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Router

Postby techauthorbob » 06 Sep 2019, 20:06

Hi All, I am looking to buy a new router sometime this year for mainly diy use but I would prefer to get one that will actually be useful and that will last for a while.

I am looking at a 1/2" (12mm?) one as I have a smaller 1/4" one for lighter stuff.

Anybody have any ideas what to buy and that will be robust.

I have heard that to be useful for all cutters I should be looking at 1500 Watts minimum, is this true or just hearsay.

I obviously do not need a proper industrial one costing multi £££ but would be ok spending enough to get a good one.

I used cheaper battery drills for a while then bought a Makita 458. - like chalk and cheese, well worth the money, even if 'EE indoors had to buy less dresses for a while!

Thank all!

Bob
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Re: Router

Postby Malc2098 » 06 Sep 2019, 20:54

I’ve got the Triton TRA1 and it spends a lot of its time in the router table because you can remove the plunge spring and use the micro depth adjustment.

I’ve got it with 1/4, 1/2 and 12 collets which covers most of my needs.
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Re: Router

Postby RogerS » 06 Sep 2019, 21:28

I'd go for reputable makes like Triton, Dewalt, Makita, Trend and avoid cheapies that are branded from the sheds such as Ttan, Erbauter etc.

A fine adjuster is useful.

Is it going to be handheld or in a router table/Woodrat/etc ?
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Re: Router

Postby Trevanion » 07 Sep 2019, 00:23

It depends on what you plan on using it for I suppose, I often reach for the 1/4" router as it's easier to handle and gutsy enough for most tasks and any large moulding work I use the spindle moulder. The 1/2" router is possibly one of the least used tools in the workshop :( , with the exception of staircase trenching and housing lock keeps into door frames. I've got a Makita RP2301FCXK 1/2 router which is a delight to use when it gets used, soft start, work light, very powerful, braked... It's a good machine.

That said, if you plan on having a router table set up and you plan on running heavier mouldings and rebates, the extra power is nice. Also, accessibility is a huge bonus in a table setup if you can get it and that's where some routers like the Tritons with their through-base adjustments really shine. I've got an old 3HP Ryobi Industrial RE-601 Router with fine adjustment set up in a table and it does pretty much anything you throw at it, doesn't miss a beat and was cheap as chips.
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Re: Router

Postby RogerS » 07 Sep 2019, 07:29

Trevanion wrote:It depends on what you plan on using it for I suppose, I often reach for the 1/4" router as it's easier to handle and gutsy enough for most tasks and any large moulding work I use the spindle moulder. The 1/2" router is possibly one of the least used tools in the workshop :( , with the exception of staircase trenching and housing lock keeps into door frames. I've got a Makita RP2301FCXK 1/2 router which is a delight to use when it gets used, soft start, work light, very powerful, braked... It's a good machine.

That said, if you plan on having a router table set up and you plan on running heavier mouldings and rebates, the extra power is nice. Also, accessibility is a huge bonus in a table setup if you can get it and that's where some routers like the Tritons with their through-base adjustments really shine. I've got an old 3HP Ryobi Industrial RE-601 Router with fine adjustment set up in a table and it does pretty much anything you throw at it, doesn't miss a beat and was cheap as chips.


Can't fault the above. Agree 100% especially re how much use the 1/2" gets. Also if you do go down that route then soft start when hand held use is essential IMO.

Actually thinking back a bit over the years I've had in the workshop at one time six routers :oops: And I'll take back a bit of what I said about reliable makes....

Triton...I had one mounted in my router table. I liked the way you could wind it up to do above table bit changes BUT I found that the mechanism for winding up/down soon got graunched up with dust etc and became a right PITA to use. I was glad to sell it.

Trend ...a small 1/4" one. Soon after purchase the top bearing seized and it had to go back for a warranty repair. The fine adjuster is nice though. But now, the switch on the side is sticking and has to be pushed back in to turn the router off. Not ideal. Guess I could dismantle it to clean it out but FFS why should I have to ? It's not had that much use.

So...bottom line...not so keen on Triton or Trend for the above reasons.

My DW625 sits happily in my router table. Never let me down. But a bit of a thug handheld.

Ditto a 1/2" Makita ...heavily used before I got it for £25 in a car boot sale. Again, bit of a thug handheld.

I still have my first 1/4" Makita but not used it for a while as it's not got a softstart or fine adjuster.

Of course, all three are OLD...as in 10 - 15 years old. So in the intervening years we have the introduction of Made in China which can and does dent quality sometimes and so modern DeWalts or Makitas might be just as duff as the rest.
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Re: Router

Postby Woodbloke » 07 Sep 2019, 10:13

Big Trend router in the table, small De-Walt quarter inch jobbie and the Festool OF1400 mid-sized router for most day to day stuff. I've used a few routers over the years and the OF1400 is the best one I've ever come across - Rob
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Re: Router

Postby Rod » 07 Sep 2019, 13:03

At £569 It ought to be!

I’ve 2 DW 625Es, one in my WoodRat and the other in my table. Never ever let me down.

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Re: Router

Postby techauthorbob » 07 Sep 2019, 13:36

Thanks Guys!

There's a good bit of Internetting tonight for a while to check them all out!

Just got stove out for annual clean and chimney sweep so not allowed in most of the house at the moment,
" make the most of the sunny day" she said...

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Re: Router

Postby RogerS » 07 Sep 2019, 14:57

techauthorbob wrote:....
" make the most of the sunny day" she said...

Bob


I thought you lot down South always had sunny days :eusa-whistle:
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Re: Router

Postby Woodbloke » 07 Sep 2019, 17:36

Rod wrote:At £569 It ought to be!

Rod

Yup, it costs a few shekels to be fair, but you pays for what you gets...the best router on the market - Rob
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Re: Router

Postby Jonathan » 08 Sep 2019, 22:13

Having used many different routers over the last 30 odd years my 2 cents worth would be if you want a quality router buy festool, if you don't want to shell out buy a second hand 20 year old Elu that is made in Switzerland......
I once thought I would save some wedge a buy what looked like a Elu copy made by Trend routers....arfter approximately 5 hours running time the armature went, there arfter service is hilarious......

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Re: Router

Postby Woodster » 09 Sep 2019, 09:55

Yes I’ve still got my Elu, thinks it’s a MOF 96. Still working well. I want something smaller and was looking at a Trend T4 but it doesn’t review well. Looks like a Makita when I can afford it.
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Re: Router

Postby 9fingers » 09 Sep 2019, 13:37

Woodster wrote:Yes I’ve still got my Elu, thinks it’s a MOF 96. Still working well. I want something smaller and was looking at a Trend T4 but it doesn’t review well. Looks like a Makita when I can afford it.


My go to router is donkeys years old but still works well for me and that is a Bosch POF500
Still find them on eBay. It has a small plunge base or it is perfect for jigs as it has a simple 43 mm collar which can also fit in a drill stand
However I don’t rate the newer Bosch models that I have in the green range so stay away from those ideally

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