# Festool Router and RT1000XL



## RT1000 (Jan 9, 2007)

Hello does any one know if the Festool OF2200 router will mount on a Aluminum Plate 9.25 x 11.75 on the RT1000XL I can't seem to find the base size of the router. Thanks |Joe


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## Tool Home LLC (Sep 18, 2012)

I just eyeballed mine, Joe, and it looks to be 200mm diameter, which is a little under 8".


Tom


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## RT1000 (Jan 9, 2007)

Tool Home LLC said:


> I just eyeballed mine, Joe, and it looks to be 200mm diameter, which is a little under 8".
> 
> 
> Tom


Thank you Tom
ps: Are these routers worth their cost? Are they worth the price of 2 PC7518 production routers.


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## Tool Home LLC (Sep 18, 2012)

RT1000 said:


> Thank you Tom
> ps: Are these routers worth their cost? Are they worth the price of 2 PC7518 production routers.



That depends on what you value...

The OF 2200 is arguably the best router in the world. It is powerful and ultra-fine at the same time. I have sold many of them to pro's and DIYers and have never had anyone that wasn't totally satisfied.

Also, the 7518 is a fixed-base router and the OF 2200 is a super-slick, very ergonomic, plunge router, so we're talking apples and oranges. They both have soft start but the OF 2200 is variable speed and the 7518 is 5-speed. The OF 2200 also has MMC electronics, which includes not just soft-start but also constant speed under varying loads. As well, it protects the motor from mechanical overload or excessive heat build up. The OF 2200 also has the best dust collection of any router I've seen where the 7518 designers didn't even consider it.

Another thing to consider when choosing a router is what it will be used for. The OF 2200 has more versatility than any big router out there because of all of the accessories available and designed specifically for it.

If I'm not mistaken, the RT-1000XL does not have a lift. Are you planning on using the router to be the lift? If so, you might want to consider a Triton.

If the router is to be dedicated to a table with a lift, why buy a hand-held router to begin with? The 7518 has a base and in a table with a lift, all you need is the motor.

One exception to the above is the Festool CMS. It takes hand-held routers so you can have one router that can be used in the table or out and the transition takes a minute or two. When one considers that, a router that is superior in every way can easily be seen to be worth two others.


Tom


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

Many of the same kind of comparisons can be made when looking at a Mercedes vs a Chevrolet. Bottom line is I don't need, don't want, and can't afford the Mercedes. Same is true of the Festool. The Chevy will get me anywhere I need to go, the PC 7518 will do anything I need it to do.

If you can afford the Festool, by all means go for it! But I can buy a 7518 and a couple of portable routers and still have money to buy bits and lumber!:yes4:


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

RT1000 said:


> Hello does any one know if the Festool OF2200 router will mount on a Aluminum Plate 9.25 x 11.75 on the RT1000XL I can't seem to find the base size of the router. Thanks |Joe


I have looked very closely at the OF2200 myself, I do have the the previous Festool model ??1100 but I got that second hand so it was not that expensive but it is a sweet powerful router, is the OF2200 worth all the money? I do not know, over here it is nearly $2000.00au and that is a lot of money for a Router and to get the full benefit you need to buy tracking rails, clamps and other bits and pieces, and it also needs it's own dust extraction, so the Festool dust wagon is also expensive, it would likely be able to be hooked up to other dust extraction systems, I have looked at everything Festool and the thing is that you really need to buy all the accessories for each item to get the full benefit or commit to having a Festool workshop where the total cost would have no limit. as a good example, there is no point in buying their small plunge saw if you don't have Festool rails to run it on and once you have them then you could buy one of their smaller Routers as well as that will also run on their rail and once you start doing that then you really can spend a lot of money, it would be sweet to have a full Festool workshop but I just have too many other things to spend the money on so Festool looks to be to be a commitment that is far to big for me, even though it is made very well. NGM


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Festool router is not that new at one time Power Craft had one just like the Festool,that looked like a big power drill a one handle thing ;( and it was junk also.. 

===


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## Tool Home LLC (Sep 18, 2012)

Dmeadows said:


> Many of the same kind of comparisons can be made when looking at a Mercedes vs a Chevrolet. Bottom line is I don't need, don't want, and can't afford the Mercedes. Same is true of the Festool. The Chevy will get me anywhere I need to go, the PC 7518 will do anything I need it to do.
> 
> If you can afford the Festool, by all means go for it! But I can buy a 7518 and a couple of portable routers and still have money to buy bits and lumber!:yes4:



There are certainly ways to justify almost anything. That's why each individual has to examine their wants/needs, budget, and think about their application(s) and the future.

If time is not important, some people I know prefer hand tools over power tools. As Cicero said in ancient Rome, "suus cuique".

I drove old beaters that I had to work on all the time until I could afford/justify a nice, dependable car. My time was worth less to me then, I have less of it now and certainly less overall remaining.




> I have looked very closely at the OF2200 myself, I do have the the previous Festool model ??1100 but I got that second hand so it was not that expensive but it is a sweet powerful router, is the OF2200 worth all the money? I do not know, over here it is nearly $2000.00au and that is a lot of money for a Router and to get the full benefit you need to buy tracking rails, clamps and other bits and pieces, and it also needs it's own dust extraction, so the Festool dust wagon is also expensive, it would likely be able to be hooked up to other dust extraction systems, I have looked at everything Festool and the thing is that you really need to buy all the accessories for each item to get the full benefit or commit to having a Festool workshop where the total cost would have no limit. as a good example, there is no point in buying their small plunge saw if you don't have Festool rails to run it on and once you have them then you could buy one of their smaller Routers as well as that will also run on their rail and once you start doing that then you really can spend a lot of money, it would be sweet to have a full Festool workshop but I just have too many other things to spend the money on so Festool looks to be to be a commitment that is far to big for me, even though it is made very well. NGM



Festool really has created a "system" of power tools and accessories. It is certainly true that to get the full value from their tools, having the accessories that apply to your work, makes all the difference.

If dust management doesn't matter, that eliminates one BIG value of Festool tools. I would suggest that it does matter. If you're a hobbiest, maybe less so, but you should still make certain that you are not breathing it. If you're a pro, it really matters, both for your health and the impression you leave on your customers. Proper dust management also saves time and affects things like sanding. If you are working on pre-'78 houses, it REALLY matters, just ask the City of San Antonio...




> Festool router is not that new at one time Power Craft had one just like the Festool,that looked like a big power drill a one handle thing ;( and it was junk also..



I don't know which router you mean. There are four current models. The smallest is a 700-watt trim router. The other three are all plunge routers and they are 1010, 1400, and 2200 watts. I show them below, smallest to largest. They all have comfortable places for both hands.


Tom


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## charimon (Apr 8, 2009)

Personally I would not go with a festool 2200 on a router table. The premium features that you are paying for would go to waste. 
Even the 2200/CMS combo is clunky in comparison to a good lift with a PC or Milwaukee. 
OF 2200 in CMS


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## Tool Home LLC (Sep 18, 2012)

charimon said:


> Personally I would not go with a festool 2200 on a router table. The premium features that you are paying for would go to waste.


I agree, Mr. charimon, most should favor the PC or Milwaukee with certain tables. I sell both and would add to that list, the Triton. 

The difference in the CMS solution is that one can use their Festool plunge router in the table or in their hand and the transition is a couple of minutes. With most router tables, the best solution is to dedicate a router (motor at least) to the table and buy another for handheld applications.



charimon said:


> *Even the 2200/CMS combo is clunky in comparison to a good lift with a PC or Milwaukee.*


I respect the things you say on line and have followed them for years. I respectfully disagree with this one. 

I don't know how much time you've spent with the CMS but I invite you to spend some with mine. If one hasn't actually used a CMS while putting it through its paces, and few have, it's different. I think it's an elegant solution and clunky is far from an apt description. Far from clunky, it is very precise.

Like other things Festool, this also has to be evaluated individually and seriously. These things are investments, not something you do Saturday on a lark.

When people hit the check out counter at HF, they (then decide) on the warranty and are often talked into a (virtually infinite) warranty. They will likely be back...

I buy stuff from HF. I just don't buy things that matter.

When I consider serious tools that I think, "have to work" or if they don't, it will cause problems and it will cost me money, I think about them differently...

I use actual Kleins, Channellocks, Crescent wrenches, Bessey clamps, Fluke, Stabila, and others. I grew up using tools when I was a helper/slave of my Master Electrician Father and his highly respected Mechanic brother(s). I learned to use what worked best because tools shouldn't cost the "job" money.

It's not always what costs less. It has to be a cost/value analysis. Part of that analysis is having to go get another because of failure of the original. What's that worth? If you waste one expensive work piece, what's that worth? What if that stock is hard to replace???

All of the questions change when one is speaking of working with 2x4's/2x12's from HD or really expensive hardwood stock. If the value of the worker is $10/hr or $40/hr, it matters a lot. $40 can seem cheap if all is actually included... 

Someone with a $100 tool who costs $20/hr fully loaded and takes one extra hour to clean up on one job, costs $20 extra on that one job. On the second, similar job, it has come to $40. On the third, it has come to $60, etc...

After 10 uses, that $100 tool's extra clean-up cost is $200, EXTRA.

These can easily be real numbers.

If that cheapo tool craps out after 9 uses, the 3 guys that are depending on it are sitting idle for half a day while it gets replaced... $20 x 3 x 3 = $180. I think that's casual...


Tom


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## charimon (Apr 8, 2009)

Tom,
you are correct Clunky is a a bit Hyperbole, and the CMS and 1400 work well,- I had a chance to spend a few hours with one. I got carried away with myself, but we Junkies tend to have high expectations :yes4:. One of the things we (United States) have are an abundance of Very precise router lifts and fence options. I find the CMS wanting compared to my Current Jess Em/Milwaukee/Incra setup, if they ever allow the other inserts the added productivity may be worth a second look.

RT1000 Please don't take my post as disparaging to the OF2200. If you have use for it for more than Just a router table I would Highly recommend it. 
In my own opinion Festool should introduce a 9-1/4" x 11-3/4" table plate that will use the FastFix base system. Hmmmm maybe another QWAS product :happy:


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## charimon (Apr 8, 2009)

Double post


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## Tool Home LLC (Sep 18, 2012)

At the risk of being repetitive, a bare plate, like I think the RT 1000 has, screams for a Triton.


Tom


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## Nich21 (Dec 1, 2012)

Hello,
for me the dust collection is very important, so the question is, can someone use the OF 2200 and the fence system from the module and put them to another table? Has anyone tried this? 
Another option i ve seen by a guy (i have to find this) is to fit the module to a mft3 table which makes it more sturdy.


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