need a quiet table mounted router

[LEVISTA]

Lo all,

Relative newcomer here, I am wondering if such a thing exists as a quiet (or quieter than "average") table mounted router. I have been practising with a cheap and cheerful B&Q router and the whine when on and buzz when cutting is louder than I would like - mostly because I have no wish to annoy the neighbours long term.

May eventually be in production-like operation so something sturdy would be good.

Any recommendations or advice? I have seen quiet hand operated routers but I need a table mounted router.

thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Levista

I have measured the sound levels on 5 routers and the quietest by quite a long way was the Porter Cable. The Triton is LOUD.

There are a load of noise measurements here

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2149&highlight=noise

By the way, 3dB increase or decrease is half or twice as loud.

I think you will be disappointed in your search as most of the noise is generated by the cutter, not the motor, unless it is running very slowly

Sound insulation in the workshop? (I have gone down this route)

 

[motownmartin]

I found that when I used one of those small router tables made from metal, the noise and vibration was horrendous, but since I made my own table with the router in an enclosed compartment, the noise has reduced tremendously, in fact it's so quiet that I don't wear ear defenders any more.

 

[Slim]

Hi Levista

I have measured the sound levels on 5 routers and the quietest by quite a long way was the Porter Cable. The Triton is LOUD.

There are a load of noise measurements here

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2149&highlight=noise

By the way, 3dB increase or decrease is half or twice as loud.

I think you will be disappointed in your search as most of the noise is generated by the cutter, not the motor, unless it is running very slowly

Sound insulation in the workshop? (I have gone down this route)

Thats very interesting Tony. Can I just ask which Triton you tested. I have the baby (MOF) and considered it to be pretty quiet.

 

[LEVISTA]

Hi Levista

I have measured the sound levels on 5 routers and the quietest by quite a long way was the Porter Cable. The Triton is LOUD.

Porter Cable 7529 router 95.2dB
Triton Router 102.7dB

Can i ask was the Porter Cable mounted?
I can't find a UK supplier to get a price, any suggestions?
And is the 7.5db difference really that huge?

thanks

 

[Slim]

And is the 7.5db difference really that huge?

As Tony said, a 3dB incease means it is twice as loud.

 

[LEVISTA]

And is the 7.5db difference really that huge?

As Tony said, a 3dB incease means it is twice as loud.

Oh yes I understand, I'm just taken aback! :shock:

 

[Andy Pullen]

Get a variable speed router and turn it down, that'll be much quieter.

 

[LEVISTA]

Get a variable speed router and turn it down, that'll be much quieter.

any recommendations?

 

[tim]

I think you will be disappointed in your search as most of the noise is generated by the cutter, not the motor, unless it is running very slowly

That to my mind is the key bit of information.

I know its not a router but my TS (sheppach 2500) - is sometimes difficult to hear running over normal conversational level radio - until you feed a piece of ply into it.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Levista

I have measured the sound levels on 5 routers and the quietest by quite a long way was the Porter Cable. The Triton is LOUD.

There are a load of noise measurements here

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2149&highlight=noise

By the way, 3dB increase or decrease is half or twice as loud.

I think you will be disappointed in your search as most of the noise is generated by the cutter, not the motor, unless it is running very slowly

Sound insulation in the workshop? (I have gone down this route)

Thats very interesting Tony. Can I just ask which Triton you tested. I have the baby (MOF) and considered it to be pretty quiet.

Don't know the model number (to be honest, I never care enough to look), but it was their first router and I think 'the big one'

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Levista

I have measured the sound levels on 5 routers and the quietest by quite a long way was the Porter Cable. The Triton is LOUD.

Porter Cable 7529 router 95.2dB
Triton Router 102.7dB

Can i ask was the Porter Cable mounted?
I can't find a UK supplier to get a price, any suggestions?
And is the 7.5db difference really that huge?

thanks

None were mounted anywhere when tested, all just sat on the bench as shown in the photo in the link I posted.

7.5dB is hugely louder. 3dB inscrease si twice as loud.

Got my PC router from Rutlands, but getting psares is very diffciult

 

[Niki]

I have the Hitachi M8 router and lately I bought the Hitachi M8V2.

The M8 is 800W and the M8V2 is 1150W but it's so quiet comparing to the V8 that sometimes I thing that maybe it's not on max speed...

Hitachi have also the M12VC and as they claim, the noise level is only 80db
http://www.hitachi-koki.com/powertools/ ... m12vc.html

niki

 

[LEVISTA]

Hitachi have also the M12VC and as they claim, the noise level is only 80db
http://www.hitachi-koki.com/powertools/ ... m12vc.html

niki

Awesome, that might be a winner, I will have to owe you a pint !

 

[the_g_ster]

All,

Interesting point this one, we all don't want to annoy our neighbours.

What seems to be missed is that a lower power router may be quieter, but I am guessing if you are using it in a table you're not just trimming a little edge off something, you're cutting something a little more serious, so a bigger router is needed. If you use a smaller one you are going to take more time on things or you won't be able to do some things like raised panel work.

I would just get a great router, AND when you build it into your table ensure that you line the inside of the housing with acoustic mats. These can go inside the box, be sealed with bathroom sealant too to help your dust extraction too. Okay some will still go through the top of the plate, but will help alot, and if you do carefully shouldnt effect the airflow to cool the motor too.

It shouldn't cost much, just google it and you will find a stack of links to online suppliers.

There is probably somebody on here that knows the frequency range that a router emits and what product is best to insulate that range.

Good luck.

G

 

[WellsWood]

There seems to have been a signifacant item left out of this discussion.

My Ryobi 601 is (to my ear at least) a nadge louder than my big Triton when mounted in the same table running at about the same speed. They both of course get much louder when actually cutting, how much louder depends on cutter size, material etc.

The thing that makes the biggest difference however is the addition of extraction. The noise made by the airflow through the fence aperture (in addition to the motor noise on the vacuum type extractor) makes everything else pale by comparison.

When it comes to worrying about what upsets the neighbours we need to take into account the frequency (no, I don't mean how often you do it - but the pitch) of the sound. High frequency noise falls off much more rapidly than low, and I believe is more easily dealt with by closing doors and windows when cutting. For this reason I suspect that the noise of cutting at lower spindle speeds, whilst quieter in Db terms, probably carries further and possibly is more annoying (for those of you unlucky enough to live in an area like mine think of loud car sound systems outside the chipshop over the road. Grrr.....)

 

[BradNaylor]

If I was contemplating a production workshop and wanted to keep the noise down, I'd look at a small 3-phase spindle moulder such as this one

These can be picked up for a few hundred on ebay quite regularly. Hooked up with a suitable phase converter they are almost silent in operation, and because of the slower speed do not scream when you push the wood through.

You also get a far better finish and greater accuracy than you will get with any router table.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Get a variable speed router and turn it down, that'll be much quieter.

Get a non variable speed router and don't turn it on, quieter.