Freud router deal

[upand_at_them]

Someone local is selling a Freud FT2200VCE 3.25hp plunge router for $140. A contractor friend of mine said that it might be too big to handle, but could be good for a router table. Opinions?

Mike

[CW]

It's certainly not to big to handle, no router is. It may be to big to be convenient. Depends on what kind of work you want to do with it. Mortising stair stringers, ect, it would be great. Dovetails, hinge pockets, ect, you would probably find it a bit cumbersome though it would do it just fine. For general handheld use, the 1.5 to 2 horse routers are better suited.

[JJ]

$140 for a new one? Pick it up. Good router for the money.

JJ

[Andy]

I agree with both of these - it would be perfect for a router table, and probably usable for handheld use, but more cumbersome than necessary. If you already have a laminate trimmer or smaller handheld router, and want something brawny for the table, I'd get it. If you're planning to do mostly smaller stuff (roundovers, chamfers, rabbets, dovetails, etc.), I'd look for something smaller (i.e. ~2hp reconditioned models by Dewalt, Bosch, Porter Cable or Makita). Good luck, Andy

[Leon]

You get what you pay for. Freud is not known for its good power tools. That is about 1/2 the price of a typical router in that size class.

[bridgerfafc]

I have the original version of that router, bought new in '93 or so. it has been a real workhorse for me as a table router. nothing wrong with it at all.

[bf]

I'm pretty sure that's the same one I have. I have mine in a table. I used it handheld a few times. While it's doable, it's not very comfortable. It has a high center of gravity, so it's more difficult to control when you are doing a roundover on an edge (for example).

For a table, it works pretty good. I'm happy. I've used mine for roughly 8 years. I've made raised panel doors on it with no problem. I've heard reports of people saying that it doesn't last as long as the more expensive ones. That's probably true. I use my router table probably about 40-60 hours/year. I imagine most hobbyists have similiar usage.. they run the thing for maybe an hour or two at a time. I think it's a decent router for the money, and I realize that I'm probably going to have to replace it eventually. I think as long as you don't use it for a production machine (10 hours/day) and don't expect to be able to pass it down to your grandchildren, you will be satisfied.