Routers Reviews

as a body worker, most of my tools comes from Bosch. With this router, I just wanted to make sure that anything from Bosch is great as always, and I beleive, I was right

I have not use it a whole lot yet. However I have noticed some issues. Rather than just talking about how awesome this router is, and it is awesome I will point on some minor things.

The biggest issue is the handles, they flex a little. This causes no trouble what so ever. They are more than adequate, however the slop doesn't fit in with the rest of the super high quality build.

So now that I think about it, that is the only thing i have noticed that i can take issue with.

The speed adjustment wheel is nice and recessed so you wont bump it, yet it is still easy to manipulate.

I recently added a second router with more "umph" (the 1619EVS) to let me handle larger panel-raising bits when mounted in a table, as well as to have a backup for general use to avoid changing setups whenever possible. I have been extremely pleased with the versatility, power, ergonomics, and ease of use with the Bosch. I've found myself going to it more frequently than my DeWalt DW621 for quick hand-held tasks because of its comfortable heft and easy to use controls. Compared to the 3 hp Makita plunge I used recently, the Bosch is more comfortable and easier/smoother on the plunge, albeit somewhat noisier. In my hands, it feels more stable than the Makita. It is arguable whether the additional plunge steps on the Bosch are an advantage over the Makita or merely an annoyance. As noted by other reviewers, the features of the Bosch make it a breeze for table mounting and use. Given that my 1619EVS was refurbished, I got a significantly better price, but I'd have been hard pressed to find any signs of prior use when I unpacked it for the first time. I'm quite content with my Bosch and have no second thoughts.

I received this feather board for Christmas 2005 and have already used it on one project. Because I already own the Bench Dog feather board, and liked it pretty well, I used that as a benchmark to compare this model.

First the good:

1. The magnetic base is very strong yet releases easily with the tilting lever.

2. The flexible strip that puts sideways pressure on the board you are cutting is stiff enough to do its job, yet flexible enough to bend easily when adjusting the unit.

3. The price is fair for what you get.

As for bad marks...

1. I am disappointed in the flexible strip that holds the workpiece down to the table. It is not adjustable for height and seems to be pushed to its limit while cutting anything that is a full 3/4" thick. If you have thicker stock you will have to remove this for the cut.

2. When using on the table saw as I near the end of a cut, when the end of the board slides out from under the hold down there is a startling "SNAP" noise made as the plasic hold down slaps onto the saw table. Of course you never see that coming because your eyes are on the blade where they should be.

Overall, I like this tool and have found it to be great for jointing the edge of panels that are usually a challenge on the jointer. As for table saw use, its not a terrible design by any stretch of the word but I much prefer the Bench Dog feather board for that application.

I will let others extoll the virtues of this product. My message is that you should consider buying the complete "Mesa Vista Design GT2000 42" Magnetic Featherboard System". This comprises two Grip-Tites, a 4" high, 42" steel cover for your aluminum table saw fence, and roller guides that attach to each each Grip-Tite. Yes, at $150 it costs a lot more than one or two Grip-Tites, but it much more useful, and really essential for narrow rip cuts on your table saw. I started with two Grip-Tites, then bought the fence and roller guides. They are well-worth the additional cost. Please see my review, and reviews by others, of the GT2000 system.

I love these so much that I just purchased a second set. I use them on my table saw, band saw, shaper, and jointer, any place I want to keep my fingers away from moving cutters while holding material tight to a fence or table top.

I really shouldn't complain here. This router is powerful and does a great job. The soft start is nice and it comes with a variety of accessories. But I just saw the Dewalt kit that's coming out. It blows the Makita away. The plunge has dust collection built in that is really slick. And it comes with a D-handle. Something I would really like to have. but it looks like Makita only offer their D handle with a motor. Gee I've got one of those already. Plus the Dewalt did better in a recent shoot out in one of the magazines. Cost savings I'm sure. For things like switch placement, and ease of use.

Oh and the bits that come with the 1/2" capable Makita are 1/4". Hold out for the Dewalt.

Everywhere I went nothing but the best comments about this router. Now I see why. I previously had a craftsman 1 1/2 hp router. In one word...junk. But this router I could tell was high quality right when I opened the box. The plunge base is great. Easy to use and easy to set up. This set comes with a lot of useful items too. The case is very well designed and holds everything well. Even has extra spots to put bits and template guides. And did I mention quiet! This router makes half the noise of my Craftsman router and the slow start is a great feature as well. The variable speed is also one of the most useful features allowing you to match the speed to the material and bit size. The only thing remotely negative about this set is the switch location. An on off switch closer to the handle would have been better but this was not enough to bring my rating of this router down. Bottom line, if you are a hobby woodworker like me or a professional, this is a great router. you wont be disappointed.

This is it. I own a router that cost me about [money] and I can't even stand the thought of using it now that I have this one. The motor has plenty of power and I like the way it starts with out a sudden jerk. The router bits that came with it works great for me. They have 1/4 inch shafts and I prefer 1/2 inch but they do work great and seem to be quality made. I wasn't to interested in the case until I got done using the router for the first time and realized that I had a great place to store the router along with the manual, the router wrenches and the accessories including about 10 router bits. This saves me lots of time and if very convenient.

This router is worth the money so instead of wasting [money]like I did just buy this one and you won't regret it.

The Best Router quality tool from Makita...Period
I looked at Porter Cable 890, Bosch 1617EVS, Dewalt DW618PK
Routers and finally decided on the Makita because of the Quiet, Powerful, and Flexible. This 12 amp, electronic variable speed router combo kit provides constant speed under load from 8,000-24,000 rpm and soft start to rout smoothly through the hardest of materials. If you only buy one router this is the one to get. This router will do it all. I have been very pleased with the quality of this product, and would recommend it to anyone looking for both a fixed and plunge base router solution!

This is one fine router! It has a nice soft start feature which is truly soft. the noise level is low, well at least as low as you can get with a universal motor zipping along at 24,000 rpm. it is the quietest mid-level router I have used. While important, these features are truly secondary to what really matters in a router: the finished product. The vibration is nearly non-existent, which translates into silky smooth cuts. Couple this with a quality bit from Freud, Amana, or CMT and you are truly in business.
This kit comes with a fixed base and a plunge base. I use the fixed base for the most part and have found it to be up to the usual Makita level of quality. My only reservation about this base is the rudimentary height adjustment system. Once an adjustment is made, the action of closing the locking lever will often cause a minor change in the setting. This leads to a sort of trial and error method, which can be time consuming. Not being a professional, however, time is my least valuable asset. If I had to worry about time, it might be a problem, but then if that were the case, I could justify a shaper.
The plunge base included the kit is as smooth as the rest of this tool. The plunging action is nice and silky, and the lock/release lever is perfectly positioned. The method of securing the motor in the plung base is another time consuming affair (relatively speaking) it requires the use of **GASP** a phillips screwdriver.
All in all, I don't think anyone would be dissatisfied with this router kit. A quality system from a quality company! Having said all that, it must be noted that this particular market segment is highly competitive, with many outstanding router kits available in this price range. With such a dizzying array of permutations, it would be hard to make a bad purchase.

I was having difficulty in making consistent dovetails on maple and birch for cabinet drawers. I was using a Porter Cable dovetail Jig (see my review) and a 25 year old Craftsman router. After much frustration and detective work I determined that the router was largely responsible for the majority of my problems. The depth setting would change and it is hard to set precisely plus the bearing has a small amount of play which greatly affects the dovetail setup. I purchased the Makita router and almost all of the consistency problems were solved. I have not used this machine for anything else, but have no criticisms on its construction or operation to date. A high quality tool at a reasonable price for the part time hobbyist and woodworker.

hi, i am an amature woodworker at best but have enjoyed this hobby for a number of years. i recently purchased the bench dog router table to add to my rigid table saw and today i got the prolift delivered. i cannot believe how easy it was to install and even more how easy it makes changeing router bits and adjusting the depth of cuts. i was really struggling with adjustments and changeing bits but this prolift ends all of that frustration. i only got the lift today but believe me i can already tell you that to me it is worth every penny you pay for it. i hope this note helps, i cannot tell you how happy i am that i bought the bench dog prolift!

IF you want to skip ALL the frustrations of adjusting your plunge or fixed based router, this product is worth EVERY penny! It is well built, solid, easy to install,a well thought out lift. I am new to the routing world and the frustrations of adjusting my router up-side-down nearly convinced me that this type of hobby was not for me.

The instructions for installing the lift are easy to read and BENCH DOG is a extremely responsive company with friendly, knowlegable staff for support.

This product along with the table I bought from them are top in all catagories!

Sam

I ordered this on Wednesday, it arrived 10 days later in perfect condition. Great service from Amazon!!! Read the instructions and able to assemble and set up in a little over two hours. Instructions are very clear and exta parts are included, plus tools (4 hex wrenches). After set up and final adjustment, works like a charm. Teamed it up with a PC 7518 and cut oak, poplar, maple, and cherry like butter. I was fortunate enough to catch this on a weekend sale for $141.00 and free shipping. I would pay $319.00 and still feel it is a bargin. Being able to adjust to the 1000th of an inch, return to original settings, and changing bits above the table are well worth the money! I looked over Jessem and Router Razier. This is the "Hummer" of Router Lifts and should never wear out!!!

UPDATE 04/15/2006:
Several folks have emailed me about the price that I paid. I have monitered Amazon quite often since I bought mine and have never seen the special price listed again. It also appears Amazon is no longer carrying this item.
I would repeat myself that even at the regular price, this is one fine piece of equipment that allows you to fine tune the height of your bit and makes above the table bit changes a lot easier. I would buy this again!
You can still buy this item from Woodcraft Supply or from BenchDog.

I really like this tool. The plunge release/lock mechanism is th ebest around. MUCH nicer than dewalt's or PorterCable's. The motor is smooth and the micro-adjust mechanism works beautifully. My only complaint is that the top is not flat and bit changes are a little less convenient as a result. Pretty minor compared to the tool's overall performance.

It was either this one or the Dewalt DW621, the two best routers in this class. For the readers sake I will compare its features to the Dewalt. Both machines are 2HP, both have a smooth plunge but the Dewalt wins in this respect. They both have dust extraction, Bosch via an attachment and the Dewalt built into one of the plunge posts. If you do not hook up the Dewalt's dust extraction you will inhale the dust and eat the chips. They both employ Soft Start and are variable speed with constant speed technology. As for motor noise the Bosch certainly wins, it has half the noise of the Dewalt, and is comfortable to operate without hearing protection. Both machines have micro adjustment knobs, the Bosch's can be adjusted while the plunge is locked, the Dewalt's cannot. The micro gauge reading on the Bosch is much easier to understand than on the Dewalt. I like the 1/8 step graduations on the depth stop rather than the three post adjustable on the Dewalt. This feature is a user preference you can make your own assumption. The base on the Bosch is larger and more conventional than the Dewalt's. As for quality you can't go wrong with either, time will tell. Bosch makes an excellent product, take the quality for the best and study the features you need.

It was either this one or the Dewalt DW621, the two best routers in this class. For the readers sake I will compare its features to the Dewalt. Both machines are 2HP, both have a smooth plunge but the Dewalt wins in this respect. They both have dust extraction, Bosch via an attachment and the Dewalt built into one of the plunge posts. If you do not hook up the Dewalt's dust extraction you will inhale the dust and eat the chips. They both employ Soft Start and are variable speed with constant speed technology. As for motor noise the Bosch certainly wins, it has half the noise of the Dewalt, and is comfortable to operate without hearing protection. Both machines have micro adjustment knobs, the Bosch's can be adjusted while the plunge is locked, the Dewalt's cannot. The micro gauge reading on the Bosch is much easier to understand than on the Dewalt. I like the 1/8 step graduations on the depth stop rather than the three post adjustable on the Dewalt. This feature is a user preference you can make your own assumption. The base on the Bosch is larger and more conventional than the Dewalt's. As for quality you can't go wrong with either, time will tell. Bosch makes an excellent product, take the quality for the best and study the features you need.

I recently recieved the D-handle base in the mail, I was expecting a used one for the low price and complimentary shipping, however, to my surprise received a brand-new sealed in box item! Thanks Amazon! Regarding the extra cord length, I simply unbolted the top plastic housing and cord retention clip, removed the three easily accessible hot/neutral/ground connectors. Next, cut the old cord ~ 16" from the male end, expose the three wires ~2" being careful not to cut into each wire's insulation. Then, rethread through the cord-relief rubber, bolt down the cord clip and reconnect the wires with new connectors. Lastly, reinstall the top housing. I found a 12' black extention cord that matches the male connector in case I need to switch bases.

With the added D handle for the porter cable router- normal 2 handed routing is now easier to control with 1 handed routing leaving your other hand to aid in stabilizing the lumber being routed. The D handle is well worth the extra if you do a lot of freehand or offhand style routing.

very usefull should be the base sold with the router ! Great price and Quick Shipping too !

If you can deal with a cord, you can't do better than this drill. It's very impressive. Amazon is selling them a little high, so check around. I got mine on ebay for $80 brand new.

POWER is the word! I was on a ladder drilling with a 4" hole saw overhead. You can see where this is leading. Use to wimpy 18 volt guns I was 1 handing it when hole saw hooked up and stopped! My new magnum however kept on turning. I hung on for 1 turn and got clobbered on the following 2! I love my drill! It broke my wrist and I still say it's the best! It's the Top-Fueler's of screw guns.

The 302's long fault is that it needs a cord.
I have had this drill for 3 years and I don't use it much.
I use my cordless drills including my powerful Dewalt 988.
Today I used a 3 in holesaw to drill thru a 2 by 4,once I used the Dewalt,It struggled but drilled the hole. Then I used the
Milwalkee 302,it drilled It with ease and didn't even slow down.
I was very impressed.I will use the Milwaukee for the really heavy drilling from now on.I will use the cordless drills for
light to fairly heavy use (about 95% of the time). Why put unneeded strain on a good cordless drill?
If you are looking to buy a strong corded drill,look at Milwaukee first.

I'M AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR AND USE THE HOLE HAWG ALMOST EVERY DAY...THE ONLY OTHER ONE I'VE USED ALOT IS THE MAKITA AND THO IT'S A GOOD TOOL, THE MILWAKEE JUST SEEMS TO BE TOUGHER. I DEFINATELY RECOMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT HAS TO DO SOME SERIOUS HOLE DRILLING, ESPECIALLY BIG HOLES...BUT PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR DOING, IT'LL HURT YOU IF YOUR CARELESS.....

This drill puts others to shame. Drilling through the toughest material, this one has enough torque to get the job done, and still more to spare. The limit to what you can get done with this tool is determined not by the torque that the drill puts out, but by your own strength--when the bit binds on you, the drill will literally wrench itself out of your hands. The warning that the Amazon review gives is apt; new users should be careful with this behemoth because it has more power than you might think. Screw on the secondary, perpendicular handle to keep a hold on this monster as it bores through wood, concrete, asphalt, metal--the tool can handle it all. But can you handle the tool?

In addition to being an outstanding tool for electrical and plumbing, mine survied 3" of water. I let it dry out, cleaned up the outside and it runs like new still. The self-feed bits pull it through the heaviest 2" solid, dry, and well aged oak -- without burning the wood. And its not just for pros. Anyone who has to do electrical, plumbing, or has to drill through studs or heavy wood, will benefit from this tool.

Read all the reviews here and decided to give it a try. The saw I previously used was a 20 years old SKIL saw. Let me tell you,this saw doesn't hold a handle to the old SKIL. It sounds like any other cheap saw from Harbor Freight (kind of rocks instead of bearings feeling). Besides, a pretty strong vibration would come and go while you are cutting. I don't know what I'm going to choose next, one thing I know for sure, I'm not going to keep this saw. The hight adjustment leaver got jammed and it took all my strength to loosen it. Bottom line, it would be a good $30 saw, not a $130 one.

well. The saw is powerful, and fairly lightweight. Not jumpy either, very smooth. The case is clown-shoes big and the adjustable handle is a bit stiff, but overall a worthwhile investment and a good deal at that. (this review is for "left blade" consumers only. I cannot speak for the other side.)
And I am over the age of 13. Really.

Good strong saw, 2 things bother me though, 1 made in mexico, 2 the saw slides around in the case and seems to be a circular saw / router case, not a standard saw case with slots to hold extra blades or small parts.