Newbie Router

[sxlalan]

Hi

I am looking to start my first real woodworking project and would like to get a cheap router to initially use mainly for rounding over and grooving.

I have about £90 to spend and have been considering the following

Ryobi - ERT1150V/T - Router & Table Combo Kit ERT1150V/T
Draper R850V

Does anyone have any knowledge of these or other suggestions? The advantage of the Ryobi is obviously that it comes with a table which would presumably be useful for edging.

Thanks

Alan

 

[cambournepete]

The Draper is a clone of the the Trend T5 which is a clone of an old Elu.

I've got the Draper and I like it. it's fine for hand-held use. For £90 you might even get a fine adjuster for it as well.

Pete

 

[RogerS]

Alan

A thread on the Ryobi is here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4195&highlight=

Are you intending to use it handheld or in a router table? If predominantly handheld to begin with then my advice would be to go with the Draper and then investigate router tables at a later date.

If you want to get experiene with a Router and table then the Ryobi combo is a good starting point and excellent value.

iIf you are located anywhere near Worcestershire then you are very welcome to come and take a look at mine.

 

[Neville Lawler]

Hi
I have just replaced my Bosch P500 router, approximately 15+ years old with the new Bosch POF1100AE Router. So far excellent performance for hand held work, I have a large Makita mounted permantly in my table. This was purchased from B&Q, price only £65. It is extremely smooth on start up and you only need one spanner for changing cutters. It is fitted with variable speed and will accept 6 & 8mm cutters. I have never had any problems with any Bosch products unlike some other manufacturers.
Neville

 

[sxlalan]

Thanks for the replies guys and thanks for the offer Roger but unfortunately I am in Yorkshire so it is a bit of a drive!

I plan to do a lot of rounding over and grooving on my first job. I am kind of assuming that this would be easier with some sort of table. I have an old cupboard that I could convert to a table though so purchasing a table may not be necessary.

I would like to add to my above mini-list a second-hand Trend T5 which has supposedly only been lightly used and would cost about £80.

Thanks again

Alan

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Alan

You can buy a brand new Trend T5EB 1/4" Collet Router (240v) +FREE delivery (UK Mainland) only £77.99 +VAT

It's not the Mk2 but that means that you get an on/off rocker switch.

http://www.thesawcentre.co.uk/store/pro ... %5Fid=3411

Cheers
Neil

 

[sxlalan]

Wow thanks Neil, that's a good price. Is the height easy to adjust on these? Would you recommend the 1/4" 850W Trend over the 1/2" 1150W Ryobi?

Thanks

Alan

 

[RogerS]

Yes since the Ryobi is not 1/2" IIRC !!!!

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Alan

Sorry I don't know anything about the Ryobi but I do know you won't go far wrong with the Trend.

I'm not sure whether the T5 comes with an 8mm collet but, if not, I would recommend you buy one. You can then standardise on 8mm instead of 1/4" which gives you about 60% more steel for the same money. :wink:

Cheers
Neil

 

[sxlalan]

Thanks Neil. Is there a microadjuster for the height of the Trend or is that an addon?

Hi Roger. I'm not sure what IIRC is but the following site suggests that the router is 1/2" Is that incorrect? http://www.buyatool.co.uk/acatalog/Router_Tables.html

Cheers

Alan

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure what IIRC is

IIRC means 'If I Recall Correctly'

 

[RogerS]

Alan...if you do a Google search you get this...


On 22 Mar 2004 02:37:15 -0800, in uk.d-i-y [email protected] (mike)
strung together this:

>It's 1/2" according to Baron Bros website:
>
>http://www.buyatool.co.uk/acatalog/Buyatool_Online_Shop_Routing_27.html

The website's wrong, the Ryobi ERT1150 is 1/4". I know this because,
as I mentioned before, I've got one.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd.

Also I've got one, don't forget :twisted:

Having said all that it' still worth considering the Ryobi combo...rather than try and convert your cupboard at a later date. It IS a good starting point. When I saw your first post, my immediate reaction was that maybe I might offer you my Ryobi router/table combo...but then I realised that as the price of a new one is so low, I'd only get about £50 or so and to be honest, it's just too damn useful to have around at that price.

Derek...you just got one, what do you think? Would you go the same rout (ouch) again?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi roger.
yes i would recommend the ryobi combo it is an ideal piece of kit to launch you into the world of routing and for the price you can't really ask for anything more. I have also used the router hand held and i find it quite comfortable to use OK its no where near as good as the likes of your dewalt 625ek or the trend t9 but if you went down that route you are looking at paying £250 just for the router. So the ryobi gets my vote.

 

[sxlalan]

Thanks for everyones advice on this. It looks like both the Trend and the Ryobi have their proponents so I should be OK either way. To sum up, it has come to a choice between the new Ryobi/Table combo and a second hand Trend T5/ second hand (or self made) Table combo. Both options would be around the £90 mark. (Just to update, the T5 is the step up from basic with the 1/4" and 8mm collet and the micro height adjuster.)

Looks like it's time to get a coin out and make a heads/tails type decision!

Thanks again

Alan

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Alan

Whichever way you go, just enjoy the ride.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Alf]

FWIW (for what it's worth) I've been extremely impressed with the Trend. Coming from a powered router disliker you can consider that high praise indeed. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

I would like to add to my above mini-list a second-hand Trend T5 which has supposedly only been lightly used and would cost about £80.

Thanks again

Alan

Buy the T5. I use mine loads. It will be the rolls-royce to the two minis you are considering in my opinion

 

[sxlalan]

Thanks all, looks like the Trend is hedging it...

Anyone know if the T5 will feet on the Nu Toll BT102 entry level table?

Cheers

Alan

 

[trevtheturner]

Hi Neil,

I am considering getting a Trend T5 to use with a recently acquired Leigh D4 dovetail jig. I think I have read it right, but can you confirm for me please - if I buy the T5EB 1/4" from The Saw Centre then I can buy the 8mm collet as an accessory to use with it? (i.e. that the 8mm collet fits both T5s).

TIA.

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[cambournepete]

It probably will fit, but IMHO you really want to see this table in the flesh to decide whether you want it - I've been completely under-whelmed by most Nutool stuff...

Pete