# Best Router Best Price



## Ratt (May 25, 2009)

If my other thread dont help I guess I need a new router. What's the best table only router I need. Going off what I read I need 2 hp or so dont need much over that I think for part time use. I want it to have lift and top side ajustment and bit change a must what yall think I need.

Thanks Andy


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello Andi! Have you looked at the Craftsman? They are priced rite. I have one as do some others, and they are good. I have been happy. There are many routers, however. Most are good. Sears (soft Start) is clearly good, the router starts with out putting a negative reaction when turned on.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Greetings Andy and welcome to the router forum. Another one from north western Ga, as you can see, I live in Dallas, Ga and another fella lives in Hiram, Ga. There are several others that live in Douglasville, Ga and in the general area. Bob, the member from Hiram, I am sure, will be along shortly.

I have a Ridgid, but I am not pushing that particular one. The Sears has all that you want at a very attractive price as do several others. One way to evaluate the routers is read reviews by folks that have bought them. I think I would really look at the Sears, reason I didn't in the first place was I was not a member of the forum and didn't have the benefit of several good reviews posted here.




Ratt said:


> If my other thread dont help I guess I need a new router. What's the best table only router I need. Going off what I read I need 2 hp or so dont need much over that I think for part time use. I want it to have lift and top side ajustment and bit change a must what yall think I need.
> 
> Thanks Andy


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

The Triton 2 1/4 is made for the router table and meet all your requirements.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

If it's going to be in a table all the time, you don't need soft start, but, it's nice if you take it out for hand use.
You want variable speed for the bigger bits. I slow my PC890 down with the small ones most of the time.
2 1/4hp minimum. 3 is great for a table.


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## tryingtokeepmyfingers (Jun 3, 2008)

well I like my 

Milwaukee 5616-24 2-¼ -Max-Horsepower EVS Multi-Base Router Kit Includes Plunge Base and BodyGrip Fixed Base

Amazon.com: Milwaukee 5616-24 2-¼ -Max-Horsepower EVS Multi-Base Router Kit Includes Plunge Base and BodyGrip Fixed Base: Home Improvement

if I was looking for something to have in a table and off the table. but really I decided I needed a router to live in the table and bought 

3.25HP Triton Plunge Router
3.25HP Triton Plunge Router-Sommerfeld's Tools for Wood

it is amazing and the sommerfeld people are great to purchase things from but Triton themselves are having financial troubles but that did not scare me off from the product. 

I have not regretted buying either router but for table use only the TRITON would win hands down you could go with the 2 1/4 triton if you wanted table and off table use cause the 3 1/4 is big to handle off the table. Also the dust collection on the Triton is great hooked up to my DC


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## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

which craftsman model are you guys talking about?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Mike

Craftsman 2 hp Soft Start Fixed and Plunge Base Router w/Electronic Feedback, 11 amp - Model 17543 at Sears.com

Craftsman Professional 12.5 amp Fixed/Plunge D-Handle Combination Router - Model 28084 at Sears.com

http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/4063-model-320-17542-table-routing-3.html

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Mike Gager said:


> which craftsman model are you guys talking about?


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

I was over at Sears this weekend and thought to myself, if I were to purchase a new router, the 2HP soft start seems a good buy for the money. Unless you are doing a lot of heavy cabinet work (large bits and such), 2 HP is probably as much as any of us really need anyway.
I have also noticed the Hitachi M12V seems to be very popular under tables, but I don't have experience with that one.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Frank

It's good one and you don't need the big bits to do cabinet work,this router will do it all..on the standard router table 
MLCS Raised Panel Carbide Tipped Router Bits 2

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dustmaker said:


> I was over at Sears this weekend and thought to myself, if I were to purchase a new router, the 2HP soft start seems a good buy for the money. Unless you are doing a lot of heavy cabinet work (large bits and such), 2 HP is probably as much as any of us really need anyway.
> I have also noticed the Hitachi M12V seems to be very popular under tables, but I don't have experience with that one.


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

The mitered door frame bits caught my eye. I think they would make some interesting picture frames. You could mount the router horizontally or just use a tall fence and featherboard,,, no doubt you have a jig for this . And you are right, with these bits you would not need the big haus.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Frank

Jigs,, we got jigs  and you can have them too ,,easy stuff,,

Just a Note**** I'm not sure you have made SMALL panels ( 2" x 3" ) but this way is very safe way of doing that job  .....(clock panels,small box panels,small cabinet doors with panels,baby doll Gib) it's very tricky to do it with the BIG panel cutter bits... now for archer panels well that's very tricky and must be done a diff.way.. 

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dustmaker said:


> The mitered door frame bits caught my eye. I think they would make some interesting picture frames. You could mount the router horizontally or just use a tall fence and featherboard,,, no doubt you have a jig for this . And you are right, with these bits you would not need the big haus.


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Not to hijack Andy's thread, but the idea of using dual opposing fences is one I had not seen before,,,Nice! Much more secure than using feather boards. Now to keep it on topic, any 2HP router should be capable of making nice raised panel doors like this! I have a 1 3/4 HP router that I am sure would be capable, although it is only 1/4" collet .


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Frank

The 1/4" collet kills that one 

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dustmaker said:


> Not to hijack Andy's thread, but the idea of using dual opposing fences is one I had not seen before,,,Nice! Much more secure than using feather boards. Now to keep it on topic, any 2HP router should be capable of making nice raised panel doors like this! I have a 1 3/4 HP router that I am sure would be capable, although it is only 1/4" collet .


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

i will agree, the craftsman combos are great! i love the worklights. its a very big advantage. i have other routers, but really love the craftsman.\


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Andy: I have a milk crate full of Craftsman stuff looking for non-existant parts. Stay with main-line stuff that you can get parts for. These things will last for a very long time, except when you make a mistake and something gets broken - like dropped or something.

You will never just buy one router. Over time, you will develop a collection.

I would suggest a >3 hp, plunge, 1/2" collet, without spindle lock, with variable speed. Hitachi, Makita, Porter Cable, Trend (in the UK), (OK Triton too -- just for Harry) to start. Next, a nice "D" handle, then a laminate trimmer modified for use as a "fine control" router.

Allthunbs


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Andy,

if you want to know about routers, research the forum and the people that post here with a great knowledge about routers. we have some very knowledgeable people here. BobJ is very knowledgeable as is Harry and others. im sorry allthumbs has had a problem with craftsman, but there are a ton of people who have not.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Allthunbs

That was the case with the older Craftsman routers but now the new ones come with a warranty, that should take care of boxes of old Craftsman routers,,,The new ones I have a come with a warranty that will replace it if the box that it came is damage with in 5 years ,that's hard to beat...no questions ask....If you don't like in 5 years , you get a new one...or a newer model..that's what sold me on the Craftsman... so to say I will have a new one for the next 10 years.... 


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allthunbs said:


> Hi Andy: I have a milk crate full of Craftsman stuff looking for non-existant parts. Stay with main-line stuff that you can get parts for. These things will last for a very long time, except when you make a mistake and something gets broken - like dropped or something.
> 
> You will never just buy one router. Over time, you will develop a collection.
> 
> ...


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## tryingtokeepmyfingers (Jun 3, 2008)

allthunbs said:


> I would suggest a >3 hp, plunge, 1/2" collet, without spindle lock, with variable speed. Hitachi, Makita, Porter Cable, Trend (in the UK), (OK Triton too -- just for Harry) to start. Next, a nice "D" handle, then a laminate trimmer modified for use as a "fine control" router.
> 
> Allthunbs


why no spindle lock ? 

and then I saw the TRITON for Harry. 

I love the spindle lock for table use and one of the reason I went ahead and bought a Triton to stay dedicated in the table.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

tryingtokeepmyfingers said:


> why no spindle lock ?
> 
> and then I saw the TRITON for Harry.
> 
> I love the spindle lock for table use and one of the reason I went ahead and bought a Triton to stay dedicated in the table.


Hi "Tryingtokeepmyfingers"



> "The spindle lock type requires that you... (minimum requirement 4 hands)
> 1. hold the bit precisely 1mm from the bottom,
> 2. hold the spindle lock,
> 3. hold the body of the router tightly,
> ...


I use the OakPart/RouterWorkshop/Rosentahl philosophy so I lose the anchor point when installing bits. Besides it is much easier with two wrenches than spindle lock.

Allthunbs


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## yamato72 (Jun 13, 2009)

The Craftsman 17543 gives great bang for the buck, but I had a big problem with mine - I used it exclusively with the fixed base mounted in a router table for about 2 weeks, and it developed burrs on the motor body, just from being adjusted up and down. This caused the motor to bind against the base and it became impossible to use the fine adjustment. I took it back to the store and they replaced it no questions asked, but I decided that there was a good chance it would happen again, so I started researching some others.

They do have a 1-yr exchange for any reason, though.

I thought it was down to choosing between the Bosch and Milwaukee kits, but after trying out the PC893, I went with it.


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