Router Advice

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am looking for my first router, which will mainly be mounted in a home made router table, will get medium duty use and needs to be capable of functions such as cutting large dovetails for blanket type boxes. So far I like the Perles OF 2-808E because of the good name and spare parts availability and the Bosch POF 1300 ACE because of the high power and low cost. I would rather a well built machine that will last opposed to a cheap but high spec model and my budget is approx £100.

Does anyone have any experience with these routers and any suggestions for their suitability?

Many thanks for the help!

 

[Woodythepecker]

Hi Mac, welcome to the forum.

I own the Bosch 1300ACE and it is a very good router but unless you buy it second hand you won't get it for £100.

For hand use i've got the little brother of the 1300 (the Bosch 900ACE ) which in all but the motor is the same. I have had mine for about 5 years now and so i do not know how much it costs today, but you might get this at closer to £100.

If you want to wait until you have a few more pennies, then I also recommend the Dewalt 625EK which is excellent , especially for table use.

Although i do not own one myself, there are many members who shout the merits of the Triton, and again this is especially good for table use because it has a raise and lower device built in, making cutter changing possible above the table.

Regards

Woody

 

[wizer]

id save my money and buy a triton... have I said that before?

 

[Noel]

Hi Mac, welcome to the site. No experience (other than reputation) of the Perles. Think the 1300 ACE you're referring to is the new shape green model? Which seem a good spec and has had good reviews. I've the older 1300 ACE, the blue one, and it a good machine. For table use I'd try and go for a 1/2" machine and still use your 1/4" bits with a collet. Let us know what you decide to do.

Rgds

Noel

 

[Woodythepecker]

Cheers Noel for clearing that up.

I cannot understand why Bosch would give their new DIY (Green) router a model number that is so close to their old TRADE (Blue) model (POF 1300ACE & GOF 1300ACE). At sometime there is bound to be some confusion when ordering spare parts over the phone.

So has Bosch stopped producing the GOF 1300ACE?

Regards

Woody

 

[Adam]

I cannot understand why Bosch would give their new DIY (Green) router a model number that is so close to their old TRADE (Blue) model (POF 1300ACE & GOF 1300ACE).

I can see exactly why they would name their DIY and Trade version almost identically? :?

All those punters who did a quick online search and presume its just a small model change, and therefore reading reviews for the good machine? but buy the cheap version!

Adam

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Mac

Welcome to the forum.

What you find is that anybody who uses a router ends up with a minimum of two. Normally, a router sitting in a table will have a half-inch collet as you tend to need the power in the table. Some of the routers suggested for this on the forum, are the DW625EK, Triton, Freud and Trend T11. The Trend and DW are both manufactured by DW in the same factory.

The other router that people have tends to be a medium weight, such as the Trend T5 (manufactured by Perles) , Perles and my particular favourite the DW621K.

As you are starting out I would strongly recommend that you do not buy quarter-inch bits. Go straight in for 8mm, they're the same price, but you get a lot more steel for your money. IIRC it's 60% more.

The basic Trend T5EB is 99 at The Saw Centre.

The examples quoted are just ones that I've remembered off the top of my head.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Scrit]

Bosch G- prefix tools have been trade items as long as I can remember (Gessellschaft??), whilst the P-prefix were always the DIY models. Someone care to hazard a guess what the German for these are? :lol: The duty cycle/life is supposed to be the difference. I'd agree with the comments about the GOF900ACE - nice little router and fairly quiet, too, but I doubt you'd get one for under a ton

Scrit

 

[Woodythepecker]

"No Adam" i do not belive that any company would do that :shock:

I didn't think about that mate, but now you mention it, i can certainly see the boffins at BOSCH HQ coming up with the idea.

Regards

Woody