Routers

[JohnnyEgo]

As your DF500 stares at you with a little bit of anger and jealousy.

It knows what it did.


There are just a bunch of little things I love about the 1400. If I am routing a dado along the track and I need it to be just the tiniest bit wider, I turn the fine adjust wheel and dial it in easily. Same with depth; I can adjust by fractionths of a millimeter, maintain the setting, or adjust back to the original depth with just a turn of the knob. A lot of folks mentioned the ergonomics would be weird, as you lock the plunge depth by turning one of the handles. But I guess I am just weird*, because I adapted to it instantly, and find it way easier to plunge and lock than my Dewalt lever. The single wrench ratcheting collet just makes it a little easier to swap a bit. It's a bunch of very small conveniences that might not justify the price point, but make it such a joy to use, and so much easier and more consistent for me to get exactly what I want the first time. I am tight-fisted as hell on anything that doesn't go bang, but I would grudgingly spend the cash to get another one if this ever gets eaten by the shop floor.

The one real knock I have heard against it, and the reason I've kept my 618, is that it is supposedly not great for template work. It does come with a template compatible base, but a lot of folks say it isn't necessarily centered with the collet, and there is no easy way to make it so if it isn't. Template work isn't something I do often, and I have yet to try it with my 1400, but the 618 still has drawer space just in case.

*I know I am weird; my children tell me all the time.

[lincmercguy]

My 690 has been a good router, especially since I bought it off of Ebay 15 years ago, but the height adjustment on both the standard and plunge bases isn't that great. I have a digital depth gauge and end up using that. Both Bosch routers are supposed to be good there.

When I got my Akeda jig, they recommended an aftermarket base that fits PC bushings extremely tightly since the jig uses that style. It came with a piece that you insert into the collet to center the base with a bushing. It works well, but isn't made anymore. I'll keep my two garage sale 690s for the jig, this one is going to be my non-table general purpose router.