Router recommendations

[W Canaday]

I'm looking to buy an under-the-table router to do a variety of cabinetry, including raised panel passage & entry door making.

While price is -always- a concern, I'm more concerned with getting a router that will take anything that I, a hobbyist, am likely to ever put in its path and still outlive me by a wide margin. I am willing to go as high as $500.

If I don't make a fatal mistake along the way, I figure I have perhaps another 20-25 years yet to live. So I am looking for something that was deliberately over-engineered. Heavy casting. Premium bearings. Heavy duty electronics. Little or no plastic & chrome.

What, in your opinion, is the current "Cadillac of Routers" for this application and why do you feel this way?

Bill

[pat]

2 links to help you decide, one a freebie the other is not: ********************************

[Morris Dovey]

| I'm looking to buy an under-the-table router to do a variety of | cabinetry, including raised panel passage & entry door making. | | While price is -always- a concern, I'm more concerned with getting a | router that will take anything that I, a hobbyist, am likely to | ever put in its path and still outlive me by a wide margin. I am | willing to go as high as $500. | | If I don't make a fatal mistake along the way, I figure I have | perhaps another 20-25 years yet to live. So I am looking for | something that was deliberately over-engineered. Heavy casting. | Premium bearings. Heavy duty electronics. Little or no plastic & | chrome. | | What, in your opinion, is the current "Cadillac of Routers" for this | application and why do you feel this way?

Check E-Bay for industrial spindles in the 3-5 hp range capable of

24-25K RPM. You'll need a VFD for speed control. It should take anything you throw at it and outlast you by a comfortable margin...

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[DonkeyHody]

Sounds like you're looking for a Porter Cable 7518. It's bearings and motor are designed to run all day long every day in production shops. No bells and whistles except electronic speed control. It's 15 amps, which is as powerful as you're gonna get in 110 volt routers. It's fixed-base; works very well in a table, but just too heavy for handheld use unless you're built like Popeye. You can most always find them for $350 and sometimes as low as $250. You'll have enough left from your $500 to buy a smaller router for handheld use if you want.

I had a plunge router mounted in my table before I got the big PC. Every time I needed to change bits I had to turn the adjustment knob "round and "round till I found myself avoiding changing bits. I was drooling over the router lifts I saw advertised. The PC 7518 adjusts bit height by simply twisting the motor in the housing. It's quick, smooth and accurate. I don't feel like I need a router lift anymore.

DonkeyHody "Don't ever wrestle with a pig. You'll both get dirty, but the pig likes it."

[Leon]

While that was an excellent router in its day and still is, it has been coming in close to last place when compared to the newer models in this class.

[Leon]

Take a look at the bigger Triton.

[Barry Lennox]

Hard to beat the Triton, IMO. A bit of plastic on it, but meets your other criteria. My only criticism would be that it's a little heavy for daily hand-held use, so I use a sub $50 chiwanesey cheepie for quick and light jobs. Then I could *really* use a small trimmer, the new Bosch PR20 looks neat.

Barry Lennox

PS, Nope, no connections to, or kickback from Triton, more's the pity!

[Woodchuck34]

Bill,

Read the last post about the Triton, which I own, and have to agree. I've had one for about 3 years now and am very happy. It is a beast. I don't find it too heavy for handheld use, but I do normally use the PC690 for that. I've done about 30 raised panels on it so far and have been very happy. I don't use a lift as it has a rack and pinion system

• a fine adjustment knob. Works for me. Customer service has been unbelievable (DAWGS on WoodChuck34 + Triton). I've had 1 problem that was quickly corrected and I now believe that was caused by dust getting trapped between the router and my base.

To be fair, I don't believe Pat Warner gave it a good review, but you can check on his website. If I didn't have the Triton, I would take a hard look at those Milwaukee's.

Chuck

[Josh]

Have you considered getting a shaper, instead of a router? Then you can have a nice beefy cast iron table and an induction motor. Mine's only 3/4 HP, but it can cut through oak and maple like butter with my

3" raised panel cutter. A friend of mine borrowed the cutter to do some panels with his 3HP Porter Cable router. He told me it took him five passes to eat through the wood without completely bogging down the motor. Like I said, my shaper does it in a single pass without flinching, though I usually do one last 1/32" finishing pass just for looks. Since it's an induction motor, variable speed isn't an option, but it spins at about half the speed of a router (~10k rpms I think), so it never burns anything. Heavy duty fence, heavy duty knobs to raise and lower the spindle and to lock it in place, built in dust collection port, ability to wire to 110V or 220V, and built like a brick outhouse - what's not to love?. I got it 5 years ago for around $400, and I've never used my router since for anything but hand work.

Josh