plunge router, which even with an offset base, is too top heavy, you want a lower CG, so it won't vibrate as much.. why would it vibrate, well you have mass at the top, and only 2 cutters, so it vibrates a little since you are only supporting 50% of the router. put it in a table and no big deal.
Just my opinion... and you know what opinions are like.
Bosch is nice, so is Milwaukee. It really boils down to what *you* like.
In fact, I just bought a new, used small router...a Dewalt 610.
Been looking for one for quite a while, particularly wanted that old, no longer made model because I have an even older B&D U-365 which only takes
1/4" bits. It was the predecessor to a number of other B&D models, the Elu and the DW-610. All can use the same base and the motor units fit my Porter Cable plunge base.The U-365 only has 7/8 hp, cost me about $100 in 1970 or so (expensive!!), been used a whole bunch.
Damn, I thought my 40 year old B&D 7610 was old (circa 1972).
IIRC it was less than $50 when I bought it, which was a lot of money then ... hell, a brand new Ford stepside pickup was $3200 and I thought that was outrageous at the time, at about half the price of the first house my Dad bought 20 years earlier.
... that thing of yours must be 50 years or older?
FWIW, as of a few minutes ago, that old B&D 7610 still runs like new:
Happy New Year!
Not to be out done... ;~) Got mine in 1974, I was 19 and paid $64 at Woolco. That was about the time B&D peaked.
Hehe ... I didn't even know you had one like mine, or I would have let you tush it ... :)
Don't let the girls know, too damn many parallel universe coincidences to put up with as it is.
'70's AIR. I had to get a new base plate for it about 30 years ago after dropping it.
Infla'chen mon!
Ok, don't tell me yours has a broken guard over the switch... ;~)
On Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:08:15 -0600, Leon
course, but I can't remember what I paid for it. Still got it and still use it once in a while.
Made the mistake of loaning it to my brother about ten years ago. To get it back, I had to go buy a new low end (90% plastic) BD router and traded that to him for the original model. My fault this happened of course, I should have known better than loaning it to my brother in the first place.
Black & Decker used to be the industrial tool in the early 70's. I bought a SDS roto hammer, a sawsall and a portaband. The portaband was stolen off a job site, but I still have the rotohamer and the sawsall still going strong. Actually still have the promotional B&D jacket for spending enough money. My pride and joy is my dad's Skilsaw. Judging by the serial number a 1958. This thing is all metal, and seems to have more power then most of the new ones. Believe it or not other then a TS55 it's the only circular saw I have.
Mike M
Ditto Dad's old Craftsman circular saw. It's still working 25 years after I inherited it from him without any servicing on my part at all. I recently added a 2nd circ (plunge) saw, an SP6000K, the Makita equivalent of the TS55.
-- You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. --Ayn Rand
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