I'm looking to purchase a new router to accomplish 2 things -- occasional floating tenons (which I have never tried before) and occasional dovetail cutting. I currently have a 2-1/4HP Makita router dedicated in a router table, and I am tired of taking it out whenever I need to use a hand held router. (Also, the plunge on the Makita is not so great IMHO.)
I've never cut floating tenons beofre (only integral ones using my mortiser anda chisel), but David Marks makes it look easy so I thought I'd try it on my next project. I notice that every time I see a him cut a floating tenon, however, he does it with one of his 3HP routers
-- never with a 2-1/4 HP.
As I understand the tradeoffs, the 3HP weighs much more, but packs more power and probably has a longer-lasting motor. The weight is a negative for me unless you think it will be easier to avoid router tip when cutting dovetails on a cheap dovetail jig. The motor longevity is not really an issue given I will only use the router a few dozen times a year. So then the issue is power. If I get a 2-1/4HP router, will this mean that instead of cutting 1/2" depth on each pass, for example, that I cut a 3/8" depth? If so, that hardly seems worth the extra weight given the number of cuts I will make per year.
I'm leaning toward buying the Bosch 2-1/4HP router package (which includes dust collection and other extras) at amazon.com before the sale ends (possibly today). The alternative is to buy either the Dewalt or Hitachi 3HP, but I've done less research on 3HP plunge routers so I am not as tied to these choices.