plunge router reviews - recommendation

[DogwoodTales]

I've had the Bosch 1617 combo for years. Even got the body housing replaced under a recall several years ago. Works very well and is my go to router over a pc fixed base that I also have. A good combo like this will give you a lot of bang for the buck. I use it in the plunge base for hand held work and in the fixed base mounted in the router table. I like it a lot.
I will keep it but am now ready to get the Dewalt mini router by the personal recommendation of a former PW editor who has used many models over the years and says he does 90% of his router work with the DW mini for the same reasons as others above have recommended minis. It's powerful enough for many tasks, works well, and is light. I really like my Bosch router but sometimes it is a bit heavy to use for extended periods and it provides a lot more power than I need for most tasks.
So if you're looking for your first go to router I'd recommend a combo like the Bosch or Dewalt. But consider a mini down the road.

[bandsaw]

I was using the Bosch with a collar in a jig to cut a lot of mortises. As I went along the mortises became sloppy/loose. The problem turned out to be the Bosch plunge base. On one side of the main casting there's no bushing, the rod just banging around in the casting. the casting wore and the joints got sloppy. I was a little shocked when I opened the little black plastic cover and found no bushing.

[mikefm101]

+1 on the Bosch 1613. I've had it for about a decade and it's probably my favorite tool in the shop. I also have the Bosch edge guide and several dust collection adapters. The comment up thread about a clear aftermarket base is a good idea.

I have a more recently purchased porter cable router. I don't think they are the same as PC tools made a decade or more ago and I know I'm not buying anymore porter cable anything given an underwhelming experience with relatively mundane home shop use.

Mike

[Yetloh]

In my view you can't beat a big router.  For many years I have had the Dewalt  625, which is a good sound machine.  For several years now I have also had the Festool OF2200EB plus (Not to be confused withthe earlier 2000 model).  This is a really superb piece of kit in all respects and a long way ahead of the Dewalt in terms of ergonomics and, especially, dust extraction.  The downside is that it is expensive, as are the accessories, but in typical Festool fashion, everything is beautifully thought out and made.  If you want and can afford the best, the Festool is it.  The only disadvantage I can think of is that, being a big beast , it won't fit every router table so, if you are tempted, check before you buy if you plan to use it in a table.  Ironically the size and weight are no disadvantage at all for hand use because everything works so smoothly and I find its mass makes precise hand use easier provided it is properly supported.

Jim

[ScottAngel]

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[Aram]

[quote pid='7428388' dateline='1486402001']
I have several plunge routers. My favorites are the DeWalt DW-625 and DW-621. I had both for years and they've always served me well with no problems.
[/quote]

I have the 621, and I mostly concur. Works very well, plenty of power for any plunge operation I can think of (I can't imagine needing the 635), and it's been reliable for years. Dust collection is very good with a shop vac. My only small gripe is that the plunge mechanism is slightly grabby. If you are trying to plunge in small, controlled steps it takes a little care. Overall, I've been very happy with it.

[JohnnyEgo]

Like a lot of folks who have been doing this for a while, I have accumulated a fair number of routers. Of the ones that I actually use fairly frequently to plunge-route, I have about 20 years on my Dewalt 618. Dust collection is fair, plunges and locks well, light enough to be acceptable on edge work, powerful enough to do as much heavy cutting as one would care to do with a plunge router. Even has reasonably decent integrated dust collection on the plunge base. My gripes with it are that the turret stop absolutely sucks, it's a bit fiddly to move the motor from the fixed base to the plunge base. I also think it doesn't plunge very smoothly, though that might be because it's hit the shop floor a lot of times over the last 20 years.

I recently acquired a Festool OF-1400. I experience buyer's remorse with nearly every expensive thing I buy that is not a gun. This includes most of the Festool things I've purchased. I get over it pretty quick, usually with practice and exposure, but that first moment is usually a bit of a let-down. But not the OF-1400. Loved it from the moment I used it. Router-based dust collection is never going to be perfect, and Festool is not magic. But it is vastly improved over my 618. Plunge mechanism is very smooth, turret and depth stops easy to use and adjust. Love the ratchet-based single wrench bit changes. rTook about an hour of use to get accustomed to the ergonomic changes over the 618. Now I don't want to go back. I still keep the 618 for template work with a bushing, as you cannot really center the Festool template plate like you can with the 618 base. It is a very expensive router, but as I spend more time with it, I am really glad I spent the money on it.

One more plus for the 618 though. It is tough as nails, and you can still get parts for it very easily. On it's most recent trip to the floor a few months back, the motor housing plug cracked at the cord-lock twist ring. A replacement receptacle was $5. Three torx screws, push the pins out, push them into the new receptacle, and bolt it all down. About a five minute job. Looking under the hood, everything was laid out very neatly, had a place, and it looked like some thought had been put into repairability. I will cry a river of tears the first time my Festool router takes a trip to the shop floor, and I doubt it will be as easy to get replacement parts or fix the things that break on it.

[kurt18947]

I just purchased a new B&D PC 690. It replaced a Craftsman and was an up-grade. However a reviewer warned if it's used heavily ,the motor burns out. Mine does warm up. Another reviewer said the plunge base is useless, which I don't have. I have Bosch 1617 with both bases and DeWalt 625

I'd agree with the reviewer who said the 690 plunge base is useless, or it was about 20 years ago when I had one. The P-C 89X series uses the same plunge base as the DeWalt 618 series machined to fit the P-C motor. The plunge is MUCH better than the 690 plunge base I had and it has dust collection that works. The P-C 89X series has a reputation for being top heavy that I think is warranted. I have the fixed base with dust collection in the handle. It's kind of a D handle which helps some with the top heaviness. The dust collection with the fixed base, while not perfect works better than I expected given the small diameter of the hole.