# RidGid R22002 router fixed/plunge base bonus -



## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Whats the general consensus?

I'm trying out the Rigid fix/plunge base bonus kit. It's louder then the Bosch MRC23EVSK kit i just returned, it's electronics were messed and i lost confidence in the product (i'll go into more detail on it in another post). 
For me the Ridgid's fine adjustments are easier to set then the Bosch MRC23EVSK. Only problem is i hate the push button spindle for the collet adjustment and the 1/4" collet is a cheep insert that goes into the 1/2" collet which i like even less.
Just when i had thought i tightened a 1/4" shaft bit as tight as i could, the darned thing moved when i feed the wood. It bottomed out inside the collet! The Bosh with it's two wrench, two different collets for 1/2" and 1/4" never did that. Nor did the Porter 690 i had prior to the Bosch. I loved the 690 simplicity and covered switch only it was near impossible to micro adjust without the use of a table lifter so back it went. I don't use a router enough to spring for a lifter. 

Anyway back to the Ridgid, i'm wondering if another manufactures 1/4" collet would be interchangeable to retrofit the Ridgid? If so that would be a simple fix to a bad manufacturing design choice, and may tip the scales in favor of my actually keeping the Ridgid router? 

If i find it's plunge base parallel holes are a match with Makita's for use with my Makita track saw router attachment guide so much the better, if not i may move onto try a Makita RF1101KIT2. 

Again i need a fixed base for router table use and a plunge base for circle and rebate cutting. However i only use them once or twice a year so for me it doesn't pay to buy separates, a interchangeable base kit makes more sense in that regard.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

*R29302*

Hi Marc, I've got the Ridgid R29302 combo. It also has the push button spindle lock, which I kinda find it's better then trying to get two wrenches on the router, especially since it's mounted under my table. I also have the insert to use 1/4" shanked bits. And until recently, most of my bits were 1/4". Never had a problem with any slipping. Maybe you have a defective collet or insert. Don't know... And even though my only other router experience was with my 28 year old Craftsman, I love this router. So much so, I've also have a Rigid 10" miter saw, Rigid shop-vac, Ridgid Drill/Driver and Ridgid Trim Router. Oh and my latest, Ridgid 5" orbital sander. All registered for lifetime warranty. Knock on wood, haven't had to try that warranty out yet!!


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## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

That's reassuring, there's something to be said about reliability. My last router was a fixed base craftsmen, had it for at least 25 years before the goofy plastic shaft lock unlock mechanism which facilitated a one wrench collet adjust failed. 

I don't think i have a defective collet, it held the 1/4" shaft bit ok when i retightened it. Part or all of it could've been user error. I ran a strip of 1"x2.5" oak thru the table pressed up against the fence for the straight bit to trim a 1/16" off one end and make it more square then i'd get on my contractor type table saw. Plus it's much safer than pushing such a small strip thru a table saw. Problem was it didn't register in my mind to run it thru from left to right since the counter clockwise bit rotation was on the outside of the wood to be trimmed and trued up. I ran it from right to left and at the start the bit caught the wood and pushed it thru with some force without actually trimming the 1/16". Afterwards the bit which i had placed a little more then 3/4's of the bits shaft in the collet was not bottomed out and no longer locked in place. Could be the rotation caused the collet to loosen up enough to free the bit. User error. 
Still prefer a 1/4" collet that wasn't a insert although again, something to be said about reliability, i may just accept those perceived shortcomings and keep it. 
To that end i'm going to have to call Makita to find out if the parallel attachment slots are of the diameter and spacing to fit their track saw router guide. I'd like the option to use the plunge base on the track for cutting rebates.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

What problems did you have with the Bosch Marc? Both of mine have been trouble free and this is the first I have heard about an electronics problem.


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## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Mike, 

My Bosch MRC23... was used three times in ~1 year, third use it shut down seconds after start up. LED's remained on so i know the motor block was making contact with the base. Had to unplug and replug in order for it to repeat the same start shut down. Bosch rep said the electronics shut it down as a safety feature (yeah right), and that the electronics could be faulty. The rep then went on to say other units sent back with the same problem only required the contact/tracks to be cleaned with a air compressor. The tracks on mine were in perfect shape, spotless. Even switched from fixed to plunge base with no difference. 
I lost confidence in the product and rather then sending in for service which could potentially become a revolving door, i decided to return it. 
Interestingly when packing it up i tried it once again, first try shut down, second try i moved the speed control from the highest position to midpoint. To my surprise it then worked. I then shut it off and moved the speed control back to high position and again it worked. So even if it is just a faulty speed control, it's much to new to be having trouble with it. I should note that i was using it/fixed base mounted to a router table and it is possible saw dust got into the speed control to cause the trouble. Again not something i consider acceptable with the limited use i put on it, and just before the 1 year warranty is up.
I could see how someone not using theirs on mounted inverted under a table, or if they have a amazing saw dust vacuum removal setup would never have this trouble. Assuming that is the cause, lets not forget i'm only guessing it's speed control or speed control saw dust related...sn't it almost always the case of a 25¢ part being the weakest link in the chain. Dumb marketing and design choices. If they want to cut corners do it where it won't affect the actual product and get rid of all the useless packaging.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

The MR_23 series routers perform very well in a table or free hand. In photo 1 you can see I removed the non switch handle for more room under the table. Photo 2 shows the MRF23 under the table with the extension handle in place. Photo 3 shows the difference between the factory sub base plate and the Trend Unibase. I use this router with Trends metric and Imperial guide bushings. Photo 4 shows the dust collection adapter attached to the 23 on the left. Both of mine have been trouble free. After each use with any/all of my routers I unplug and blow the dust out of them and vacuum up anything that got past the dust collection. This is the easiest way I know to prolong the life of any router.

I will talk to Bosch about this and see if any others have had problems with it.

I just got off the phone with Bosch and zero problems reported. It is possible there was a loose connection to the switch. Every company has things like this slip through quality control from time to time. Bosch always stands behind their products 100%, they have always gone out of their way to make things right... even when a product is out of warranty. The MR_23 routers have been out almost two years? now and there have been 5 problem reports. 4 of these were where the motor was not inserted into the base far enough for the power bus to make contact and one misaligned (dropped at the factory) plunge base. A replacement was sent right away. I know, I handled this for Richard (Gwizz)


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## boogalee (Nov 24, 2010)

Mike said:


> I just got off the phone with Bosch and zero problems reported. It is possible there was a loose connection to the switch. Every company has things like this slip through quality control from time to time. Bosch always stands behind their products 100%, they have always gone out of their way to make things right... even when a product is out of warranty. The MR_23 routers have been out almost two years? now and there have been 5 problem reports. 4 of these were where the motor was not inserted into the base far enough for the power bus to make contact and one misaligned (dropped at the factory) plunge base. A replacement was sent right away. I know, I handled this for Richard (Gwizz)


Mike

If zero problems were reported what happened to these:
Bosch rep said the electronics shut it down as a safety feature (yeah right), and that the electronics could be faulty. The rep then went on to say other units sent back with the same problem only required the contact/tracks to be cleaned with a air compressor.

Understand that I have 6 Bosch routers including the Colt and only had one problem (stuck bit in the collet. Replaced the collet and no problems since). Bosch is my goto router. I have never had to contact tech support.

Sometimes I think when a problem is new the reps do not acknowledge it until they reach a certain number.

Al


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Al, please forgive me rushing and not double checking what I typed, it should of said "zero problems reported with the speed control or electronics." The "compressed air" routers were the ones not fully inserted into the base. Whoever Marc talked to did not log his trouble report since no action was taken.

Marc, do you remember who you talked to about this? Did you call the National Service Center or speak to someone local? If you saved any notes about this please forward them to me so Bosch can investigate.


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## boogalee (Nov 24, 2010)

Mike said:


> Al, please forgive me rushing and not double checking what I typed, it should of said "zero problems reported with the speed control or electronics." The "compressed air" routers were the ones not fully inserted into the base. Whoever Marc talked to did not log his trouble report since no action was taken.
> 
> Marc, do you remember who you talked to about this? Did you call the National Service Center or speak to someone local? If you saved any notes about this please forward them to me so Bosch can investigate.


Mike

It is so easy to forgive you. You are such a nice guy.

Al


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## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Mike said:


> I will talk to Bosch about this and see if any others have had problems with it.
> 
> I just got off the phone with Bosch and zero problems reported. It is possible there was a loose connection to the switch. Every company has things like this slip through quality control from time to time. Bosch always stands behind their products 100%, they have always gone out of their way to make things right... even when a product is out of warranty. The MR_23 routers have been out almost two years? now and there have been 5 problem reports. 4 of these were where the motor was not inserted into the base far enough for the power bus to make contact and one misaligned (dropped at the factory) plunge base. A replacement was sent right away. I know, I handled this for Richard (Gwizz)


Mike, thanks for taking this issue upon yourself to investigate further. 

I don't think a loose connection to the switch was the culprit because i had the same result when i switched the fix base for the plunge base. 

The rep really thought it is due to faulty electronics. He said it has sophisticated electronics just like new cars and many other consumer product these days. Not surprising given the soft start feature works beautifully. He also said they make a model without the electronics (1617 series).

And yes i agree the rep was helpful, told me how much time to expect the warranty work to take, also mentioned some flexibility in the year warranty duration. 

My concern is it is a new product and if i'm having trouble now what happens three years + out of warranty if the same thing pops up. 

In my experience i've had seemingly trivial issues like this reoccur a few years after the first repair on more the one occasion. 

I could've got the one out of who knows how many hundreds, lemon. May've jumped the gun on the return? I suppose time will tell, two years in the market isn't that long to say tried and true. 

I like that Ridgid and Milwaukee have three year warranties. If the Ridgid doesn't work out, (have yet to use the plunge base), i'd likely try a Milwaukee before trying my luck on another Bosch MR23. Something i may very well do since it's soft start is so good, a real plus for fine work/tight tolerances. Idk?


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## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Mike said:


> Al, please forgive me rushing and not double checking what I typed, it should of said "zero problems reported with the speed control or electronics." The "compressed air" routers were the ones not fully inserted into the base. Whoever Marc talked to did not log his trouble report since no action was taken.
> 
> Marc, do you remember who you talked to about this? Did you call the National Service Center or speak to someone local? If you saved any notes about this please forward them to me so Bosch can investigate.


Mike, yes i called the national service center, the rep asked where i'm located and told me the location of the Bosch company repair center nearest me and recommended them over a local Bosch authorized repair shop. He also had me hold while he looked into the problem, i.e., did some research/consult/others. To be precise, he specifically said the repair guy who worked on the router or routers (at this point i don't recall specifically), sent in for repair with the same issue i experienced, didn't have to do anything more then clean the contacts, that there was nothing wrong with the router (again at this point i forget if he specifically said they used compressed air to clean the contacts, i think so). He did ask if i had a air compressor to use to blow saw dust out of the tracks to clean mine. I do but told him my tracks were in perfect condition. Mike, i can assure you the contacts were as clean as the day i opened the box, and i know what oxidized metals look like too. I can't recall if he specifically said they had used a compressor to clean it. He did however tell me that a repair shop had to see it, as what i or some other person calling the service line regards as clean may be entirely different then what they'd call clean or what they see when they receive the item.
No disrespect but what you were told about "The Compressed Air routers were the ones not fully inserted into the base", makes little sense to me. I can't imagine why on earth a motor block not being fully inserted into the base would require compressed air. 
He did say in so many words they are not seeing many problems and that few were sent back for service. Again i'm not a tape recorder, thats not verbatim. 
I asked for a confirmation number of the call and he said they don't do that for this. I asked for his name and was given a first name he said he was the only one there with that name. I forget if i wrote it down. I decided if we were not at the stage where confirmation numbers were given, a name wouldn't matter much either. 

Truthfully, i don't think the rep did anything wrong. My loss of confidence in this Bosch product is based on past experiences with Bosh and other Manufactures products. 

Wrt Bosch, i currently own a Bosch RA1118 Router table. Just prior to getting that model i had purchased the Bosch RA1171. The RA1171 has a MDF top, the RA1118 top is aluminum. With the RA1171 i had a terrible time adjusting the router mount insert plate's level screws. A requirement to get the plate perfectly level with the MDF top so that no gaps are present for my stock material to get hung up on causing imprecision of routing. At one point when adjusting the set screws i heard a crack, turned out the screws split a layer of the MDF top. Junk, returned it asap! Still i didn't give up on the brand just that item. I went to another store that carried the aluminum top RA1118 looked it over and decided to give it a try. Not only did it have about twice as many set screws, they were metal against metal and more precise to adjust, kept that table. Not to bash Bosch but my guess is if you were to call Bosch tomorrow and ask if the problem exist, they'd deny ever having such a problem and or say the piece must have been dropped or damaged in shipping. I say this based on that table is still on the market, with as best as i can tell from what i see on display at Lowes, zero changes from the one i bought a year ago.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

I think when I do decide to get a #3 router, I will try another brand, probably a Bosch, just so I'll have something to compare it to. Right now, all I can compare my Ridgid to is my little old 1 hp 28 year old Craftsman. And there's NO comparison!! And I'll tell you what I did one time, back when I first got my Rigid. I think I was making some signs or something, and instead of using the wrenches, or the lock button, I stuck a Phillip screw driver into the lock pin hole. (don't ask...). But I forgot to pull the screwdriver out, and turned the router on. It made a hellacious ratcheting noise and I thought for sure I ruined it. After I pulled the driver out, turned it on and it worked fine. Stuck it in the table and took a piece of scrap and hogged some wood and no problems. And it's been working its butt off ever since!!


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## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

N'awlins77, i went from a old fixed base craftsmen/trigger switch to a Porter 690. Neither have micro adjust or soft start so function about the same yet the difference was night and day. The Porter was clearly superior. Trouble was micro adjust was nearly impossible so i returned it for the new Bosch. Again night and day difference in many ways. I've posted my problem with the Bosch which lead me to the Ridgid, which for me the verdict is still out on. By design the new trigger Bosch certainly has some nice features the Ridgid can't compete with, only if the work you do wouldn't benefit them, well, if it ain't broke don't fix it


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Marc, I discussed your problem with Ken yesterday. Ken is the top Tech at Bosch USA. The possible loose wire mentioned was inside the motor housing connecting the speed control switch, not the trigger switch. Over the years Bosch has seen an occasional defective crimp on the connecter from the factory. (but not on the MR_23 so far)

Enough about that. I have had my hands on the Ridgid but never used it; a nice design. I can tell you everyone has really liked the big Milwaukee fixed base in our on going 3+ hp comparison testing. If Milwaukee made a plunge base to fit this model it would sell like hot cakes.


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## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Mike, sounds like that Milwaukee 5625-20 3.5hp is the bees-knees! Problem is at 14.78lbs it is more weight then i'd want to handle. I imagine a plunge base would add even more weight. I thought the Bosch MRP23 at 16lbs was a bit much, 3.75lbs heavier then the fixed MRF23. Also a 3.5hp router is more then i need for my purposes. 

Other then that, i noticed the Bosch 1617EVS specs say it now includes a dust-sealed power switch, a plus, something i'd like to see Porter do/the 893/4's. Lots of user complaints about that and odd because they do it/the 690's.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Here are some shots of Brian and Richard giving the Milwaukee 5625-20 a test drive.


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