reccomendations for a router, used on a router table?

[goldeneyedmonkey]

Hi all,
I'm looking to make myself a router table and buy a new router so I don't have to keep swapping my current router about so much.

But I was wondering... do people generally spend quite a lot if it's a router destined for table use? As I would assume that it would be doing most of the work so therefore spending a lot would be a wise investment.
And what do you look for in a decent router for this task, rpm, or just ease of changing the bit?

ps my current router is a DeWalt DW624.

as per usual, thanks in advance_Dan

 

[ByronBlack]

You want something that can be raised above the table without faffing about with router-raiser hardware, and something that can have the bits changed above the table.

I have a the smaller of the two Tritons in the table and it works very well.

Some will say get the biggest most powerful one you can afford - which is fine advice, but I'd rather a slightly less powerful one that can easily be raised and bits changed - otherwise its a massive pain in the rear. With my smaller triton, I just take a few extra passes instead of hogging off a ton of material at a time. Doesn't take that much longer, and costs a fair deal less than some of the larger routers.

 

[BTR]

i have a dewalt 625e in the table and it is very good you can change the bits no problem and it is very powerfull aswell

 

[Philly]

A vote for the Trend T-11. Great router and very useful to be able to adjust the height through the table.
Cheers
Philly

 

[mailee]

Hitachi M12V in one table and Freud 2000 in the other, impressed with both for table use. :wink:

 

[Mike H]

It depends on how much you want to spend and how convenient you want the arrangement to be.

All the recommended routers so far will work, but...

I wanted:
Dead easy bit change
Accuracy
Dead easy change from router table to general routing


My solution:

I have purchased the Jessem Router lift FX and Jessem phenolic base from Rutlands and I have the Bosch American style cylinder router. I have a full 2.5 inches of travel, the collet will lift totally clear of the surface, so bit changing is a dream, and I can take the motor unit out in less than 10 seconds, with the cam clamp and put it in the plunge or the fixed base.

I have had this for 2 years and it is the best arrangement of the 3 or 4 others I have had over the past 20 years.

To save a bit I have built the table and although I have the jessem fence, I have also made a tall fence out of MDF for running dovetails and vertival panel raising and this fence is really fine. I can also use it on my bandsaw for veneers. The phenolic base is not an essential as it is easy to machine something nearly as good.

Some people will recommend the Triton, but this is not an industrial quality machine like the Dewalt, T11, Bosch etc..


Anyway that is what I have done and it works for me.


Mike

8)

 

[tigerhellmaker]

A vote for the Trend T-11. Great router and very useful to be able to adjust the height through the table.
Cheers
Philly

Next vote for T11.
Dewalt 625e is almost like T11 but T11 have nice lift system for table.
I think You can modify 625.

 

[Eric The Viking]

A vote for the Trend T-11. Great router and very useful to be able to adjust the height through the table.
Cheers
Philly

Next vote for T11.
Dewalt 625e is almost like T11 but T11 have nice lift system for table.
I think You can modify 625.

And another vote (T11) here!

I really like mine so far. The motor note doesn't change at all when planing 2 1/2" Idigbo (75mm worktop cutter). I love the through-table adjustment and well-behaved speed control. At anything other than top speed it's really quiet (for a 2kW brushed motor) too.

I haven't used it handheld yet. but expect good results.

In the router table I've only hit one tiny snag so far: My router plate has the usual set of 1/4" holes for a lead-on pin (for 'freehand' routing with a bearing-guided cutter). I don't actually like this idea much, and usually run the bearing close to a fence instead, for safety as much as anything, but it may get very occasional use.

The most useful hole for the pin is annoyingly close to where the height adjustor access hole had to be cut in the plate. I had mine drilled by an aircraft engineering firm locally, and we reduced the access hole's diameter to the barest minimum of 17 mm. It's actually 17.5mm, I think - (nearest drill size they had). But even that is perhaps too tight: 18mm would be ideal, and Trend spec. 20mm. The problem is that, although we avoided cutting into the lead-on pin hole (just!) part of the router's base casting now fouls the lead-on pin's hole underneath.

I think I'll have to 'adjust' it with a needle file. The pin needs its 'tenon' to be full depth for stability - I don't want a lump of steel coming loose and rolling into a cutter doing 20,000 RPM!

I thought long and hard about how to orientate the router under the table, and having the height adjuster front-right is the best compromise for me. it's a shame it's so close to the pin...

Otherwise I'm well pleased, especially with the micro height adjustment (easily better than 0.1mm). It's ideal for adjusting tenon faces really precisely with a surfacing cutter, and I've no doubt it will get loads of other uses in time.

If you do get a T11, and you want 1:1 drawings, I have PDFs for my plate (prints on A3 paper), and an Autocad DXF file. PM me if you want them.