Router buying advice

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Dissolve

Established Member
Joined
12 May 2011
Messages
350
Reaction score
0
Location
South West UK
I'm about to purchase my first/main router for my new workshop and wanted some advice on a few things. I'm going to be using the workshop for guitar making/repair purposes.

I'm considering making a simplified router table on casters simply with one adjustable fence and building a storage cabinet underneath.

After looking into new 1/2" routers I'm pretty much looking at either a Dewalt 625ek, a Makita 2301 or a Trend T11. Does anyone have any advice on these models or good/bad experiences with them?

Thanks
 
the Hitachi and Triton may also be worth putting into the mix. And the much lower priced Draper seems to get good reviews, and offers the fixed and plunge base- handy if you are swapping between hand held and table use (I am lead to believe).
 
The Draper might be a decent short term option if nothing else!

What differences does the fixed base vs plunge base have when using it free-hand or with a table?

Thanks
 
When inverted under a table, the plunge router will attempt to spring down (unplunge) unless something is done to prevent it. Fixed base does not. I use a plunge router in a table without problems, I just use the fine height adjuster to stop it unplunging and to adjust the height.

I have chosen my 1/2" router, either Dewalt 625 or Hitachi M12
 
also, i am lead to believe that the fixed base has a lower centre of gravity when hand held for more control. they are more popular in the USA than over here for some reason.
 
Ahh thanks for that! Can't find much on the Makita but the Dewalt seems to be rated prertty highly and the Trend seems to come out top with the few extra features.. Difficult decision to make!
 
I like my T11, but...

... the Draper multi-mount one (fixed and plunge) gets good reviews. I haven't got one but if I wanted a first 1/2" I'd give it a look over. The light underneath sounds like a gimmic, but would be pretty useful. I've got 4x4ft fluorescents over my bench, not very high up, and the T11 cutter is still in its shadow.

The T10, T11 and DeWalt are all variations on the old Elu design. I really like the T11, as do many. The height adjuster is convenient for the table, and for "freehand" so is the vernier-adjustable fence (many of the major brands use the same design, including Festool strangely). It's loud, but it's very willing and has a good range of speed control. I'd perhaps like it to run a bit slower if possible, and I can't understand why the speed adjuster isn't calibrated (just 1 to 6, IIRC), but it does work fine.

For many operations freehand, mass is a good thing, but sometimes it isn't. For those occasions a smaller router: the Bosch POF 500A works fine. Their motors are Swiss and apparently almost indestructible, but they tend to go cheaply on eBay, as they're not available new any more, although spares are. I love mine (had it around eighteen years), but I've never found a good way to stop the plunge base sticking. I usually take the springs off and use it as a fixed-base unit. I'd like it to be varispeed, and there is supposed to be a version that has speed control, but I've never seen one. I mention it, only because people tend to be rude about the quality of the Trend T4, that's supposed to be similar. The T5 is a better bet but a lot more expensive.

So I agree about the T11 for heavy and table use (I don't regret it one bit), but you might want to think about something smaller for lighter freehand use - bevelling, detail, etc.

Incidentally, although you're not supposed to be able to, you *can* compress the T11 plunge springs enough to do cutter changes above the table. I do it all the time. I'm sure the Triton is wonderful, but I don't have that particular problem, and the T11 is reasonably compact for right-way-up jobs, which the Triton isn't, IMHO.

E.

PS: I think the T10 is for kitchen fitters and stair makers! It would be a right pain in a table - no adjustment from above, and the narrower base hole would be a nuisance. You can always make the base hole smaller if you need to, with a sub-base screwed onto the bottom, but you'll only make it larger with a hacksaw! I've got a couple of large winged cutters now that probably wouldn't fit a T10 (or DeWalt), without putting something like ply on top of the router table to "raise" the table top.
 
Thanks for that!

I think after reading the reviews I'm going to go with the draper! The similar powered bosch routers don't get as good a review as the draper although I'm going to keep an eye on ebay for a smaller bosch just for roundover work and the like!

When I have more cash to spend on one I'll either get the trend or the bosch multi-base but £400 is a bit out of my budget at the moment.

Thanks for all the advice guys!
 
Wow, £400 for a router? Most certainly a better built machine than the Draper, but doesn't really offer much in capability over it and for a first machine that is a lot of outlay. The Draper is £100 in Yandles for comparison.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
siggy_7":3fd2q2rx said:
Wow, £400 for a router? Most certainly a better built machine than the Draper, but doesn't really offer much in capability over it and for a first machine that is a lot of outlay. The Draper is £100 in Yandles for comparison.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
£400 is nothing nowadays. I think i paid more than 10 yrs ago for my big porter cable plunge router :)
 
Have you considered a secondhand spindle moulder? Yes they appear to be very scary and there are enough people missing digits to testify to the pitfalls of not using them properly. BUT, And this is a big BUT, they are probably far safer, easier to set up, and give a better finish than a router when used properly.

The are lots of very good cheap Spindle moulders on ebay for your price tag. With modern safety blocks which have limiters and using the guarding they are very safe to use. The cost of replacement cutters is much lower than for the equivalent router bit. The blocks and cutters are made of much heavier and thicker material that prevents them from moving or flexing when taking a good cut resulting in a more accurate finish.

A lot of spindle moulders also accept router bits so you have the best of all worlds and don't tie up your router.

The fences and tables of spindle moulder are generally more robust and substantial than a router table. The range or height of cut is normally much greater than a router cutter giving you more flexibility.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top