110150052.pdf

Fixed-Base

or all-around shop use, midsized fixed-base routers make

sense to me. At 2 hp to hp, they have enough testos-

terone to handle most cuts without the bulk that can make

bigger versions a chore to run freehand. And as a general rule,

fixed-base routers are easier to use in router tables than plunge

routers. So as a sequel to my review of midsized plunge routers

(FWW #149, pp. 46-53), I gathered all of the fixed-base 2-hp to

-hp machines currently on the market. And with the Fine Wood-

working shop serving as a test lab, I gave each router a hands-

on examination.

The test had three main parts. First, I considered ergonomics of

the routers, using them by hand and in a router table. Then I

checked them for noise, runout and vibration. And finally, they

were given a handheld run to see how effectively they plowed

through wood.

Eight routers were tested: the Bosch 1617EVS and 1618EVS;

Craftsman 17506 and 27500; Jepson 7112; Makita RF1100 and

2-hp Routers

A midsized machine

may provide all the power

and versatility you need

BY TOM

BEGNAL

Router-table manners

When using these routers inverted in a

table, a motor-mounted switch is an as-

set. It is relatively easy to activate the

switch on the two Bosches, the two

Makitas and the Milwaukee. For the

motor-mounted switch to work on the

D-handled versions of the Bosch and

Makita, the switch on the handle must

be locked on.

Because the tests were done using a

mocked-up table with a one-piece top,

my bit-changing evaluations for some of

the routers are based on how easy it is

to remove the motor from the base.

If your table has a removable top plate,

the bit-changing procedure should

be easier. The highest bit-changing

marks go to the two Bosch routers.

By removing the motor from the base,

the bits can be changed on top of the

table with little fuss. The Makita

router motors are easy to remove from

their bases, but that slipping wrench is

an annoyance.

Removing the motor isn't an option

with the two Sears models. However,

with the spindle locked in place, it is

reasonably easy to use the single

wrench to turn the collet.

The motors on the Jepson and Mil-

waukee routers can't be removed from

their bases, either. Because two

Router-table mock-up. To judge accessi-

bility, each router was mounted to a piece

of MDF clamped to a pair of sawhorses.

wrenches are required, it is awkward to

change bits.

Putting the router in a table doesn't

change anything when it comes to set-

ting the cutter depth. I still favor the

Bosch, with the Makita second.

RD1101; and Milwaukee 5682. Four have variable speed. Three

have a D-handle, a style preferred by some woodworkers. Four

have a soft-start feature that briefly limits the speed of the router at

startup, so the tool doesn't twist in your hands when it's turned on.

aligns perfectly with my arm. With its lower-angled D-handle, the

Bosch 1618EVS just doesn't work as well for me. The same is true

for the Jepson.

Machine should be easy to turn on and off—When handheld,

the D-handled Bosch 1618EVS, Craftsman, Jepson and D-handled

Makita RD 1101 routers are dirt-simple to turn on. Simply squeeze

a spring-loaded trigger in the handle to start the router; release the

trigger to shut off the machine. By the way, in addition to the trig-

User-friendliness is a big plus

A router should feel good in your mitts. And it shouldn't require a

lot of fiddling and fussing of the controls and adjustments. So I

spent a good part of my quiet time looking to see how much effort

it took to install a bit, set it to just the right

depth and fire up the router.

Keep in mind that some of the tests are

subjective, in which cases the conclusions

are based on the size, shape and flexibility

of my average-sized hands. And what feels

good to me might not appeal to you.

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Both of these routers can accept large bits,

and bit changing is a snap. The micro-adjust

features work well, and the housing locks are

rated as the best (tied with the Makita). Both

score well in the vibration category and have

soft-start and variable-speed options. The

1617EVS has the most comfortable of the

knob-type handles. The switch and switch lock

on the 1618EVS are easy to use. This model

did well in the runout test, although it is a little

noisier than average.

Comfortable handles are a good start—

Among the routers with conventional han-

dles (those with identical handles on each

side), the single-speed Craftsman 27500

makes my hands feel most at home. I can

wrap both hands around the handles, so the

router always feels secure in my grip.

With its large, classy-looking wooden

knobs, the Bosch 1617EVS also feels pretty

good, and I rate it just behind the Craftsman.

The Makita RF1100 has knob handles, too.

The knobs feel okay, but they don't fit my

hands quite as well as the Bosch handles

do. The handles on the variable-speed

Craftsman 17506 seem too big for me; the

Milwaukee's feel too small.

In the D-handled category, the Makita

RD1101 has the best feel, mostly because

the D-handle has an upward angle that

ger switch in the D-handle, the Bosch 1618EVS and Makita RD1101

also have a toggle switch on the motor. The handle switch won't

work until the motor-mounted switch has been turned on.

The Milwaukee has an on/off switch on the body that works

pretty well. But I have to reposition my right hand to reach the

switch with my thumb.

The Bosch 1617EVS and Makita RF1100 have a toggle switch on

the motor. The Bosch switch is high on the side of the motor.

And although it is awkward to reach the switch with my thumb, I

can manage it without releasing my hand from the router. The

switch on the Makita is on the very top of the motor, so my hand

has to come off the handle to reach it. And that's something I don't

like to do.

Switch lock should engage easily —When making long cuts

with a handheld router, I like to lock the switch in the on position

to give my trigger finger a rest.

The Bosch 1617EVS, Makita RF1100 and Milwaukee have toggle

switches that stay on until you shut them off. Among the remaining

routers, I favor the switch locks on the two Craftsman routers.

These locks engage easily, requiring little more than a subtle push

by the inside of my thumb. The Jepson and the D-handled Makita

RD1101 work fine, too; they just feel a little harder to engage than

the two Craftsman. On the other hand, it is a chore to lock the

Bosch 1618EVS, mostly because it takes some awkward thumb

work to engage its recessed button.

CONSIDER THE SWITCH LOCATION

Changing bits shouldn't be a challenge —Except for the two

Craftsman machines, all of the routers come with a pair of wrench-

es. One wrench holds the arbor nut; the other turns the spindle.

The Craftsman routers have a system for locking the spindle in

place. Once locked, it takes just one wrench to turn the spindle.

For handheld work, I prefer the one-wrench Craftsman system.

Among those using two wrenches, the Bosch routers work nice-

ly. A large opening in the side of the base makes it easy to work

the wrenches. Using another accepted option, the entire motor

may be removed from the base to change bits.

The two Makitas have somewhat smaller openings in the sides

of the base, so it's not quite as easy to use the wrenches. So I re-

moved the motor when changing bits on the Makitas.

On the Milwaukee, the motor doesn't easily remove from the

A trigger switch on the handle, like the one shown here on the Crafts-

man 17506 (left), is simple to use. Both of the Makita routers have the

switch on top of the motor, so you have to let go of one of the handles

to reach it.

CHANGING BITS

The Bosch (far left)

and Makita motors

quickly remove from

their bases, so it's

easier to get at the

collets with the

wrenches. The Jep-

son motor (near

left) can't be re-

moved, and with

smallish openings in

the sides of the

base, bit changing is

more challenging.

base. That makes it more of a challenge to loosen the collet with

the wrenches. I rate it just behind the Makita in this category.

The Jepson router has a pair of flats machined in both the spin-

dle and the collet. So there aren't a lot of options when it comes to

placing the wrenches in a convenient position for tightening or

loosening the collet. Plus, because the wrenches are close to being

the same size (the larger one goes on the spindle), you have to

guess which one goes where.

pack is the single-speed Craftsman 27500. It has a good-sized

clamping lever on the back. But it is hard to pivot the lever from ei-

ther the locked or unlocked position.

The locking mechanisms scored in the same order when the

routers went in the table. But because the levers on the Bosch and

Makita are easy to use, I'd say they would prove even more of a

plus when used in a cramped table setup.

A look at vibration, noise and runout

While some of the router testing is subjective, other attributes can

be looked at through the eye of a coldly objective instrument. So I

Setting the cutter depth is fairly straightforward —Once the

bit has been mounted, setting the cutter depth is just a matter of

raising or lowering the motor on these routers. The two Bosch

routers have a motor that simply slides straight up and down. A se-

ries of three coarse-adjustment notches serve as stops and allow

you to get close to the desired depth of cut. Then, a fine-adjust-

ment knob is used to set the exact depth. To me, it is the easiest of

the bunch to adjust.

The motors on both Makitas are threaded. The parts are nicely

machined, and the system works well. The Jepson motor slides up

and down, but the ride isn't all that smooth. The Milwaukee slides

in much the same way, although it's a little smoother going.

The Craftsman routers use a depth-adjusting ring to control the

depth of cut. But both are difficult to turn, so I rank them at the bot-

tom of this category.

(800) 456-8665

The Jepson has an easy-to-use switch

and switch lock (though they are less

user-friendly in a table), and the

knob for locking the motor

works well. The housing tends

to stick as it slides, and the

machine is the noisiest of the lot.

There's no variable speed, and the

depth-adjusting ring is hard to read.

Motor should lock securely —Once the depth of cut has been

set, you want to be able to lock the motor in place. The Bosch and

Makita routers use a simple lever system. Snap the lever shut, and

the motor is locked tight. It's quick and easy, and it works well.

On the Jepson, the left handle also serves as the locking knob.

Just rotate the handle a turn or so to lock the motor. The Jepson's

large handle/locking knob is easy to turn, so I rate it just behind

the Bosch and Makita routers.

The variable-speed Craftsman 17506 and the Milwaukee also use

a locking knob, but they're located on the back of the router. Both

use a star-type knob that takes some effort to turn, so I don't find

them especially friendly to my fingers. Ranked at the bottom of the

put a few tools to work to check the vibra-

tion, noise and runout of the routers. Look

for individual results in the charts.

(800) 462-5482

Both routers have a housing that slides smoothly

and locks easily. They score best in the noise and

vibration tests. Soft start and variable speed are

also pluses. But the adjusting rings are hard to

read. And the openings in both subbases are

small (a subbase with a larger opening is an

option). The RF1100 has the switch on top of

the motor, so when handholding the router, a

hand must be removed from the handle to engage

the switch. But the top-mounted switch becomes a

plus when the router is in a table. The RD1101 is the most comfortable of the D-

handles. Plus, the switch and switch lock are easy to use.

Vibration —There is just no avoiding vibra-

tion with a router. But less is more here, be-

cause a router with minimal vibration is

indicative of a well-balanced tool.

To check for vibration in each of the

routers, I used a rather unconventional test

method, with a dial indicator serving as the

measuring device. And when the test was

completed, I rated the vibration levels as ex-

cellent, very good, good or fair.

Routers were placed on a steel plate and

allowed to run while a dial indicator, whose

stylus was pressed against the tool's handle,

measured the amount of movement. To iso-

late the vibration, the steel plate rested on a

piece of foam laid on top of a heavy jointer.

The test produced numbers that range from

less than 0.001 in. (an excellent rating) to

0.010 in. (a fair rating). The Makitas aced

this test.

Noise —All routers are noisy; so ear protec-

tion is a must. When you consider that the

noise level doubles with each 5-decibel

(dB) increase, some routers are considerably noisier than others.

The tests were done with a decibel meter fixed to a tripod. The

meter was positioned 24 in. above and 12 in. in front of each

router, a point that's about ear level. Again, the Makitas rated best.

ADJUSTING THE DEPTH OF CUT

Runout —In short, runout is the amount a bit wobbles as it spins.

Too much runout can affect the accuracy of a cut. The test was

done with a test pin in the collet. Then, with the dial indicator mea-

suring the pin at a point 1 in. above the collet, the pin was slowly

turned to get a reading. All of the measurements fell within ac-

ceptable standards, but the D-handled Bosch and the variable-

speed Craftsman 17506 have the least amount of runout.

Most machines handled the test track pretty well

I gave the routers a short test drive. Each router was equipped with

a -in.-dia. straight bit and was set to make a -in.-deep cut. The

routers with variable speed were set to the highest setting. Then,

using a straightedge to guide the router, I made three, 36-in,-long

plowing cuts in fir plywood while moving the router right to left at

what I considered to be a reasonably fast pace (roughly 12 ft. per

minute) for such a cut. By the way, the same -in.-shank bit was

used in all the routers except the variable-speed Craftsman 17506,

which was fitted with a -in.-shank bit, the only size it accepts.

My goal here simply was to find out whether any of the routers

bogged down. But all of the routers handled the cuts without any

noticeable struggle. So I'd expect each one of them to have

enough power for most cutting assignments.

But one problem did show up. As I cut with the Craftsman 17506,

the motor slowly rotated, lowering the bit farther into the ply-

wood. At the end of the 36-in.-long cut, the bit had lowered more

The two Bosch routers use

a fine-adjustment dial to

fine-tune the depth of cut,

with each graduation on

the dial representing

in. (0.0039 in.). It's a

step above the ring sys-

tem used on all other

routers in the review.

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