Router --- if you had $500 to spend?

[KØHB]

I currently have a big honking Ryobi mounted under a router table. Now I want a second one for handheld work, dovetail jig work, etc.

I have a 'windfall' check for $500 burning a hole in my pocket, so cost shouldn't be an issue.

Hans

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[bridgerfafc]

Hans, $500 is too much to be spending on a handheld router. there are a bunch of offerings in the 1 to 2 hp class for under $200. you'll get a lot of opinions here about what is good, but nothing beats a hands-on test drive. go to the tool store and fondle a few, and if you have a friend or two who will let you try out theirs do that too.

I'm quite happy with my porter cable 690 routers.

[John]

I love my Dewalt 621. And for $500 you could buy two of them and still have enough left to buy a good supply of bits.

To reply by e-mail, use jcarlson631 at yahoo dot com

John

[SonomaProducts.com]

Hitachi or Bosch. Every router guru says one or the other. October Fine Woodworking has an article from said router guru and the article shows two pics where you can see hos routers and they are Hitach and Bosch.

BW

K=D8HB wrote:

[Doug Miller]

I have a Bosch 1617EVS and a DeWalt 618. Very happy with them both. And neither one will cost you anywhere near $500.

[C & E]

[Andy]

I couldn't agree more (even though I only have 2 bases), and it sounds like Pat Warner agrees also. Strongly recommend you check out his website for lots of router info - patwarner.com. One thing you might consider for smaller handheld routing jobs is a small router/trimmer - the Bosch Colt is supposed to be one of the better ones.

recently picked up a Porter Cable 7310, and it's nice for little cleanup jobs, roundovers, etc. If I had $500 and needed some new routers, I'd get a reconditioned Dewalt 618pk or 621 ($200), a nice trim router ($100), and spend the extra on one of the new Makita Compact Litihium Ion drills ($200) because they seem very cool (18V at 3.5lbs?! - the new black and white one, not the older turquoise one). If you don't have a decent jigsaw, get a Bosch 1590/91 instead of the drill. Have fun, Andy

[Prometheus]

Others will have their favorites, but I really, really like my Porter Cable 690 with the D-handle base. It's not adjustable speed, but it's a heck of a nice router- and it'll leave you with half that check left over to buy some wood to try it out on.

[B A R R Y]

For handheld work, I think this is the deal of the century:

I also own a bunch of Bosch 1617 variations, but the 690's don't corrode as my Bosch cases have.

[pat]

One tool for most hand held occasions? See the

link.

***************************************************************************= ****** K=D8HB wrote:

[brianlanning]

I have a porter cable 690. I like their D-handles. I also have the dewalt 621 with a D handle. I like that one too. I also have the PC

7518 in the router table which is great. For a trim router I have the bosch colt, also great.

Are you ok with the ryobi in the table? I only have one ryobi router and it's utter junk. Yours is probably better. For $500 you could get a nice hand-held, plus another router for the table and a router lift.

Does amazon still have that hitachi router on sale?

Or a PC 690 and a leigh d4r. :-)

brian

[KØHB]

It's an old RE600, which is large and clunky for handheld work and a PITA to mount/dismount from the table, but great torque for turning large bits, and virtually zero runout on the spindle. It's perfect to just leave under the table.

Hans

[charlie b]

********************************************************************************

I second the motion!

The Dewalt 621 plunge router is light, has soft sart, variable speed, one wrench and a shaft lock for bit changes, dust extraction through one of the plunge columns, plunge lock on one handle, on/off lockable trigger on the other, smoooooooth plunge action, fine depth of cut adjustment - AND it's BRIGHT YELLOW so it's easy to find in the clutter. Add Mr. Warner's offset base and you overcome the DW621's only shortcoming - a small base. Oh - it's also a bit quieter than the PC routers. And did I mention that in spite of being pretty light, it's a 2 hp?

I've got TWO DW621s, one DW 625, a PC D-handle and a PC 690. The PCs have semi-premanent bits in them - one for 1/4" roundover and one for 45 chamfering.

charlie b

[KØHB]

I ended up buying a DeWalt 618 (with 3 bases).

Really wanted the Bosch 1617, but it doesn't accept standard (PC) bushing guides. What a shame.

Hans

[brianlanning]

Don't let that stop you. Pat Warner could probably fix you up:

know this is a different router. But I bet he'd drill a new one to fit whatever router you wanted. And if he wouldn't, it's not that big a deal to do it yourself.

brian

[LRod]

Hans! What are you doing here on the wreck?

I used to post now and then on r.r.a.m. before the idiots took over. I don't know that you'd remember me. I'm a long time regular here, though. Just don't ever recall seeing your scrawl before.

K4QG

[KØHB]

I lurk a lot, mostly on fishing groups in the summer, then woodworking after I stow my boat for the winter. rram, rrap, etc., are now vast wastelands inhabited by inbred trolls.

73, Hans, K0HB

[B A R R Y]

It does with Bosch's $7 adaptor.

[B A R R Y]

Is the 618 really $80 better than the 3 base PC690 kit?

[KØHB]

I don't know. All the PC690-series kits I saw were lower HP, 2-bases, and single speed. Maybe a better comparison would be the PC890-series.

Regards,

Hans