Router choice

[Chippygeoff]

I have been looking at routers in the Axy catalogue and there is something that I just cannot get my head round. They say you get what you pay for and today the market is flooded with cheap machines from the far east and I tend to give these a miss as I like to use machines that will be reliable and last. With routers though I think the majority are a good make like Bosch, Makita, Trend and so on. For what I want a Bosch router costing under £100 will easily do all the things I have in mind but looking at the various routers on offer I see there is a Festool OF2200 1/2 inch router that has the staggering proce of £708, that is over £600 more than the Bosch. Apart from a height adjuster on the Festool I fail to see how this would be a better router for me, both will do exactly the same job for me. Does anyone actually buy the festool routers.

 

[hammer n nails]

astounding price would not pay that for a router i have 3 set up for various jobs that i do regularly but mine are mid and low range price range the low range ones work just as well as the mid range and had them for some time

 

[Edwin]

I have an old half-inch Elu router (1800w) that does everything you might expect in that power range. However, by far the best purchase I've made in the last couple of years has been the Bosch GKF600, which used to be sold as a laminate trimmer but is listed in the latest Axy catalogue as a "palm router". It's a pleasure to use, light in weight and with an accurate height adjuster. I've used mine to make rebates, round over edges and all but the heavier stuff that demands big cutters. The cost is about £130. I've made various attachments and jigs for it to do particular jobs that need a delicate touch.

What may be snags are (1) that it takes only quarter-inch shanks and (2) it has a fixed speed. If you wanted it permanenetly fixed in a table, it wouldn't be difficult to make a plate to which it could be attached and which could be set into a table. It's definitely worth considering.