1/2" Router for Router Table / Suggestions?
KIMOSABE
Track, insert, plexiglass guard, etc.
It occurred to me that it might be time for me to get a 1/2" router.
Any special features it should have, or not have? I think I'd leave
it in the table and do any freehand routing with a quarter inch
router, which I already have.
Any suggestions as to some good choices would be greatly appreciated.
Max
news:a74c8db3-29aa-43a0...@l6g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
I am *really* pleased with my Milwaukee 5625-20.
http://picasaweb.google.com/contrarian32/Routers#
Max
allen476
> "KIMOSABE" <kimosabe...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
I have the Milwaukee 5619-20 and really like it as well. I do have a
PC 7529 that is for the router table but in quality the Milwaukee is a
much better unit.
Allen
Robatoy
Ditto on the Milwaukee. Any of them 'cept the 1-3/4 HP model.
Give that Ridgid a look. I'm quite happy with mine. Good value.
Robatoy
This Ridgid:
http://www.ridgid.com/Router/index.html
Puckdropper at dot
84e7a9...@j18g2000yqd.googlegroups.com:
I've got a Ridgid as well. I'm plenty happy with it, especially with the
reasonably long power cord. There's two LEDs mounted just above the bit
that are a really nice feature. FWIW, the fixed base does dust
collection well, while the plunge base does not do it as well.
The fixed base has a hole for a handle in case you decide to mount it in
a table. It's to allow height adjustments above the table. I have not
mounted my router in a table, so I don't know how well it works.
Puckdropper
--
Never teach your apprentice everything you know.
Lew Hodgett
What is the lastest from Pat Warner?
Last time around, think it was a Milwaukee 5625.
Lew
Just Wondering
Kevin(Bluey)
The triton is a great machine , I have both the smaller one MOF001 and
its' big brother the TRA001 , which lives in the router table .The above
table bit changes are one of the best features of these machines.
I think both also now have the above table hieght winder as well , my
TRA001 dosent as its an earlier model.
--
Kevin (Bluey)
"I'm not young enough to know everything."
Leon
"KIMOSABE" <kimos...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a74c8db3-29aa-43a0...@l6g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
Regardless of brand you will get the most bang for your buck if you buy a
router that is easily adjusted and affords bit removal from above the table
WITH OUT involving a 3rd party lift mechanism.
I personally have and like the bigger Triton router, PC, and DeWalt have
valid offerings in this catagory also.
Robatoy
That is an excellent router, no doubt.
First choice, for table duty, (aside from the obvious choice of a
shaper) would be a Milwaukee 5625 for me.
If money was no object, the 2000 watt Festool, just to piss off the
lesser woodworkers.<EG>
Still, if I were to do any serious amount of table routing, a shaper.
just a 1.5 HP 3/4" because by the time you do all the math, table,
router, lift, time.... a shaper is the same money and a LOT quieter
plus you get to use your router bits.
But that's just me.
Larry Blanchard
> I personally have and like the bigger Triton router, PC, and DeWalt have
> valid offerings in this catagory also.
I especially like my DeWalt because the body doesn't rotate as it is
raised or lowered. That means the on/off switch is always in the same
place. That's not true of some others in looked at.
It also has a little slop built into the screws that fasten the base on,
this allowing for centering adjustment. And a centering bit is
included. Not so important for table use, but nice for hand held.
BTW, I remember the smaller Triton getting better reviews than the
larger, but that was probably six models back.
And to the OP, ignore the horsepower ratings. Check the amps instead.
For example, I know of 3 mini-lathes with the same amperage and 3
different horsepower ratings :-).
--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw
J. Clarke
>
> On Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:52:41 -0500, Leon wrote:
>
> > I personally have and like the bigger Triton router, PC, and DeWalt have
> > valid offerings in this catagory also.
>
> I especially like my DeWalt because the body doesn't rotate as it is
> raised or lowered. That means the on/off switch is always in the same
> place. That's not true of some others in looked at.
This is true for all plunge routers that I have seen.
Neil Brooks
> I am *really* pleased with my Milwaukee 5625-20.http://picasaweb.google.com/contrarian32/Routers#
Me, too.
Mine's dedicated to the table, and will -- fairly soon -- get a
Woodpecker PRL5625 to play elevator for it.
It's just a BEAST of a router, in terms of strength. I'm fairly sure
I could use it to route profiles in titanium, if I really wanted to.
It would be great if I didn't need to go under the table to lock it
in, but ... the PRL should take away that gripe -- an exceptionally
minor one, and the only one I have with the 5625.
Neil Brooks
Sorry. Link to obligatory picture of 5625, living happily upside
down:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lYka-56KYOIRI08Dt6RJ1w?feat=directlink
Jim Weisgram
<kimos...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I'm going to build a router table. I've already rounded up the T
>Track, insert, plexiglass guard, etc.
>
>It occurred to me that it might be time for me to get a 1/2" router.
Yes, it certainly is.
>
>Any special features it should have, or not have? I think I'd leave
>it in the table and do any freehand routing with a quarter inch
>router, which I already have.
>
>Any suggestions as to some good choices would be greatly appreciated.
You don't talk about your budget.
Ideally, you want the heaviest duty fixed base router for your table,
such as the Milwaukee 5625-20. 15 Amps, "3-1/2 HP", $271 at Amazon.
You can adjust the height from above the table.
What, too much money? What a lot of people do is get a kit, where one
motor works with a plunge base and a fixed base. This does provide
more hand held versatility at a lower cost. That will be something
like $225 for 12 Amps, "2-1/4 HP". I have a kit and I have an extra
fixed base mounted to my router table. The table base stays put while
the router may be used hand held.
You can get expert advice at www.patwarner.com about routers for
router tables. Pat has a very specific set of opinions on how to use a
router in a table. He is a perfectionist about using routers properly.
Neil Brooks
> You don't talk about your budget.
Of course, you're correct.
But I think you (and some others) did the right thing, AND gave some
great advice:
A table router -- particularly if you're going to be using it for hand-
held routing, too -- is one of the three or four most commonly used
tools in most shops (no science -- just my edu-ma-cated guess).
It's a great place to buy all the tool you can afford, IMHO.
When we're talking about high-end Porter-Cables, Milwaukees, Bosches,
Tritons, Freuds, Hitachis, and a few other brands ... the price ranges
are pretty tightly clustered, and they're pretty much all beloved by
their users.
The gap between an exceptional table saw and a very good table saw
might be about a grand.
Might be.
But the difference between an exceptional router and a very good
router might be about a hundred bucks. Maybe a little more.
This wouldn't be a place to save pennies, IMHO.
On another forum, somebody was hawking a Harbor Freight router ... and
pretty hard.
Not me. Not this ol' southern boy. Nuh-uh :-)
Sonny
>
> Any suggestions as to some good choices would be greatly appreciated.
About a year or so ago, I asked the same questions and had the same
concerns as you have. I bought the Milwaukee 5625-20. Very
pleased.
Sonny
Larry Blanchard
>> I especially like my DeWalt because the body doesn't rotate as it is
>> raised or lowered. That means the on/off switch is always in the same
>> place. That's not true of some others in looked at.
>
> This is true for all plunge routers that I have seen.
I'm not talking about a plunge router :-).
keit...@gmail.com
> On Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:52:41 -0500, Leon wrote:
> > I personally have and like the bigger Triton router, PC, and DeWalt have
> > valid offerings in this catagory also.
>
> I especially like my DeWalt because the body doesn't rotate as it is
> raised or lowered. That means the on/off switch is always in the same
> place. That's not true of some others in looked at.
The PC 690's switch doesn't move; the base moves. ;-) I have the "D"
handle base so it's even better in this regard. The switch is always
under the index finger. I don't use it in a table, though.
> It also has a little slop built into the screws that fasten the base on,
> this allowing for centering adjustment. And a centering bit is
> included. Not so important for table use, but nice for hand held.
>
> BTW, I remember the smaller Triton getting better reviews than the
> larger, but that was probably six models back.
>
> And to the OP, ignore the horsepower ratings. Check the amps instead.
> For example, I know of 3 mini-lathes with the same amperage and 3
> different horsepower ratings :-).
Amps are only slightly more meaningful than the obviously bogus HP
ratings. Customer feedback is a better gauge, IMO.
keit...@gmail.com
> On Oct 4, 2:50 pm, Jim Weisgram
>
> > You don't talk about your budget.
>
> Of course, you're correct.
>
> But I think you (and some others) did the right thing, AND gave some
> great advice:
>
> A table router -- particularly if you're going to be using it for hand-
> held routing, too -- is one of the three or four most commonly used
> tools in most shops (no science -- just my edu-ma-cated guess).
>
> It's a great place to buy all the tool you can afford, IMHO.
>
> When we're talking about high-end Porter-Cables, Milwaukees, Bosches,
> Tritons, Freuds, Hitachis, and a few other brands ... the price ranges
> are pretty tightly clustered, and they're pretty much all beloved by
> their users.
>
> The gap between an exceptional table saw and a very good table saw
> might be about a grand.
There is more than a grand difference between SawStop, new Unisaw, or
Powermatic ("exceptional") and Grizzley or X5 Unisaw (very good), but
I agree with your points.
> Might be.
>
> But the difference between an exceptional router and a very good
> router might be about a hundred bucks. Maybe a little more.
Festool makes a pretty nice router but the premium is closer to 100%
than $100. I wouldn't put a Festeringtool in a table, but I wouldn't
hand-hold the OF2200, either.
> This wouldn't be a place to save pennies, IMHO.
>
> On another forum, somebody was hawking a Harbor Freight router ... and
> pretty hard.
>
> Not me. Not this ol' southern boy. Nuh-uh :-)
Not this carpetbagger, either. ;-)
Lance Spaulding
I bought this craftsman router about a month ago and have
been very happy with it:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00928084000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
I looked at a lot of combo routers in the $200-$250 range and
ended up
choosing the craftsman based on the extras it included (D
base, built-in
LED lighting, rip fence). As an extra bonus it went on sale
for $150 a
couple weeks after I bought it so Sears refunded about $50.
Lance
Edward A. Falk
Only complaint: the cutout in my table is too small to accomodate
the handles, so I have to remove them to install it.
I plan to make a new insert plate so I can put my porter-cable
router in instead. We'll see how that goes.
--
-Ed Falk, fa...@despams.r.us.com
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/
Larry Jaques
<lsj...@cableone.net> wrote:
>I looked at a lot of combo routers in the $200-$250 range and
>ended up
>choosing the craftsman based on the extras it included (D
>base, built-in
>LED lighting, rip fence). As an extra bonus it went on sale
>for $150 a
>couple weeks after I bought it so Sears refunded about $50.
Crapsman ARHA Rules!
--
Know how to listen, and you will
profit even from those who talk badly.
-- Plutarch
Lance Spaulding
> On Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:22:44 -0600, Lance Spaulding
> <lsj...@cableone.net> wrote:
>
>>I looked at a lot of combo routers in the $200-$250 range
and
>>ended up
>>choosing the craftsman based on the extras it included (D
>>base, built-in
>>LED lighting, rip fence). As an extra bonus it went on
sale
>>for $150 a
>>couple weeks after I bought it so Sears refunded about $50.
>
> Crapsman ARHA Rules!
>
ARHA? Is that supposed to mean something to someone?
If you dont like crafstman products, dont buy/use them. I've
had bad luck with some of their products in the past (mainly
gas-powered) but both of my craftsman routers have worked
great. Also note that Wood magazine just did a review of
multi-base rounters and, while the crafstman wasn't their
top choice, it did well in their testing.
Lance
Woody
I did what you're planning several years ago. Here are "required"
features of the router:
1. Must be able to change bits above the table, preferably without
buying additional base.
2. Must have enough power (3HP+) to power panel-raising bits.
3. Support both 1/2" and 1/4" bits
4. Built-in dust collection
5. Variable speed
6. Slow start
7. Plunge-capable for in-table use
I originally used a Dewalt 625 as my table router, but upgraded to the
Triton:
several years later. Biggest reasons were for the above-table bit
changing and integral dust collection. I've been *very* pleased with the
machine. I've never used it outside the table and virtually never lift
it out.
~Mark.
Doug Winterburn
Perhaps late model Craftsman routers don't exhibit ARHA (Automatic
Random Height Adjustment). I have 4 routers, one of which is an older
Craftsman model 315.174921 and was my second router. It is the only one
with ARHA and has caused grief several times while plowing out dados as
the bit automatically slowly dropped while routing in spite of keeping
the shank a good 1/8" from bottoming out and tightening the crap on the
collet. I use an older Rockwell for that operation now and have never
had the ARHA problem with that router or the other two.
Larry Jaques
<lsj...@cableone.net> wrote:
>Larry Jaques wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:22:44 -0600, Lance Spaulding
>> <lsj...@cableone.net> wrote:
>>
>>>I looked at a lot of combo routers in the $200-$250 range
>and
>>>ended up
>>>choosing the craftsman based on the extras it included (D
>>>base, built-in
>>>LED lighting, rip fence). As an extra bonus it went on
>sale
>>>for $150 a
>>>couple weeks after I bought it so Sears refunded about $50.
>>
>> Crapsman ARHA Rules!
>>
>
>ARHA? Is that supposed to mean something to someone?
Automatic Random Height Adjusters
>If you dont like crafstman products, dont buy/use them. I've
>had bad luck with some of their products in the past (mainly
Do google searches on the AHRA and Craftsman (crapsman) on this group
for the past decade and a half. You'll get a real eyeful, Lance.
I stopped using anything Searz in the early '80s after donating a
gallon of blood and pound of skin (literally) to the Crapsman Gods.
Fukkem all.
>gas-powered) but both of my craftsman routers have worked
>great. Also note that Wood magazine just did a review of
>multi-base rounters and, while the crafstman wasn't their
>top choice, it did well in their testing.
Oh, sure, sure. Thompsons WaterSeal is still selling well, too, but
you wouldn't get me to purchase any of it, either.
--
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
--Jack London
Morgans
> Height Adjustment). I have 4 routers, one of which is an older Craftsman
> model 315.174921 and was my second router. It is the only one with ARHA
> and has caused grief several times while plowing out dados as the bit
> automatically slowly dropped while routing in spite of keeping the shank a
> good 1/8" from bottoming out and tightening the crap on the collet. I use
> an older Rockwell for that operation now and have never had the ARHA
> problem with that router or the other two.
Which is only to say that some other manufacturer does not have that
problem, since Craftsman does not make its own power tools.
In the case of a 315 product number, that is made by Ryobi, or prior to
Ryobi, the Diehl Mfg Company.
A list of these codes can be found at:
<http://www.owwm.com/craftsman/manufacturers.aspx>
--
Jim in NC